ERROR: UNPACK_FAIL: (4228) Please help!

[EvMstein]

Attempting to repair DCS but failed... update log said Caucasus.surface5 is the problem. "STATUS: lzma_decode: (9) File is corrupt." Did anyone know what it is?

[ribeye]

If a solution is ever found I also would like to know what it is. Can't load DCS to my IBuyPower gaming machine because it wont unpack.

[Flappie]

Hi @ribeye. Please attach this log: "\DCS World...\autoupdate_log.txt"

[ribeye]

Flappie - Thanks for responding!

I did the repair process you suggested in another post but that was unsuccessful as you can see in the attached screenshot.

I have also attached the autoupdate_log per your request.

I have all the latest files in my _downloads folder.

I'm running on a fresh install of Windows 10 with no anti-virus or firewalls active.

I have had DCS running on this computer before but it was installed via Laplink from my "old" computer.

This has been a very frustrating experience. I could go on about my hardware and all I have done to resolve this problem myself but I'm hoping some guru can look at this and go "oh, this is your problem"

autoupdate_log.txt

[Flappie]

@ribeye You have three different symptoms here:
 

UNPACK_FAIL: (1512)->[GzipError: inflate: (-3) invalid stored block lengths] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\Mods/terrains/Caucasus/vfstextures/LandTexturesAutumn.zip
UNPACK_FAIL: (9488)->[GzipError: inflate: (-3) invalid code lengths set] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\Mods/terrains/Caucasus/roads/Caucasus.routes
UNPACK_FAIL: (11520)->[GzipError: inflate: (-3) invalid distance code] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\Mods/terrains/Caucasus/Surface/Caucasus.surface5
UNPACK_FAIL: (5708)->[GzipError: inflate: (-3) incorrect data check] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\Mods/terrains/Caucasus/vfstextures/LandTexturesAutumn.zip
UNPACK_FAIL: (5708)->[HashError: Hash mismatch. hdr: 00000000] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\CoreMods/tech/TechWeaponPack/Textures/ZSU_57_2.zip
UNPACK_FAIL: (2280)->[GzipError: lzma_decode: (9) File is corrupt] C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\_downloads\Bazar/Textures/AAF.zip

1/ The most obvious one: DCS updater has a lot of trouble unziping and certifying downloaded files. Usually, it points toward:

• a very bad internet connection messing with downloaded packets
• or a drive with a lot of bad sectors

 

00000.067 INFO : DCS/ (x86_64; EN;  WORLD)
00000.067 INFO : branch: 
00000.448 INFO : Got reply from www.digitalcombatsimulator.com

2/ The minor one: DCS branch is not defined (it should read "release" or "openbeta" instead of a blank) . The branch name is supposed to be found in the "autoupdate.cfg", next to the log you've attached. Does this .cfg file exists? If so, please attach it here.

 

 

00000.000 === Log opened UTC 2021-03-18 20:40:16
00000.027 INFO : DCS_Updater/2.10.6.63 (Windows NT 10.0.19042; Win64; en-US)

 

3/ The most promising one: your updater is not up to date (2.10.6.63, should be 2.10.8.70). Please download this zip and extract it into C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\ so DCS_updater.exe gets replaced. Then launch DCS as usual and see how the updating process goes. Please report back here and attach the new autoupdate_log.txt in case you're still stuck.

[Worrazen]

@ribeye If you have any other data you think you may need on that disk, then out of precaution please STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELLY especially WRITING anything.

 

Hopefully ... well I see it's C:\, unfortunately it is your system disk, you would need to stop powering on the PC with that disk, because just running it will produce writes, although not so much any kind of use is never a good thing when signs of a failing disk.

 

Because it is a system disk it complicates things, you would need a spare disk preferrably, but it is possible to do without it. However you still need another PC to download and flash a linux ISO onto a spare empty USB storage stick.

 

You can ofcourse risk to do this on the current system, but this is just asking for more problems.

 

What you would do is to boot into a live linux distro of your choice, and install smartctl / smartmontools and GSmartControl (GUI for smartctl)

 

You would run a long and/or offline test to do a good check on your disk, to make sure there's no issue.

However you would need to look at the documentation quite a bit first or ask the communities about how to use the program.

 

Keep in mind SMART deeper checks aren't normally running when drive is normally used AFAIK, unless it's some vendor feature of the firmware to do it automatically at long idle sessions (according to logs I have not noticed this at least with my WD drives), and even after detection of a problem SMART data takes a reboot or two to populate which is what the OS can then use to report, so issues with disk happen before there is any warning or any notification about it, depends on the situation.

 

On the other hand you could, if you just don't want to deal with linux, install a windows version of smartmontools on another Windows PC you might have or would need to borrow, but the program is still the same command line thingy like it is on linux.

 

I'm slightly out of the loop on whether smart tests will let you do manual tests while the drive is in use, and not just in basic use but literally running an active system, but it's just not a good idea AFAIK, the device might have to be unmounted anyway for the test to be able to start.

 

Finally you might be able to have such tools by your disk manufacturer but it's more of a not standard thing, WD has/had Data Lifeguard tools which I belive are very old now from the Windows Vista days and might not even work on latest Win10 but you could try, for smart tests you don't even need to have a WD drive as this is all standard but with WD Lifeguard tools I don't know because I never had anything else other than WD (lol, I do have some old HGST now but never tried that), althought some of this is plagued by bloatware, requires internet connection to function, Samsung Magician will literally check with server the serial number of your disks every time it launches and tools/features are locked out if it can't confirm OK from server (at least it was 2-3 years ago when I last checked).

 

https://www.smartmontools.org/wiki/Download

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Worrazen

[ribeye]

I wanted to get back to you guys about my discovery today. Thanks to Memtest86 I discovered I have a bad stick of memory. I only have 8 Gb of memory now but at least it's good memory. I did an update to DCS today and everything worked out well. Thanks again for your feedback and willingness to help a stranger out.

[Flappie]

@ribeyeThank you very much for your feedback. It might help others with the same issue.