I have often wondered if it has to do with what route people take to get to the final build number
Probably have a valid point.
Lets chuck this into the pot.
I found some time ago that importing Userdata with Content manager or downloading via FTP from the black pages, causes additional problems in that everything gets changed to Locally Modified and thus warnings and possibly errors that should only be visible to the original creator or person who edited an item, are appearing to the end user. When downloaded from the DLS using CM the same items are not showing the warnings.
Using only CM for the DLS and not ftp then import, avoids this issue. For restoring Userdata, a simple Copy and Paste plus a QDR restores your data as it originally was and is a heck of a lot quicker than importing anyway.
Unfortunately there are 1001 posts on here recommending to import UserData , I've had very little problems since I stopped doing that.
Why locally modified? Importing requires CM to commit the item as part of the install process thus making it locally modified, whereas copy and paste involves no Installing or committing and the QDR just updates the database to reflect the assets you have.
Not saying I'm 100% correct here but as I see it.
Patching? If you have warnings before patching they either need fixing before running the patch, else accept they may well become errors after patching. Having a lot of DLS items showing as locally modified will also attract additional new warnings and probably errors again targeted at the creator not the end user.
Many of those missing thumbnail messages, which are for the creator not the end user, were only showing because of the items being locally modified, delete and download again from the DLS and the warning is gone. I always run a QDR before patching, usually avoids any nasty surprises after running a patch.
Doing a fresh install patching up to date and then importing the userdata will create the locally modified problem, that's how, with SP1, I discovered the locally modified issue, the number of errors and warnings were unbelievable, so I just deleted the local and Original folders folder and copied from the old install and ran a QDR, errors were down to a few of dozen.
After patching do not dive straight into Driver or Surveyor but enable the data process Windows, if not already enabled, then start Content Manager. When you start CM, it will probably start a validation, let it finish before going anywhere near Surveyor, Driver or downloading stuff from the DLS, if it takes half an hour leave it and go walk the dog or something ;o)
Continual Validating? May be related in some way to the locally modified issue but also could be related to those who have messed up DLC downloads which keep trying to download again. I was lucky and managed to get both Murchison and SnC without any issues as far as installing was concerned and they have not attempted to download again since. I see no sign of any additional validation other than what you would expect after adding new assets, which should AFAIK only equate to the number of items you have added not as seems to be the case with some, revalidating everything!
Need to find the common denominator for those that are having the problem, such as problems with one or more DLC downloads or maybe one DLC download all those affected have got, that sort of thing, so you can if needed give N3V something to work with.
If it was DRM related we would all be suffering, currently some of us are not........... probably going to regret saying that now!
