Steam Workshop nonstop downloading and verifying mods

[Valken 621]

So I had recently fixed ARMA on my computer and was able to play the basic game, no mods. I've had many Steam update issues with ARMA 3 only in the past, just check this sub forum and BIS Wizard has helped me a lot. Thank you.

 

I don't have any issue with other games such as Killing Floor, any of the Valve games, BF, or etc... its mainly ARMA 3 and Steam Workhop, not Steam with ARMA 3.

 

I then attempted to fix my Steam Workshop collection by unsubscribing and deleting some mods off the SSD as I suspect it was a free space issue.

 

I uninstalled the bigger collection of mods like RHS, CUP, IFA, and etc... I free up about 100+ GB off my 960 GB SSD. I kept some smaller mods as I didn't think it would be an issue or the mission files.

 

Then Steam seems to update fix all the smaller mods, even though I had to RIGHT CLICK on the the mods in the ARMA LAUNCHER to repair it. It worked for all the mods that were listed but the launcher is still missing a bunch of mods, even though I checked and the files are physically on my SSD. 

 

Edit  - I look at ARMA 3 Launcher and it lists 300+ mods from Steam Workshop. I physically goto my !workshop folder to take a peek and it shows 2500+ folders! It may be a Steam Workshop Subscription Limit?!

 

So I tried to reinstall some of the bigger mods such as CUP. I subscribe to it and Steam client says there is 29.7 GB to download and update. Fine, click UPDATE.

 

Then I watch my SSD free space shrink down from 100+ GB to ~ 15 GB (!!!) then Steam Client indicates it is validating the ARMA 3 Workshop Content... for the past 23 hours... 

 

Then it stops, and indicates update needed. Then I see 100+ GB free on the SSD, and have to re-download the 29.7 GB all over again, and validate it again...

 

WTF....

 

I don't know what to do other than systematically go through the ARMA Launcher, manually uninstall the mods, then delete the files, then redownload it from somewhere else because it appears Steam Workshop is going into some kind of update/validation loop on my computer.

 

I don't want it to kill my SSD as I know there is a life cycle to how many read and writes it can handle - Intel 960 GB SSD. I don't think my SSD is going bad but I don't have the funds to buy another SSD to test. And no, I don't want to move ARMA over to a HDD because it is so freaking slow loading large mod or terrain content during gaming.

 

Is there way I can just move all my mods to another folder, unsubscribe off steam, then have another 3rd party update client actually update the mods?! Any advice? I don't mind going back to the old ARMA 2 manual mode now since I cannot play on servers with RHS or CUP unless I figure out how to install those mods...

 

Should we setup a gofundme for ARMAHOLIC for example to have this auto mod update function?

 

Appreciate any advice...

 

 

[pierremgi 4738]

In the launcher , mod tab, you have a ...more option in which you can unsubscribe all steam mods and manage your watch folders.

[Valken 621]

Hi Pierre.

 

Thanks for that. I will look into it as a nuclear option.

 

Right now I checked my ARMA dedicated SSD and here is what I found:

 

ARMA 3 Launcher - shows ~ 300+ Steam Workshop Mods or Missions folders

!Workshop Folder - shows ~ 2500  Steam Workshop Mods or Missions folders

Steam\steamapps\workshop\downloads\107410\ folder shows 275 mod folders to be updated

Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\107410\ folder shows 5003 mod folders installed... could be old mods with some deleted content.

 

So I am unsure if I should do a MOVE with ARMA 3 Launcher for only 300 mods and  then what should I do with the balance of the mods that are physically on my SDD?

 

If there was a 3rd party launcher that could read those Steam Workshop Mod folders and read the meta.cpp file, then copy or move the folders to a regular folder like the old ARMA 2 days, that could fix my problem...

 

I don't know how to even make a list of those mods that ARMA 3 Launcher cannot see as all the folders are using numbers for their folder names. Hate to dig into each one manually!

[haleks 8206]

8 hours ago, Valken said:

ARMA 3 Launcher - shows ~ 300+ Steam Workshop Mods or Missions folders

!Workshop Folder - shows ~ 2500  Steam Workshop Mods or Missions folders

Steam\steamapps\workshop\downloads\107410\ folder shows 275 mod folders to be updated

Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\107410\ folder shows 5003 mod folders installed... could be old mods with some deleted content.

 

A lot of those folders are empty : when you unsubscribe from a mod in the WS, it deletes its content, but the folder stays there. That alone is a pain in the ass when you need to sort out content Steam failed to remove properly...

I gave up on getting big mods such as CUP or RHS from there, partly because I'm tired of cleaning up after Steam, and also because of the issues you describe.

[Valken 621]

@Haleks - thanks for the tip. I do have a program that removes empty folders and zero byte files.  I will scan the SSD and remove those, then let Steam Workshop try to fix it if possible. Then I will move everything to another folder then unsubscribe from Steam Workshop. What a huge pain this is...

[Valken 621]

I found the problem but don't know how to fix it.

 

I checked my STEAM\logs\workshop_log.txt file.

 

It shows a bunch of mods ~ 90+ that were either banned, removed or no longer on the workshop but we users were never able to UNSUBSCRIBE from. Steam just continuously tries to check and update it.

 

For example:

[2018-11-27 16:59:44] [AppID 107410] Detected workshop change : added subscribed item 1255561184
[2018-11-27 16:59:44] [AppID 107410] Detected workshop change : added subscribed item 1249908446

... another 90 + listed steamid mod numbers...

[2018-11-27 17:00:18] [AppID 107410] Get details for item 1249908446 failed : Access Denied
[2018-11-27 17:00:19] [AppID 107410] Get details for item 1255561184 failed : Access Denied
[2018-11-27 17:00:19] [AppID 107410] Detected workshop change : removing unknown item 1255561184 
[2018-11-27 17:00:19] [AppID 107410] Detected workshop change : removing unknown item 1249908446 

 

For each MOD ID, I counted it 10 times. Thanks Notepad++!

 

And the Steam Workshop mod page shows the error message:

 

Sorry!

An error was encountered while processing your request:
 

That item does not exist. It may have been removed by the author.

 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1255561184&searchtext=

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1249908446&searchtext=

 

The files are still on my SSD but that is not the issue. It's steam going nuts trying to do the above then timing out later for mods that needs updating?

 

Any idea how to resolve this?

[pierremgi 4738]

Windows defender not allowing the folder? Do you have notifications for Steam?

[Valken 621]

@pierremgi

 

I am unsure if this is a Windows 7 issue or STEAM issue? I have notifications from steam running but no errors show up. I can bang out a batch file later to remove the content in a mass delete off my SSD.

 

Maybe I should "delete" one folder and see what steam reports about it? 

 

Edit -  I sent Steam a message and this is their reply:

 

Quote

I've dived into your most recent logs and have found that some of the Workshop items you subscribed to have had their visibility set to hidden by their creators. 

If you have more questions regarding Workshop issues, I'd strongly encourage you to ask on the ARMA 3 Workshop Discussions to see if other Steam users have had this issue : https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/discussions/18446744073709551615/?appid=107410 

Alternatively, I'd suggest reaching out to game support if you have feedback about anything in-game for ARMA 3.

 

The problem appears to be what I suspected - Steam Client going into a loop over d/l, not d/l or updating and validating hidden mods. And this seems to coincide with the mass banning of mods starting last year on the workshop as I have 90+ such workshop IDs now.

 

So the issue is now who will fix this problem - BIS or Steam?

 

I will post a link on Steam Workshop and point back to this thread and see how it goes but hopefully something simple as a filter to the Steam Client or ARMA Launcher to IGNORE and SKIP updating hidden or unsubscribable mods would fix this for users. 

 

The worst part of this experience is that we cannot even UNSUBSCRIBE  from those hidden mods ourselves...

[Valken 621]

I just wanted to bump this for anyone that workshop mod validation loop has been fixed. Steam implemented a "skip" or "ignore" function to the client or backend and it now skips mods that were previously subscribed and hidden. 

 

No more d/l, updating, validation loop! All mods are now updating and installing correctly and it freed up something crazy like 70 GB off my SSD!

 

However the ARMA 3  Launcher still has an issue in that it is not listing all the mods from the !workshop folder. Also not all mods are having its symlink created - EG ACE and CBA_A3 even though it has been installed. There is no pattern whether the mod is using low or high numbered folder.

 

I suspect it may be a limit or bug in the launcher not allowing XXX many mods? 

 

I temporarily fixed this by pointing the  launcher to WATCH  the "Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\107410\" folder.

 

At least I can see the mods for now but hope this will be fixed soon!

[Valken 621]

Bumping this again because the Arma 3 Launcher client is still NOT creating symbolic links for some old and newly subscribed mods and / or populating the launcher with the correct mod names with the Steam Workshop Icon.

 

It appears to be some kind of limit on the launcher or the launcher is NOT syncing back to the Steam Workshop Backend for some reason. Funny that it lists the mods when watching the 107410 folder - so long as the mod.cpp file is in each mod folder.

The only temporary fix is to point the launcher to manually watch the ""Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\107410\" folder to list the mods.

 

Its annoying but the only working solution.

 

BIS_Wizard was and did work on fixing this, but it appears he/she has been missing in action since June or July?! Do we need to setup a rescue team?

 

Hope someone from BIS can look into this!!!

[jonilahtinen 15]

Yes, Steam Workshop kinda sucks in some cases. Like for me, I re-installed my system and suddenly Steam downloads a massive 73,6GB Workshop file and I have no idea what it is. After finished I still have no clue. Checked every mod on Arma's launcher and I didnt found mod to even close of 70GB...