I just downloaded all my spring sale purchases plus the 12 flagged updates and if worked perfectly.

I think, its way early to panic, maybe thats just bug (GoG is buggy as hell, for last 4 days. I've got tonns of problems with displayed language and cant make themes, for example).

Also - Im pretty sure, GoG know, that cutting off alternative ways to download games, is like shooting themself in leg. Coz, without it, GoG will be just your steam with way less games (dont mind me, that all games here are drm-free - most of indies in steam dont use steamworks either and may be ran from their folder without problems)

I guess the answer as to how people are still using XP is "By using Windows XP". :) I am not one of these people. (for clarity) so I can't speak on their behalf with any authority. :) Some people simply want to keep using their computer as-is if it works fine for them from their own perception, and they're not inclined to fix what they don't consider to be broken. There are all sorts of reasons for not using Windows XP, but there are still people out there who will do so anyway because they're not experiencing any first-hand problem to motivate them to upgrade/change for better or worse. Eventually they will all change, but there are always going to be long term hold-outs that don't upgrade until it is forced on them such as their computer exploding into a ball of flame or similar. :)

I'm afraid to tell you though that there are in fact people still using extremely ancient computers running Windows XP and doing so knowingly and on purpose in 2017. It's not worth trying to convince them to do otherwise either - it is a losing discussion as they've already been informed of just about every reason imaginable why to upgrade and for 3 years have chosen a different path. Might as well let them continue to sort it out for themselves as that's what they're going to ultimately do anyway.

Whatever you do, don't try to make logical rational sense out of it though, you'll go mad. :)

If someone is still using XP, they're most likely doing it because A: they can't afford to upgrade or B: They don't need to.

There are loads that don't use their computers to 100% cpu usage & same goes for gfx usage. Hell, I've done stuff on folks pcs that still use the older OS & it works perfectly fine for what they use. So why waste money on something newer/faster/shinier when it isn't required.

So the same goes for games. Perhaps loads are still only playing older games (which would probably be why they used to come to good OLD games ;p) & again, they don't need something that can play Crysis ;)

That is logical & rational ;p

Same. Since they did not support it anymore, I did not use it. I miss it. Never had an issue, and if the download failed for whatever reason, it picked back up from where it broke. I wish they would bring it back.

I voted for this: https://www.gog.com/wishlist/site/bring_back_the_original_gog_downloader_client

Also, I wish I could derep the support messages, saying they advice to use Galaxy while the promise was that Galaxy would be an OPTIONAL client.

Added my vote too.

I guess their "it is optional" gets a pass, because they can say "Welp, you can also DL via browsers..." even though folk will most certainly have to install a separate DL manager for the inevitable DL/sites fail/glitch.

Nothing worse than having to re-DL a full game because there's no proper patch, only for it to skip a bit & having to start all over again.

This is why I used the downloader.

As I've said in this or some other thread, if I'm going to have to use a client, why wouldn't I just use steam/origin etc that are not in beta...? (plus gog games, several are falling behind in updates/patches).

I wonder if people know that Galaxy is a "GOG downloader" too? For example, do you think Galaxy exclusively and only installs games like the way steam does (steam installs the files directly, where you don't get to keep the .exe installation files)? No, not at all. I use Galaxy to download the installers which can be found in the extras/other section. Then after, I close Galaxy and manually install from the installers or keep the installers on my private external drive.

I don't know if it matters, but if you download the installers using Galaxy, you get them as a full single installer set, instead of it being split into archives like the way it is when downloading through your browser (but it's more practical to split them for browser download). Galaxy also has the ability to pause/resume downloads and control your download speed (if needed). I mean, if you are okay with using a separate program (the GOG downloader) in the first place, why not Galaxy?

On a different note, I find it a great thing that GOG offers web/browser downloads, because I had problems getting Galaxy to work for awhile.

I'm on a really slow connection and I've had numerous problems with the downloader. Checksum fails. Galaxy doesn't do this, but it has a habit of soaking up bandwidth doing... I don't know what, really. It can't be downloading updates all the time and community features are minimal.

Because Galaxy has proven to be a buggy mess. I have well over 300 games successfully downloaded with the GOG downloader. I don't need nor want Galaxy.

Several reasons have already been shared/linked in the thread so far. Go back & read the rest of the thread.

I'm still actively using the downloader and haven't noticed any missing links yet.

I do have one bugbear with the downloader though, and that's getting it to login the first time after installation. After a number of failed login attempts, it eventually decides to just suddenly start working. I've tried installing it after I've already logged into the GOG website, and I've tried doing it the other way around, to no avail. I've also disabled two-factor authentication, but nothing seems to make a difference. So I just try to log in once every five minutes and eventually I get in.

But the workaround I've decided to now use is just to image my installation after the downloader is working 100% and just restore that image whenever I need to download my games.

Not had that problem with logging in after installing it, luckily.
But then not had to install it since last HDD died & hopefully this one'll last a long time yet ;)

Another one bites the dust.

Grim Dawn just had a "patch" to 1.0.0.9 (aka another full DL for a tiny patch) & there's browser full DL (with no alert to a new patch in first place lol) but there's no downloader update.