ESO Won't Launch

Niko1987 · January 2017

Installed Steam again and installed ESO on a new drive and ran it. The pop up to allow for Private/Public network access, Allowed that.
And then ESO installs. Bar fills, window closes, then nothing.

Going into my Steam folder and drilling down to the ESO main folder, I can launch it from the .exe, but it doesn't bring up a launcher at all.
The desktop icon brings up Private/Public Access window and that process starts all over and ends the same.
Same thing when I click 'Play' from my Steam library; starts the Private/Public Access window and the process ends the same way.

There's a .txt document that pops up in the ZeniMax folder that says: Cannot start process! Or something like that.

Then I went to Verify my files on Steam and ALL of them failed. And now it's downloading all over again for the 2nd time today... It's now 12:27AM.......

It's about 65% done downloading and I'm wary of trying to launch it, because it might not work again. And I really don't feel like trying to install it a 3rd time...

Does anyone have any idea what's going on or how I can fix this?

Ravenje · January 2017

And then ESO installs. The bar fills, the window closes, then nothing.

Same here. I have a big ticket open and is two days now that I'm waiting for an answer.

Niko1987 · January 2017

@Ravenje This is sad...

All my other games install and run just fine, bug for some reason, ESO is giving me the hardest time.

I've already uninstalled it and Steam, reformatting the drive that it was on and am going to try again...

Ravenje · January 2017

@Niko1987 Look I don't know what is going on with the installer. We are not the only ones, this stupid Install_ESO.exe does the same to a lot of people. Basically, you launch it, it fills the bar, a java pop-up about access at networks and then nothing. It's sad, and especially the support, till now they don't care at all. My problem is a big one, I should have the priority as "problem relevance" but nothing. The few answers I got are about some stupid troubleshooting that actually even a child of 5 years old knows are not adequate to my problem.

Niko1987 · January 2017

@Ravenje Yea, no troubleshooting has worked for me so far and I've even had to go to page 3 on Google...

Nothing has worked. Not the Steam installation, not the official launcher from their website. Nada.

Ravenje · January 2017

@Niko1987 This is a possible solution, for me didn't work. If you want you can try.

Vibro wrote: »

C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Temp\I1(random Number here)\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\ extract resource1/ to the same folder and do a search in this file for Bethesda.net_launcher

mine was in C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Temp\I1XXXXXXXXX\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\D_\launchers\winlivepub but that's not 100% the same all the time it seems, then move the entire thing out of the temp section and download away

Niko1987 · January 2017

@Ravenje I've already uninstalled everything... I'll have to wait for my drive to be formatted, then download Steam, and then download ESO again...

Ravenje · January 2017

Niko1987 wrote: »

@Ravenje I've already uninstalled everything... I'll have to wait for my drive to be formatted, then download Steam, and then download ESO again...

@Niko1987 I understand your frustration lol.

DarcomX · January 2017

Tried everything in this forums. ESO seems to have given up on getting new players.

Ulfberht · January 2017

I was having issues with my launcher earlier today. I ran the repair several times but nothing was helping. I had the Run in 64 bit mode checked since I'm using Windows 10 64 bit, but once I unchecked that box and tried to run the game as 32 bit it launched just fine. I'm not sure why this is, but thought I would share with you all in case it may help.

Niko1987 · January 2017

@Ulfberht @DarcomX

Best bet I've had has been Raven's quote:

Vibro wrote: »

C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Temp\I1(random Number here)\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\ extract resource1/ to the same folder and do a search in this file for Bethesda.net_launcher

mine was in C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Temp\I1XXXXXXXXX\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\D_\launchers\winlivepub but that's not 100% the same all the time it seems, then move the entire thing out of the temp section and download away

I found mine in that path: C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Temp\I1(random Number here)\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\ extract resource1/ to the same folder and do a search in this file for Bethesda.net_launcher

There will be a few folders that start like I1 and a random string of numbers. Following the path lead me to the launcher where it updated and installed.

Make sure you make your Hidden files view-able.
Only problem doing it this way is now Steam doesn't track my progress.

I made a copy of the Betheada.net_Launcher to my Desktop and now it plays, just not through Steam at all.

raging4198 · February 2017

i had the same problem... basically steam is a lazy ass and doesnt install the launcher folder so you have to ask some 1 to send it to u then add it to the eso folder in steam

also as a bonus if u get a timed out error close the game. the launcher and steam then run steam as admin

Gordon906 · February 2017

I had the exact same thing happening to me and I resetted my harddrive :P. It works now but it only launches from administrator mode and it doesnt work when I click on the desktop icon.

Niko1987 · February 2017

Gordon906 wrote: »

I had the exact same thing happening to me and I resetted my harddrive :P. It works now but it only launches from administrator mode and it doesnt work when I click on the desktop icon.

@Gordon906 Yea, mine only works from the Launcher I found within a hidden folder.
But I mean, I can play, just not through Steam... It's something I guess...

ZOS_PeterT · February 2017

If you're able to launch ESO by finding the .exe file in your installation folder, but not through the Steam library, it is the result of two things that you need to alter:

1. The .exe that Steam requires to be launched to be compatible with the Steam overlay is not actually eso.exe, but a file called "zosSteamStarter.exe". If your Steam library is "pointing" to the wrong .exe file, it won't launch from the library. The correct file "zosSteamStarter.exe" will usually be in the following directory:

Steam\Steamapps\Common\Zenimax Online

After locating "zosSteamStarter.exe", right click it to run it as an administrator. You may want to set it to permanently run as an administrator in your Compatibility tab. You can also create a shortcut to this .exe to use it more easily in the future; this is the .exe that must be run to access the Steam overlay and log your Steam play hours.

2. In order for "zosSteamStarter.exe" to log the information such as play hours properly, you may have to lower your Windows UAC (User Account Control) settings. Lowering User Account Control settings to the minimum will allow Steam to gather this data properly.

Ravenje · February 2017

I solved in the same way. Open app data e blah blah...
What I learned so far is that the problem should be correlated to Java and an error in its setup.lax that allow the correct startup of the InstallAnywhere. But this kind of things is far away from my coding skills.
After the recent news about Morrowind is time for Zenimax to focus on the actual game, and when is everything optimised, then starts with new updates.

That's all.

Cya!

Niko1987 · February 2017

ZOS_PeterT wrote: »

If you're able to launch ESO by finding the .exe file in your installation folder, but not through the Steam library, it is the result of two things that you need to alter:

1. The .exe that Steam requires to be launched to be compatible with the Steam overlay is not actually eso.exe, but a file called "zosSteamStarter.exe". If your Steam library is "pointing" to the wrong .exe file, it won't launch from the library. The correct file "zosSteamStarter.exe" will usually be in the following directory:

Steam\Steamapps\Common\Zenimax Online

After locating "zosSteamStarter.exe", right click it to run it as an administrator. You may want to set it to permanently run as an administrator in your Compatibility tab. You can also create a shortcut to this .exe to use it more easily in the future; this is the .exe that must be run to access the Steam overlay and log your Steam play hours.

2. In order for "zosSteamStarter.exe" to log the information such as play hours properly, you may have to lower your Windows UAC (User Account Control) settings. Lowering User Account Control settings to the minimum will allow Steam to gather this data properly.

@ZOS_PeterT Thank you! I didn't know that but I will do that when I get home.

Whyn Aurum · February 2017

I had this issue as well as a returning player yesterday.

I downloaded the game. Then when it was all set, I press "Play" in Steam like i would with any other game. A small window shows up counting from 0 - 100%. At the end of the loading a message appeared:

"Java(TM) Platform SE binary has stopped working"

I tried updating my Java - nothing.
Then I went away and tried verifying the integrity of the game files via steam. After a brief wait I learn that somewhat 500+files are corrupt and the entire 56GIG download has started all over again. This made me rage uncontrollably as it took me nearly 3 days to download this game with my crappy connection.

I tried the already suggested "run as admin", but that didn't help at all. Besides, all my UAC settings are turned off.

Gordon906 · February 2017

I am no lobger launching it feel I'm steam by it is annoying since I cannot open the game from my desktop.

Niko1987 · February 2017

@ZOS_PeterT Nope. Didn't work at all.

Nothing has worked except launching it from outside of Steam within the hidden folders... This is the 6th time I've tried to install it.

ModernWarBear · February 2017

You need to boot into Safe Mode with Networking, the launcher will install correctly then you can boot up normally.

Ravenje · February 2017

Yes but, the question is: WHY?
Why a customer, that already have spent money to BUY the game, is forced to do this in order to play?
I'm good with computer programming, coding and blah blah... but there are people out here, that doesn't know what damn means a Safe Mode. This is unacceptable, Zenimax need to improve his service. At least the support!

Niko1987 · February 2017

@Ravenje I've been back and forth with ESO Support and so far, nothing they've suggested has worked.

I've got Steam to launch ESO and can now launch it from the desktop, but now I'm getting another error.

It's a cycle...

Ravenje · February 2017

Niko1987 wrote: »

@Ravenje I've been back and forth with ESO Support and so far, nothing they've suggested has worked.

I've got Steam to launch ESO and can now launch it from the desktop, but now I'm getting another error.

It's a cycle...

What can I say? It's a shame...

ramcamper · February 2017

Search: "How to install the Elder Scrolls Online when Install_ESO.exe is not working" on Youtube. There's a video that walks you through the steps to fix this.

Caveat: There is a possibility the files may be found in:

C:\Users\MYNAME\AppData\Local\Temp\IXXXXXXXXXX\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\D_\launchers\winlivepub

and not:

C:\Users\MYNAME\AppData\Local\Temp\IXXXXXXXXXX\InstallerData\Disk1\InstData\Resource1\$IA_PROJECT_DIR$\src_path\Launcher

as the video indicates.

Also, if you want to install to a different harddrive, you can just move the last folder ('winlivepub' or 'Launcher') and run the launcher from there.