Steam version update - game no longer works

[Lucid]

I logged into Steam today to find that a 4.8GB update to the Ultimate Collection Abyssea Edition needed to be downloaded and installed in order to play the game. So I downloaded it and waited for it to install.

After booting the game, my account had been deleted from the computer. I put all my details back in and proceeded to launch the game. For some reason there's no option to use my one-time password, though.

I received some errors on the POL screen about not being able to load my friends list or POL mail. After clicking the link to start FFXI, the client went into full screen mode, the screen froze and the game crashed. This has happened multiple times.

To sum it up:

14/02/13
-4.8GB Steam update for Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection - Abyssea Edition
-Update deleted account details from POL client
- Account details entered into client again, but with no option to use my one-time password
-Can't connect properly to friends list or mail server
-Game crashes upon going into fullscreen mode

I never had any of these issues before the update. Please help.

Thanks.

[Arcon]

Did you try a file check? From the POL start screen, try it on the POL Viewer first, then on FFXI.

[Redfield]

The exact same thing has just happened to me. At first my password also wasn't recognised so I had to change that on the account management part of the site. Now I have the same issue, can log into the viewer but get an 'POL-5132' error, problems with mail/contacts and crashes to desktop when I try to play it.

Strangely it started with the game crashing to desktop with a 'server error' followed by an automatic 'update' through Steam.


EDIT: I have also tried the file check from the viewer, no errors found there.

[Greenie]

game worked fine yesterday, this morning come to log on and pol just didn't load. i got no error codes nothing it just hung on start up. now i check steam and its downloading this 4.8 gb update..... nothing will work i have tried to stop it/pause it and start pol, tried force close pol so its not running and pol still wont load up... i am hoping to god its not d/l the full game again and then i have to sit and down load 10 hours of chuffing update files for full install.....

i am just letting steam finish this install since there seems to be nothing else i can do

[Sorenka]

The game seems to load ok for me except that there is a black overlay called PlayonlineEU when I mouse over the window in my task bar. I wasable to log in to the game by keeping the mouse pointer over the second window that was the FFXI game itself but when I zoned in I was in my mog house but it was just a tile floor with now walls that seem to go on for ever.

[Greenie]

games updated and all passwords saved all working ok come to log in and have same issue as above, in my mog house with a checkered floor can highlight myself my moogle and a invisible door out but i cannot mover char, pull menus, type, exit or interact with moogle had to force close.

checked pol files 22 borked files which now fixed running file check on actual game now.. takes a while so will report back

...... 1430 files found borked in ffxi -.- thank you steam for a enjoyable morning.. fixing/updating now will see how this goes.

[Redfield]

I tried another file check thismorning, and I also got the result of 1430 corrupt files. Attempting to repair them however results in a POL-1158 error message and I cannot download files.

I guess I'll just have to try a full re-install :c

[Redfield]

Another update - deleted local content through Steam and tried to re-install. Re-installed the and updated the viewer, then when trying to log in my password is again incorrect. Changed it AGAIN through account management and it's STILL not registering (also giving different error messages at different times). So I cannot even log into PlayOnline now.

What the HELL is wrong with this? I tried contacting SE support about ten hours ago and no response.

[Sorenka]

Lucky for me it worked after the file error check/repairs. I hope you get yours to work, Redfield

[Yuuda]

I'm also encountering the same problem. I'm currently trying to check the files of my FFXI, i already did the same with my POL but no luck with any corrupted files.

[Arcon]

If Steam is forcing the update that breaks everything, I'd like to point out that you can start FFXI without Steam, by going in the appropriate folder and directly starting polboot.exe, Steam does nothing else.

[Lucid]

I will run the file checks now. Something I forgot to mention in the first post that someone else mentioned is that my password was also coming up as being incorrect. I didn't mention it because I thought I genuinely might have forgotten my password, but obviously not as it seems to be happening to other people.

Does anyone actually know what this update even is? There's no information on Steam or literally anywhere else on the internet.

[Lucid]

Have done the file checks. 0 problems with POL, 1430 with FFXI. I try to repair the files and it gives me a message saying "Version Update Communication Error", error code POL-1158.

[Herrstarr]

Bump, same error here, was playing early morning, log off for work, come back. Try to run the game through windower (Nothing happens, so I am sat here thinking whats wrong?!) Boot up steam and find a small half gig update, once i did that I could get into the game (Launching from steam OR windower), When attempting to actually boot the game in either play online viewer just crashes upon booting FFXI. Ran file check now, 35 or so corrupt files with play online viewer, and now 1300 or so roughly files corrupt in FFXI, going to take almost 2 hours to reinstall those corrupt files.

NO idea if this will work after file check, I do not run the game through steam anyway, and run the game through windower(Stand alone booter, lets you play in proper window mode, doesn't crash when u tab out etc). Once I've done updating I'll attempt to run the game in the original steam way, and also through windower and get back to you all.



UPDATE: After verifying FFXI/Playonline files I booted through windower and it worked fine (You'll have to re apply the XI View Icons/Fonts etc (if you use them) as the update/verify does replace them. Hope everyone else can fix theirs. steam sux!

[Arcon]

http://www.gwcdn.com/albums/images/511ef8532e0efc2bd3d2bdd9.jpg

[Volspa01]

Me and bout 5 of my mates had the same problem yesterday.

I could load fine striaght from steamapps folder, cant this morning as files have magically dissapeared

Now they can play and i cant

w...t...f

[Spirachub]

I did what the POL notice said of removing my POL folder and let steam redownload it, managed to get in game but it seems like the ffxi game folder also got "updated" and the graphics are all messed up - my mog house looked like a massive open space, persumably because the DAT files got reverted. from the title screen it looks like it has went into a pre-abyssea version :(

Now doing the file check everyone suggested on this thread to see if it'll update itself ; ; If not i guess it's a wipe and reinstall procedure - thanks steam!

[Omachi]

Same here Spira, though if I remember rightly, you can backup the files elsewhere, wipe, then copy the files back over to save on the patching.

[Spirachub]

Same here Spira, though if I remember rightly, you can backup the files elsewhere, wipe, then copy the files back over to save on the patching.

After you said that i remembered I archived my ffxi yesterday night (this is my 2nd computer that has done this to me XD..), so I copied the files back like you said and it works now :)

[Redfield]

I have tried the 'solution' to this but still can't log into the viewer; my password is always 'incorrect'. Have tried changing it again through the management site and still haven't heard from customer support.

EDIT: Got email from support in my alt email folder, followed steps and finally managed to log in. Now waiting on updating...

[Detoxadine]

After a few re-installs, and following the post on (http://www.playonline.com/ff11eu/polnews/news21900.shtml) I was able to login again yay! But only to get a POL-1406 when you try and play the game.

Error code:POL-1406
The specified page cannot be found.

Any Steam users manage to get back online and play ffxi?

[Redfield]

I have re-installed and everything is now working fine after doing what SE outlined :)

Thanks to all who gave input here and SE support :)


EDIT: In all the trouble I had I never came across a POL-1406 message, so I can't help there :/

[Detoxadine]

Update: In the process of download the famous PlayOnline FFXI updates, which were not available until now. POL-1406 error etc.

After deleting the FFXI folder from steam running a clean up from steam etc.

Using the steam full re-install, i got the old PlayOnline viewer, deleting the this folder and running the check files got the latest version again Yay! But then I got the POL-1406 error. This time around instead of the full delete, I just deleted the "FINAL FNASTASY XI" folder (within C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ffxi\SquareEnix), and ran the check files (via steam again). After logging into PlayOnline which had the correct version this time, i did not get the POL-1406 error, but the FFXI updater, 24382/24382 files etc. Assuming this runs ok, things should be back to normal.

Estimating at around 10hrs left on patching.

[Detoxadine]

Above method worked for me, had to leave the computer on all day though whilst the updater ran :(

[Lucid]

Thanks, I followed the advice given by Squenix and the game works fine now. One thing though, the character selection menu doesn't say I've got the Abyssea add-ons installed. Does the fix uninstall these or does it just change the main screen?

I haven't done the Abyssea stuff yet so I don't know if I've lost access to it in-game.

[taruth]

I have the same problem. I have been in touch with SE but to be fair I think it is a steam related problem. SE have been very helpful - I used the online route to contact them. They have suggested a few things but nothing seems to work. I will post here if and when problem gets resolved.

[Runding]

Did anyone find a true solution to this problem? I've been playing for 3 days now and when I first came back I tried the method shown of deleting my POL file and verifying game cache, it got xi to work but things after that were just weird. Half the time monsters and targets wouldn't have the right name and instead would be replaced by something else in the zone. That was no problem I dealt with it, after that however I decided to go do Promothia missions and was in the aqueducts. At that first ladder when I tried to climb it it showed text about one of the magian trials with no option to go up the ladder. After this I tried several times of deleting and reverifying the game cache to eventually get in and now just crash anytime I try to climb the ladder. So I completely reinstalled the game this time, but still getting the same problems, anyone have any solutions?

edit: Still nothing /sigh guess it's time to completely reinstall again... 2 days wasted now.

[Archangelgab]

Hello all,

I just logged in today by using steam access ( which i do all the time and no errors so far for around 9 months).

No characters are loading on menu screen selection, in game, other people character and even my own.

Anyone else going through this ?

[Arcon]

Did you try doing a file check? Did a Steam update happen? If no, it's not Steam-related.

[Archangelgab]

Just finished POL file check and FFXI file check, no errors found on both.

Restarted pc, let it load everything, just started through steam (like i always do) and still no character models.

I'll try restarting again, loading, logging and checking files again.

also will try to start ffxi through polbot.exe directly from folder.

Will update once i've tried this

[Archangelgab]

Just finished POL file check and FFXI file check, no errors found on both.

Restarted pc, let it load everything, just started through steam (like i always do) and still no character models.

I'll try restarting again, loading, logging and checking files again.

also will try to start ffxi through polbot.exe directly from folder.

Will update once i've tried this

EDIT: i think a steam update went down last week,i'm not sure

[Arcon]

I meant a FFXI update on Steam, similar to the one a few weeks ago (or was it months already?), where Steam will update your FFXI content.

Also, starting polboot.exe is nothing other than what Steam already does, so that will be pointless. Do you see a landscape but no character models are loading, or don't you see anything at all?

[Archangelgab]

No update for ffxi on steam so far.

i see the menu for character selection, go into select character to log in to, no model for my main and mules.

when i select any character to log in and do so, i just see name tags but no models whatsoever, tried zoning into several areas, logging and relogging, using d2, tele's, etc.

No luck, just like the game decided to be a pain today.

[SE_Chris]

Archangelgab, the problem you are describing is actually not a Steam update issue, but a graphics issue. We would like you to try to either upgrade or downgrade your current graphics driver. If this does not resolve the problem we would like you to submit a thread with your DirectX Diagnostic so we can possibly identify other issues.

Are any other users still seeing problems with the Steam update after trying all of the fixes suggested in the thread?

[Lucid]

Archangelgab, the problem you are describing is actually not a Steam update issue, but a graphics issue. We would like you to try to either upgrade or downgrade your current graphics driver. If this does not resolve the problem we would like you to submit a thread with your DirectX Diagnostic so we can possibly identify other issues.

Are any other users still seeing problems with the Steam update after trying all of the fixes suggested in the thread?
The main FF11 screen still isn't showing me the logos for the Abyssea expansions, though I'm not sure this is really an issue if it doesn't affect the gameplay. I'm not sure whether or not it affects the gameplay, however, as I haven't done any Abyssea things yet.

[Anrita]

It would be nice if the Steam version were kept up-to-date. Not only would it prevent issues like this from happening, but it would also relieve some of the load on the POL update system and allow steam users to actually resume an interrupted update instead of having to start the whole thing from scratch each time.

[Volkai]

It would be nice if the Steam version were kept up-to-date. Not only would it prevent issues like this from happening, but it would also relieve some of the load on the POL update system and allow steam users to actually resume an interrupted update instead of having to start the whole thing from scratch each time.

As far as I can tell, except for when a new one is released FFXI installers are never updated with patch data, regardless of source.
If/when UCSE goes live on Steam, it may be more up-to-date, but that's it.