Well, I found if I just let the Launcher run for 15-20 minutes, eventually the Play button will show up and I can play the game with no problems. Once the Play button is visible, the Repair option is also visible from the Game Options. Running that now to see if it makes a difference.

Nestor wrote: »

Does the game work if you bypass the Launcher and use the ESO64.exe directly?

IF so, make a shortcut and use that to launch the game. Only use the Launcher on Patch days

Tried loading ESO64.exe directly and could not log in to the game.

JasonSilverSpring wrote: »

You might try this:

https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30595/kw/Windows 10

I had this happen after Fall Creator's Update and those steps resolved it for me.

Filed a support ticket with ZOS. Before I go uninstalling/reinstalling anything, I'll see what they say. Thanks.

JasonSilverSpring wrote: »

I would try it. It is quick and likely is due to Windows update clearing out old visual distros.

It does not require reinstalling the game, just the launcher.

Yeah, I may give it a shot. ZOS support just passed the bucket to Microsoft or my hardware vendor. Not helpful at all. At least they were pleasant about it.

Well, that was fun. A week of dealing with a different support staff member with every response (never communicated with the same person twice), asking the same questions, making the same suggestions. They were nice, but totally ineffective. Had 2 days of not being able to load the launcher at all. Today I just got fed up and reverted back to a previous version of windows 10. Worked like a charm.

Set Windows Update to defer feature updates for 365 days and pause all updates for 35 days. Sometimes I really hate these forced updates.

Nestor wrote: »

I don't know how many times System Restore has saved me. From doing something stupid with a game install to viruses to browser hijackers. I now run System Restore early in the troubleshooting.

This wasn't System Restore I used. I actually had to revert back to my previous version of Windows via Windows Update Recovery. I do get your point though.

One comment about Bethesda Customer Support:

While I work as a software designer, programmer, and overall trouble-shooter, I try my best to be positive when interacting with computer support groups. But this group has a "whoever is available" policy of response. In around 20 email interactions over a week I never communicated with the same person twice. With every exchange I felt a slow, mounting sense of frustration with answering the same questions and responding to an entirely new train of diagnostic thought as it was apparent that a few of these people had not even read the thread of discussion. It wasn't so much that they couldn't help resolve the issue, as I do understand the complexities of such things, it was more the WAY they were ineffectual.

Anyway, rant over. Back to the game.