Frogboy Frogboy

DOWNLOAD WOES!

▼

DOWNLOAD WOES!

Downloading problems here.

from GalCiv2 Forums

On Tuesday, February 14th users who were in the BETA program will be able to PRE-LOAD the game via Stardock Central.

On Wednesday, February 15th, all users who pre-ordered directly will be able to PRE-LOAD the game as well.

It requires an updated version of Stardock Central that has been designed to make use of our updated server farm infrastructure. So in theory, your download speeds should be very fast.

Stardock Central 2.29a or later is needed. Go HERE to get it.

However, some % of people are going to have problems.  This thread is to make it easier for them (and us) to figure out what went wrong.

Important points:

1) Don't assume the problem you run into is universal.  So if you run into a problem, please report it.

2) Give as much information as you can.   The log info will be important.

3) There are 3 types of failure:

a) Server Time-Out -- this is where you lost connection to the server. We want to know about this as the new server farm should be able to handle 10X what we are expecting. Don't worry though, Stardock Central supports download resume.

b) User-Validation failure.  This is where the system can't find your information in the database. Is the email address you used to order the same as the email address you used here?   Once your order has been processed (i.e. beta users have already been processed, pre-orders will be processed the end of the day tomorrow) you will receive an email with info.  If you lose this info, go here and put in the email address you think you used to buy the game.

c) Extraction error.  This is where it has downloaded but it fails to properly extract. This should be pretty rare.

We are anticipating a 2% problem level. That is, 2% of users will run into some problem.  That's approximately 100 people from the beta and initial direct pre-order group (we aren't assuming all users will try this out). 

So this thread could get pretty busy.  Stay tuned.

We will begin at around 2:30pm EST.

84,601 views 178 replies
Reply #51 from Stardock Forums Top
Another comment:
If I queue up several game components for download, I am going to let it run overnight. This won't work if Stardock Central pops up an error window on the first error and it sits there for 8 fricken hours waiting for me to click the OK button. JUST RETRY DAMMIT! RETRY! RETRY!!!!
Reply #52 from Stardock Forums Top
D/L complete on both laptop and desktop. The only instance where I had a problems was corrected by performing the following.

1. Invalid URL -14 ... Went into games registration and requested an email with registrations codes to my email address (yes the one I used to order the game back in July.) Once received I went back into SDC and updated the serial number and had no problem until..

2. SDC wasn't the current build. Ended up just going and reloading SDC from scratch at the site and performing all updates from SDC once build was complete. Shut down and restarted my system, ensured that the registration codes were correct, ensured I had the most current build (Which as of this post is: 2.29a.374, build: 117) and had no problem attaining speeds of up to 550K during some of the d/ls (total time on desktop was about 40 minutes at about 2000 eastern on 14FEB06)

Additional suggestions for whomever wants to use them.

1) If you are not behind a company firewall, open the chat function of SDC and /join #galciv, the folks there are/were very aware yesterday and last night for helping folks. (Both Stardock Employees and Senior Game Players.)

2) Move your beta or (even gamma??) to another folder first before you start.

3) I can not bang the gavel enough to check your registration codes, update them, update SDC before you d/l and check them both again if there is a problem prior to asking for help.

As before and always.

Good Hunting.

W/R
Suralle Straykat
Kat Lord @ Large
Siege of Centauri
Reply #53 from Stardock Forums Top
I've discovered it doesn't assume if you crash.

Version of SDC: 2.29a.374, build 117.

I've been struggling with a poxy NForce onboard NIC that bluescreened whenever it
was least convenient, so after picking up a new card from my vast collection of
salvage, I'm able to pick up where I left off..or so I thought. I had about 90 megs
of the tutorials downloaded, but SDC just wiped the temporary directory already
created and started from the beginning to load the .sdc archives.
Reply #54 from Stardock Forums Top

ShadowDream,

I have tested your account and your registration information is working properly here.  Please try removing your serial number from Stardock Central. Close and re-open SDC.  It should re-add it in there for you from our server.  Then try downloading again and see if that works.

Reply #55 from Stardock Forums Top
To those who are saying that haven't received their serial numbers yet.  We have not charged the pre-orders yet.  We will be doing that later today.  So they will be coming soon.
Reply #56 from Stardock Forums Top
Still getting the "HTML Code detected in download" error when I try to download the movies. I've managed to grab the Tutorials, Multimedia, and main game.


-- [Application] ----------------------------------------------------
Name: Stardock Central
Path: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral
Version: 2.29.370, build: 115

-- [System Information] ---------------------------------------------
Time / Date: 09:30:48 -- Wednesday, February 15, 2006

-- [Installation] ---------------------------------------------------
Download: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\gc2\production\gc2_Movies.xml 1
Load: C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\data\public\gc2\production\gc2_Movies.xml 1
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 1 | -30 Connection timed out
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 2 | -30 Connection timed out
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 3 | -30 Connection timed out
Server: Using other server http://sdcentral2.stardock.com
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 1 | -18 HTML code was detected within the download
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 2 | -30 Connection timed out
Download: C:\DOCUME~1\CHRIST~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\sdcentral\gc2_Movies.sdc 0 | Attempt: 3 | -18 HTML code was detected within the download
Result: Installation failed (32)
Reply #57 from Stardock Forums Top
i preordered at ebgames ,i got the stardock downloader (newest version). haw do i download the game,all i see under games is demos
Reply #58 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you ordered from a retail store (read:anywhere other than this website) your SN is on the box, so you'll have to wait till you get that. Not that there'll be much to download that isn't on the CD. You're not really missing out on anything. We're not actually playing the game early, just downloading the big movies and such so Stardock can work the kinks out of its system and we only have to do a short download on release day to get the last few megs.
Reply #59 from Stardock Forums Top

Panachii,

I see you are using build 115 of Stardock Central.  Please re-install Stardock Central (https://www.galciv2.com/Downloads.aspx)  and allow it to update to build 117.

Not sure if that is the solution for you but lets at least get you running on the latest build.

Reply #60 from Stardock Forums Top
The GC2.xml dl appears to work, then the dl goes into waiting 3,2,1 over and over.



Tried both servers; also dl'd new SDC... exactly same problem.



fyi: fixed by uninstalling the beta; dl successfully completed.
Reply #61 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I was in the middle of downloading DesktopX when my D/L speed came crashing to under 1KB/s. I thought, "I bet they're allowing GC2 preloads now.

Sure enough, I get an email 2 minutes later saying the preload is available.

Took me about 15 more minutes to download DesktopX, which is considerable smaller than the preload. Hope this isn't going to put a kink in all of Stardock's downloads. d0med!

Update: DesktopX is finished downloading. Restarted SDC, got new version, and started the GCII download. I'm repeatedly getting the "Waiting" message, with "gc2.sdc" getting bursts of data, but nothing consistent yet. The bursts claim to be coming down at about 70-100KB/s.
Reply #62 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am averaging at 30 KB/s here.... Bet those fiberoptics under the Atlantic Ocean are smoking...
At least I was able to watch Galactica while I'm downloading.
Reply #63 from Stardock Forums Top

Something to note.  Most people seem to be downloading from the US-California server.  For the launched we had added a new server, US-4.  Most people are not aware of this server.  Might be worth trying out.

To change your server in Stardock Central go to Tools-Settings.  In the Settings dialog select the "Internet" options.  Under Available Servers click on the Refresh List button.  Then in the Drop down box you should be able to change your server.

Reply #64 from Stardock Forums Top
OK, I'm trying.
Reply #65 from Stardock Forums Top
I tried it and works fine (the US-4).
Reply #66 from Stardock Forums Top
Yes. Much better...
Reply #67 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I preordered on the 8th, but recieved no serial number. In fact, when I put my info in the "get me my serial" form, I got an email back saying I'd never purchased anything. When I ordered, I recieved an email saying, among other things,
-----------------
Purchase Summary
-----------------
Order ID: VKMN1A0BE37C-0208062148
Date: 2/8/2006
Item: SSD-SDS-W142
Description: Galactic Civilizations II [CD] (Pre-Order)
Product Price: $44.95
Quantity: 1

Is there any record of my preorder?
---
edit: Apparently so. Thanks for your quick response.
Reply #68 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi,

Received confirmation of pre-order of CD Rom version on 13th Feb, but no email with serial as at 21.30 UTC (UK) on 15th Feb.

Asking Stardock to check for any serial numbers comes back with a reply email indicating no serial number. I used the same email address for Stardock registration as I did order acknowledgement for Gal Civ 2.

Help!
Reply #70 from Stardock Forums Top
Its currently downloading. The server timed out once, but I was able to resume the download easily. The download speed is flucating wildly though I've seen it range from 7kb per second to 170 kb per second. Also the download speed and precentage done sometimes disapear from the main window, and while the download manager shows the speed, the precentage is at time nowhere to be found. This seems to happen any time the download speed slows down a lot. However these are all minor problems, and as a whole the download seems to be working fine.
Reply #71 from Stardock Forums Top
Yup everyone probably switched to US-4 because its really bogging down right now.
Reply #72 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
US-4 was going around 300 KB/s, then it stopped downloading for few seconds, restarted, and is now under 50 with frequent pauses. It could be attributable to my ISP though, it's really been acting up recently.
Reply #73 from Stardock Forums Top
problem with stardock autoupdate. it took about 15 min for it to download the xml files to update.
galciv II showed up in the games, returned an error.
after re-launching stardock central it then installed the files and restarted again.
I have the log file and the screen shot upon request.
after update it worked fine.
downloading at 15kb/sec
Reply #74 from Stardock Forums Top
I am in a similar boat as poster #67 Citizen gbuchold. Recieved no serial email.

Just curious - have the serial emails been sent out to all pre-orders yet? Or is SD releasing the serial emails in batches?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read my post and answering.
Reply #75 from Stardock Forums Top
I had some download errors myself. Invalid URL -14
Timed Out -12

Uninstalling then Reinstalling Stardock Central solved the problem.