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VG247: The Forza 7 PC pre-load is an utter mess

Link.

If you’re trying to pre-load Forza 7 on PC so you can be ready for launch, there’s a decent chance your download will halt at some random point midway through, prompting you to start over.

Many of those who pre-ordered Forza 7 – myself included – have run into a number of issues that stop the pre-load after some gigabytes have been downloaded. Sometimes this can be 15GB, 50GB, or 92GB.

The Windows Store spits out an error code, and when this happens, resuming the download does not in fact pick up from where it left off – it restarts the whole thing from the top. With Forza 7 on PC, this means re-downloading close to 100GB of data. The issue is so widespread, it’s the only thing people are talking about now on the Forza Reddit, and the official forums.

This is what the first page of the Forza 7 technical support subforum looks like at the time of writing:

forza_7_pre_load_bustv5s6w.jpg


In every one of these threads, you’ll find horror stories of players who have to contend with data caps on one end, and the Store’s frustrating incompetence on another. Never mind that many don’t have internet speeds fast enough to download 100GB in a reasonable amount of time.

Some have had luck with uninstalling all content, logging out of the store and back in to restart the download. Others suggested resetting the Windows Store cache by pressing the Windows key + R and typing “wsreset”. The bigger issue is that there’s no clear idea what causes this problem, so it’s all just a shot in the dark.

What’s puzzling is that Forza Horizon 3, and Gears of War 4 had an identical problem at launch last year, to the point that Microsoft had to push an update to Windows 10 to fix it. How is it that the next time this happens is with another Forza game a year later?

It’s incomprehensible that the Windows Store continues to fail at the simple task of delivering game files to customers. For all the hate they get, Origin and Uplay never had this problem, even when they were first released.

We’ve asked Microsoft for comment.
 

Stygr

Banned
Ok, so i'll pick it on Xbox, at least i don't have to download a lot of GB.
Sadly Play Anywhere isn't available for boxed copies :(
 
Gears of War 4 was an utter joke.

I love the games coming to PC, but I wish they were on Steam, or that the MS Store was actually usable.

Embarrassing and inexcusable.
 

xrnzaaas

Gold Member
They should also mention that an attempt to play the demo forces Windows 10 to download and install the Creators Update if you didn't have it yet (I'm on Home and it didn't arrive yet lol). That's at least another hour for Windows to install and configure everything (and as always there's a chance that the big update can mess something up on your PC).
 

leng jai

Member
Not this shit again, I was over 100GB trying to download GW4. Windows Store is comically bad especially coming from a company that specialises in software.
 

Qassim

Member
I had some issues with this last night, took a few tries - set it off before I went to bed and woke up and it had completed.
 
Well I was going to go digital as I have a PC with a 1070 and I sold off my XBO in anticipation of getting the One X, but I’m thinking I might be better off just getting the physical copy closet to when the X launches. I’ll lose out on Play Anywhere, ut I’ll save money with GCU. Not sure I want to deal with the shit show that is the Windows 10 Store.
 

Tyl3n0L85

Neo Member
I have this issue too...

I downloaded 75gb out off 95gb. But now my download completely stopped and I can't resume it. It gives me an error every time I try to resume it. I don't want to redownload it and I'm hoping Microsoft will fix this shit soon. Also, 100gb for a game is a joke
 

PaulLFC

Member
They still haven't fixed the Windows Store?

They've known about this problem for ages. It was an absolute nightmare trying to download Forza Horizon 3 (same issues as here - download would randomly stop and you'd have to restart, if it would download at all to begin with), and I think the problems had been around even before that.

They have had plenty of time to fix this and it looks like nothing has been done. How does a software company make such a mess of what should be a simple download system, coded for said company's own operating system? It's not like an application download and update program is something new. Other companies can manage this basic stuff just fine, why can't Microsoft?

There's no excuse for it.
 
I downloaded demo without any problem, even with my shitty internet and after shutting down my PC several times for night. It's even asked me install dir before trying to download it on my SSD. But i guess pre-load is a different case
 

Skyr

Member
The windows store continues to be an embarrassment.

microsoft windows store department be like
54d36c6c7396f3838ba7c1bf543d3eb0.jpg
 

Burger

Member
Phil Spencer - March 2016

"I understand the skepticism that people have, but I just want to stand up and say we're very, very committed as a company to ensure that gaming on Windows 10 is a great experience."
 
I don't understand how a online store front can be this bad. Especially when Microsoft have competing stores (Steam, GoG, Uplay, Origin) to show them the right and wrong way of doing things. Windows 10 store is THE worst place to buy PC games digitally, without exception.
 
If you're trying to pre-load Forza 7 on PC so you can be ready for launch, there's a decent chance your download will halt at some random point midway through, prompting you to start over.

Oh man, not this again! This has happened to me on various occasions by just downloading games from the Windows 10 store, and they weren't even pre-loads. It's terrible, I can't believe this issue still persists.
 

GHG

Gold Member
They still haven't fixed the Windows Store?

They've known about this problem for ages. It was an absolute nightmare trying to download Forza Horizon 3 (same issues as here - download would randomly stop and you'd have to restart, if it would download at all to begin with), and I think the problems had been around even before that.

They have had plenty of time to fix this and it looks like nothing has been done. How does a software company make such a mess of what should be a simple download system, coded for said company's own operating system? It's not like an application download and update program is something new. Other companies can manage this basic stuff just fine, why can't Microsoft?

There's no excuse for it.

They designed the windows store for small apps, not fully fledged programs and games like this. They are now shoehorning these games onto the Windows store instead of building a new one that is actually designed to handle applications of this size.
 

Shahadan

Member
My experience with Forza Horizon 3 PC ensured that I'll never buy anything on the windows store ever again. Like, never ever. Even if everyone assured me they fixed it.
That's how annoying it was to me.

That was also my first experience with a Forza game and while I liked playing it when it allowed me to, I basically associate Forza with frustration now. Good job MS.
 

leng jai

Member
They designed the windows store for small apps, not fully fledged programs and games like this. They are now shoehorning these games onto the Windows store instead of building a new one that is designed to handle applications of this size.

That's a hilariously bad excuse. How short sighted can you be?
 

Rellik

Member
They designed the windows store for small apps, not fully fledged programs and games like this. They are now shoehorning these games onto the Windows store instead of building a new one that is designed to handle applications of this size.

Instead they changed the name to Microsoft Store to try and get rid of the stink when you Google it.
 
It's no shock to anyone thats bought a game there in the past. I enjoyed GoW4 but I am in no hurry to ever purchase anything from the MS Store ever again, same shit different game.
 
On the opposite end of this story, I pressed "install" button and few hours later FM7 preload was finished without any fuss. So it's not all doom and gloom.
 
Because I have suffered through these issues personally with Quantum Break, Forza Horizon 3, AND Gears of War 4, I have to say, these reports are factual.

Despite the supposed overhaul the Windows Store got a while ago, it is still a sub-par experience for the Xbox Play Anywhere program. The store just does not seem cut out to handle the 50GB+ games its customers are trying to download. It's a travesty.

You should not have to nurse, baby, constantly monitor and refresh, a multi-gig game on a digital storefront in 2017.

It is an absolute black mark on Microsoft's handling of PC gaming yet again. So while the PC versions of these games (GoW4 is very good, that cannot be denied, FH3 is solid now) may be good, if you can't get the delivery method worked out, then what good is it? Your positive nets out to zero with the negative in the mix.
 
Huge file size and yet no retail version for pc is a crime we all have to live with :/

Windows 10 store is one of the worst big company storefronts I have ever had the shame to use, even early android store days were better.
 

Stevey

Member
I bought digital,it background preloaded while I was asleep on Xbox, not even going to bother with the PC version.
Cant be bothered with the hassle of the Windows Store.
 
It seems odd they won't put the games on Steam. Surely there's money to be had there.

The purpose is to get people into the UWP app ecosystem. Steam does not allow these, you must deliver your game as a win32 program. Microsoft considers win32 deprecated, but the way things are going it's not going away any time soon.
 
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