Unable to Patch - crashes to desktop if I try to login

pat_augustine · June 2022

I can't explain why but my main Windows machine won't seem to acknowledge that there's been a patch. I left the launcher running most of yesterday and only closed it after I think the 3 pm delay. When the servers finally came up, I launched it, but it did not attempt to patch. Instead the PLAY button lit up as always. I can push it, and the animations (Bethesda and Zenimax logos) go, but at some point, it simply stops running and I'm back at the desktop, with no errors. I'm assuming that's due to an incorrect version or incompatibility of some sort.

I've run multiple repairs. I've rebooted my computer. I've tried running the launcher directly instead of through the shortcut. It has never tried to patch. I even chose "Check for Updates" from the pull down menu in the launcher.

I am completely unable to login to play. My MAC client patched just fine, but is running very wonky. At least I can get my daily login rewards, but I'd really like to figure out how to get my main gaming machine able to play again.

Any ideas on how to force a patch?

For reference, the launcher version shown in the About section is: 1.3.6.2485522. Game Consultant found no errors that I could identify.

pat_augustine · June 2022

Ok, so I completely uninstalled and reinstalled. Let it run overnight.

This morning it won't even finish the first full screen animation. Just drops to desktop with no errors.

I updated my video drivers. I rebooted my computer.

I NEVER get the "do you want to enable accessibility mode" or the agreement to agree to. The game just closes.

I have 3 systems. A high end gaming PC where I can't even log in. A Mac which will log in, but I can't interact with anything, and all the key settings are truly bizarre (change weapon is ' instead of ~. I can't find mail), and a Windows 10 VM where I can log in but also can't interact. Inventory is a blank section of the screen, for example.

3 different places to play this and not one of them works. I have 2 accounts, and bought the High Isle Collectors Edition for both. I really want to play.

Help me, please?

mklilith · June 2022

Yep, having the same issue ever since the patch. I've got an i9 processor and 3070, plenty of ram and solid power supply, and the game simply crashes either in the Bethesda or Zenimax animations.

I did find one *very* temporary fix, where you change "MaxCores" from -1 to 2 in the UserSettings.txt, but that only allowed me one login of about 15 fps before the game crashed, and now back to square one where it's the black screen crash.

I filed a support ticket, nothing has been remotely helpful there yet, but if by some miracle I hear back and they can solve the problem then I'll update you here.

pat_augustine · June 2022

Oh thank you. I, too, have an i9 and a Liquid Cooled 3080Ti. 64gb RAM, multiple NVME ssds. I wonder if it's only those of us with big systems?

Any information you get would be most appreciated. I had hoped the new nVidia drivers would fix it, but doesn't seem to have.

davidtk · June 2022

Hi, one guild mate have same problem, he just can't get to char select screen.
Everytime he try to start game, client will crash without any errors.I only know that he playing on some notebook (okay its eu expression.. for us it is laptop

) and he have mobile gtx 1050 and Win 11 thats all what i know about his specs. He tried, reinstall, repair, new gpu drivers, delete usersettings, turn off multithreaded rendering, some WIn11 update, forbid UHD graphics. Nothing. Other games working but ESO still crashing at start.

Kjeldran · June 2022

davidtk wrote: »

Hi, one guild mate have same problem, he just can't get to char select screen.
Everytime he try to start game, client will crash without any errors.I only know that he playing on some notebook (okay its eu expression.. for us it is laptop ) and he have mobile gtx 1050 and Win 11 thats all what i know about his specs. He tried, reinstall, repair, new gpu drivers, delete usersettings, turn off multithreaded rendering, some WIn11 update, forbid UHD graphics. Nothing. Other games working but ESO still crashing at start.

Apparently some people on win11 have this issue, crashed without error to desktop. One of my guildmate had this issue too then he did a rollback to win10 and the issue went away. It is probably something to do with certain configuration on how win11 setups with the user hardware.

Icy_Nelyan · June 2022

I'm on Win 10, ryzen 7 2700x, sapphire Radeon rx 480, 32gb RAM; i can't pass over the Launcher.

Tryed to uninstall and reinstall the game twice, the entire 30gb (and more) patch get downloaded normally, after that It asks me to repair and after the First "verify" completed correctly, Launcher crash without errors of any sort.

I Just gave up, there's Always a new error which require a lot of efforts from us to Just play this game

pat_augustine · June 2022

I tried setting the compatibility on both the launcher and the eso64.exe to Windows 8 but it did not change anything.

Usually a crash in an animation like that is a graphics driver issue, the framebuffer isn't set up correctly. But there doesn't seem to be a way for us to fix it. I tried changing refresh rates and even disabling GSync with no joy.

mklilith · June 2022

So ZOS support just had me add a new Windows account to my machine, log into it, and run ESO from there... and it worked just like it did pre-patch. Granted my actual Windows account still can't get past the Bethesda animation, at least if I really want to play I can use the alt Windows account for now.

Worth giving a shot if you're looking for a temporary solution, and I'll keep you updated if this leads to a permanent fix!

mklilith · June 2022

mklilith wrote: »

So ZOS support just had me add a new Windows account to my machine, log into it, and run ESO from there... and it worked just like it did pre-patch. Granted my actual Windows account still can't get past the Bethesda animation, at least if I really want to play I can use the alt Windows account for now.

Worth giving a shot if you're looking for a temporary solution, and I'll keep you updated if this leads to a permanent fix!

Here is step by step on creating new Windows account just in case anyone needs:

Select the Start button, and then select Settings.
Select Accounts, then Family & Other users.
Under Add other user, select Add account.
At the bottom of the page, select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
At the bottom of the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
Enter a name for the new account. If you want this person to sign in with a password, enter and verify the password, add a password hint, and then select Next.
Select Finish.

pat_augustine · June 2022

This worked for me, too.

I've been trying to figure out what's different. The main differences should be in the Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\Live folder, I would have thought. Checking, I did notice a significant difference in shaders.COOKED so I copied that. No change. Even deleted it thinking it would recreate it. No change.

Copied all my Addons and settings to the new accounts Documents folder, game still runs.

Checked my HiDPI settings, that didn't fix it, either.

So there's something in the account settings somewhere that's breaking it, but I'm not sure what. Regardless, thanks for the link to creating a new account and trying it that way.

ZOS_Bill · June 2022

We appreciate the update that a new Windows account has helped resolve the crashing. Since the issue is now resolved, we are going to close the thread.