[FIXED] Yet another "99% download stuck" post

[DARK GRASPER]

Okay, well the first thing I'm going to say is that it is NOT just a "let it unpack" issue. I've left the download running overnight and it sits at zero network and ZERO disk usage. I have tried a lot of different things and none of them seem to actually work. I kind of hit a wall with this right now and I would really love any help.

Here's a list of things I tried:
- Tried leaving it in the "downloading" state to let it "unpack" (I have an SSD so usually unpacking games takes a matter of minutes); Need to stress that the disk usage sits at ZERO
- Re-downloaded the game a total of 4 times (Probably going to try for a 5th)
- Tried multiple different download regions as well as clearing the download cache
- Tried to verify the game files
- I have restarted Steam as well as my PC many many times and I have also restarted my modem for good measure
- Tried unchecking the "Read Only" option from the game folder in "SteamApps/common"

Now, one sort of interesting thing that I noticed was that the game files under my "steamapps/common" is completely empty. HOWEVER, under my "steamapps/downloading" the game is there. The "workaround" I have so far is to just run the .exe in the downloading folder and the game seems to work perfectly fine. While it is a "fix" to the problem of not being able to play the game, I definitely don't consider it an ideal solution since I would most likely not be able to get any future updates/patches to the game as well as access to steam achievements while playing the game.

So, currently I am just waiting for a response from my ticket in Steam support to see if they can present a solution that works for me. The other final resort solution I have in mind that I have yet to try is a complete re-install of Steam, which would mean re-installing every game I currently have downloaded.

Anyways, I'd really appreciate any information about this if anybody knows anything! Thanks in advance!


EDIT: I found a solution that worked for me! I can't guarantee that it will work for everybody else, but feel free to try it!

Basically, all I had to do was uninstall the game and then navigate to my "SteamApps/depotcache" folder and remove everything in there (For me, the only things that were in that folder were relevant to NieR:Automata) then simply re-install the game. That is the folder that stores any pre-load files, so my guess is that the pre-load was somehow corrupted and was refusing to unpack. So, this fix gets rid of the pre-load files and makes you download the game from scratch.

[tovaric]

Unfortunately I have no solution to add but to say I'm experiencing the same issue with this game, common folder completely empty but with some data still in the downloading one (altho mine does not contain the game's .exe)

Bought and pre-loaded a day before launch, it got stuck at 99% and couldn't get past that point even after the game released. Disk and network usage just stays at 0 at all times, tried all of those options, reinstalled steam, reinstalled the game itself, upon which it reverted back to about 70%? When I try to continue the download, at first it has a steady transfer but under a minute it just eventually always comes to a screeching halt, no matter what server, and then it queues itself over and over again and upon every ''stopping'' freezes Steam for a few seconds, and sometimes crashes it.

I tried to reinstall/download a different game to see if the issue persists and if it's a general networking thing but there the transfer was steady from the get-go and did not die off, and after adding Nier to that list and placing it on top it immediatelly drops network and disk to 0.

''Play'' is available from the library page, click it and it goes into
''Updating NieR:Automata/preparing to launch''(but nothing is filling up) and after a while gives
''An error occurred while updating X (connection time out)'' meanwhile all the above mentioned is going on in the download manager. So what's missing here? The entire game data or some update? Download corruption? Connection issue even though other games download just fine?
When I try to ''verify integrity of game files'' it just immediately says everything's alright.

I'd honestly prefer if it let me re-download the whole game from scratch, but that doesn't happen even after uninstalling and deleting all its related folders, just tries to continue downloading where it left off.
Opening a ticket now, I really hope this issue gets resolved somehow soon cus I'm also at a loss at this point...if anything, you're not alone OP :,)

[DARK GRASPER]

Well, the steam support gods have failed me :(. They just gave me a copy-paste network issue response linking me to articles on how to troubleshoot any networking issues. I've tried everything in the troubleshooting link they gave me for the hell of it and nothin working.

I was considering re-installing Steam entirely in the hopes that it might fix the problem, but the commenter above said he already tried re-installing it. If that doesn't work, I don't know what else I can do... I might have to request a refund and just buy the game on my PS4 instead...

[DARK GRASPER]

Found a solution! Check the edit in the OP

[Tim97NSX]

Thank you! After 10 failed install attempts, this fixed my problem. After deleting the cached it downloaded perfectly.

[tovaric]

Great! that's exactly what I was looking for! After all that trouble such a simple solution...
Now it's downloading from start consistently and so far without problems.
I suggest you update the title aswell so if anybody else having similar
issues can come across this fix easier.
Thanks a ton!