updating to SF, installing vs downloading

[Sennyu]

<p>Alright, I am currently in the middle of Iraq on internet that is slow to epic proportions.  To give an idea I have been downloading the new launch pad for the last 2 hours now and it is sitting at about 90%.  My copy of SF was shipped out yesterday so will be here in about a week and am wondering if I am better off just entering the key and downloading the updates(assuming fully updated client at time of key entry) or going ahead and installing from disks that were probly finalized 2-3 months ago and updating from that.  If I can get the aproximnate update size in MB for downloading VS installing it would be best as at least then I would be able to gauge about how long it will take me to update once I am finally ready for SF.</p>

[Shareana]

<p>If you already have the game installed, it would be better to register the key and then update through the patcher if you can.  Some people have had issues with the installation from the discs <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Sennyu]

I keep a back up of the game on a external, trust me I would back up before installing from the disks. I want some good numbers as to how big of a download we are looking at here. Without even having a SF key so assuming its not downloading the SF zones and just stuff that pertains to me the updater is saying that I have 54 hours of downloading remaining after letting it settle out for 30 minuets. While a 500 meg difference in size doesn't make much of a difference for those of you that are state side thats a HUGE difference in download time for me so I would really like to know what is going to cause me to have the bigger patch. If it turns out the CD download is 400-500MB smaller I will back up the game and chance the disk installation as it will cut out probly close to a day of updates

[FadedLB]

<p><cite>Shareana wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>If you already have the game installed, it would be better to register the key and then update through the patcher if you can.  Some people have had issues with the installation from the discs <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Edited; I <3 the patcher (warts and all!) <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Sennyu]

So no solid answer as to what the smaller update is?? When your only internet option is as slow as mine the smaller the better....

[Mikkahl]

<p>I've tried it both ways, and you have to go through the patcher download time either way, EVEN IF YOU INSTALL THE DISKS!</p><p>On my desktop the DVDs did not work - I only got the Modify Repair menu.  So I came here and read to enter the activation key and let the patcher run.   It estimated 2 hours update time, which of course meant it took closer to 4 hours!  And this is over a shared T1 line.</p><p>On my laptop the DVDs worked, so I let them install.  This took at least an hour.  Then, it loaded DirectX and then started the Station Launcher (which I've never seen or used before).  This did a full file scan (10-15 minutes), and then started in to an Update phase with 756 Mb needed.   It did not even attempt an estimated time, but 10 minutes later it barely got to 700 Mb needed, so I gave up and went to sleep.</p><p>This morning I found Station Launcher had died with an invalid login, but the familiar patcher was sitting behind it.  So I killed Station Launcher and logged in on the patcher.  It file scanned for a few minutes and now the patcher is updating!  Estimated time?  2 hours!!!   (which probably means 4 hours again)</p><p>So my lesson is - DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE DVDs or Station Launcher.  Just go right to the patcher and enter your activation code, like Shareana said.   (My Account, login to Station account, Enter Activation Code).</p>

[Sennyu]

Lol I dont think you all are getting it. I honestly dont care about the issues you all may have had with the disks, I also dont want numbers that was simply going from from a TSO client straight into SF client. What I am looking for is what is going to be the bigger download for me if I install from the disks VS installing via updating. Things like it taking an hour to install from disks really dont matter when I have been updating for over 24 hours now just to get into game once SF went live and I am not even keyed for SF yet lol I really dont even care any more. I will pick one and go with it. I will probly be lucky if updating takes less than a day regardless I was just hoping to get some numbers so I dont find myself picking the one that ends up taking me 3 days of updating when it turns out if I did the other one its only 1 day of updating. If something is taking you all a hour to update it takes me a day to get that same update.

[Mikkahl]

<p>I entered the activation key while the 2 hour download was in progress.  I don't think it matters, as it seems to download the SF files for everybody (keyed or not), and the activation key just "unlocks" the SF content.</p><p>My point was that the download time seemed to be the same (for me) whether I installed from DVDs or not.   So if it takes you 3 days to download with just entering the activation key, then if you spend an hour installing from the DVDs it might STILL take you 3 days to download, so don't bother with the DVDs.</p>