I’ve also had the stuck on decompress error, mixed in with a bit of looping on every install. After update 5 it seems impossible.
I’ve been a PC-user since before win95, and this might be the buggiest software I’ve ever seen.
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HAving lots of the same problems, I think I might have figured out the install.
I did this, turned down my internet to 100 bps full duplex and so far it is installing. I also took my router out of the equation. I just ran from modem direct ethernet to computer. just trying to help
Normally when unhiding it asks if you want to unhide subfolders too.
UPDATE EDIT 8/12/21: Just wanted to note in my initial post here that, long story short (you can read it all down below), the RAM in my computer was bad. Only built it a couple years ago, no noticeable issues installing/playing other games, browser with a million tabs open, or video editing/encoding. Run Windows memory diagnostic or MemTest86 just in case you are having this issue.
Bought the game through Steam yesterday. I have now spent about 12 hours trying to get this thing installed. I’ve never had so much trouble installing a modern game in my life. I want to throw this thing across the room. I’ve been stuck on this fs-base series of patch/packages forever now. Why in the flip fudging heck is this set up to download like twenty large file packages before trying to decompress/install them.. At least if it went one at a time, maybe I could make it through gradually. But instead I have to hope and pray that I can make it through a plethora of items in a row without issue or the whole thing is dead.
I’ve tried a bunch of different solutions, except VPN or speed limiting. Most of the time, the problem I have is that it just gets stuck on “Decompressing..” I will delete a file in the folder or whatever, restart my computer (I have rebooted this computer more times in the last 24 hours than I probably have every computer in the last 10 years combined..), wait for Steam to load, wait awhile for the ■■■■ game to boot, wait for the logos, check for updates, hit Update.. and then sometimes it’ll work or appear to work for a bit, but most of the time it’ll loop, or it’ll just instantly sit on “Decompressing..” whatever the file was if I didn’t delete it..
I just.. I don’t know what to say. This is absolutely unacceptable for a product of this caliber. And none of their suggested solutions do anything.
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Yes it’s what happen when you unhide the steam folder. But the operation is long a bit and you can cancel at that time because no need to unhide every folder inside. The important thing is that new folders created inside should not be hidden.
To be honest it would be pitiful if MSFS can’t get past a user hide filter, you should put a ticket in to both Zendesk and Steam
In the end speed limiting is the only way I can download updates for MSFS.
Quite typical if local bandwidth is saturated, check and if needed have words with your ISP, if you’re on wifi check you have the best channel. Even if not this the bottlenecks could be anywhere between your ISP and Asobo/Msoft’s servers.
My completely uneducated guess is that certain files are getting corrupted during the download process, either because of a certain source (hence why using a VPN might work) or a high download speed messes it up (hence limiting your connection.) And then when it goes to decompress them, it freezes up. If you then delete the particular file so it can skip it, and lets say it finishes the rest of them successfully, it verifies that whole fs-base folder at the end and when it sees that missing data it deletes the whole thing and starts again.
I keep getting stuck on two files: I believe it is “fs-base-0.1.157.fspatch” and “fs-base-0.1.163.fspatch.003”
I found that if I waited til it downloaded all of them, paused, then I copied all the fs-base patches/packages to a different folder before it starts the decompression process, I could then go back, delete the entire fs-base folder, copy-paste the patches/packages back in and then when it starts up it’ll skip the download process. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really help anything in the long run, except skip the hour long download process, but those specific files are still broken.
I tried running it overnight with a slower download speed via the network adapter duplex option. No change. Going to let it run all day today with an even slower (10Mbps Full) setting.
The thing I would really like to try is downloading a full fs-base or even the whole Official/Packages folder from someone with a working game. Shouldn’t I then be able to just place that in the directory and when the Install Manager goes to “Check for Updates”, it should see the correct folder and move onto the next step? Hasn’t anyone put up like a torrent file for the default Packages folder?
I made it past this point Sunday afternoon (I am currently at 1/39 with 80GB install left) but then kept getting stuck, uninstalled everything and tried installing to a different drive. Didn’t know at that point I should’ve backed up the Packages folder 
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Following, Having the same issue with updates. Haven’t been able to launch the game in couple months. Any solutions?!
I can’t suggest much but some of the packages are huge and a lack of virtual memory would likely have similar symptoms. If using a second drive it shouldn’t be external and even then it will still need to share the same file system as your original drive, ideally NTFS. Some may say it shouldn’t matter but IMO this is no ordinairy software and setting all files to be visible and not hidden might not be as daft as it sounds.
Running it all night and actually all day while I was at work at the lower speed: Failure
I just paid a month for a VPN. Currently running it through Germany I believe and it’s downloading at a glacially slow pace still. It’ll probably take all night or more again. I’m in northeast USA btw.
As usual, this is super frustrating. I’ve got gigabit at home so my speeds are glorious. I could’ve just downloaded this whole 120 GB game in 20 mins if this whole thing wasn’t so broken and stupid.
Again, if anyone is willing to upload a default Packages folder from their working game somewhere, I’d be very curious to try that route.
For everyone experiencing this issue, limiting your bandwidth WILLwork. I’ve had this problem with every update and have solved it with limiting the bandwidth. You just need to to willing to go slow enough to get it to run. For me, the sweet spot is 3.5Mbit/s. Unfortunately, a 124GB download at 3.5Mbit/s takes around 4 days to complete, and you’ll need to have it running the whole time. Yes it is slow, but it does work. For me personally, I’m incredibly frustrated that Asobo haven’t addressed this issue because it creates other issues as a consequence, like the update screen pulling 80-90% GPU usage the whole time, and having to purchase third party software to bypass the issue and get into the sim. It sucks, but limiting does work.
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I don’t think anyone is legally allowed to do that. They aren’t much good to anyone who doesn’t have the sim, and they aren’t protected like the others, but still.
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Again, if anyone is willing to upload a default Packages folder from their working game somewhere, I’d be very curious to try that route.
-I’d be happy too. I have removed completely the game, re-installed for the second time… goes fine, until it starts to download the Packages - nothing happens.. cannot even begin to download 1 byte!!!
Network problem maybe and I’m certainly no expert but have you got both IPv4 and IPv6 enabled?
i have tried every suggested option I can find in the net.
What about a google proxy 8.8.8.8 address (or whatever it is), I know plenty that have used it in the past for various download problems.
Had that happen once.
It was a problem with the Microsoft Store app. The ‘Repair App’ function fixed it.
That’s just a DNS server, and not an HTTP/S proxy. Unless they started doing that as well?
It probably won’t help you with download speeds, but it would help you with name resolution issues. Come to think of it, I’ve never had those looping problems, and I use 9.9.9.9 via my Raspberry Pi Pi-Hole.