How to Fix Games that are unplayable due to continuously pending update.

[decimus28]

Issue - Game unplayable due to always having pending update that won't install.

Description - Game is unplayable because it thinks it needs an update. Game will be in the update pending queue but when added to download it will not download any data and move back to the update pending download queue. File validation for the game will not work and will most likely stay at 0% permanently even if you delete all the game files. Uninstalling and trying to reinstall is not fixing the issue.

Solution - Exit steam, Delete the correct "appmanifest_XXX.acf" file, restart steam, and install game.

Steps -
1. Find the game app ID of the game causing the issue. It will be in the URL for the games steam pages e.g. store or discussion.

Ex. steamcommunity.com/app/483980/discussions/
Here the game "Mad Father" has the app ID is "483980"

Either use a browser to find this or enable the following stetting in steam to see the address bar.
Settings -> Interface -> "Display Steam URL address bar when available"

2. Find the correct "appmanifest" file. Go to the location of the games installed files. To do so click on the game and choose Properties -> LOCAL FILES ->BROWSE LOCAL FILES.

You should be in a file location like this. "...\Steam\steamapps\common\Mad Father"

From here back up to the "...\Steam\steamapps" location.(This is to make sure the correct install directory is chosen if there is more than one.)

At this folder look for the "appmanifest" file with the app ID of game causing the issue.

Ex. "appmanifest_483980.acf" is the appmanifest for "Mad Father".

3. Exit Steam(not sure if needed but do it anyway)

4. Delete the correct appmanifest found in step 2.

5. Restart Steam.

6. Reinstall the game.


Hopefully this will help someone but is mostly for when I forget myself and it happens again.

[aaronkorch]

Hello, so my game, cities skylines is constantly validating in a downloading loop. I tried what you explained above and the file keeps coming back. Any ideas?

[decimus28]

Hmm, Skylines is app ID 255710, so you already deleted "appmanifest_255710.acf" and tried to reinstall? My best guess after that is that it could be some permissions issue with the folder. Maybe try moving all the files in the folder to a "backup" folder and repeat those steps to see if it will correctly redownload the successfully. Hopefully this may help.