Launcher stuck on "Starting Update" no errors no nothing

There are 42 replies in this Thread. The last Post () by guenni7.

    I'm already having a PM conversation with Huor about this issue, but I figured I'd make a thread incase anyone else has any advice, and to make the solution public to anyone else who might have this problem in the future.


    So, here's the details: On the first start of Freelancer.exe (from inside EXE folder of course), the launcher starts up and does it's thing, updates itself with no problem. The problem starts when I click the "Single Player" button, and it asks me if I'd like to download the update for Single Player before launching the game. On clicking "yes" I get a blue bar at the bottom of the launcher, with the words "Starting Update..." and it never goes away. I have a program to monitor the data packets my computer is sending and receiving, and while the launcher is in this state, there is almost 0 activity, so it is not trying to connect to anywhere, or download anything. The log says nothing other than "Starting Update..." as well.


    This is the 3rd time I've reinstalled, the 1st time I installed it I actually managed to get it to work on like the 10th try of restarting the launcher, but then I needed to change a few settings I couldn't change through the launcher, so reinstall. and after that I haven't been able to get it to magically work like it did the 1st time.


    My firewall is off, I don't have AV. Huor thinks my ISP might be blocking the update server, which is not out of the question because I have to change my MAC address to milk the free wifi trial provided by xfinity (comcast). However, I don't think that is the case for a few reasons: It has already worked for me once on this connection, seemingly out of nowhere. I've already heard a few people say they need to restart the launcher several times before it does anything. If the launcher can update itself just fine, why not the game? Does it not get the game update files from the same place as the launcher update files? That being said, just to make sure, I will take my laptop to my friend's house tomorrow, and try to do this over his internet. Still, any ideas are welcome.


    I am aware there is already a thread with this topic, however there is no conformed answer to the problem there, (or any I can confirm myself, I don't have access to the router I'm using, so I can't change the MTU settings. I could possibly break into the router, but that'd be illegal, now wouldn't it? Don't want the party van outside my house...).

    Exact same issue here mate. Running Windows XP SP3. Had a clean install on clean copy of FreeLancer, no errors, both Single Player and Multiplayer fail to update (as in nothing happens, no errors, no packet data or CPU usage). If I choose not to update, the game does not launch (singleplayer). Did some reading already, see the issue is somewhat known, already tried/checked the following:


    1) Re-launched launcher several times, restarted PC several times.
    2) I do have NetFrameWork 4.0, highest available on XP SP3.
    3) All other related drivers are up to date.


    If anyone needs more specifics, please advise.


    Best Regards,


    Revan

    [RA] Revan




    [Republic Alliance]
    (click for system rules)
    A Galactic Smugglers Clan in a galaxy not far away!



    put the content of this zip into your exe folder

    Files

    • Launcher.zip

      (2.17 MB, downloaded 74 times, last: )

    signew.jpg


    cfmoddblogo.png5904.png5904.png
    http://www.moddb.com/scripts/topsite.php?ts=4766


    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
    Don't discuss with idiots. They only drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience there.


    This is ten percent luck,
    Twenty percent skill,
    Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
    Five percent pleasure,
    Fifty percent pain,
    And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

    Thanks for this, I'll be home in about 2.5 hrs and can try then. I'll update this post with a status report. Appreciate the time, Sir.

    [RA] Revan




    [Republic Alliance]
    (click for system rules)
    A Galactic Smugglers Clan in a galaxy not far away!



    Quote from SWAT_OP-R8R

    put the content of this zip into your exe folder


    Still have the exact issue as the OP regarding the update =/ Even with the original launcher files, those update fine, it just the SP/MP that freezes at "Starting Update". In addition to that, the SP mode crashes after the final video, or no video. Is this since WIN XP SP3 can't run Netframe 4.5?

    [RA] Revan




    [Republic Alliance]
    (click for system rules)
    A Galactic Smugglers Clan in a galaxy not far away!



    Quote from SWAT_OP-R8R

    put the content of this zip into your exe folder


    Thanks, but no dice here. It still does the same thing, and I'm on my friend's internet aswell, so it's not the internet.


    I'm on Win. 7 Ultimate 64 bit if that's of any use.


    @Revan I've got .NET Framework 4.5, and I still have the same issue. I don't think that's the issue either.

    Edited once, last by MuG3N ().

    Quote from Revan

    ... In addition to that, the SP mode crashes after the final video, or no video. Is this since WIN XP SP3 can't run Netframe 4.5?

    Crash after videos (or before shows main menu) usually have only 2 reasons: 1st are old FL savegames in documents OR 2nd corrupted/wrong mod installation/activation. I think it is the 2nd reason and it is also behind issues with "no updating" ... like if you have missing some files. Can you please check few things (next numbers not need to be exactly the same but should be not significant difference) Whole FL folder with CF: 17 599 files, 864 folders, size 7,95 GB. FL/EXE folder 316 files, 10 folders, size 117 MB (I've attached screenshot with my EXE folder sorted by file type). Next to this can you please check other two attached pictures and check what version you have for Freelancer.exe and LauncherUpdater.exe (both in /EXE folder) ?



    And one more thing, if you used any install, setup, zip file etc for this mod get running, can you please check this file properties and look if is there not option "Unblock"?

    Display Spoiler

    If so, this need to be done as 1st step. This need to be checked also on OPs zip file attached in few posts above, if it is there, then 1st unblock, then unpack.

    Here are mine. I think it's unlikely that it's because I didn't install correctly, I've followed the directions quite precisely.


    [xattach=5759][/xattach][xattach=5760][/xattach][xattach=5761][/xattach][xattach=5762][/xattach][xattach=5763][/xattach]


    Something else to know:


    Before I got the update to work the first time, I tried to launch the game before updating, I got a loading screen, and then crash, so I figured "well duh, the update probably has some important files needed in order to run the game" After I finally got the update to work, there was no problem starting the game. Are you saying there are not files in the update that are essential to run the game? If so, why would I get a crash before the update, and then no crash after?


    Edit: ignore that picture at the bottom, that's just my whole microsoft games folder, Starlancer included.

    Files

    • Screen.jpg

      (246.37 kB, downloaded 8 times, last: )

    • screen2.jpg

      (256.78 kB, downloaded 8 times, last: )

    • screen3.jpg

      (263.95 kB, downloaded 8 times, last: )

    • screen4.jpg

      (215.37 kB, downloaded 8 times, last: )

    • screen5.jpg

      (214.26 kB, downloaded 6 times, last: )

    • screen7.jpg

      (194.54 kB, downloaded 6 times, last: )

    Since there is few hundred files being updated (1st update which have all changed files from time when was mod released) then there can be more reasons why it crashed without that update.

    Well then, why can't we just have the updated files in the initial installation? or have some place where we can manually download the files without this (No offense to Huor) kind of buggy launcher downloader? If we just replaced the files with the updated ones, is it one of those things that would break the mod?


    Or maybe it doesn't work because I sneezed while it was installing... sorry, sorry, only kidding. :strafe:

    Crossfire 2.0 launcher problem. Stuck at 0% ... exactly the same issue, alas there are not much "details" what he did to solve it, except a fact that prime issue was wrong mod installation/activation.


    Can I ask what instructions for mod install were followed? There are very simple ones coming with mod, then is updated version in FAQ (open How to install/activate/reinstall CF 2.0) .. or you can use really detailed one made by Ape: https://swat-portal.com/forum/…tallation-guide-extended/

    Quote from MuG3N

    Well then, why can't we just have the updated files in the initial installation? or have some place where we can manually download the files without this (No offense to Huor) kind of buggy launcher downloader? If we just replaced the files with the updated ones, is it one of those things that would break the mod?


    Or maybe it doesn't work because I sneezed while it was installing... sorry, sorry, only kidding. :strafe:


    because these files are constantly updated
    some receive a daily update... others get patched
    just lone yesterday i patched 3 of the files


    next to that would the launcher always check the files to ensure that nobody bypasses the security mechanics

    signew.jpg


    cfmoddblogo.png5904.png5904.png
    http://www.moddb.com/scripts/topsite.php?ts=4766


    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
    Don't discuss with idiots. They only drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience there.


    This is ten percent luck,
    Twenty percent skill,
    Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
    Five percent pleasure,
    Fifty percent pain,
    And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

    I used ape's installation guide. That's why it takes so long for me to reinstall every time. Did you see anything wrong with the images I submitted?


    It looks like he fixed his problem just by cleaning his registry. I did that too, I was very thorough. I used IOBit uninstaller, which cleans all leftover files, and registry entries, then after that I used Ccleaner to clean anything that might have missed, and then just to be sure I used regedit and removed anything that any of those missed.


    Ok OP, that makes sense. But still, why are we provided with files that will cause a crash with the initial installation? Even if they are not the most updated ones, a version that will not cause a crash when I try to play SP is good enough.


    Also, I just want to say thanks to everyone that is working with me to try and fix this. Even the creator himself gives me advice. Although this is the most trouble I've had with a mod of any game, this is also the greatest support I've gotten, from any mod community i've been to. Everybody here tries their best to help me, and I just want to say I really appreciate it. We can fix this eventually, I know it! ^_^

    The worst on this is, that there should be not any such issue on Win7, all installation should work smoothly and easy, if there is not present antivirus which was so far behind 95% of issues we had here (and disabled AV was not a solution, some of them did mess even if disabled). For mod installation there should be needed Net.Framework, attached is what I have. For launcher its C++ and attached is what is here on my PC. The last possible thing which I can assume is, that during mod download went something wrong and some mod parts were damaged ... dunno about this last one. Can you please check next screenshots?

    Quote from MuG3N

    Ok OP, that makes sense. But still, why are we provided with files that will cause a crash with the initial installation? Even if they are not the most updated ones, a version that will not cause a crash when I try to play SP is good enough.


    because you downloaded a beta version of the mod which gets fixed files via launcher

    signew.jpg


    cfmoddblogo.png5904.png5904.png
    http://www.moddb.com/scripts/topsite.php?ts=4766


    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
    Don't discuss with idiots. They only drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience there.


    This is ten percent luck,
    Twenty percent skill,
    Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
    Five percent pleasure,
    Fifty percent pain,
    And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

    yessir. here you go.


    [xattach=5773][/xattach][xattach=5774][/xattach][xattach=5775][/xattach]


    Yeah OP I get that, my point is that if we had these fixed files included in the download of the mod, even if they aren't the latest version, the launcher thing wouldn't be mandatory, and one could still play SP if they had a problem like this, or they couldn't get internet for whatever reason... does that make sense?

    Files

    • Cplusplus.png

      (228.16 kB, downloaded 3 times, last: )

    • FLMM.png

      (296.82 kB, downloaded 4 times, last: )

    • setupfolder.png

      (265.9 kB, downloaded 6 times, last: )

    I see there are some differences in C++ versions installed. Dunno if this can have influence. Huor may know better.

    Quote from MuG3N

    Yeah OP I get that, my point is that if we had these fixed files included in the download of the mod, even if they aren't the latest version, the launcher thing wouldn't be mandatory, and one could still play SP if they had a problem like this, or they couldn't get internet for whatever reason... does that make sense?


    No it does not make sense.
    Its a beta version which gets the latest files via launcher.
    I for sure will not release a new mod download, compile a new installer and spend half a day to upload all the shit everytime I do changes on the mod. Thats what the launcher is for and it serves its purpose very well.

    signew.jpg


    cfmoddblogo.png5904.png5904.png
    http://www.moddb.com/scripts/topsite.php?ts=4766


    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
    Don't discuss with idiots. They only drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience there.


    This is ten percent luck,
    Twenty percent skill,
    Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
    Five percent pleasure,
    Fifty percent pain,
    And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

    There is misunderstanding in one thingy ... CF primary function is serve this portal for multiplayer. With this said is necessary have launcher for various reasons included server security. Discussion about standalone SP release was also opened few times and was said (clearly) that this will not happen. What I wrote is for explain things and also to stay on this thread original topic. Thing is that if cf works for dev members and in most of cases, then we only can do our best with suggesting 'what to try'. Is hard to solve issue which we can't reproduce.) And if nothing will work, then there is still chance wait little for new mod re-release which was announced few weeks ago.

    I'm on windows 7 64-bit and it often happens.


    I resolve it by simply closing the launcher and starting it again, then it goes normally.


    Also, sometimes it just takes the launcher a while to start the update.