There may be an anti-virus or firewall program preventing the launcher from opening the game. Please check and make sure you have the correct exceptions setup.

The application files that may require exceptions are:

• Bethesda.net_launcher: C:\Program Files (x86)\ZenimaxOnline\Launcher
• ESO.exe: C:\Program Files (x86)\ZenimaxOnline\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client\eso.exe
• Steam.exe: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe

Some antivirus programs require entire folders to be selected instead of a single file.When this is the case, the file paths below are what players should use. If required by the anti-virus program, include all subfolders since every file is critical to run the game.

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\

If you've already checked your anti-virus and firewall programs, there could still be other programs running in the background that may be preventing the launcher from opening the game. You can reboot into Selective Startup mode to temporarily disable background services to make sure this is not the case.

Here's how to get into Selective Startup mode:

1. Click Start and type msconfig in the search box
2. Right click on the msconfig.exe program and choose "Run as administrator"
3. On the General Tab at the top, click on the Selective startup radio button
4. Uncheck "Load startup items"
5. Click on the Services tab and check the "Hide all Microsoft services" box
6. Click the "Disable all" button at the bottom
7. Click Apply, then click OK
8. Restart your computer.

When your computer boots up again, it will be in Selective Startup.

After running the computer in selective start up, you will now need to put the launcher into Administrative mode.

Here is how to automatically run the launcher as an administrator:

1. Right-click on the launcher icon.
2. Click on Properties.
3. In the Shortcut tab, click on the Advanced button.
4. Tick the Run as an administrator box, and then click on OK.

This option may be available under the Compatibility tab of some versions of Windows.

Open the Launcher and allow any and all updates to be performed. Once updates are complete, select "Game Options" (under the News category), and "Repair" from the drop-down menu. Allow the repair utility to run. Once completed, try clicking "Play" to launch the game.