ESO Requires 150+Gb Drive Space

[zhugeliang19]

so i just downloaded ESO for about 64-ish gb. and it takes about 70-gb in my storage. and when i try to run the game, it says it's installing. and it demands another 84 gb space? what the hell? i need to free up 150-ish GB??? are you serious?

please guys is this normal or did i do something wrong?? this is nuts.

[Mad Magoo]

It's normal.

[zhugeliang19]

Originally posted by Major Magoo (rtd):

It's normal.

that's just annoying. i have to move some other games into my external hard drive so it can install.

[PoohPus]

It's in fact a bug, and if it works the same way for you as for others 150 GB wont solve it. It will just keep offering a new install.

The bug manifest in slightly different ways, and the solution that works for one person doesen't necessarily work for others. The Steam-client seem to have access to some outdated garbage-files from an earlier version of Elder Scrolls Online that no longer works. Steam also have access to the correct files, but for some reason it chooses to use the garbage-files instead of the correct ones (but only for some people). It's not random, because it persistantly happens to specific people, so there seem to be some variable somewhere that triggers the bug.

I can propose two possible solutions. The first didn't work for me, but it's a video-guide that has worked for many others and is easy to follow.

A note regarding the temp-folder referred to in the vid. You must be running the Steam-version of the ESO-launcher (without actually installing) for the temp-folder to appear. They don't tell you that in the vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YByypteszsA


If the solution in the guide didn't work, the following solution worked for me:

1. I located a different game-launcher than the one provided through Steam.*

*If you already have a Bethesda-account linked with your Steam-version of ESO, you can download the launcher through your Bethesda-account. If not, you can extract the file from the temp-folder like shown in the video-guide above. Note, you must be running the Steam-version of the ESO-launcher (without actually installing) for the temp-folder to appear.

2. I uninstalled ESO, and also deleted any leftover files. I especially made sure that the old steam-version of the ESO launcher and setup files was deleted.

3. I placed the ESO-launcher I located in step 1 into the game directory.*

*Assuming you've installed Steam in the root-directory on your primary drive C: the game-directory path for ESO looks like this:
C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online
A common alternate path is:
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online
This is where I placed my new folder called Launcher, containing all the launcher files.
In other words the actual files location could be:
C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online\Launcher

4a. I reinstalled the game through Steam.

Now it could work.
If it doesen't, you can follow the next alternate steps:

Start again at step 1. and also repeat step 2. and 3. Do not repeat step 4a.

4b. Install directly through the launcher you just put in Steams ESO game-directory.

5. After the install is complete, Backup* and then delete all the files in the game-folder except the launcher and setup-files. Do this without uninstalling.

*Backup, in this context, means copying the files to a different folder somewhere you got space. The point of doing this is that you can later copy them back if some unforseen problem arise after you try this guide. If you don't have space you can skip this step. If this guide can work for you at all, backing up the files won't make a difference.

6. Reinstall through Steam.

Now it could work.

If it doesen't there are several other proposed solutions to this bug floating around. The bug has persisted since the release of the Steam-version of ESO, and there are daily threads about it (and daily answers that it's just a patch, it's not it's a bug).

I found my solution through tinkering around the concept that the Steam-download of ESO contained some garbage leftover files that needed replacing at a certain point, to trick Steam into using the correct files.

[zhugeliang19]

Originally posted by Drax:

It's in fact a bug, and if it works the same way for you as for others 150 GB wont solve it. It will just keep offering a new install.

The bug manifest in slightly different ways, and the solution that works for one person doesen't necessarily work for others. The Steam-client seem to have access to some outdated garbage-files from an earlier version of Elder Scrolls Online that no longer works. Steam also have access to the correct files, but for some reason it chooses to use the garbage-files instead of the correct ones (but only for some people). It's not random, because it persistantly happens to specific people, so there seem to be some variable somewhere that triggers the bug.

I can propose two possible solutions. The first didn't work for me, but it's a video-guide that has worked for many others and is easy to follow.

A note regarding the temp-folder referred to in the vid. You must be running the Steam-version of the ESO-launcher (without actually installing) for the temp-folder to appear. They don't tell you that in the vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YByypteszsA


If the solution in the guide didn't work, the following solution worked for me:

1. I located a different game-launcher than the one provided through Steam.*

*If you already have a Bethesda-account linked with your Steam-version of ESO, you can download the launcher through your Bethesda-account. If not, you can extract the file from the temp-folder like shown in the video-guide above. Note, you must be running the Steam-version of the ESO-launcher (without actually installing) for the temp-folder to appear.

2. I uninstalled ESO, and also deleted any leftover files. I especially made sure that the old steam-version of the ESO launcher and setup files was deleted.

3. I placed the ESO-launcher I located in step 1 into the game directory.*

*Assuming you've installed Steam in the root-directory on your primary drive C: the game-directory path for ESO looks like this:
C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online
A common alternate path is:
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online
This is where I placed my new folder called Launcher, containing all the launcher files.
In other words the actual files location could be:
C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online\Launcher

4a. I reinstalled the game through Steam.

Now it could work.
If it doesen't, you can follow the next alternate steps:

Start again at step 1. and also repeat step 2. and 3. Do not repeat step 4a.

4b. Install directly through the launcher you just put in Steams ESO game-directory.

5. After the install is complete, Backup* and then delete all the files in the game-folder except the launcher and setup-files. Do this without uninstalling.

*Backup, in this context, means copying the files to a different folder somewhere you got space. The point of doing this is that you can later copy them back if some unforseen problem arise after you try this guide. If you don't have space you can skip this step. If this guide can work for you at all, backing up the files won't make a difference.

6. Reinstall through Steam.

Now it could work.

If it doesen't there are several other proposed solutions to this bug floating around. The bug has persisted since the release of the Steam-version of ESO, and there are daily threads about it (and daily answers that it's just a patch, it's not it's a bug).

I found my solution through tinkering around the concept that the Steam-download of ESO contained some garbage leftover files that needed replacing at a certain point, to trick Steam into using the correct files.

wow thanks for your help. but actually i installed the game already. i moved some other game files to my external hard disk temporarily. i also deleted the french and dutch voice over to make space. i appreciate your help tho. i hope your post helped other players.

[PoohPus]

It did. When you installed it the second time, did it start normally?

[zhugeliang19]

Originally posted by Drax:

It did. When you installed it the second time, did it start normally?

yes it runs normally. but as i said before i have to move some stuff before it can install. it still requires 150-ish gb

[PoohPus]

Thanks, I'll add that to the copy/paste for future use. All I've spoken to before about this reported that it just continues to prompt for another install no matter how many times you do it. It's good to know it's not always the case.

You should be able to delete the first install tho.

[graua]

i found solution that worked for me (and still does).

I just uninstalled and never tried again

[zhugeliang19]

Originally posted by ⋅slλx⋅:

i found solution that worked for me (and still does).

I just uninstalled and never tried again

did the same. still works

[Kogitsune]

Originally posted by Tommy Wiseau:

Originally posted by ⋅slλx⋅:

i found solution that worked for me (and still does).

I just uninstalled and never tried again

did the same. still works

Great solution, I recommend it.

[SomethingIncarnateTV]

Originally posted by Goldenmane (Panda):

Originally posted by Tommy Wiseau:

did the same. still works

Great solution, I recommend it.

That solution don't always work - also it seems the main reason this happening is due to Steam downloading the NA version, so if you're outside of NA launcher will detect it and download the EU version instead. Which is why it prompts with the installation after steam has finished it.

[rfrancis]

Originally posted by Goldenmane (Panda):

Originally posted by Tommy Wiseau:

did the same. still works

Great solution, I recommend it.

That's a lot fewer steps, going with it.

[Antiqwiz [HUN]]

Well do NOT do that method in the youtube video! It will not install another 80 gb just few small patches.
(If you do it it will download +40 gb.)

[DA]

Originally posted by Tommy Wiseau:

Originally posted by Drax:

It did. When you installed it the second time, did it start normally?

yes it runs normally. but as i said before i have to move some stuff before it can install. it still requires 150-ish gb

it needs that for unpacking the files m8

[Everhard Dawnwood]

Apart from it not being listed in the sys reqs, Id say its no big deal as 2TB WD harddrive is less than $70 and frankly I dont see how ppl who wants to play games, expect tiny disk space to be sufficient in the first place. :-/