Unable to load skin

Teeba_Shei · May 15

I'm getting the below error when trying to launch the eso launcher.

S_Northman · May 16

Do you have an Intel Core i9 CPU and/or using Windows 11 24H2 ?

You can try the tricks given here, especially the one involving the 'enter key'

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/674955/summary-unable-to-load-skin-error#latest

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/661411/launcher-update-unable-to-load-skin#latest

ESO support has no solution currently. There is only the 'enter key' trick workaround.
I have a ticket open, devs are aware of the issue and the most common origin of it (core i9 + W11 24H2). Waiting for an update of the launcher.

meekmiko · May 16

My boyfriend gets this error from time to time and the only fix for him we've found is copying some files from my launcher folder and putting them into his whenever this happens. Has fixed the problem every time.

ZOS seems to bork the launcher every so often.
So, if anyone else plays in your household try doing that with a USB if possible.

Edited to add: Wow. I just looked through the two threads Northman linked above and the solutions people and support have tried are absolutely CRAZY in comparison to the simple fix I mentioned.

S_Northman · May 16

Your fix is similar to step 3 and 4 in this ESO help
https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/#en/answer/66127
But it doesn't work for anyone.
(and after performing step 5, some players are just unable to reinstall the game)

Another similar fix is to use a zip file including the launcher folder provided by ESO the support, and put the unzipped folder in the installation folder.
But for some players it works the first time and after that the issue comes again.

As reported in my summary after intensive reading of reports by players, the issue seems to come from the fact that the launcher is unable to contact the server to check / update files, after the PC has entered some energy saving mode. Somehow it is related to how the PC / network is budy or not. Some player have the workaround to launch several huge downloads to charge the CPU / network before to start the launcher (but not 10O% efficient).
And this bug affects mainly players combining a core i9 CPU and Windows 11 24H2 (which has changed power management compared to previous W11 versions). That's why some players have solved the issue by disabling Intel energy saving functions in the BIOS.

If you don"t have someone close to copy files, the current best workaround is the 'enter key' trick found by an ukrainian Steam player. It's indeed crazy, but it works 100% for many players. It's just a more easy way to spam the network / server than clicking a play button many times. Somehow spamming enforces the network / PC / server to wake up.

If you are not a Steam player, the simple workaround is to start directly the eso64.exe client when it's up to date, and just use once the 'enter key' launcher trick when the game has been patched (the game client will not start after a patch).

For players who bought the game from Steam, the issue is that the game login window will not accept your login / password if you start directly the eso64 client.

Teeba_Shei · May 18

I found a work around. If i launch the eso64.exe then I can launch the launcher.

S_Northman · May 18

Teeba_Shei wrote: »

I found a work around. If i launch the eso64.exe then I can launch the launcher.

Interesting!
But maybe it's only a temporary fix.
Because after the next patch, the client eso64 will not start saying it's not the good version.
And you need the launcher to update the client.

Keep in mind the 'enter ley' trick to enforce the launcher to start.

Teeba_Shei · May 18

I can still launch it when it isn't the right version. You just wouldn't be able to logon. After you launch the eso64.exe you can launch the launcher to update the game.

S_Northman · May 18

OK, thanks you very much for the update.
Another crazy fix to add to the collection.

I'm convinced that the launcher issue is due to some interaction with W11 24H2 and core i9 power management.
Looks like that the launcher is unable to 'wake up' the network / ESO server when the PC has entered some energy saving mode.
Maybe the fact that the ESO client is running and connected to the server maintains some kind of channel open for the launcher.

Stridig · May 19

I have had to change my power settings to get past this error. Dont ask why. Saw it on the internet and it worked.

S_Northman · May 20

As reported here,
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/674955/summary-unable-to-load-skin-error#latest
it's pretty sure that this bug is related to power management both by W11 24H2 (chnages compared to W11 23H2) and Intel Core i9 CPU. This power management puts the PC in some state for which ESO Launcher is unable to wake up the network and to establish a correct connection with the ESO server.

All workaroung tricks found until now are somewhat related to a modification in the power management, or charging enough the PC to avoid having the PC / CPU in some energy saving mode.

Could you tell what exactly you did ? Do you chnage something in Windows parameters ? or in the BIOS ? or in CPU settings using Intel XTU ?

Teeba_Shei · June 14

I did a complete fresh reinstall of windows and I'm still getting this error. I can't even install the game. When I run the install_eso file, I get the unable to load skin error.

S_Northman · June 16

Teeba_Shei wrote: »

I can't even install the game. When I run the install_eso file, I get the unable to load skin error.

I had the same error. I own ESO from an initial direct purchase, and later I linked my ESO account to Steam. So I'm able to manage ESO either by Steam or directly.

Last time I reinstalled the game from Steam, I had the 'load skin' error when trying to finish the Steam installation (but after It downloaded the files), the error occured at the final step to launch a setup.exe file, with the 'load skin' error.
Then I tried to download directly the installer from my ESO account, and I had the same error as you. I never succeded to install the game like that.

Finally after retrying about sixty times (!) with the Steam client, I was able by luck to finish the installation with Steam.

I think all these errors are due to the fact the launcher is unable to start after being unzipped.

By extrapolating the tricks found to enforce the launcher to start, you can try the tricks below with the ESO_Install.exe (if you don't have Steam)

Also you can try to open a steam account, then link your ESO account to Steam, and install the game through Steam

Otherwise

trick 1) reboot the PC, open your session, and try to start immediately the ESO installer exe as quickly as possible, do nothing else in your session and don't wait

trick 2) Select the installer exe with a left click (don't double click), let the mouse cursor there, then maintain the enter key of the keyboard pressed until something happens or launch, then release the key quickly

trick 3) I mentionned the case of installation with Steam, with the issue for the setup file. I saw one guy who managed to finish the installation by uncompressing manually the setup.exe, extract the launcher files, and launch it after. He used 7zip. So you can try to see if you're able to extract something with 7zip from the installer file.

trick 4) contact ESO support and ask them to send you a zipped file containing the launcher. They send me one when I made a ticket about this issue.

If you managed to get a launcher folder from one of these techniques, you can force the launcher to start using the trick 1 'enter key' on the launcher exe.

I see you have W11 with a core i9. But I can't see if you have 24H2. It has been demonstrated that if you have both core i9 and 24H2, you are quite sure to have this bug.

For me the bug occured after I updated from 23H2 to 24H2.