@Bumblebeelzebub @biminirwb17_ESO @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_BillE

Bumblebeelzebub wrote: »

This has only been a problem since the last update two days ago (4/2/10).

I'm able to open ESO using the launcher (NOT Steam), and log in, but it causes my PC to freeze while loading the character selection screen.

I've run the repair option, reinstalled the game, and updated my graphics drivers, but none of that seems to help.

(1) In my most recent experience and observation, the Ourboros often stops spinning while the game client is loading either (a) the data for the character which I selected, or (b) the data for the instance in which the character is located (such as a Homestead).

The Ourboros might not resume spinning for two or three seconds, sometimes longer. Regardless, the fact that it is not moving does not mean that the game client is not executing. It is waiting for the Bethesda "megaserver" to send the data, and/or to respond to the game client's signal that data has been received.

While it waits, so do we. The longer the wait, the greater the risk that the game client will lose its connection to the Bethesda megaserver. If that happens, then usually the game client displays the primary account log-in dialog screen. So we can just re-log into the game to attempt again to play it.

However, if the game client does crash, then either Windows will let us know that the program has "stopped responding", or the game client output vanishes. Note: If the game client crashes -- without displaying a crash report dialog for you to tell ZOS what you or the game client were doing when the crash occurred -- then you should use the Launcher's Game Options menu and choose Repair Files, before attempting to resume playing TESO.

(2) In my experience, running the eso64.exe game client with a desktop shortcut improves its performance when compared to using Launcher instead. Navigate to the folder in which eso64.exe is installed, and use the RMB context menu to create a desktop shortcut to it.

For example, on my computer, TESO is installed in its own SSD partition without any other software:

"D:\Program Files (x86)\The Elder Scrolls\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client\eso64.exe"

Although eso654.exe is a 64-bit program, originally ZOS developed only a 32-bit game client (eso.exe). So it was installed in the ...\Program Files (x86) folder instead of the ...\Program Files folder -- according to the Windows 7 SP1 rules for installing 32-bit programs on 64-bit computers.

Since ZOS released the first 64-bit game client (eso64.exe), it has always been installed in the same folder in which the 32-bit client was installed. Ironically, ZOS no longer releases a TESO 32-bit game client, but the folder in which the 64-bit client is installed remains unchanged. Perchance I rename the top-level folder to "D:\Program Files\..." because the only game client is now 64-bit, Launcher cannot find it.

(3) Also note that there are two versions of eso64.exe. One runs on systems that have a multi-core CPU which does not support multithreaded program execution. The other version runs on systems that have a multi-core CPU which does support multi-threading.

When Launcher updates the game installation, it checks to determine whether the CPU supports multi-threading, and downloads the updated version that is appropriate for the player's computer system. In my experience thus far, there is no need to change the shortcut pathname if you change the CPU, since the two versions of the game client are both named eso64.exe.

Enjoy!