SureAI

...or more to the point, the install is broken, the updating fails oh the litany of issues.

My first install went great, no problems update great no issue, about 20 hours in and changed my PC set up, moved some stuff around, fixed a problem in windows and Enderal is broken. No probs, remove, reinstall.

It begins. Oh why do I keep changing stuff.

I have a SSD, but really an 8GB compressed file copies data to my Skyrim folder in 10 seconds? Ok click play, "You need an update dumb ass", ok so update. So 354000/4 updates is that normal? Don't remember that last time.
Restart the launcher. "You need an update dumb ass"
Can't I just play the game and suffer the consequences? "No we know better than you, take the update and swallow hard young man"
But 354000/4 it just doesn't compute......
Ok lets get manual. 7=zip extract the updates and see what is what, oh a 3 out of 4 have CRC errors , that not good, redownload, redownload, redownload. Hmm all the same.
Lets look at the original file, Ok that doesn't look right, that 10 second install seems to have moved all my Skyrim files to the back up folder and then not copied over the subfolders from of the data folder.

OK well broken, Skyrim broken... start again, delete local content, delete folder, download Skyrim, wait 3 days. re-install Enderal same thing.
Download Enderal, wait 2 days. same thing. 900000/4 updates.

Give up and lose investment in the game, it was good, now it is just a another thing that will be forgotten like a broken utensil. If I could have just played without being forced to update, maybe it would have worked and I could have finished my game.

There is always Dishonored II, oh wait that is broken as well.

Instead of doing the same again and again you could have requested help earlier.
Check out the entry point "Update starts over and over again" at our wiki page for launcher problems.
Do both suggestions (Problem while downloading and Installing). Make sure that you used the newest launcher.

I visited the wiki first and did everything suggested, re-downloaded the launcher from the website, I assume that is the latest, followed all the instructions, deleting folders and re-downloading the patches. No point changing the config file as it never changes from default, I tried changing the version number to latest in the vague hope that the installer won't try to do the update but that didn't work.

I believe the initial install is broken, as many of the Skyrim files are missing, it would be helpful if you could list what files and folders should be in the Skyrim folder after the initial install so I could see if that is the case, or provide an updated install that includes the all the current patches.

Enderal does not need all Skyrim files. Check if anything stops the launcher from updating like firewalls / anti virus programs etc.