Please Help! Unable to Download/Install/Update any game

[masterdelvin1]

Good day. So some backstory here;

I installed BG3 around the 1st of this month (October). Up until and past this I have never had a problem with Steam either downloading, updating, installing or patching. I played BG3 for a total of five hours and then went to bed. It took awhile (around 4 hours) to download and install. It got around 5.1 MB/s which is eh but works.

Then a couple of things happened. -

1) I got a message that I needed to update Windows, and of course windows had downloaded some of the items. This "Update" turned into over 5 hours and damn near updated the entire Windows 10 Home Edition I have. After many restarts, updating and restarts it finally finished so I did what I always do when Windows updates, checked all my drivers, downloaded anything that was needed and then do one last restart to clear any mess. The following -

Norton 360 - typical stuff here codes and all didn't see anything odd.
Nvidia - nothing - had updated drivers prior to BG3 download.
No other drivers were needed, all was updated and good to go.
--------------------------

So, a patch came out for BG3 and once the above was done, I went ahead to start this patch and here is where this nightmare started. I was unable to download the patch.

During the process I noticed the green line (drive) was flat lined and the blue data (network) was very sporatic around a few bytes (yes bytes) would download and then nothing. This went on for over an hour. I looked at my task manager and could see where I would download something then my HDD would write it and then wait for something else to download.

Spoke with Steam Support and they gave me a list of things to look at on my end.

I did everything on that list save uninstalling Steam. Nothing I could find was out of the ordinary on my end. I checked ram, HDD, my entire system, my network and could not find any issues.
I cleared the download cache multiple times, changed download locations and yet nothing changed...a few bytes would download, then nothing, then a few more bytes. I was getting around 306 bytes/a second.

So - at the request of Steam I uninstalled BG3 (couldnt play it anyway until the patch) and tried to install it and this is what came up ---

When you install a game here, you get that first window telling what and where and so on and I noticed something very odd.... The download time was 313 Bytes / Second and it would take me over 2 1/2 days to download BG3. So I tried another game (which I had uninstalled to make room on my HDD) and same thing. Only "bytes per second" would download and days and days to complete.

I have over 300 Gbs of free space so that isn;t the issue either.

I am at a complete loss here. Something with the Windows update and or the Norton 360 has caused my ability to download from Steam to stop. I have checked my firewall nothing there, nothing (that I know of) was changed so I have to go back to the Windows Update.

Windows 10 version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572

When I check for updates here, it states I have the latest update from Windows, Norton handles all my firewall and security stuff (has always).

Please help. My apologies for such a long post but wanted to give as much information as possible. Steam can no longer help me and they suggested I come here.

[Iceira]

You dont mention change steam DL Zone. ?

this is covid19 issue maybe, isp network can be congested.

if network dont get better at nearest at 0200- 0600 midnight ( then you might have a problem ) only total down or isp planned work can happend but they do have redundant network but even that can be effect.

and NO dont mention whats best for you , even 1 million steam user could read your post and you only move all problem to new zone. ( to graps this require you understand there is 1 billion steam account. ( not saying 1 million read this post , but i bet you know, what im trying to say.)

[masterdelvin1]

yes :) thank you, I have changed to multiple download zones, tried different times. I guess I will have to wait and see as time goes on. I only have the one HDD so unable to download to a different devise as was suggested in the steam support.

[Iceira]

verify security again. ( do not have leftover security from other apps or link protection app, this is still best guess on the subject, test with other pc or friends laptop to ruleout own isp and steam and its your pc and nothing else. ( also seen as faulthy finding process. see it as confirm current or proof problem is at your pc. )

this is same then IT-tech person check end locations. ( and most of the time we dont have same security and that is actual a good thing. )

[masterdelvin1]

Will do, thank you again :)

Still difficulties in downloading from Steam, no problems anywhere else. Whew, frustrating :)

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by masterdelvin1:

Norton 360 - typical stuff here codes and all didn't see anything odd.

When I see this, I cringe.

That software is known to not play nice with Steam.

There is an easy way to test this as the issue or other software as an issue, and that is to boot into safe mode with networking and just use Steam in that boot.

Change regions and try to download again. If you see much improvement there, then you might have a software issue conflicting with Steam in a normal boot.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

[masterdelvin1]

so, Steam had an update, afterwards, downloads are fine. I've done nothing on my end. So, it appears whatever it was was on Steam and they apparently fixed it. Yeah me, currently downloading everything needed and BG3 got installed and I'm playing it.

btw thank you again all :) yes, I did the safe mode boot, did so many things to dance around the egg shells. :) So no, wasn't anything on my end. Otherwise, whatever Steam did with this latest update "turned" something on that was off or whatever it is working fine now. Again I did nothing to alter my side.

Have fun Gaming!