Unable to update patch files.

[Squa11_Leonhart]

Admin or not the security feature of Win 7 automatically blocks downloaded .exes but I'm too lazy to source the Micro$oft article. I've just had to do it in many games so I passed this advice on

Not correct, It blocks them so long as they are marked with the attribute for a downloaded file, and this is only if the file is downloaded directly through a web browser. The 106MB client installer for instance.

It would not, however, mark the files downloaded by the launcher with the downloaded attribute.

If those receiving the issue, continue to do so. I suggest grabbing Process Monitor and filtering it by the launchers activities (Filter by Process name is ffxivlauncher.exe) and then save it as a native PML format for analysing.

Probably wouldn't host them anywhere public though, just in case the logged info somehow includes the UN/PW. (though i've never seen these in a ProcMon dump before)