WoW - Still Stuck on Loops of Doom of Scanning / Updating

Desktop App Tech Support
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06-07-21 - 06/08/21

I am yet still stuck on loops of doom of Scanning / Updating.
Classic World of Warcraft is doing the samething as regular World of Warcraft. Fixing it has nothing to do with updating Windows 10 or rebooting the router. Everyone else is having the same issues as me.
I’ve played so much of Sims 4 that it has gotten sooo boring. I’ve already finished some of my Nintendo Switch games. ReBooting the computer doesn’t fix anything : ( I have tried everything Blizzard has told me. They DID have issues with WOW games earlier. Report came from BlizzardCS over on Twitter. I really do not know HOW in the world these other WOW players are playing World of Warcraft without any issues. Do they have High Speed internet like fiber optic or some high power internet that’s incredibly expensive? We are STILL waiting on Starlink internet where I live. Just : (

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Hey JazzKitty,

Scan/update loops are usually caused by one of two things, corrupted data or connection issues. The steps you’ve mentioned have fixed it for some players but in some cases other steps are necessary. I have a few things for you to try that should help. If it does not then placing a ticket with our tech support and include system files as well as a list of steps you’ve already done is the best route.

• Delete the following files: Bnet Files and Bnet cache

• Repair the Indices folder and idx files:
In the Blizzard Desktop application, on the Game Launch page of the game in question, click Options > Show in Explorer.
Open the game folder for the version having issues. (IE: World of Warcraft Retail, Classic Era, Classic)
Open the Data sub-folder.
Locate and delete the Indices sub-folder.

Now delete the following files:

  1. Go to \Data\data folder.
    a. Example location: C:\World of Warcraft\Data\data
  2. Delete all the *.idx files.
    a. NOT the data.### files.
  3. Run scan/repair again.
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Um does the folder WTF in the WOW folder doesn’t mean what I think it means What the (censor) ?

All the .idx files have been cleared out of the data folder. And my internet is not corrupted. And when I run the scan / repair ; it starts to scan then it jumps to updating then it jumps back to scanning. I am not turning off my Windows Defender. I need that on tp protect my internet from getting hack by overseas hackers.

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No, it has nothing to do with bad words, other than to make a lot of us giggle. It stands for Warcraft Text File. My understanding is it contains text files with character specific info like realm and UI configurations as well as settings for your addons per character.

Renaming (or deleting) the WTF, Interface, and Cache files within WoW are part of resetting your WoW game Interface - which includes addons and all the data related to them.

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Well! Thanks for clearing that UP! XD All these years I thought the folder stood for What the (censor) . XD Now I know. But would deleting that folder fix the loops of doom of scanning / updating. I really do think this is on Blizz’s end of the metal pole. Not mine. Yes I do have shotty internet; HughesNet; my mom and I are STILL on the waiting list of Starlink. : \

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I don’t THINK so but it can’t hurt. If you are troubleshooting renaming the WTF, Interface, and Cache (UI reset) can’t hurt. If it does not help, you just switch the names back. Normally though that is used for issues loading a character, char crashing, etc.

This is an issue :frowning:
Satellite Internet it not designed for gaming and is not really supported. It has an ok download time, but a terrible upload time so the game can’t get data back from you. It tends to cause serious issues with anything that is real-time. It is ok if you are watching buffered stuff it can DL ahead of time.

Oh, and of course weather will mess with things too.

Having intermittent internet like that can cause the patch cycle to get interrupted and corrupt things.

I would do the resets you were given then - reboot. Do not allow anything else that connects online to run. Then gulp temporarily turn off the security and then start the updater. When done, turn security back on and reboot to be sure all services start back up.

I am using Windows Defender too though, and have no issues with updates, if that helps.

1 Like
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Sorry to keep bothering. I don’t understand how other people are able to play World of Warcraft while the rest of us are like “This problem isn’t resolved. We’ve tried everything that Blizzard has thrown at us.” Resettin the router doesn’t help. Updating windows doesn’t fix WOW. I just think this all on Blizzard’s end of the metal pole. Our local Computer Repair shop here in Sturgeon Bay, WI… they said they couldn’t fix it and they told me and my mom that according to the WOW forums that a lot of other players are experiencing the same exact issue. : ( It’s like a endless marble labyrinth with no exit. And it’s also like Lamb Chop’s closing credit song “The Song That Doesn’t End”.

That’s far to risky of shuttin off security. There are overseas hackers waiting to ATTACK. We JUST got our LARGE some of numbers of dollars back from hackers that hacked a pipeline last month. Let’s not repeat that scene with my computer. ^-^; “Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls” runs fine. It’s just with the WOW / WOW Classic / WOW Classic BC games that seem to be runnin low on caffeine. : (

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They don’t have satellite internet :frowning: That is how most people play online games.

If I had to take a WILD guess. The sever pings your computer to say “hey what version do you have and where are you on the download?”

Your internet type means the reply back to the server is VERY delayed. The sever gets tired of waiting and thinks you DCed. Loopity loop loop. On a day your internet happens to respond well, you might make some progress, otherwise, no.

This is from your provider regarding their service and online games.

What Online Games Are Not Recommended With HughesNet And Why?

While HughesNet can handle many different types of online gaming, “real-time” online games are not recommended. These are games that are played against other players at an incredibly fast pace and require a fast Internet connection to play. Many real-time online games are first-person shooters, sports games, fighting games, among others.

HughesNet is able to offer Internet coverage to such a huge area thanks to their satellites 45,000 miles above the Earth. This means it can take somewhere around ½ a second to transmit data, which might sound very quick, but isn’t always fast enough for very competitive fast-paced online games. While HughesNet® is perfect for downloading content, streaming video, and light online gaming, it is not well-suited for these data-intensive online games. While these games are not recommended to play online with HughesNet® Internet, you can still download updates and play them in single-player modes!

I am not shocked you can play D3, even though satellite is not supported for it. That game can be played solo which reduces the back and forth data between you and the server. It is also a fairly light game data wise.

Still, you SHOULD be able to at least update your WoW even if it does not play well.

MVPs are not Blizz staff - we are just other players. I honestly can’t think of anything you have not already been told to do. Short of go somewhere else to download it…

You can log in to any PC you trust if you want if someone else lets you use their data.

  • Download the Launcher then log in with a valid username/pass. DO not ever share passwords.
  • Dowload and update WoW
  • Copy the WoW directory in Program files to an external drive.
  • Take the drive home. Copy that to your WoW Program files directory.

I keep my installs on a USB Drive so I only have to download once and can just copy it to my other PC.

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But it worked back in 2018 and 2019 : ( What about Starlink ? Also my mom said that HughesNet isn’t fast enough.

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Hey there JazzyKitty,

Sorry to hear that nothing so far has been helping with getting World of Warcraft updated. The past information looks to cover many of the common reasons an issue can happen with updating games. An unstable connection is often seen as a cause for those scan and repair loops. Other causes can be damaged files, interfering programs, or permission problems.

Blizzard can’t do much to help out with satellite internet since it can be unstable by design. This would apply to Starlink as well since it too is satalitte based.

I wanted to chime in with 2 ideas I don’t see mentioned however. I know many players don’t have the option to just pick up and take their PC to a friend’s or neighbor’s place to borrow their connection just for an update. Or the other option of updating on another system and copying the files to a USB drive to then copy to their own system. What many players do tend to have is the option to use a hotspot(wireless) or tether(wired) with their phone. This is a way to share their mobile data with their computer and can help in some cases for testing or even fixing connection issues. As most plans have limited data allowed, it’s not something we’d recommend doing permanently, yet I mention it as another way to rule out issues with the network or ISP.

If you’re not sure, these 3rd party websites go over generally how to use a hotspot or tether:

Iphones: How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Android: Tether or create a Wi-Fi hotspot - Google Fi Help

The other idea, which can be done before or after the above, is to make sure the Battle.net application is not damaged. A normal reinstall may leave some folders behind, so the steps I have go over how to nuke it all so a fresh install can be done to rule this aspect out:

  1. Uninstall the application
  2. Press Windows key + R and type in %temp%
  3. Delete anything related to Blizzard or Battle.net
  4. Do the same for %programdata%, %localappdata%, %appdata%
  5. Reinstall the application: Downloads – Blizzard Entertainment

If there’s still a problem, the ticket that was mentioned may be best so we can check out system files better. Hopefully this helps though. Regards!

2 Likes
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No. Just hughesnet is being a jerk. It’s not fast enough to run ol “World of Warcraft” games. Wish we had fiber optic internet in the Sturgeon Bay area. But it is what it is. My mom and I are still waiting for Starlink to mosey its way to Sturgeon Bay. : \

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I am having the same problem except on Cold War. They recommend the same ‘‘solutions’’. And I have high speed internet with no connectivity issues. I think they saw you have satellite internet and are just say yeah that is it. But I have the same problems on a different game with better internet. The common denominator is the launcher. Hilarious that they recommend running scan and repair and that is the very think that broke my game and the thing that is in the endless loop.

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Ok I am trying your advice right now. I sure appreciate the response…thank you so much!!! I have high speed broadband cable internet.