WTF -.-

There is your problem.

The download is meant for non steam users.

Krizz im not sure exactly it booted up, update prompted, it checked to see how much of an update i would need, it then checked a ton of files took about 2 minutes and then it "updated/downloaded" so fast that it didnt even seem like it was really downloading anything I checked to see if I could grab the file names missing but it was way too quick. then everything was fine

I wasnt sure where to post, but anyone keep getting "Runtime Error" and then dc shortly after? Any ideas whats causing this or how to fix it?

i had 2 friends who kept d/cin'g last night i think 1 was on xbox the other was on PC. the one on PC did the same update as I did

i partied lastnight with a bunch of 360 users and saw how they all dc'd at once. However, today on the computer while playing everytime i try to load spellcast, i get a running time error and dc completely from the game. :(

Every time I've ever had problems updating (especially if it keeps hanging on one specific file) its been because for one reason or another my port forwarding got screwed up. Make sure you have your PC set to a static IP (very easy to do) and forward the ports indicated on this page http://www.pyramid-of-wisdom.com/sudden_strike/firwalls/port_forwarding.htm If you're not sure how to access your router's port forwarding section, a simple google search including your brand and model will clue you in.

You'll also experience fewer red dots.

If you're on a console, you can set your gaming device as your DMZ and it'll get no NAT interference.

if i dont load spellcast, i have no issues dc'ing and can stay on just fine. It's the minute that i load the program where everything gets screwed up and dc's occur. Would setting my pc to static IP have any effect on that?

i dunno i only use windower not spellcast. funny thought my windower seems to behave better last night, before when i would log out and leave the main select your character screen windower would shut down with an error, last night i logged out and was able to back all the way back out to POL screens

No worries. They're probably the smallest files in the entire update anyway. Even with congestion it shouldn't be a problem.

do you have any of the gear from the update equiped? the spellcast resources.xml hasnt been update (to my knowledge) yet, so anything that isnt in it will give you that error

Not true. As a steam user I used a download from BG and it worked flawlessly. Also if you're extracting a downloaded archive to the steam version, make sure you're using the appropriate folder.
x:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ffxi\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI
or
x:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\ffxi\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI

Your drive letter in place of x.

the only gear i have from update is base body and hands but they arent in my spellcast file as usable pieces atm. they just are in my inv, would that make a difference?