[FIXED] root cause of many login issues - with workaround for error 209

BergisMacBride

Great work on finding the source of the problem. My personal preference is to just continue restarting the launcher until I get the Play button. That way I'm not mucking around with any files I'll have to change later. Usually takes about 30 seconds until I hit a good IP address and I'm in game.

arrowzagub17_ESO

driosketch wrote: »

Well someone will have to look into that network error at some point. My launcher is still giving me the version error even after a reinstall, but I found clicking the eso.exe file directly got me into the game. Simplest course of action, I'm just going to do that for the time being rather then continue fiddling with my game files.

I think your best option is to just do this. It is what I been doing also.

GrundelWolfe

Edit: Double Post

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

Yes, If you are already patched to the correct version you do not need to use the host file workaround. Edit : in this case, launching eso.exe without using the launcher is better.

The workaround is required for poeple that did not managed yet to get the launcher / game patched.

Lizardo

Actually, my game patched fine last night and I was playing the game with no errors. Then this morning when I tried to open the launcher it gave me a version error, and took a few tried to get it to be able to load the game.
So it happens to people even if they did patch correctly.

Darzil

Yes, this fix stops you being connected to patching servers which erroneously tell you something is wrong by connecting you only to one that is right. Which you get is otherwise a lottery.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

@Lizardo yes, it's because the launcher check if there's a newer version on the server and since it cannot reach the server, it block.

In this specific case, you do not need to edit the host file. You can simply launch eso.exe from your game folder.

(once again it's only a temporary workaround until the cause is solved)

sabertjnub18_ESO

I did this step, and was able to get the play button. But when I hit play it doesn't launch. It just sits there with an hourglass, and then stops showing hourglass. I hit repair, and after checking all the files it is re-downloading the game as part of the repair process.

driosketch

elderscrollsb16_ESO109 wrote: »

Yes, If you are already patched to the correct version you do not need to use the host file workaround. Edit : in this case, launching eso.exe without using the launcher is better.

The workaround is required for poeple that did not managed yet to get the launcher / game patched.

The subject says log in issues. If this is more a work around for people who can't even get the game to patch, you should make it more clear in the title. Especially so people with that problem will know to look here.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

@driosketch , not false, but actually the subject was about the cause of the issues, not the workaround.

Then I edited it several time and added "with workaround" in the title.

Seems it's quite popular I'll edit-it again in a better fashion.

Thanks for the advice.

Rhoric

So after my reinstall for the second time I got hit with the error 209 again after several open and closes of the launcher. I edited my host file with a working good IP and it has cleared up my error 209 and I am able to login to the game just fine. I have also responded to my open ticket with support with all the info on what happened and with the list of the bad IPs and told them the good IP i used to fix my error 209.

pez8897nub19_ESO

Thank you. I'm so tired of patching this stupid launcher. Now that I understand what is going on with it, I can bypass until it is fixed.

WolfHeart

Thank you for this workaround. I have had the 209 error for hours not knowing what to do. Tried this and it worked.

I have the version 1.0.0.968197, is this the correct one?

Rhoric

WolfHeart wrote: »

Thank you for this workaround. I have had the 209 error for hours not knowing what to do. Tried this and it worked.

I have the version 1.0.0.968197, is this the correct one?

That is the same version I have and I was able to login into character select with no problems.

Snit

I have no hosts file to edit. I checked in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc, and the folder is empty.

The game is trying to reinstall itself. Again. For the third time. Launching directly from the .exe leads to login timeouts.

Darzil

Snit wrote: »

I have no hosts file to edit. I checked in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc, and the folder is empty.

The game is trying to reinstall itself. Again. For the third time. Launching directly from the .exe leads to login timeouts.

If the exe is giving login timeouts, then it probably hasn't patched. That workaround only works for the 209 error when already successfully patched.

You may need to show system files to see the hosts file. If not, create a text file called hosts (no extension) and put the IP and hostname from the original post in it, and save it. That should work.

Rhoric

Then there is an issue with your windows as there should be 6 files in there.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

@Snit this is not normal . By default in Windows this file exist along with 4 others
in this folder. (lmhosts.sam ; networks ; protocol ; service)
Some viruses use the host file to redirect the user to web sites maliciouslsy. It may have been cleaned by an anti-virus / cleaner.

However you can manually create the host file.
Juste create an empty file with notepad and add the line.
But you must remove the .txt extension

MysticAura

Thankyou for posting this. It's nice to see something helpful and constructive on the forums.

AstroCat

This work around totally makes sense. It's pretty shameful of ZOE to have this issue going on for so long, and with no official statement yet, just gross!

Snit

elderscrollsb16_ESO109 wrote: »

@Snit this is not normal . By default in Windows this file exist along with 4 others
in this folder. (lmhosts.sam ; networks ; protocol ; service)
Some viruses use the host file to redirect the user to web sites maliciouslsy. It may have been cleaned by an anti-virus / cleaner.

However you can manually create the host file.
Juste create an empty file with notepad and add the line.
But you must remove the .txt extension

EDIT: Fixed, at least this step, with detail for others who may bump into the problem...

When you open Notepad and direct it to this location, it will by default look for .txt files. There are none. Change it by clicking in the icon on the lower-right corner to look for all files. You can then see and therefore edit the hosts file.

Of course, doing so didn't help. The game is still reinstalling from scratch.

michaelpatrickjonesnub18_ESO

Shoddy servers are shoddy.

Don't mess with your files.

Let them fix it. They might actually learn something.

Snit

Their complete lack of communication about this issue doesn't inspire confidence they'll address it anytime soon.

GXV4

Fantastic, this worked! they need to give you a job here @elderscrollsb16_ESO109 Thank you!!

Im fed up of having to come here, only for the community to figure out the problems and solutions.
Just keep us updated Zenimax, officially .. you have a pretty site.. facebook.. twitter, etc etc.. use them!
I can offer my services to be the updater if you like! lol

Pyr0xyrecuprotite

Port 80 isn't necessarily a valid test. Port 80 is for basic websites. Most applications like this use other ports as well.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

Actually this is @Saerydoth that gave the trick first.

I only investigated further.

Darzil

davidbarryb16_ESO wrote: »

Port 80 isn't necessarily a valid test. Port 80 is for basic websites. Most applications like this use other ports as well.

If you do netstat -b from a command prompt running as administrator you'll see which port the launcher uses to connect to the patch server. It's port 80.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

There's several port used in the communication from the launcher to the server.
The port 80 is one of them (maybe for "news" part hat is displayed on the launcher).

Obviously for many players there's no communication over the other ports, leading to the issue.

What's important is that, if an affected computer can talk with the server on port 80, it's not a routing issue, as I believed in first.

So this is important info as it helps diagnose the cause.

chuo.lib14_ESO

I'm sorry, I have to do what in order to get my game to work? I had no idea that being a programming major was a requirement in the ToS. I truly don't comprehend this discussion (and shouldn't have to - that's the programmer's job). Seriously, Zenimax, admit there's a problem and give us a real fix.

Darzil

elderscrollsb16_ESO109 wrote: »

There's several port used in the communication from the launcher to the server.
The port 80 is one of them (maybe for "news" part hat is displayed on the launcher).

Which are the others, as I see only port 80 on a netstat -n ? (using -n as it's quicker)