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Update on ESO Launcher and Catalina OS

  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    your launcher, when you go to open it, should automatically pop up a window saying the launcher has an update ready and you click the button to ok it and it updates. mine just did no problem.

    So Ayesh... name... How about you put the Launcher.app somewhere where the people who upgraded to Catalina already can download it?

    C.
  • raffaeleg
    raffaeleg
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    Carmina wrote: »
    your launcher, when you go to open it, should automatically pop up a window saying the launcher has an update ready and you click the button to ok it and it updates. mine just did no problem.

    So Ayesh... name... How about you put the Launcher.app somewhere where the people who upgraded to Catalina already can download it?

    C.

    With pleasure I would share the 64-bit Launcher, but it's about 477 Mb zipped. Any ideas? I will do.
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    Aaaaand just because people do not know anything about Macs, so before anyone tries.

    Downloading the game and installing new does not work. Because it will download the old Launcher.app. Well, first of all, if you have Catalina, the setup from the Download will not work. That is probably a rights-issue, so if you Terminal into the directory and change the permissions to 700, setup will run and let you install the game. But, since the installation will start the Launcher, and that Launcher will not work, installation will not work. So, do not try it, it will fail.

    Also, the Launcher, when started manually, will not even get to the point where it might be updated, since that is embedded into the app.

    So, right now, there is no way to update the Launcher, but if ZOS halfway knows something about MacOS, they will also update the setup (installer) and the included Launcher, so that those will also work on Catalina...

    But wait, then again, we are talking about ZOS... and they seem to just not give a ***. So who knows.

    Anyhoo, right now, not working, until someone here who HAS the 64 Bit Launcher will put it somewhere for people to download.

    C.
  • FierceSam
    FierceSam
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    And the Setup app doesn't work in Catalina :(
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    FierceSam wrote: »
    And the Setup app doesn't work in Catalina :(

    .... read above, it kinda does, but at some point it will start the Launcher, and that will DEFINITELY not work.

    C.
  • FierceSam
    FierceSam
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    Which is no surprise given it is "InstallAnywhere 2015 Installer"

    Good going ZOS
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    Well, it's Java, and from what I can see it is a permissions issue of the setup executable itself. If you set it to 700 and start it from Terminal, it will start and unzip the included jre, which will run the setup window. But as I said, at that point it will start the (32 bit) Launcher, and that does not work :)
  • smacx250
    smacx250
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    Edit: I've removed the hack since ZOS has the new launcher available for download:

    https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/6389045/#Comment_6389045

    Edited by smacx250 on October 9, 2019 8:48PM
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    They actually did and it actually works. Wow....

    I would like to say nice work, but it actually is not.

    C.
  • Deeprave
    Deeprave
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    Carmina wrote: »
    Aaaaand just because people do not know anything about Macs, so before anyone tries.

    This is now outdated, so just FTR (because I do not know anything about Macs lol):
    Carmina wrote: »
    Downloading the game and installing new does not work.

    Yes it does.
    Carmina wrote: »
    Because it will download the old Launcher.app.

    No it dos not.

    Both are now 64 bits and the "reinstall" method works just fine.

    There are still graphical issues with the actual client however but at least we are over the launcher issue. It was several weeks beyond they time they should have done this though, not leaving it to the last minute. Maybe then they'd have folks running the beta Catalina on PTS testing it and discovering the real breaking issues that we are all now "beta testing" on live servers.

    /d
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    Deeprave wrote: »
    Carmina wrote: »
    Aaaaand just because people do not know anything about Macs, so before anyone tries.

    This is now outdated, so just FTR (because I do not know anything about Macs lol):
    Carmina wrote: »
    Downloading the game and installing new does not work.

    Yes it does.
    Carmina wrote: »
    Because it will download the old Launcher.app.

    No it dos not.

    Both are now 64 bits and the "reinstall" method works just fine.

    There are still graphical issues with the actual client however but at least we are over the launcher issue. It was several weeks beyond they time they should have done this though, not leaving it to the last minute. Maybe then they'd have folks running the beta Catalina on PTS testing it and discovering the real breaking issues that we are all now "beta testing" on live servers.

    /d

    deprave is 100% correct. All the above does now work.
    Edited by Carmina on October 10, 2019 7:47AM
  • Elsonso
    Elsonso
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    Carmina wrote: »
    The Launcher is written by Solid State Networks. I have contacted them months ago, and they have told me that they had provided ZOS with a 64 bit version already. Makes sense, SSN specialises in this stuff, why in the world would they not do their job and update their Launcher? It is ZOS who fail to pass it on....

    Interesting. I never bothered to chase down who the vendor was.
    ESO Plus: No
    PC NA/EU: @Elsonso
    XBox EU/NA: @ElsonsoJannus
    X/Twitter: ElsonsoJannus
  • Voiddreams
    Just update to Catalina, I did their delete launcher app then reload from the website. The new launcher was installed. It started ESO and got a white screen. I did a reboot and start from the launcher and got another white screen. Any ideas?
  • Gattopardo
    Gattopardo
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    If you get the white screen, cmd+M twice and you get to the log-in page, someone in another thread posted it, and it works
  • Hauteecole_Rider16
    Hauteecole_Rider16
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    I am still on Mojave since I’ve been waiting for the Launcher to update.

    It updated itself as soon as I opened it this morning. Logged into the game fine, and first thing I notice: No more spinning camera! I have been launching the .exe for months due to this issue, and using Launcher only to update and repair game files. So getting into the game works like it used to.

    As for how it plays . . . Well, that remains to be seen. I’ll know better after two things happen: I update to Catalina and Dragonhold drops.
  • lolmer
    lolmer
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    There's no option to download the launcher (or anything) from https://account.elderscrollsonline.com/users/account if I'm using a Steam linked account and I cannot use Steam to install as the article recommends as the Steam files have not been updated for years and won't have this update. When I try your direct download link from the article, https://elderscrolls-a.akamaihd.net/products/BNA_launcher/Install_ESO.zip , I get a 404 (well, page says 'File not found."'). It's not like you haven't had over a year's warning that 32-bit was going away on OS X to plan this to be a smooth release.

    EDIT: I got the updated 33MB Launcher installed to Steam (~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Zenimax Online/) by copying it from an OS X Mojave computer.
    Edited by lolmer on October 22, 2019 1:41AM
  • Carmina
    Carmina
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    The updated Launcher actually will be installed if you go to your accounts page and download the game setup file, then start setup. It will pretty much just replace the Launcher. It is awkward, but then again, is there something ZOS does to Mac users that is NOT awkward?

    The white screen happens all the time, what you do is go to the menu bar and in Window select Toggle Fullscreen Mode. The window will go small, and it should show you the intro and let you log in.

    Still, the whole thing is so buggy. Fullscreen mode still does not work when you tab out. Windowed Fullscreen is crappy. Framerates are crappy. ZOS communication is crappy.

    As usual, all the worst. I am still happy playing WoW classic and not playing ZOS any money for Plus.

    C.
  • morwynne
    morwynne
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    Carmina wrote: »
    The updated Launcher actually will be installed if you go to your accounts page and download the game setup file, then start setup. It will pretty much just replace the Launcher. It is awkward, but then again, is there something ZOS does to Mac users that is NOT awkward?

    The white screen happens all the time, what you do is go to the menu bar and in Window select Toggle Fullscreen Mode. The window will go small, and it should show you the intro and let you log in.

    Still, the whole thing is so buggy. Fullscreen mode still does not work when you tab out. Windowed Fullscreen is crappy. Framerates are crappy. ZOS communication is crappy.

    As usual, all the worst. I am still happy playing WoW classic and not playing ZOS any money for Plus.

    C.

    WoW classic isn't free now is it? lol. I went on vacation once years ago and while on vacation my account was hacked and I never got back all my stuff so I quit playing.
    Edited by morwynne on October 22, 2019 6:12PM
    Happily playing for 5 years on both a Late 2013 27" iMac and a 16" 2019 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
  • cluanaidh
    cluanaidh
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    I am on a mac and while i get the audio, all i get is a white (blank) screen. I am no techie, but i've tried what little i know to resolve the problem. i got both the update and catalina the same day. Can you help. i've missed a week of playing so far and would really like to get back in the game. Thanks.
  • Marvilius
    Marvilius
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    cluanaidh wrote: »
    I am on a mac and while i get the audio, all i get is a white (blank) screen. I am no techie, but i've tried what little i know to resolve the problem. i got both the update and catalina the same day. Can you help. i've missed a week of playing so far and would really like to get back in the game. Thanks.


    Hit command+m twice

    Hope this helps
    Cheerio
  • cluanaidh
    cluanaidh
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    Thanks Marvilius, it got me into the game. Now if I can get the screen to stop spinning, I'm good to go. Used to I could go into my Privicy setting and reset the apps. Not this time. Any suggestions? And Thank you again.
  • Deter1UK
    Deter1UK
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    cluanaidh wrote: »
    Thanks Marvilius, it got me into the game. Now if I can get the screen to stop spinning, I'm good to go. Used to I could go into my Privicy setting and reset the apps. Not this time. Any suggestions? And Thank you again.

    I've had a few problems with catalina (well, quite a few actually) I found the apps in the privacy settings would not let me tick the boxes. So removing the apps from privacy, rebooting and adding the apps back in worked; I only had to tick them the once after that as well.

    Ive had to seek out library cashes and all sorts to get mail to work etc etc it seems Apple screwed up this update - its a newish mac I have as well :(
  • cluanaidh
    cluanaidh
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    Thanks, Deter1UK, I'll try this and let you know.
  • EternalDiva
    EternalDiva
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    Support says to redownload the game to repair launcher for catalina.
    done
    launch game
    log in
    crash
    launch game
    log in
    choose server/and country
    CRASH
    CRASH
    CRASH
    not sure what is going on but also can not play this game on my PS4. Cant login.

    IDK if this is two different issues or if the two problems are result of latest patch updates
  • Aetnaria
    Aetnaria
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    White box of doom for me. I know that https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48594/~/why-cant-i-launch-eso-on-macos-catalina? suggests:
    • Change the video settings to full screen windowed and hit CMD-M twice
    • Delete your UserSettings file

    I have no way to change my video settings because access to those are past the white screen (unless it's one of the fields buried in UserSettings - if so, which one and to what value should I change it manually?). Hitting command-m twice (or even command-f for that matter) flashes the menubar appropriately but nothing actually changes. Since my white box is already in windowed mode maybe that's interfering with this 'fix' potential?

    As for deleting UserSettings.txt, I tossed it in the trash but a new one does not regenerate upon relaunch - I suspect I need to actually get past the white screen issue before it'll make one.
  • Aetnaria
    Aetnaria
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    Found the answer from the steam community.

    In the UserSettings.txt file (in ~/Documents/Elder Scrolls Online) make sure all three of these values are set to 0 (I had 2 of the set to 1).

    SET PreferMaximizedWindow "0"
    SET PreferExclusiveFullscreen "0"
    SET FULLSCREEN_v5 "0"

    Now opens, displays stuff and makes the usual racket.
  • cluanaidh
    cluanaidh
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    Well, I'm mostly in the game. I can't move items from me into the bank. I am enclosing 2 screeshots to see if you can help with the error message
    l6sfz4uu2ywo.png
    t03yxhhzykus.png
    Please let me know.
    Thank you.
  • dm_critic
    dm_critic
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    cluanaidh wrote: »
    Well, I'm mostly in the game. I can't move items from me into the bank. I am enclosing 2 screeshots to see if you can help with the error message
    l6sfz4uu2ywo.png
    t03yxhhzykus.png
    Please let me know.
    Thank you.

    I've seen the same thing running ESO in both macOS and Windows. It appears to be a bug with one of the add-ons. Usually if I relog my character it clears it up. I suspect it might be the Advanced Filters add-on, but I haven't really dug into it. Only happens intermittently to me.
  • nathan_bri
    nathan_bri
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    I come visit the forums from time to time to check status. You know, there was a time, over a year ago now, when I could play this game on the Mac. Now the thought of doing so is like nails on a chalkboard. Let me know when I no longer have to jump through hurdles to fire up ESO and not have the launcher and client fight me at every turn and I might consider playing it again. Until then, there I’ll spend my money and my time elsewhere.
  • fiender66
    fiender66
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    nathan_bri wrote: »
    I come visit the forums from time to time to check status. You know, there was a time, over a year ago now, when I could play this game on the Mac. Now the thought of doing so is like nails on a chalkboard. Let me know when I no longer have to jump through hurdles to fire up ESO and not have the launcher and client fight me at every turn and I might consider playing it again. Until then, there I’ll spend my money and my time elsewhere.

    I'm currently playing ESO on Mac (Mac Book Pro, eGPU, external 2TB HD, Mojave) without problems. Dualshock 4 works great, with or w/o Steam. The only hassle is that the eso.app takes ages to close, so often I must resort to force quit.
    All in all, my experience on Mac is fully comparable to that on PC, but the better implementation of the PS4 controller makes me prefer Mac.
This discussion has been closed.