So After several years of not being able to play....

ACESsiggy · May 2025

The solution the entire time was having one drive active and running while trying to load the game. Why does this game require one drive to be active to load properly?

freespirit · May 2025

I deliberately delete one drive as it has been known to cause issues.

Maybe if it's on your PC it needs to be active, tbh I really don't know, I think it can sometimes be to do with syncing game information.

S_Northman · May 2025

The answer is probably because OneDrive moves some ESO files out of the PC in OneDrive.
Especially a folder named 'liveEU'
I guess that people playing on US server do not have this folder, only 'live'.
People on EU server have this folder I think.

valenwood_vegan · May 2025

I've always had OneDrive entirely disabled on my pc and never had a problem with ESO, so it's certainly not required.

But it can definitely sometimes move game-related files, as others have mentioned. For example, a common source of problems with addons for people in my guilds is that OneDrive has moved their addon folder or their addon data. So probably once/if OneDrive *has* moved game files, it essentially becomes a requirement for the game to run properly.

I remember when helping some guildies out in the past, there was a way to move the relevant folder(s) back and to stop OneDrive from managing them, but since I don't use it myself I couldn't say where to begin. Perhaps someone with more knowledge about it will chime in.

SeaGtGruff · May 2025

The game itself doesn't require OneDrive to be active, or even installed. However, if OneDrive is installed then it can lead to issues running the game depending on whether OneDrive is active or inactive. I've had problems when OneDrive was active and I had to deactivate it to get the game to run, which is the opposite from what you experienced, so I think it must depend on your OneDrive settings, probably with regard to which folders you've chosen to back up on OneDrive. Even if you haven't chosen any folders to be backed up on OneDrive, I believe Windows defaults to certain default selections.

Aliniel · June 2025

It depends on your OneDrive settings. By default, I think OneDrive backs up user folders such as Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. This is often desired.

ESO (and many other games) stores some game files (configs mainly) under Documents\Elder Scrolls Online. This in itself is not an issue. I actually use OneDrive this way to back up all my AddOns and their settings. So, when I go to my parents for a while, I have all my AddOns available!

The issue can arise if you configure your OneDrive not to store the files locally. This would mean some folders would be available on the cloud, but then immediately deleted so they don't take space from your PC. Which means ESO wouldn't be able to access these files. It should be able to create them from sratch (maybe it needs "repair" for that), but that would also reset all settings.

OneDrive can also cause network issues. E.g., if during your playtime it syncs the folders. I disable OneDrive for the time I play ESO because some of my AddOns keep storing data repeatedly and therefore cause OneDrive syncs.

LootAllTheStuff · June 2025

@Aliniel has the right of it. I think the default in OneDrive is to manage your files for you and *not* leave your documents local, which has caused all kinds of grief in all kinds of games. This is especially true for games that use full path names for settings and local save file locations rather than relative ones, resulting in settings not persisting and progress being lost.

@ACESsiggy : I would recommend checking the detailed settings for OneDrive on your computer, and then deciding how you want to proceed. Personally I prefer to keep everything local and only make OneDrive backups for archival or sharing. I run a separate incremental backup system for recovery/reinstallation purposes.