LaunchPad self-download loop

[sirkalen]

<p>Recently LaunchPad has been unable to get past self-updating; it downloads a new version of itself, runs the new version, and the new version does exactly the same thing, in an infinite loop. The log file indicates that it's getting a bad checksum on the newly installed version, every time.</p><p>I'm not running Vista, I'm running XP, and my account is marked as an administrator.</p><p>I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the client, but get the same error.</p><p>I've configured the firewall and router to allow LaunchPad.exe and _aunchPad.exe to use the ports they need.</p><p>How can I get past this loop so LaunchPad will update properly?Failing that, how can I patch EQ2 without using "Station", since I'm having so much trouble getting it to work?</p>

[ganjookie]

<p>Instead of Launchpad you can use the <a href="http://launcher.station.sony.com" target="_blank">station launcher </a></p>

[sirkalen]

<p>ha ha, very funny. The Station Launcher Beta downloads and tries to run.. guess what, LaunchPad.exe, which gives me the exact same error but with a different splash screen.</p><p>EDIT: Ah, excuse me. It downloads and attempts to update a -different- LaunchPad.exe</p><p>.. with, I'm afraid, substantially the same result. It continually returns checksum errors and constantly downloads new versions of LaunchPad.exe. The log file is differently formatted but still says the file size is wrong and therefore it needs to restart the self-update.</p><p>DOUBLE EDIT: Since I've gotten no useful advice I've also submitted a report through the Station Support website. Wish me luck with that, huh?</p><p>TRIPLE EDIT: Well, that went about as well as I expected. Check antivirus, reinstall again, check driver versions.. pass the buck.</p><p>FINAL EDIT: Huh. Apparently the problem was with my choice of virus protection software.. something went clean through its detection filters and latched onto XP's services to piggyback things. The whole LaunchPad thing was just a symptom of the piggybacking causing the download to actually come out at an incorrect filesize.</p><p>I didn't notice anyone else with -quite- this same problem while scanning the forums for useful advice, but if anyone ever does get it, you might want to look into a really strong malware purge...</p>

[TSR-DanielH]

<p><cite>sirkalen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>FINAL EDIT: Huh. Apparently the problem was with my choice of virus protection software.. something went clean through its detection filters and latched onto XP's services to piggyback things. The whole LaunchPad thing was just a symptom of the piggybacking causing the download to actually come out at an incorrect filesize.</p></blockquote><p>That's pretty interesting.  Can I ask what antivirus you were using? </p><p>...and here I was about to suggest deleting the cache file before reading that update.</p>

[sirkalen]

<p>Sorry about the long delay, haven't been checking for updates on this since reinstalling XP fixed the issue.</p><p>The problem was probably simply my cheapskate nature - I'd been running things like free trial versions, stringing from one provider to another, and noncommercial software like Hijack This! and Malwarebytes' removal tool, because anytime I -did- get infected, I always ended up having to restart in safe mode and hand-delete registry entries and corrupted files, because windows would refuse to allow me to remove anything infected that had managed to mark itself as that beautiful thing called "a system file required for windows to operate properly" and made itself always-run-on-startup.</p><p>So, I got by with free trials, free software, and controlling outbreaks myself, because windows actively fights any attempt by the user to actually, really DELETE anything that's misbehaving.</p><p>Although I've heard scattered reports that some kind of 'uber' virus matching the symptoms I had, something that's really boggling the antivirus community, I have to admit that it was probably at least partly my fault for being a cheap SOB.</p><p>Since then, I've decided that yeah, maybe it -IS- worth shelling out to have McAfee. Protection from people who update their filters OFTEN, not just.. once a month or so, a program that'll scan files ON ARRIVAL instead of once a week.. that kind of stuff isn't necessary against the usual kind of un-ambitious virus that wants to install a toolbar onto IE or something and can simply be axed, but..</p><p>Prevention is worth more than any amount of -removal- tools, in the case of what I got - a COMPETENTLY written virus.</p>

[Wingrider01]

<p><cite>sirkalen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Sorry about the long delay, haven't been checking for updates on this since reinstalling XP fixed the issue.</p><p>The problem was probably simply my cheapskate nature - I'd been running things like free trial versions, stringing from one provider to another, and noncommercial software like Hijack This! and Malwarebytes' removal tool, because anytime I -did- get infected, I always ended up having to restart in safe mode and hand-delete registry entries and corrupted files, because windows would refuse to allow me to remove anything infected that had managed to mark itself as that beautiful thing called "a system file required for windows to operate properly" and made itself always-run-on-startup.</p><p>So, I got by with free trials, free software, and controlling outbreaks myself, because windows actively fights any attempt by the user to actually, really DELETE anything that's misbehaving.</p><p>Although I've heard scattered reports that some kind of 'uber' virus matching the symptoms I had, something that's really boggling the antivirus community, I have to admit that it was probably at least partly my fault for being a cheap SOB.</p><p>Since then, I've decided that yeah, maybe it -IS- worth shelling out to have McAfee. Protection from people who update their filters OFTEN, not just.. once a month or so, a program that'll scan files ON ARRIVAL instead of once a week.. that kind of stuff isn't necessary against the usual kind of un-ambitious virus that wants to install a toolbar onto IE or something and can simply be axed, but..</p><p>Prevention is worth more than any amount of -removal- tools, in the case of what I got - a COMPETENTLY written virus.</p></blockquote><p>there are some pretty good free AV's out there, avast and avg are two that come to mind that are free for home use and are updated regularly. There are a few "free av's" out that that are wore the virus's, have had to deal with them when a unsuspeting user clicked on the message. If anyone has every dealt with them, they know what they are, I will not give them free advertising.</p><p>While Mccaffe is passable, there are a few out there that far surpass the product when it comes to coexisting with online games and the such. Bit defender and Trend Micro are probably a few of the most game friendly ones out that and rated fairly high on the reliability factor.</p><p>Glad you got it running</p>

[TSR-DanielH]

<p><cite>Wingrider01 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>there are some pretty good free AV's out there, avast and avg are two that come to mind that are free for home use and are updated regularly.</p></blockquote><p>If anyone wants to try AVG then I would suggest getting version 7.5 and not the later release.  The 8.0 release caused a lot of problems with my system and actually prevented me from running anything that wasn't 64-bit.  I had to wipe the hard drive to fix it since I couldn't run the uninstall program or delete anything from within Windows.  It was my anti-virus of choice for a long time but I have would have a hard time recommending it after that experience.</p>

[sirkalen]

<p>Yeah, I liked AVG free, definitely among the best of the free AV programs I've used. But after a while they told me I'd been using the free one so long they were changing policy and would no longer give out free filter updates for the free version any more  - making it pretty much useless unless I wanted to pay the full box price. In retrospect, I probably should have pushed harder to see if I could get an newer client from them that DID get free updates, or shelled out for the product.</p><p>Hindsight, 20/20, etc.</p>