*Sigh*

After a nice format and reinstall of Vista (version Ultimate 64-bit,  SP1), I installed MXO from the CDs.  Everything goes smoothly until it tries to update the game.  Then it runs forever, takes hours in which the green download bar goes up and down, while the blue update bar stays just shy of the top...before returning a "bad checksum", "Code - 2" and asking if I have a possible virus.

I wanted to get this post out there, but I'll also try to do a grab of the message next time I'm on that machine.  Meanwhile, I'm installing the game to a secondary hard drive.  And I've tried:

• Defragmenting after install and before update
• Defragging again after all files are downloaded
• Killing all unnecessary programs and services and raising priority to "High"
• Removing the files to see if re-downloading them would go correctly
• Reinstalling to a different folder
• Running install as Admin (or not), running game as Admin (or not), or just disabling UAC altogether
• Letting Vista have swap space on the secondary drive too
• Using Station Launcher to update the game (same error message occurs)
• Uninstall.  Defrag.  Let installer get through disc 1, defrag, disc 2, defrag, disc 3, defrag, run updater, defrag, run updater again
• Launch using a commmand-line switch that sets High Priority to launcher.exe and matrix.exe

It seems to get hung up on the .pkb files, in particular, sounds.pkb.  Sometimes it's one file that throws the error, sometimes it's another.  I've even gone bat-looney and given full control rights to all users, dropped the firewall and A/V programs, and installed, run, and updated the game, all to the same result.

I'm going to try copying all the files from another (up-to-date) Vista machine and see if that helps.  If not, I'll try installing on C:\.  But I'm baffled--before the format, I'd had it installed on the secondary drive with no problems.

Suggestions?  Ideas?  I'm stumped!

Specs:

ASUS A8N SLi Deluxe Motherboard

AMD Athlon X2 4400+ @ 2.2GHz

4GB OCZ Platinum RAM at recommended voltage and timings (4 x 1GB, Dual-channel enabled, etc.)

2 separate (but identical) WD SATA 2.0 (3.0Gb/s) HDs, with ReadyBoost on dedicated hi-speed Patriot XT 4GB USB Drive

2 x BFG Tech nVidia 8800GTS OC, 512MB ea.in SLi

Sound Blaster Audigy X-FI Audio card

SATA 2.0 DVD +/- RW drive

Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition

WEI 5.0

Definitely something wrong that I can't nail down...

Overwriting all files with known good files didn't change the error message.  Installing on C:\ didn't change the message.  Using Station Launcher to install from the web (on C:\) gave me this:

Retrying changes nothing...it'll just say "There was a problem with one of the files" and that it will try again in 30 seconds if I don't click "Retry" or "Cancel"

Suggestions?

Okay, I learned a little more, so I'm going to pass it on.

I don't know if this becomes a Vista issue (because it can happen in other OSes but is more common in Vista), a Network issue (because it has to do with file transfer) or a patching issue (meaning, SOE's Patch server isn't playing nice and needs fresh new files).

Checksums help with error correction.  Most of us don't even realize how error-prone machines are:  an IDE Hard Drive cable, for example, is highly lossy and typically hard drives and CD-ROMS have error checking to pick up the slack.

The problem comes when network technology tries to do the same thing.  Checksums provide info about the files that go down the pipe, and when someone offloads those checksums, they're trying (and failing) to piece it all back together on the other end.

So if--and only if--you are experiencing this exact error:

Look at the properties for your Network Adapter and disable any Checksum Offloading properties you see (you may see several)

Make sure you have the latest drivers (and if you update the drivers, make sure you didn't lose any of your settings with the new install)

If you're not battery-dependent, disable power management for your network adapter (so Windows won't accidentally turn it off because your download has an idle moment)

You may need a reboot before the above will stick.

Open a command window and type the following:

netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

Last, there is a Registry key you can create/modify to enforce this, if none of the above work.  You can find it (and a good description) here:

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/Wind...hooting-01.html

Let me reiterate--these fixes are only for if you are having this same problem with an application or connection:  "checksum" errors with files.  None of this will "tweak" your OS, it just fixes problems related to these settings.

I've performed all of the above and we'll see where it goes from here.  I promise to talk to myself some more if I have anything else useful to say.

Yep, I did.  Ticked Full System Check to make it confirm the Launcher, then did it after launch to have it check the full set of game files (vis a vis your nifty post on how to run the Full System Check ).  I also tried replacing the file(s) in question (usually .pkbs) with ones from another machine where the game works just fine.

Here's a grab from when I'm not using the Station Launcher:

No virus infections (scanned that specific folder, even), disk has been checked for errors, and advanced performance was enabled on the disk. 

I just got the message again, even after doing all the checksum-related stuff mentioned above in my last post....so I'm running a full system check again and we'll see if that does it. (*fingers crossed*).   If that fails, I'll try copying the files from the good machine directly to the bad machine (instead of to a thumb drive as I'd done) and see if overwriting them a second time helps.

Hrm...the Full System Check bombed, so I'll post again when I have a chance to copy/paste.

But I wonder...I can't recall if BitLocker Drive Encryption is enabled in Ultimate by default, but given that it encrypts files, I'm wondering if this time around on the format-install bandwagon, I got a hash that's not playing nice-nice with MXO files?  This error seems to occur regardless of if I'm on C:\ or D:\.

If copy/paste fails, I'll try turning BitLocker on/off, depending what it is/isn't by default.  Maybe then I'll even blow away the secondary drive and start with a clean File Allocation Table...

Well, I tried all of the above except disabling BitLocker.

The good news is, I solved my problem!

The bad news is, it was an ugly solution and I'm not proud of it.

I started turning off things that check files, cache, or otherwise throttle back the network.  And in the end it was doing the following scattershot tactic that caused the entire operation to complete:

I disabled every option in the Security Center and stopped every Service that wasn't specifically needed for copying files over the Internet.  That means I not only did the little things like shut down Superfetch, Background Intelligent Transfer, and the Print Spooler...I also turned off the Firewall, Windows Defender, my Antivirus software, the Phishing Filter, and every non-essential executable in the Task Manager.  Containing my flinch, I walked away for three hours and said a brief prayer to the Gods of Folly.

Once all was done, I rebooted, raised shields again, and ran a full and thorough virus scan.  Swept for spyware.  Everything checked out clean and I just finished a lovely two-hour session with these purty graphix.

Thanks Phi for the suggestions...it got my brain a-thinkin' again.  I promise not to tell anyone you unwittingly inspired me to beg to be hacked!

(horrifed, suddenly, at the realization that I'll get really good at Vista, right about the time they pull the plug on it and expect us all to go to Cloud, the ultimate vaporware)