:curse:
Alrighty, I've been trying to help my mom with her game now for a few days and I'm getting really frustrated and grrrrrrr....

Here's what happened...
She's been having an issue installing patches. Getting an error on the installer that says "waiting for files to close". The installer won't progress and patches don't get installed.

Now, the most recent patch wouldn't install because of a corrupt file. Blizz advised that we should uninstall the game completely, then reinstall. Epic, EPIC fail!

The game is uninstalled, but for one folder. I believe the path was in the WoW folder under /Cache/en US.

You can't delete the folder. You can't open the folder. It hates the world. Trying to delete it causes a "cannot delete because the folder is not empty."

Trying to open it causes a "this folder cannot be open because the file is corrupt or unreadable".

Lose lose.

It was suggested that she install the game into a different directory or run a cmd- chk dsk. My husband did that. A few corrupt files were removed from her machine, supposedly.

She tried again to reinstall. The game installed. Then came the patches. "Waiting for files to close". @_@

So rather than calling tech support, she uninstalled again...despite my text msgs and emails that said, and I quote, "CALL TECH SUPPORT"

If I understand her most recent response- she's saying that the game won't even install again this time.

Now...should she install into a completely different directory?

I don't know if Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the task manager will prove to be worth much, since yesterday when I was arguing with her machine- that didn't show any of the WoW processes running.

I can try again.

Aside from A) Calling Tech Support [which apparently she's just going to keep refusing to do] or B) buying a completely new machine...any suggestion?

I've grown completely frustrated and aggravated with the entire situation. I've scoured the forums and they all suggest opening the task mgr to close any WoW processes...which I can try tonight when I go to her house to pick up my cub and our companion Jake <Destinae's Companion>...

But was wondering if you guys had further suggestions so I could have a full armory of things to throw at it- at least if I "try" maybe I can convince her that this is really the job for Supertech The All-Knowing Blizz Geek.

Help. /frazzledpanda

Blizzard Customer/Technical Support sucks!!! There solution to everything is...run the repair....uninstall and try again.... I had a machine down for almost 2 months of back and forth emails and calls with blizzard. They said it was my machine, but everything worked perfectly except WoW. All my hardware was compatible, the tech and I went through everypiece, each slot of RAM...everything. (Apparently the fact that the game ran for 2.5 years prior to the melt down wasn't evidence enough that it was compatible). I deep fried the HD, formatting off everything, and starting from scratch, still failed. I ended up taking it to a computer store (Milwaukee PC) and they had to cut my windows and start over???? Apparenlty formatting the hard drive doesn't really format the hard drive (yep, still sounds assinine to me too). Once WoW starts to fail, it is very difficult to recover. $75 later and about a week without a PC, I am back up and running. Good chance I was jus the computer sucker, and it was a 2 mins fix, but I will never know. At that point I didn't really care. I just wanted a functioning machine back.

Since then I never, ever use the blizz downloader...that thing is fail!

Here is a post from a guildy back on patch day. Not sure if the link will help, but it got me through without issues.


Posted: 02 Jun 2009 01:10 pm Post subject: Patch 3.1.3 Troubleshooting VIP Information

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guys, the downloader is causing fits all over the country and is stalling before it even gets to 10 percent complete. Servers will be down until approximately 4 EST, but if you wish to download the patch before then, here is your salvation:

http://games.on.net/file/26999/World_of_Warcraft_USAus_v3.1.2__v3.1.3_Patch

Download that to a temporary file, hit run, and within 2-3 minutes you have updated your game to the latest version and skipped the dang-awful Blizzard downloader.

Also, all Battle.net accounts are working as well, so if you have upgraded (And I'd suggest doing so for better account security reasons) to a battle.net account, no worries there.

Hope this helps.

Did you make sure that none of the following were running:
( Make sure you are on the processes tab of the Task Manager )

WoW.exe
Launcher.exe
BackgroundDownloader.exe

If any of those are running, try ending the task. The patch should continue afterward.

I appreciate the suggestions. I don't know what she's done so far. The problem I'm having is that I work all day and don't have the ability to "see" what she's trying to do. We did a chk dsk command and supposedly removed a handful of corrupt files...that "should" have fixed at least one of the issues...

I imagine part of the issue is just that the machine is ancient by now. Still running XP and is nearly 10 years old. As far as I'm concerned, she should just replace the tower and move on. The computer is probably begging for retirement.

She had the game reinstalled at one point, and when the patches started giving her trouble - she just uninstalled the game and tried to start over. Had she asked me, I would have researched the issue and offered assistance- but she just..."does" things without any research. Also, bear in mind that this is my mom we're talking about here. She's not really familiar with computers at all.

I try to help, but I don't want to cause the machine to ultimately meet its demise either. Or maybe that's a better course of action to expedite this process...just dump water on the hard drive? (kidding)

I'll try the task manager thing, but iirc- none of those were open last time this issue occurred. We shall see. Solar, I'll keep that link handy to try and install patches as a workaround if I can't get this moving otherwise. Problem, as I understand it now, is that she can't even get the GAME to install...so the patch workarounds are going on the list of Secondary worries...the primary issue is getting it installed I guess. Her messages to me at work here are a little hard to really understand lol

akes me sad that Blizz tech support is about the same as any other tech support =(. "Did you try restarting? Restart it again, see if that helps..." Bah! Back to the drawing board.

"Timear foresees A Hammer to the Harddrive in Your Future"

>=)

Evil, yes...I know...but I'm so frustrated...

XP is not a bad OS still, regardless. I use it for my gaming rig and will be upgrading to Windows 7 this October.

As per installing, if she cannot install the in same directory, install in a different one C:\Program Files\WoW\ for example instead of the default C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\

She WILL have to attempt to run WoW.exe at least once from the new install directory before attempting patches, as WoW updates registry settings upon launch.

Again, when bringing up the task manager, make sure you go to the Processes tab to see if theose processes are running, as they won't show under the "Applications" tab.

If that still continues to happen and plagues your mom's patching...perhaps a new drive + full re-install would be best.

Good luck!

I'm hoping we can work around a new computer for her. Neither of us have the cash flow to be bringing home a brand new bundle of electronic joy...

I also did a little research that might allow me to delete the offending corrupt file. If not, I might try installing to C:\user\Public\games - which is where WoW seemed to want itself moved after one of the patches...rather than argue with the damn downloader, I just let it move it.

It "works as intended" no matter where it's placed on my computer. And by "working as intended" I mean...well you know what I mean XD

I've got a little over an hour to research this to death and try and come up with all possible solutions. I'll win. One way or another...I'll win. *shakes fist in the air*

On a funny side note: I've apparently perfected the voice of (don't hate me if I've gotten her name wrong) Jaina Proudmoore when she says "I'm sorry, Arthas, I can't watch you do this..." in the beginning of the Culling of Stratholme event.

I was joking with a co-worker who also plays and said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry Matt, I can't watch you do this" in my "Jaina Voice" and he nearly laughed himself into a puddle.

I needed a small distraction from the mind-numbing research on fixing this error, no?


Before I forget to ask...If the uninstall is NOT complete in the original directory - will this cause issues for the new installation into a secondary directory? The reason I ask is I'm afraid she'll have two WoW's on her computer and that'll confuse the machine more than it already is. Just want to make sure I'm covering all of my bases. I don't think the original installation can be completed because of the corrupt file. I'm going to try working on getting rid of that. Also, they apparently (I just found this out) have "user accounts" set up on their machine. THAT could be part of the "waiting for ..." error. We shall see...I intend to conquer the HECK out of this problem!

Multiple WoW's won't confuse it....it may show multiples in the Add/Remove programs, but that should be the extent of it.

Ooooh...then I think (more like...I HOPE)...I shall be celebrating a victory over this technological monstrosity tomorrow. Let's cross our fingers. =)

The corrupt file...listed in the original directory also should have no effect on the second installation, if my assumption is correct. Here's to hoping =D

GL resolving it Des !

am not a techy so cant really offer any help apart from /hug

:)

Aww The hug is much needed today Khel...her computer is so messed up that it refuses to even run a disk defrag...

We successfully got ALL remnants of the game uninstalled, and then we ended up trying to reinstall the game, starting with World of Warcraft...it got to 98% and then...it gave some error and stopped installing. I'm not exactly sure what the error is, she wasn't very clear on the phone when she told me about it. "Gave some error thing at 98% about something" doesn't really help me much. So we're back at square 1 I guess.

The only way I've found to install the game is through the installer online, since she doesn't have the discs and I'm not sure where ours are right now. So it launches an installer program that seems to just crash out...*sigh* Back to the drawing board I guess...

*Edit*The error message she got was something like The File c:/documents and settings/all users/desktop/worldofwarcraft.Ink. could not be deleted/renamed (not sure which) and then she's advised to contact tech.

I've been scouring tech forums for solutions- and it seems a lot of folks had this issue with the WotLK expac, but we're just trying to start off with original WoW, because the game and all of it's folders/etc have been removed from her PC as per Blizz Tech ..."support". So, safe mode maybe? *shrug* :banghead:

If we happen to find a solution to this that doesn't require purchasing a new PC or anything- I'll be sure to post what we came up with. Maybe it'll save someone's forehead from a lot of bruising later on lol

Just a few suggestions I can think of...

I'm sure you've rebooted, but that can fix some of the "unable to delete file" errors -- if they're in use by another program.

If you're running chkdsk, do a FULL chkdsk, with a bad sector check; that will let you know if your HD is going bad.

"chkdsk /r c:" (or whichever drive) and then reboot so it can do the chkdsk

Note: it will take a long time to run that way.

Conquered.

We beat the issue by installing in a new directory and force closing Blizz Installer when it would get "stuck" for extended periods of time then relaunch.

Husdruid was the one who managed to beat the "un-deletable" corrupt file into submission and got rid of that. Chkdsk helped with that, I think.

The general consensus, however, is that she needs a new pc tower.

For the time being, she's all installed and patched and playing. She's a happy mom again. No more moping because she misses her Death Knoob. hehe

:band:

:devil:

:gratz01:


good to hear MumDeathN00b is back online

Oh yes, great news >,<

hehe Kidding. I love that she enjoys the game. I just don't think she really understands it, but as long as she has fun.

Apparently she and Archmage Vargoth got to know one another quite well last night...LOL