[WORKAROUND] Launcher Freeze, Crashing

Wodengast

This is an unofficial workaround for the launcher freeze and crash problem.
My launcher was consistently crashing when the status bar switched from "Verifying..." to "Downloading..." and this is how I solved it.

There are 4 relevant folders.
Zenimax Online\Launcher
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\depot
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\vo_en

If the document is too large for Windows Notepad I highly recommend Notepad++

Open the launcher and when it crashes open the enormous file located at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Zenimax Online\Launcher\host.developer.log

You're looking for Whitelist and Webget errors. Copy the IP address ending in a filename and open it in your browser. You can change ctrl-c one download location link and change the file ending for each .partial found in it's respective download folder. This sounds confusing but it's not. The three Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\ folders that you will be downloading to each contain .partial files. The number of .partial files in each folder is equal to the number of files you must download. For me, 33 in total for this patch. 29 depot, 2 or 3 game and 1 vo_en language pack. These numbers will probably vary by patch but the solution should be the same.

Troubleshooting:
You'll probably be able to find two separate IP address. If a link doesn't work by just changing its ending(rare) you can change just the IP address and keep the rest identical and the download will start.

Tips:
You may want to change your web browser download location for sanity.
You will probably need to reopen the launcher to intentionally crash it, adding new address information to the host.developer.log when you switch from depot to game files to vo_en.

This took me hours to figure out so hopefully this makes it super easy and fast for you.

Good luck.

Shabutti

Can confirm this works. It took about an hour of copy/pasting and opening and closing task manager and the ESO Launcher, but it eventually got to 100% and I was able to log in. Thanks for the guide, @Wodengast

PizzaTalisman

Good lord, that's a lot of work to get a broken patcher/launcher running again. Good on you for finding a workaround.

ChirpingBird

Wodengast wrote: »

This is an unofficial workaround for the launcher freeze and crash problem.
My launcher was consistently crashing when the status bar switched from "Verifying..." to "Downloading..." and this is how I solved it.

There are 4 relevant folders.
Zenimax Online\Launcher
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\depot
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game
Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\vo_en

If the document is too large for Windows Notepad I highly recommend Notepad++

Open the launcher and when it crashes open the enormous file located at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Zenimax Online\Launcher\host.developer.log

You're looking for Whitelist and Webget errors. Copy the IP address ending in a filename and open it in your browser. You can change ctrl-c one download location link and change the file ending for each .partial found in it's respective download folder. This sounds confusing but it's not. The three Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\ folders that you will be downloading to each contain .partial files. The number of .partial files in each folder is equal to the number of files you must download. For me, 33 in total for this patch. 29 depot, 2 or 3 game and 1 vo_en language pack. These numbers will probably vary by patch but the solution should be the same.

Troubleshooting:
You'll probably be able to find two separate IP address. If a link doesn't work by just changing its ending(rare) you can change just the IP address and keep the rest identical and the download will start.

Tips:
You may want to change your web browser download location for sanity.
You will probably need to reopen the launcher to intentionally crash it, adding new address information to the host.developer.log when you switch from depot to game files to vo_en.

This took me hours to figure out so hopefully this makes it super easy and fast for you.

Good luck.

My hero! Thanks so much. This has gotten so frustrating, but your workaround worked perfectly. Wish I had seen it months ago!