Game stuck on "Installing" Status

[Lacertae]

I tried to re-install M&B Warband earlier today, and it got stuck on the "preparing to install" screen.

So I tried to cancel it but that didn't seem to work. Because on the left hand side of my library list the game is stuck in the "Installing" phase (doesn't install or download the game at all).

Trying to delete the local game files for M&B Warband in its now "Installing" State freezes my Steam client and prompts some kind of update when restarting Steam. Trying to close the steam client makes it get stuck on "Stopping the download process for M&B Warband" process.

Here's what I have tried to fix it:

-Checking my Steamapps folders to see if there is an existing M&B Warband folder (there isn't).
-Checking my Steamapps/download folder to see if there are any ongoing downloads (there isn't).
- Re-install Steam by deleting everything except steamapps and Steam.exe (same problem persists, also friend avatars no longer show up properly in friendlist).

It's times like this that I truly feel bothered by the notion that such an unstable program is handling the majority of my games.

[Lacertae]

My primary hard-drive, and it mostly definitely has enough space.

I actually made a forum post as well. I know mods and people frown on this but I feel I can get more exposure to my problem this way. I've included some images in a post in there to clarify the situation.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3111105

[Lacertae]

Also my Steam client is prompting me to log-in to Steam, while I'm in the client itself.

What the hell is going on.

Are there some other user settings files that Steam installs to another directory somewhere that is preventing me from fully re-installing it properly?

[Lacertae]

Originally posted by Fred:

Give this a try:
How to remove and refresh your Steam files

What protection software are you using?

I mentioned in my original post that I tried exactly that.

I'm using COMODO for my firewall, and Zonealarm for anti-virus. COMODO is set to allow every steam process and internet requst, Zonealarm is normally not started unless I want to do a scan, it is currently disabled.

I disabled COMODO during all of this as well and I don't think that's doing anything.

[Lacertae]

Yeah I agree that the protection is maybe a little bit excessive. Zonealarm is only there in case of absolute emergencies and Comodo runs quietly enough to not interrupt anything thus far.

I just did a complete re-install of Steam by backing up my Steamapp/common games on my secondary harddrive and completely wiping Steam from my primary. Restarted my computer, and re-installed Steam. All I had to do then was copy over the existing steamapp folder and letting steam verify each game from its library.

This fixed my problem as well as the missing friendlist avatars.

The only problem I have now I supposed is the sluggish feel of the client in general where loading discussions and storepages seems to be slower than it usually is. But I can just deal with that and buy my games through a proper browser since it loads properly there.

Thank you for your help and input. I wish I didn't have to go to such extreme lengths to fix this issue but I guess I know what I'm dealing with now.

[Broccoli]

it's the same thing with me but I have no secondary harddrive so shuld I do the same thing?
ps: sorry if I spelld something wrong

[ΑΩ]

Replying to this fairly old thread just so anybody arriving via Google (like myself) finds the answer.

I had this issue (damn firewall related) and the way I unblocked the app from the "INSTALLING" status was to shut down Steam, go into my %steam%\steamapps directory and delete the offending appmanifest file. The right one can be identified either by its date (if, like me, you just tried to install and failed) or checking with notepad to see which one refers to the game you want.

[Lacertae]

Well somehow I still get notifications to this old ass thread I made but here's what fixed my problem:

Go into your steam settings and temporarily change your download region to somewhere else. Restart steam, see if that fixed anything.

If all else fails reset router/modem (just unplug/replug) and do a "clean" reinstall of Steam itself. Google can tell you how you can spare your game files and screenshots in the process.

[svr]

My steam got stuck installing games, all games. Auto-updates work tho. I fixed it by refreshing my steam files as mentioned here: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3134-TIAL-4638

[Frances Picard]

Originally posted by svr:

My steam got stuck installing games, all games. Auto-updates work tho. I fixed it by refreshing my steam files as mentioned here: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3134-TIAL-4638

But that method will remove Steam games outside C:\

[code]

Originally posted by Not a Vampire, a Neck-Romancer:

Well somehow I still get notifications to this old ass thread I made but here's what fixed my problem:

Go into your steam settings and temporarily change your download region to somewhere else. Restart steam, see if that fixed anything.

Thanks for this advice, solved my problem which has been annoying me for ages lol.

[Morente]

Originally posted by ΑΩ:

Replying to this fairly old thread just so anybody arriving via Google (like myself) finds the answer.

I had this issue (damn firewall related) and the way I unblocked the app from the "INSTALLING" status was to shut down Steam, go into my %steam%\steamapps directory and delete the offending appmanifest file. The right one can be identified either by its date (if, like me, you just tried to install and failed) or checking with notepad to see which one refers to the game you want.

Thanks a lot mate, I tried everything else in this thread but nothing worked. Had 3 games stuck on "Install" and was able to fix it by deleting the appmanifest files.

You saved my day! :)

[Axwell]

Originally posted by code:

Originally posted by Not a Vampire, a Neck-Romancer:

Well somehow I still get notifications to this old ass thread I made but here's what fixed my problem:

Go into your steam settings and temporarily change your download region to somewhere else. Restart steam, see if that fixed anything.

Thanks for this advice, solved my problem which has been annoying me for ages lol.

Thanks mate this just sorted the issue for me as well

Cheers!

[keicaM]

:|

[Unfairly VAC]

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[OG Jobby Bobbson]

I deleted "appmanifest" and it solved the Install loop. But when I try to install the game again, I get the "Preparing (game) files for install" loop. I'm on Mac OS X and was hoping there was a way to fix it. I've tried switching download servers as well.