Client updates games with a file size of 0 bytes???

[BeanMChocolate]

I have been running into an issue lately where my games will randomly receive an update that is literally useless. The size of these updates is 0 bytes and every day around 50 of the games in my library will receive these updates with no reason. The selected games for updating is completely random, and is usually mixed in with normal game updates like bug fixes or major changes. Until the updates are applied, these games become unplayable. Each useless update usually only takes about a second or less, but it can be frustrating looking through all the useless updates to see which ones were legitimately updated with an actual purpose. Has anyone else experienced this quirk?

[AbedsBrother]

Same. Has happened four times today to about a dozen games each time.

[aiusepsi]

They’re doing a reconfiguration so that instead of each game having a copy of a redistributable installer, there’s one copy shared between all games.

The zero-byte update is just that reconfiguration taking effect. It’s a one-time thing for each game, and it’ll reduce disk usage.

[AbedsBrother]

Originally posted by aiusepsi:

They’re doing a reconfiguration so that instead of each game having a copy of a redistributable installer, there’s one copy shared between all games.

The zero-byte update is just that reconfiguration taking effect. It’s a one-time thing for each game, and it’ll reduce disk usage.

Then why has it happened multiple times for the same games?

[BeanMChocolate]

Oh cool! What a weird way of conserving space though.

[Do0m[y]]

Originally posted by aiusepsi:

They’re doing a reconfiguration so that instead of each game having a copy of a redistributable installer, there’s one copy shared between all games.

The zero-byte update is just that reconfiguration taking effect. It’s a one-time thing for each game, and it’ll reduce disk usage.

Are you telling us that with litteraly 0 bytes, and I mean ZERO bytes, they can "reconfigurate" games? It's litteraly impossible. It's like open Windows Notepad, type nothing, and save... still zero information is saved. It doesn't make any sense at all - Only someone working for Steam can tell us why we have this "bug" for years, because this is obviously a bug and nothing else. This Steam program is so old anyway... way too old, if you ask me, and still in 32bits for some strange reason, even after all those years.

[aiusepsi]

Originally posted by AbedsBrother:

Then why has it happened multiple times for the same games?

Good question. Which games has it happened multiple times for?

Originally posted by Do0my:

Are you telling us that with litteraly 0 bytes, and I mean ZERO bytes, they can "reconfigurate" games? It's litteraly impossible. It's like open Windows Notepad, type nothing, and save... still zero information is saved.

Yeah. The number of bytes listed in the downloads section is the number of bytes of new content which Steam has to download for a particular update. There are things Steam can do in an update which don't need to download any new content, like deleting files or renaming files.

To be really specific about the "reconfiguration" I mentioned: previously, the Steam content depots which contain redistributable installers were mapped directly into the content for each game, so each game ended up with a copy of the each of the redistributable installers it requested in the game's folder.

Valve are modifying the metadata for all these games so that instead of the redistributable depots being mapped into the game's content, they're now tagged "shared install" and so kept separately and centrally, with only one copy. This changes the content for the game; it no longer has these redistributable installers in the game's files. Changing a game's files is an update. It's an update that just deletes the no-longer-needed duplicate redistributables. No new content, so there's 0 bytes to download.

This Steam program is so old anyway... way too old, if you ask me, and still in 32bits for some strange reason, even after all those years.

Talking about a program's age is generally a little bit silly, because it's not like programs wear out or break down solely because of age. It's also not like Steam has been static since it came out. Indeed, I think they've rewritten everything from scratch at least once except the UI, and that's up next.

Also, FYI, Steam's 64-bit on macOS.

[o xiNNN de carnapide]

yep, i can't play cs:go but all my other games didn't had the 0 bytes update only cs:go and on top of that there's no information on a new update from yesterday to today, and yesterday i could play

[BeanMChocolate]

Why is this causing fights? The reason I had posted this discussion was to see if anyone else was experiencing the same odd behavior. I did not intend to start this so people could be at each other's throats!

[999999999]

There are dozens (hundreds by now) of threads about this already.

justine_valve

19 hours ago

Most of these updates are just shared redistributable updates and not real game updates. The end result should be that you need to download less content going forward.

You should see only a few real downloads of any size and the remainder should be size 0 updates. This is not communicated well in the client and will be looked at.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/al6h7l/another_giant_pile_of_updates/efb9tev/

They are done in bulk and usually get rolled out after every Tuesday server maintenance cycle. Game installs and uninstalls also trigger the batch updates.

[Do0m[y]]

I find your logic and approach a bit strange for some reason, Aiusepsi.

Your definition and explanation is good and you're right, but we can tell that you're not so pragmatic sometimes, and/or not a programmer at least. Why? We are talking about a supposed "file", which is, in fact, not a real file, but just a message, and it says "0 bytes" all the time. Normally, this kind of "message" or alert, should be more explicit, and more clear. Today, this is not the case.

Consequently, this "0 Bytes" is totally illogical and really unnecessary for end users like us for all of these reasons. So, this "0 bytes" message shouldn't be there, but replaced by something else; like a real message or alert from Steam, not just a 0 bytes... "thing". That's why we have this topic anyway.

And I'm sorry, Aiusepsi, but when we are talking about a program's age in general, and especialy today; it is certainly not "silly" at all, but necessary for many reasons such as; performance, memory leak issues from 32bits applications/programs, stability, and security issues, mostly, and for example. So, pardon me, but you think wrong about this particular topic here. Certainly because you aren't a PC user, but a Mac user, obviously and also... using a Steam's 64-bit version, made recently for MAC!

About that, huh?... HA! ;-)

[aiusepsi]

Originally posted by Do0my:

but we can tell that you're not so pragmatic sometimes, and/or not a programmer at least.

This is fairly amusing, because I'm a professional programmer. Went to the C++ On Sea conference last week and everything! Great keynote talk from Matt Godbolt.

memory leak issues from 32bits applications/programs

I don't think you actually know what a memory leak is, because they're completely orthogonal to something being 32 or 64 bit. I guess if you were really stretching it you could say that a 64-bit process has more address space headroom to have memory leak without running out of address space, but... yeah. Switching to 64-bit there doesn't actually solve your problem.

using a Steam's 64-bit version, made recently for MAC!

Fairly recent sure, but it's not like they rewrote Steam. It's the same code as the 32-bit Windows version.

[Do0m[y]]

Well... herm,

Good for you, but this is not amusing at all in your case, but sad and not reasuring at all
because as an auto-entrepreneur... Why should I hire you anyway? Oh, Hell no!

You're bad... a bad programer! Shame on you... Work harder!

NOW... GET OUT!!
(I'm kidding, lol)

[imoc]

This problem persists until now.

[BeanMChocolate]

Yep, I've noticed that. It's strange how that works. I guess Valve doesn't see it as a problem.

[Chika Ogiue]

Steam has been doing this for years. One suggested reason is that your license to use the affected games is being updated. Might be some truth in it, might not. But given the download is so tiny, does it really matter?