All game settings reset every time I launch the game.

SheepdogPaladin · March 11

Ever since the latest update 49, literally all of my settings get reset every time I launch the game. In other words, every time I exit and then launch the game again, the game is in a state as though it's my very first time installing the game and playing ESO. I can't skip the company logos, have to set brightness, have to accept all the terms and code of conduct, set language, and then set all video, audio, gameplay, controls, etc. every time I relaunch the game.

I've played ESO since September 2015 and this has never happened before. The issue started immediately after I updated the game to Update 49.

I have done all of the following actions, but to no avail:

Rebooted computer numerous times.
Deleted UserSettings.txt file and verified that I have full permission when it is recreated.
Deleted the entire Elder Scrolls Online folder in the C:\Users\[your.username]\Documents and verified I have full permission to the folder and subfolders.
Deleted all addons.
Repaired the game files twice.
Uninstalled and reinstalled the game.

This is unacceptable for me so I'll have to quit ESO until the issue is resolved one day. There are way too many settings and terms to redo every launch of the game, which I'm sure would greatly annoy most people if not everyone.

Thank you.

starkerealm · March 11

Is Copilot detecting the UserSettings.txt file at runtime, and yeeting it into the sun?

SheepdogPaladin · March 11

starkerealm wrote: »

Is Copilot detecting the UserSettings.txt file at runtime, and yeeting it into the sun?

Copilot is not installed.

freespirit · March 11

Two other possibilities to look into.... Anti Virus issues or everyones favourite pain in the bottom, One Drive conflicts!

LootAllTheStuff · March 12

Seconding the suggestion from freespirit. IME when settings files don't actually get saved, it's almost always OneDrive silently moving all your game files to the cloud, or AV/antimalware locking the enclosing folder.

Attorneyatlawl · March 12

LootAllTheStuff wrote: »

Seconding the suggestion from freespirit. IME when settings files don't actually get saved, it's almost always OneDrive silently moving all your game files to the cloud, or AV/antimalware locking the enclosing folder.

Keyboard binds are saved server-side, so it can't be that.

SheepdogPaladin · March 12

freespirit wrote: »

Two other possibilities to look into.... Anti Virus issues or everyones favourite pain in the bottom, One Drive conflicts!

LootAllTheStuff wrote: »

Seconding the suggestion from freespirit. IME when settings files don't actually get saved, it's almost always OneDrive silently moving all your game files to the cloud, or AV/antimalware locking the enclosing folder.

OneDrive is not installed. I use Windows 11 built-in antivirus. This issue immediately started happening right after I installed Update 49.

LootAllTheStuff · March 12

Check the full path names for the actual install locations to make sure they are actually where the game is going to look for them (especially the settings file), and that any folder/file exceptions in Windows AV are still in effect and have not been over-ridden following the update.

Edit to add: Looks like someone else had the same problem with U49/Win11, and it was indeed the MS AV that decided to block the settings file being updated. See: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8441522/#Comment_8441522

freespirit · March 12

Disable One Drive and check if issue remains, these kind of problems have often been seen to begin after a game update.

Personally I disable/delete One Drive on all my tech, it can be an utter nightmare!! I mentioned anti virus because there are also threads out there saying Avast caused issues, again one I read stated this happened immediately after an update. 😒

Edit:- So with One Drive - disable it > login and set settings > log out > log back in. The game should have built a new settings file but this time it won't have been put in One Drive, if it's put in One Drive the game doesn't look there and your issue occurs. 🤞

SheepdogPaladin · March 12

Freespirit, I did reply to you and clearly stated that "OneDrive is not installed."

It was the very first sentence in my reply to you and you must've missed it somehow. I never used OneDrive and never will.

freespirit · March 12

Sorry my bad I did miss it!

freespirit · March 12

Have you checked the Anti Virus?

SheepdogPaladin · March 13

freespirit wrote: »

Have you checked the Anti Virus?

Yes, and I have set up Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusions for the game folder and the ESO folder in the Documents folder.

Everything was fine for many years until Update 49. Either the ESO Update 49 broke something or my Windows 11 doesn't like Update 49.

I've decided to move on from this issue. I have uninstalled the game and I may reinstall it later this year after several patches/updates are released. I may even wipe and reinstall Windows before I reinstall ESO. I've lost interest for now.

Thanks to all of you who replied.

Meary · March 13

Had the same problem - here is what I found to be the issue.

With Update 49 and my Win 11 Pro, I had to go into Windows Security, Virus & Threat protection settings, 'Manage settings' and adjust the Controlled folder access . Used 'Manage Controlled folder access' link to review/adjust my settings (or turn it all off). It had logged (use ' block history' link) that is was blocking access to users folder where 'UserSettings.txt' resided - thinking ESO was a virus I guess.

Thanks Windows 11 - NOT !

SheepdogPaladin · March 20

I was able to resolve the issue. More than a week ago, I had fully uninstalled the game and deleted all related folders a second time. But then a week later I had nothing better to do so I thought that I would revisit this issue. I ensured Windows was fully up to date. I then downloaded and reinstalled the game.

I then did what Meary suggested in the post directly above mine. However, in the Managed Controlled folder access, it was ESO64.exe that was being blocked and not UserSettings.txt. So I unblocked ESO64.exe and then launched the game. Fingers crossed, immediately upon logging into the game world, I set all of my game settings and then exited the game.

All settings did not reset after multiple game relaunches over a period of three days. If anyone else experiences this issue, do first what Meary said. I have a good feeling the Manage Controlled folder access directions would have resolved my issue without me uninstalling and reinstalling the game a second time, but can't absolutely confirm since I didn't try that first.

Thank you, Meary.