Files constantly failing to validate on Steam

[bikeracer4487]

I recently posted this to the Steam Community, thinking that was a more appropriate place for it...but they were useless (see for yourself), and I've always gotten better answers from Tom's users, so I'm hoping someone might have some insight into this.

I've run into an issue where when I run "Verify integrity of game cache" it ALWAYS finds files to validate. It has happened on two games now: Total War Rome II and Call of Duty Ghosts. Both games crash frequently and both games find files that fail to validate, but they NEVER have all files successfully validate and I've been unable to get either to run without crashing after 10-30 minutes.

I have 4 other games installed on Steam and all of them are able to successfully validate all files. I've tried completely uninstalling and reinstalling the offending game to no avail. I've also run the Disk Checking tools from my C Drive Properties > Tools menu, as well as run "chkdsk /f" which runs chkdsk on boot, neither run showed any errors in the drive. I've set my BIOS back to defaults with no overclocks and eliminated all but the essential services and programs from starting doing boot, including disabling my antivirus. But still the files refuse to validate.

I'm at a standstill with both Steam and Activision support, and I haven't been able to find anything with Google, so I'm REALLY hoping someone here might have some ideas. Thanks in advance!

 

[IRyannHD]

This is a longshot but allow Steam in your firewall settings.

Also allow it in your advanced settings. control panel>system and security>windows firewall>advanced settings>inbound rules>new rule. Now choose program, find the program path, press next and allow connection,next again and make sure all 3 boxes are ticked, give it a name and hit finish.

Do the same for the outbound rules as well, also allow steam through any anti virus you have.

 

[bikeracer4487]

Solid idea IRyann. Looks like I had already set up the Inbound rule, but I set up the Outbound rule and tried again. Unfortunately, no luck. While I was at it, I thought I'd also try different servers, changing the Steam server to Chicago and then Houston (my default is Denver), but no dice there either. The weirdest part about all of this is that it only seems to effect those 2 games, nothing else seems affected, and I can't figure out why only those two games would be having issues.

 

[bikeracer4487]

Well, it was a last resort, but I did a complete reinstall of Windows 8, even going so far as to reformat the SSD I installed it on. Weirdly, getting things set back up it was STILL having the same problem...until I installed the Rapid Storage Technology...then somehow it worked... I'm not entirely sure WHY that would cause an issue (in fact many times installing IRST CAUSES issues), but nevertheless, a clean install and IRST seemed to have fixed the issue since everything appears to be in working order now.

 

[junkeymonkey]

what I don't understand is why do you keep supporting steam and its clones? are you that desperate to play games? why would I spend my hard earned money on a game that I have to rely on a 3ed party to play it ? so you go to newegg buy a hot new game that requires steam or another 3rd party in order to play it or even load it and get something that goes wrong with steam or whoever or they drop support then what do you got ?? looks like you got screwed of of your cash and a game that's useless with out them.... oh and don't forget when you check I AGREE and that internet connection required kicks in what do you think there doing to your computer?? cause if there was nothing going on then they would not need to have that internet access right to make changes as they see fit. don't you think its funny that the old top tier games tha did not require internet connection or steam client are pretty well gone off the market?

I'm glad I'm and old gamer that got top titles on a disk that don't require steam or some other 3ed party and don't require internet just load and play like it should be instead of this scam there pulling on you now.. [ my opinion]

 

[bikeracer4487]

what I don't understand is why do you keep supporting steam and its clones? are you that desperate to play games? why would I spend my hard earned money on a game that I have to rely on a 3ed party to play it ? so you go to newegg buy a hot new game that requires steam or another 3rd party in order to play it or even load it and get something that goes wrong with steam or whoever or they drop support then what do you got ?? looks like you got screwed of of your cash and a game that's useless with out them.... oh and don't forget when you check I AGREE and that internet connection required kicks in what do you think there doing to your computer?? cause if there was nothing going on then they would not need to have that internet access right to make changes as they see fit. don't you think its funny that the old top tier games tha did not require internet connection or steam client are pretty well gone off the market?

I'm glad I'm and old gamer that got top titles on a disk that don't require steam or some other 3ed party and don't require internet just load and play like it should be instead of this scam there pulling on you now.. [ my opinion]

I use Steam because it's convenient. Because I haven't had any issues with Steam before this (and this is likely due to a defective motherboard, as I look into it more). I can access any of my games from any computer and never run the risk of losing or ruining the disk that the games used to come on; never mind that many computers don't even HAVE an optical drive any more. Steam has access to more games, makes it easier to purchase them, and has better prices than any mortar store, and that's even outside of the seasonal sales.

But all that is moot, because it's completely unrelated to my issue. It's cool if you don't want to use Steam, that's fine. Just leave your rants out of people's threads.

 

[junkeymonkey]

sorry I did not mean to anger you with that . just making a point. but you say ''I use Steam because it's convenient'' ok but if you were looking to play that game now it don't look too convenient now. then you said '' this is likely due to a defective motherboard'' ok but you toped that with '' have 4 other games installed on Steam and all of them are able to successfully validate all files.'' so I guess that everything works except this one game? and then ''tried completely uninstalling and reinstalling the offending game to no avail''

so my point was isd it you or is it steam now on that and looking as far as we speak you done a lot to check your end but you still got them [steam] to wonder about. right? so you first said that ''I recently posted this to the Steam Community, thinking that was a more appropriate place for it...but they were useless'' so were back to having to rely on steam witch so far you claimed useless. so it looks like my post above is kinda related to your issue.

now also what I was getting at was that the games I run on a retail disk that don't require steam or internet will run or they don't due to a scratched disk bad install compatibility issue but that all here with me and not having to wonder if its steam or who ever loused something up because I control it here and if it don't work then I know its all on me.

so I'm sorry if I offended you with this I don't mean to but a lot of folks don't see or understand these things and blame there hardware when it my not be them at all because you don't have control they do.
I hope you can forgive me on this thanks.