Hello, I've sorted it out and I am now able to play.

Closing the client after each patch was good advice.

Thank you kindly.

thanks I am running with administrator powers, but I have noticed that all the folders in my AO directory are marked read-only. Of course, looking at a couple of other folders containing programs, it's universal. However, I read somewhere that someone had trouble with custom GUI because their prefs ...

I feel bad about seeking technical help here, but my situation is a bit unusual. I downloaded the free client without problems. Ran it for the first time and let the patcher do its thing. I am now completely patched. All the files are the patches folder. However, every time I try to start, the game ...