Just spent hours re-installing the game, didn't fix it

Try this before reinstalling / repairing -
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/80209/found-the-root-cause-of-many-login-issues-with-workaround/p1

Dovahkin wrote: »

Zenimax Online folder > The Elder Scrolls Online > game > client > run ESO.exe

THis worked for me

It's only a workaround after patching, otherwise you'd just get 301 when you attempt to login.

I have been trying to play the game (with no luck) since the patch yesterday. The work-around that was posted didn't even work for me. And I tried it like 3 times. I then bit the bullet and uninstalled-restarted windows-reinstalled the game and still the same thing. What gives? I hope the reason no one is responding is because they are all working on the problem.

I understand MMO launches are buggy. I even get the Admin trying to deal with cheaters. I guess I'm just spoiled from being part of the EXCELLENT Star Citizen community where EVERYONE from the devs to to the community managers to the CEO himself are always constantly in communication with the players. Really don't like the lack of communication.

Azurelore wrote: »

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

We posted this in another thread, but want to make sure you see it, too.

If you are getting error 209, please try the following:

• First, please ensure you are accessing the game via the launcher, not the .exe file.
• Try closing out of the launcher and re-open it, then run a repair.
• If you try to repair and it does not work, please delete all .version files in the game's sub folders and try repair again.

Accessing the game via launcher worked, until i exited out then restarted the launcher. I'm getting the exact same error.......again. No matter though, this game is a disappointment at best. Won't be renewing my sub.

This worked for me, and I was getting 209 errors all over the show before (post patch 1.03).

At first, it just wouldn't budge (tried repairing, no go from launcher) - then deleted the .version file (main one) - and this worked the first time, but when I closed my game, the launcher (which I usually leave open) had the 209 error again on it, and again - could not repair from launcher.

Closed the launcher, re-opened it and it came up with no error now... then ran repair, all good - completed normally, played the game.

Have run multiple repairs to make sure the issue is fixed (I'm OCD like that), and played the game, and exited about 20 times to check it's still all good... and sorted.

I think the key is making that repair work eventually, or the DNS thingy at my ISP finally kicked in at that exact moment in time... oh launch time in MMOs are great, aren't they? lol

note that not all of them work and these are all just suggestions, mine seemed to stopped giving me the can't identify message but i have to click update everytime. No download visible, it just remains update for around 1 min then changes to a "play" button.

Either you're lucky it worked or keep on trying.

Ok my solution.

• Open the launcher ESO, I let open.

• Delete the following files.

1. game_player.version
2. depot.version
3. vo_en.version
4. client.exe

• Start operation repairing

Wait a few little downloads.

*worked for me. it took just downloading 60mb

I get the version number when I log out, if I log out the character first then the game it tells me the version number at the bottom.

Give CS a call... you will get either an email or a call. Keep that Game Consultant on hand. They need that. If you ran repair already the last thing I did was uninstall and reinstall.

We as players should not have to do anything this is a game error and ZOS needs to come out with a hotfix not just sit on it till whenever. Started with update 2.0.4. Its one bug or issue after another with every update they release.

For now I close the error notice and close the launcher then start it again. That normally fixes the problem without having to do a repair over and over again. But, it's still is a pain and should not be happening.

I as well as many others have been getting this error since Mondays patch. Running as admin did nothing to fix my problem.

This still happens in 2019. Luckily, the advice on this thread has helped me.

My problem was with the PTS, not the main game. I've been hitting repair on it and it "verified" for a minute before giving me the same error message. No amount of closing and re-opening the launcher helped. I knew deleting the .version files would risk having to re-download the entire game, and it's a lot bigger than it was in 2014, so I was not excited to try it. But I was out of options at this point. Here's what I did:

I had Steam open but ran the launcher out of the folder directly (Zenimax Online/Launcher/Bethesda.net_launcher.exe) as admin. I left Steam and the launcher open and searched the Zenimax Online folder for ".version" which brought up all the .version files.

I deleted the three .version files found in the PTS folder: I left the identically named .version files in the main server's folder alone (since the main server wasn't my problem).

Then I returned to the open launcher and hit repair on the PTS. This repair downloaded and verified a few times, finally loading me with a 5000 mb patch download, which is manageable. I'll take this hour of unexpected free time to go for a walk, maybe build a snowman...

(1 hour later)

It worked!