Guild Wars 2 is the fourth main installment in the GW series. It features a similar play style but with way more options to choose from. Whether it be unique skills or DLCs, Guild Wars 2 reigns supreme. It caters to an extremely large player base. Well, a bigger player base means bigger problems, and that’s where annoying bugs come into play. There is an annoying bug called Error Code 42 that has been terrorizing players for years now. So what is it?
Error Code 42 in Guild Wars 2 has a simple meaning; server error. This error indicates an error in the connection between your client and the regional game server itself. But it has something more deeply connected to its root. That said, consider reading this guide until the end for more details on how to fix the Error Code 42 in Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2 (GW2) Error Code 42: How to fix it
Error code 42:0:9001:3858:101 or 42:0:9001:3916:101; the second half may look different, but they all mark one vulnerability. And that’s the game’s account server. Error 42 renders this service or server useless, stopping you from logging in to the game. The main role of this server is to control user access to the game, maybe through social media or any other means. Most of the time, the first two digits of the error may look like 42, but the rest of the digits may show different numbers. Here are some of the examples that we could find:
- 42:0:9001:4395
- 42:0:9001:4402
- 42:0:9001:4402:101
- 42:0:9001:4418
- 42:0:9001:4414
- 42:0:9001:4414:101
- 42:1000:7006:1219
- 42:1000:7006:1232:101
- 42:1000:7006:1327:101
- 42:1000:7006:1339
- 42:1000:7006:852
- 42:1000:7006:888
- 42:1000:7006:888:101
- 42:1000:7006:891:101
- 42:1000:7006:1232
- 42:1000:9001:4105:101
- 42:1000:9001:4119:101
- 42:1003:901:1391
- 42:4:11:143:101
- 42:4:18:516:101
- 42:4:7:578
- 42:4:7:602
- 42:5:13:210:101
- 42:5:13:318:101
- 42:5:7:1008:101
- 42:6:3:2158
- 42:6:3:2242
- 42:22:4:1276:101
Make sure to note the first two digits in case the rest of the digits show something different. We are saying this multiple times because these numbers will increase as time progresses, or we can say more players start to create an in-game account. So don’t get confused and call it Error 42 as a whole. Now let’s move on to some of the fixes.
The Official support page
The official support page has some interesting fixes for this error code. It tries to clarify the problem as descriptively as possible, and we will try to do that too. You can check out the official thread by clicking on this link. So first things first, the error message may say something like:
“The game client is unable to gain access to the log-in server at this time. This is most commonly caused by firewall or router settings, security applications, or connecting through a campus network. For additional support, please visit http://support.guildwars2.com.”
This means some kind of disturbance is in place, blocking the game’s access to its servers entirely. Since Guild Wars 2 is an online game, it desperately needs to request various kinds of packets that the server provides. Later, the client decodes them and stores some of them as a cache file. These cache files are then used to fast-load the game instead of downloading them all the time. Well, facts aside, sometimes the same error further explains in the error message that this may be caused by a firewall or a connection issue. We will try to cover most of the common connection issues in just a minute. Let’s start with the most basic workarounds that don’t require any technical knowledge of the system but still somewhat tackle the connection issue that we just mentioned.
Restart the Game
We know that each game contains various assets and small processes that run in the background. These small processes control everything you see on the screen, and login is one of them. So, try relaunching your game when facing the error code. Simply exit the client entirely and wait for 5–15 minutes before trying again. The server may be getting so many login requests that it has to reject some. It’s a common situation for game servers that cater to such a large player base. Also, if some process ended unexpectedly while the game was launching, this will make sure that it launches now without any hiccups. You can try this multiple times before proceeding to the next workaround.
Reboot Your PC
Yet another common enemy of your games is your PC itself. In some cases, the problem lies on the user’s side itself. If it does, rebooting your PC will solve it most of the time. The reason for this is mentioned in the next set of workarounds. Also, a fresh boot makes sure that your RAM is in tip-top shape. Rebooting frees any excess leaks from the RAM, and starting the game first thing on the boot ensures a good time. Just like the first workaround, you should try this workaround at least twice before heading further down the article.
Disable your Anti-Virus
It’s a given that connection issues are very common in this day and age. Sometimes your modem can also cause this kind of issue. Sometimes antivirus programs block any process from the game, calling it malicious activity. Instead of finding and unblocking the process from hundreds of options, just disable it. Most popular antivirus programs, like Avast and Norton, have this option on their home screens. Also, according to most geeky guys, antivirus just acts as a bloat on your system unless the user is innocent enough to install any exe file they see. In that case, even antivirus can’t save you. Facts aside, try to disable the active antivirus program, and then launch the game. This should fix the Error Code 42.
Restart your Modem or Router
Sometimes the problem arises from your network connection. You can check this by simply restarting your modem. Some routers have their own ways of restarting, so refer to the user manual of your router for more details. After restarting your router, launch the game and check whether the issue persists.
Firewall Setting
Decrease the security level of your firewall. Yes, the Windows firewall can sometimes block processes, just like an antivirus. We won’t recommend disabling it. Instead, decreasing the Security setting from either high or medium to low may clear these connection issues. If the firewall detects a process from the game as a threat, try to mark it as safe. Most of the time, there won’t be any malicious processes unless the user has downloaded an illegal copy instead of purchasing it. In that case, we can’t help you. Anyway, if the firewall does detect it, try to follow these steps to unblock it.
- Open your Firewall by hitting the Windows key and typing firewall in the global search box.
- After opening the Windows Firewall, go to the left navigation panel and look for something like Allow an app or feature through the Windows Firewall.
- Now an Allowed Apps window will pop up. Click on the Change Setting button with a gear icon.
- A list of every installed application will appear. Scroll down and find Guild Wars 2 on the list.
- There will be two options: Private and Public networks. Make sure to select both.
- Hit OK, and now you can close the Firewall settings.
Note: Sometimes the client may not be visible in the list. In that case, click Allow another app… from the window and locate the game’s .exe file via the File Explorer. Also, this may vary depending on your system, so try to search a bit and select gw2.exe, and add it to the exception list of your Firewall.
Optional Workaround
Allow ports 6112, 80, and 443. Most games run on either of these ports and request packets from your very own system. You may have to edit your router settings to do that, and there are so many ISP providers now that finding a suitable guide seems impossible. We will recommend you read the user manual of your router, which should mention how to allow specific ports on your router. If it doesn’t, contact your ISP’s helpline number and try to resolve this matter. However, most modem/router allow ports 443 and 80 by default. But still, this may turn out to be the culprit; who knows?
Well, these are the potential workarounds you can try to fix Error Code 42 in Guild Wars 2. Since this issue has been circulating for quite a while, try following the given workarounds to fix it for good. We hope this guide was able to provide you with all the information you needed. And if it did, make sure to follow us on Android Gram for more.
