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I am a paying customer of GoG since 2016 because I believe that the user must be able to decide for himself which software he wants to install. That is why I reject DRM. I also reject game clients, such as those required by Steam, because they don't bring me any advantages (I can install and update programs myself, I don't need saves in the cloud and I don't want to manage online-friends). Therefore I do not use GoG Galaxy.

Yesterday I installed Witcher 3 (retail version) and redeemed the game code at GoG. When I started the game, to my horror, GoG Galaxy started!

Meanwhile I could quit Galaxy after changing the settings and prevent the autostart but when I want to start Witcher 3, Galaxy always starts again (I didn't "connected" Witcher 3 with Galaxy). How can I prevent Galaxy from starting? How can I get rid of Galaxy without residue?

I'm very annoyed that GoG installed software that I don't want to have without asking me! By doing so, GoG damages my trust in its business practices. On the website and in previous communication, GoG says that Galaxy is optional! This is obviously not true.

Are other publications, like Elex, and future publications, like Cyberpunk 2077, also forcibly linked to GoG Galaxy?
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Wired2051: I am a paying customer of GoG since 2016 because I believe that the user must be able to decide for himself which software he wants to install. That is why I reject DRM. I also reject game clients, such as those required by Steam, because they don't bring me any advantages (I can install and update programs myself, I don't need saves in the cloud and I don't want to manage online-friends). Therefore I do not use GoG Galaxy.

Yesterday I installed Witcher 3 (retail version) and redeemed the game code at GoG. When I started the game, to my horror, GoG Galaxy started!

Meanwhile I could quit Galaxy after changing the settings and prevent the autostart but when I want to start Witcher 3, Galaxy always starts again (I didn't "connected" Witcher 3 with Galaxy). How can I prevent Galaxy from starting? How can I get rid of Galaxy without residue?

I'm very annoyed that GoG installed software that I don't want to have without asking me! By doing so, GoG damages my trust in its business practices. On the website and in previous communication, GoG says that Galaxy is optional! This is obviously not true.

Are other publications, like Elex, and future publications, like Cyberpunk 2077, also forcibly linked to GoG Galaxy?
Galaxy is INDEED optional, it all depends which files you download. If you download from 'Install game with Galaxy' it will do just that and install with Galaxy. Underneath you have offline installers which will download through your browser. You need to click on 'more' and choose 'Gog download links' to download offline installers vias the Gog downloader if you wish to use that.. In both those instances Galaxy is not used at all to install.

See below responses from fellow Goggers to bypass Galaxy in launching the game.

If you use a 3rd party installation monitoring, when uninstalling Galaxy, it will tell you of any potential remnants left behind in files/registry by Galaxy's uninstaller.
Post edited February 08, 2020 by Flyingfluffypiglet
You can run games installed by Galaxy by going to the game install folder and running the game executable, it will bypass Galaxy and start the game, you can then edit the desktop icon (if one was created) to change the target to the game executable. (Don't use the shortcut in the folder as that would launch Galaxy as well.
By retail, do you mean off the dvd? If so you might have inadvertently accepted that as part of the install process (companies hide all kinds of crap behind other install options.

If you got it from the website, then make sure you download the offline backup installers. They don’t contain the complete galaxy product (still contain some components).
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Wired2051: Yesterday I installed Witcher 3 (retail version) and redeemed the game code at GoG. When I started the game, to my horror, GoG Galaxy started!
"The initial, pre-­premiere retail PC batch of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt needs to download a file from our servers to allow play. This file will either be downloaded automatically during installation process (via GOG Galaxy, optional DRM­-free gaming platform of GOG.com) or you can choose to download it manually at play.thewitcher.com." --https://support.cdprojektred.com/en/witcher-3/pc/general/issue/634/is-internet-access-needed-to-install-the-retail-pc-version-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt

Yeah, so it's possible retail installer needed extra files so it installed and used Galaxy to get them. Don't install via the DVDs, mate. You've redeemed the code with GOG, download and install the offline backup installers from the GOG website and avoid Galaxy that way. It sucks that you have to download those hefty files considering you have a convenient DVD right in your hands, but that's the way things are.

And run the executable directly from the installation directory, not the shortcut on the desktop, nor the Launch command on the installer.
To be honest all of The Witcher Retail releases have problems of some kind. I have a retail version of the original and it doesn't install the full game, it wasn't until I could get a digital version on GOG that I was able to play it properly.
Thanks for your willing to help!

What a pity the don't tell their customers this facts in advanced, before installation! *grrr* >:(

Now I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe but it is v1.02 and the downloaded Patch is "1.31 to 1.32". What to do? Install it anyway?
Post edited February 08, 2020 by Wired2051
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Wired2051: Thanks for your willing to help!

What a pity the don't tell their customers this facts in advanced, before installation! *grrr* >:(

Now I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe but it is v1.02 and the downloaded Patch is "1.31 to 1.32". What to do? Install it anyway?
Have double checked the changelog and no, you won't need to install ==>1.32 unless you want support for simplified Chinese language.
Post edited February 08, 2020 by Flyingfluffypiglet
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Wired2051: Thanks for your willing to help!

What a pity the don't tell their customers this facts in advanced, before installation! *grrr* >:(

Now I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe but it is v1.02 and the downloaded Patch is "1.31 to 1.32". What to do? Install it anyway?
Unfortunately GOG do not provide the means to download any released version or patch, only a select few. It’s something requested many times, but not available. You can try the patch, just download it and run it, if it installs all well and good. If it says you do not have the right version then you will need to download the full game from the website - I would do this anyways if you have the bandwidth, just leave it downloading overnight. Then store those installer files, the dvd is pretty much worthless.
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Wired2051: Now I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe but it is v1.02 and the downloaded Patch is "1.31 to 1.32". What to do? Install it anyway?
Your disk installer is to out of date and Galaxy is the only way to update it right now. You're going to need to download the latest installer from GOG.com and the patch or use Galaxy to update it. Thats the price for retail, they never have the currently supported files, and there is no reason to keep old patches as the newest installers are online.

And the version you bought is not the primary version as the GOTY exists, but your Wild Hunt will never not be patched supported, no worries.
Attachments:
...sounds good but, as I wrote, my game is v1.02 and the patch is v1.31 to 1.32.

Where do I get the patch v1.02 to 1.31?
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Wired2051: Thanks for your willing to help!

What a pity the don't tell their customers this facts in advanced, before installation! *grrr* >:(

Now I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe but it is v1.02 and the downloaded Patch is "1.31 to 1.32". What to do? Install it anyway?
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nightcraw1er.488: Unfortunately GOG do not provide the means to download any released version or patch, only a select few. It’s something requested many times, but not available. You can try the patch, just download it and run it, if it installs all well and good. If it says you do not have the right version then you will need to download the full game from the website - I would do this anyways if you have the bandwidth, just leave it downloading overnight. Then store those installer files, the dvd is pretty much worthless.
Assuming we're talking about the GOTY edition, patched to 1.31, that 1.32 is purely for language support.

When it comes to patches in general, the things I'm kind of annoyed about is when you have patches download available, except the base game for download is usually all patched up to the latest. Bummer if like me you go for the offline installers and never had access to previous versions to begin with.
No, yesterday I installed Witcher 3 (RETAIL VERSION). After 1h all 4 discs are installed. To my horror Galaxy (beta!) was also installed - and installed something automaticly.

To get rid of Galaxy, I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe manually.

Now the game is v1.02 and the patch downloaded from GOG doesn't work.

And yes, I want to use the German language support.

For me it starts looking like I'm forced to use Galaxy because there is no way to patch the retail version. *grrr*
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Wired2051: No, yesterday I installed Witcher 3 (RETAIL VERSION). After 1h all 4 discs are installed. To my horror Galaxy (beta!) was also installed - and installed something automaticly.

To get rid of Galaxy, I started C:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64\witcher3.exe manually.

Now the game is v1.02 and the patch downloaded from GOG doesn't work.

And yes, I want to use the German language support.

For me it starts looking like I'm forced to use Galaxy because there is no way to patch the retail version. *grrr*
Again I stress that, so you need to check the changelog in your available downloads here on GOG in your game library, as I suspect that it will tell you that patch you asked if you had to install, 1.31 to 1.32 has nothing to do with German but is for Chinese support. So no you do not install that one if the case.

I'm sure another Gogger will be able to help with your version and if fact, look at post 5 because could be just it: you most likely need to download the whole game from the offline installers and so the whole installation starts from scratch, without conflict and Galaxy.

So uninstall the whole thing, all of it, ignore your DVDs and only use Gog's files.
Post edited February 08, 2020 by Flyingfluffypiglet
You could use the installed version of Galaxy to patch to the latest version, then uninstall Galaxy. The Witcher 3 should still work (I've done this with a retail GOTY version).

It should use less data than downloading the latest installers.