Your faithful, trustful and detailed guide of the Loading Screens

frozywozy

Hello everyone! In this guide, you will find useful informations to handle the Long Loading Screen Boss encounter mechanics and hopefuly beat your own timer records. First of all, if it's not already done, slot Loading Screens on both bars (this will ignore the cooldown and proc it twice in a few seconds!).

On a serious note, since most devs seem to ignore the dozen of threads regarding Loading Screens on top of the ton of comments and questions in Twitch chat during every episod of ESO Live regarding loading screens, let's get this straight. They aren't getting fixed anytime soon. So here, you will find a source of useful tips / infos to help resolve your infinite loading screens of death into black screen into force reboot of the computer in the worst scenario.

Causes

• Using transits, or resurrecting at a forward camp or shrine are the main causes
• You can also get into loading screens when a postern house wall gets repaired
• There are specific areas in Cyrodiil, for example near the mud river between Drake and Sejanus where you can get into loading screens (corrupted area)
• Fourth and not the least, you can get into loading screens when using gap closers on a target above or bellow your latitude

Factors

• Being in a group increase your chances to get a loading screen
• If you get into a long loading screen once (not infinite), using a transit shrine or resurrect at a shrine / forward camp once every 5 to 10minutes afterward will result into a straight of loading screens up to 9-10 times

How to prevent them

• When a new member join your group or if anyone in your group goes in and out of a delve, make sure that when they come back, they are visible to you (not underground). To fix this, get out of rendering range and come back. We have yet to discover why players go invisible (used to apply even to enemies but they fixed it)

How to deal with them

• If you relog, you won't get anymore loading screens (temporarily)
• If your loading screen lasts more than 2 minutes, it is going to be infinite and you need to crash your client (see next point for explanations)

On Windows 10, it can be very tricky to get out of an infinite loading screen in full screen mode. Here is a short guide to help you figure this out step by step without force rebooting your whole system. If you have any questions, post in the thread and I will address it asap.

1. ctrl+alt+delete (pop the task manager)
2. press windows key (pop your task bar)
3. left click the task manager icon on the task bar (remove the start menu)
4. mouse over the task manager icon on your task bar and then move your pointer up to the small window
5. keep your pointer there and use the keyboard to navigate in the larger window
6. press tab until you highlight the list of processes
7. use the arrows (up and down) to navigate in the list until you get to TESO process
8. use the delete key on your keyboard to kill the process
9. wait until someone tells you you're offline to relog. if you try to relog while your client is still online, you will be kicked out of Cyrodiil

Same thing applies when you exit the game and get an infinite black screen 95% of the time.
Hope that helps and don't forget to slot Loading Screens on both bars for maximum effectiveness.

Thanks to @Taylor_MB and @MaximillianDiE for their observations.

RoamingRiverElk

For those who enjoy hardmode, pvp in a locked campaign for a random chance to find yourself back in pve lands where you can then enjoy fishing waiting for your queue of 100+ to join the campaign and your friends again. Extra points for listening on TeamSpeak to all the awesome stuff that is now happening without you.

Soris

frozywozy wrote: »

1. ctrl+alt+delete (pop the task manager)
2. press windows key (pop your task bar)
3. press escape (remove the start menu)
4. mouse over the task manager icon on your task bar and then move your pointer up to the small window
5. keep your pointer there and use the keyboard to navigate in the larger window
6. press tab until you highlight the list of processes
7. use the arrows (up and down) to navigate in the list until you get to TESO process
8. use the delete key on your keyboard to kill the process

.

Or you can just cttl-alt-delete, alt-tab, navigate through up and down arrows and delete.

Pro Tip: While holding down alt-tab, you can preview in which line eso is located, so you won't be full blind mode.
But usually eso comes first in line so...

frozywozy

Soris wrote: »

frozywozy wrote: »

1. ctrl+alt+delete (pop the task manager)
2. press windows key (pop your task bar)
3. press escape (remove the start menu)
4. mouse over the task manager icon on your task bar and then move your pointer up to the small window
5. keep your pointer there and use the keyboard to navigate in the larger window
6. press tab until you highlight the list of processes
7. use the arrows (up and down) to navigate in the list until you get to TESO process
8. use the delete key on your keyboard to kill the process

.

Or you can just cttl-alt-delete, alt-tab, navigate through up and down arrows and delete.

Pro Tip: While holding down alt-tab, you can preview in which line eso is located, so you won't be full blind mode.
But usually eso comes first in line so...

Alot of people cannot tab the task manager on Windows 10, you get a black screen and can't get it to pop above Teso. The reason why you need to use your mouse pointer over the smaller window to make it pop on top of it.

King-Justin-Arisdale

This gave me a good chuckle! Thank you for the tips.

Adernath

I have the feeling that the exchange of data between players (abilities, gear, costumes, dyes, ...), who enter and leave the zone near you, is "subobtimal" in the code, meaning that too much data is transfered in life situations. And on top of that there are unnecessary collision checks (npc vs. player).

And while you are in a loading screen, the action of other players forces the system to catch up with the situation, which then may fail, in particular in crowded places.

Taylor_MB

The effect groups have on load screens cannot be over emphasized.
• Only ever received 2 load screens when solo (where I spent most of my time) (apart from charges, they happen regardless)
• If your group mates are invisible (nameplate and HP bar in the floor), you will get a load screen on next transit. Ask them to /reloadui (and reload your UI if someone says you are invisible).

It is insane how long this bug has been around.

frozywozy

Taylor_MB wrote: »

The effect groups have on load screens cannot be over emphasized.
• Only ever received 2 load screens when solo (where I spent most of my time) (apart from charges, they happen regardless)
• If your group mates are invisible (nameplate and HP bar in the floor), you will get a load screen on next transit. Ask them to /reloadui (and reload your UI if someone says you are invisible).

It is insane how long this bug has been around.

This is very useful informations. I'll test this out, thanks alot!

mtwiggz

Inb4 "Reduced Loading Screen Time" scroll in Crown Shop.

NACtron

This was some nice and helpful info.
I'm going to be sharing this with my comrades. Thanks for putting this together Frozn!

Elong

There's a new Crit Charge loading screen too.

You go in for the crit charge, get a short loading screen, then you're good to go. OR SO YOU THINK. You run around not doing much for 30 seconds, then BOOM another short load screen, whereby you're placed back where you were, getting rekt.

They're learning.

PainfulFAFA

I beat the loading screen boss 3 weeks ago when i uninstalled

Rasimir

Good writeup. My observations are quite similar, I dind't look at the timing. 10 minutes without using a port (or beimg dead) doesn't happe too often for me

The group effect is very noticeable, and I wrote about my suspicions about too much communication between clients of group members a long time ago.

It is also important to note that simply leaving the group doesn't fix the issue.

MaximillianDiE

Taylor_MB wrote: »

The effect groups have on load screens cannot be over emphasized.
• to /reloadui (and reload your UI if someone says you are invisible).

You can usually also make them visible by riding off out of clip range and then when you return they should be visible.

Alpheu5

frozywozy wrote: »

[*] There are specific areas in Cyrodiil, for example near the mud river between Drake and Sejanus where you can get into loading screens (corrupted area)

I hate to break it to you, but if you're talking about where the ghosts and mammoth skeletons are, that isn't mud.

Dreyloch

Addendum to this wonderful post.

Not sure if it's still valid, but if you have a group member showing as offline? They need to be kicked from group as this sometimes seems to ease the load screen pain of others. It can sometimes facilitate a faster LS for the person trapped in one too.

Personally, I've seen it the worst when I go to turn in a quest at our gate. There really is no excuse for this. Needs fixing above all else in game atm.

frozywozy

Alpheu5 wrote: »

frozywozy wrote: »

[*] There are specific areas in Cyrodiil, for example near the mud river between Drake and Sejanus where you can get into loading screens (corrupted area)

I hate to break it to you, but if you're talking about where the ghosts and mammoth skeletons are, that isn't mud.

Thanks for your valuable input. I'll edit it in the post right away and hopefuly the information gets straight to the lead of mud in Zenimax and help them going forward.

Joy_Division

I didn't think it was possible, but lag is no longer my number one annoyance in Cyrodiil.

Load screen are. DO SOMETHING ZOS!

I think these random load screen do not just have a correlation with group or group size, they are caused by them. I dont get anything more than a 2 second loading screen when I solo on my templar and I do so every other night. When I am on my sorcerer, loading screens are guaranteed as outlined in the OP.

SirAndy

frozywozy wrote: »

Your faithful, trustful and detailed guide of the Loading Screens

I never met a loading screen i didn't like!

Zakazh

Soris wrote: »

frozywozy wrote: »

1. ctrl+alt+delete (pop the task manager)
2. press windows key (pop your task bar)
3. press escape (remove the start menu)
4. mouse over the task manager icon on your task bar and then move your pointer up to the small window
5. keep your pointer there and use the keyboard to navigate in the larger window
6. press tab until you highlight the list of processes
7. use the arrows (up and down) to navigate in the list until you get to TESO process
8. use the delete key on your keyboard to kill the process

.

Or you can just cttl-alt-delete, alt-tab, navigate through up and down arrows and delete.

Pro Tip: While holding down alt-tab, you can preview in which line eso is located, so you won't be full blind mode.
But usually eso comes first in line so...

If a Cyrodiil loading screen takes more than five seconds (my transitions on my uber PC are usually one second or so), I know it's going to actually be MINUTES or more.

1) Hit Alt-F4
2) Boom. Done. Reload the game.

frozywozy

Zakazh wrote: »

Soris wrote: »

frozywozy wrote: »

1. ctrl+alt+delete (pop the task manager)
2. press windows key (pop your task bar)
3. press escape (remove the start menu)
4. mouse over the task manager icon on your task bar and then move your pointer up to the small window
5. keep your pointer there and use the keyboard to navigate in the larger window
6. press tab until you highlight the list of processes
7. use the arrows (up and down) to navigate in the list until you get to TESO process
8. use the delete key on your keyboard to kill the process

.

Or you can just cttl-alt-delete, alt-tab, navigate through up and down arrows and delete.

Pro Tip: While holding down alt-tab, you can preview in which line eso is located, so you won't be full blind mode.
But usually eso comes first in line so...

If a Cyrodiil loading screen takes more than five seconds (my transitions on my uber PC are usually one second or so), I know it's going to actually be MINUTES or more.

1) Hit Alt-F4
2) Boom. Done. Reload the game.

Alt+F4 doesn't work in some scenarios in Windows10 to close TESO in an infinite loading screen.

Rickter

This is a great guide, im passing along to my guildmates! thank you for taking the time frozywozy

Idinuse

Doesn't Ctrl+SHIFT+Esc work in Win10? It's a quick way to launch task manager.

frozywozy

Idinuse wrote: »

Doesn't Ctrl+SHIFT+Esc work in Win10? It's a quick way to launch task manager.

The problem is not to launch the task manager. It's to make it show above the game in full screen mode in a black screen.

Zvorgin

Once again, no guides for how to defeat the boss on console....

The Windows 10 addon you mention sounds broken.

RMerlin

frozywozy wrote: »

Idinuse wrote: »

Doesn't Ctrl+SHIFT+Esc work in Win10? It's a quick way to launch task manager.

The problem is not to launch the task manager. It's to make it show above the game in full screen mode in a black screen.

This is actually easy to work around under Windows 10, thanks to its virtual desktop support. Open the Task Manager on a second (virtual) desktop. You can then freely use it on that second desktop to get rid of that fullscreen black display that's on your primary desktop (I often get hit by this when I quit ESO - the exe crashes in background, leaving me with a black display).

This guide gives more info on virtual desktop: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-multiple-desktops-in-windows-10/ . Use the Win-Tab key combo.

frozywozy

rmerlb16_ESO wrote: »

frozywozy wrote: »

Idinuse wrote: »

Doesn't Ctrl+SHIFT+Esc work in Win10? It's a quick way to launch task manager.

The problem is not to launch the task manager. It's to make it show above the game in full screen mode in a black screen.

This is actually easy to work around under Windows 10, thanks to its virtual desktop support. Open the Task Manager on a second (virtual) desktop. You can then freely use it on that second desktop to get rid of that fullscreen black display that's on your primary desktop (I often get hit by this when I quit ESO - the exe crashes in background, leaving me with a black display).

This guide gives more info on virtual desktop: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-multiple-desktops-in-windows-10/ . Use the Win-Tab key combo.

Interesting. I will check that out tomorrow! thanks for the tip

Eweroun

frozywozy wrote: »

Same thing applies when you exit the game and get an infinite black screen 95% of the time.
Hope that helps and don't forget to slot Loading Screens on both bars for maximum effectiveness.

good tip I got from a friend is log out to character selection and then quit game.
That way I never got the infinite black screen anymore.

sentientomega

I've been getting infinite loading screens a lot lately (not noticed any in Cyrodiil, I don't go there much on any character), I've been doing alot of characters' main and guild story quests, sometimes going from a story zone to an open world zone creates an infinite loading screen, but more often than not, the story zones hanging have forced me to do most of the Alt+F4ing there.

I've been really worried that it could be down to my PC and not ZOS, but I've heard some people are having similar issues, people in a guild I'm in and friends of a friend, that kind of thing. So it's not that uncommon a problem, that's for sure.

Justin5580

Would be fantastic if this was fixed, can't really take the competitive side of this game seriously when half a dozen of your group are offline from loading screens and crashes.

Any other game and this would be a top priority to get fixed, but this has had no attention from the dev's and has been getting worse over time. Even just some transparency about the issue would be great, some dialogue from the developers about what they are doing to fix the issue?

magicsprout

If the spinning icon keeps turning it frees eventually, if it stops and restarts u be stuck eternally.