Steam installation messed up / launcher broken. Any suggestions?

[Callidor]

TL;DR: My launcher is giving me this error, and looks like this when I dismiss the error. Clicking Play does not launch the game. Launching via EliteDangerous64.exe gives me a "login error." Is there an easy way to fix this?
Full story: Very weird series of events over the last hour and a half.

1. My PC crashed while launching Elite Dangerous.
2. When I rebooted, Windows began installing about 30 minutes worth of updates.
3. These eventually failed, and it spent close to as much time rolling them back.
4. When this was done, I relaunched Steam and tried to launch E;D, but Steam showed the game as uninstalled. All my local files were still present.
5. I clicked Install, and Steam spent several minutes "discovering existing files."
6. The game now showed as installed, but when I launched it, I didn't have the option to launch with Horizons.
7. I un-checked and re-checked the Horizons Season Pass DLC in Steam, which then caused it to begin downloading a 20GB update for the game.
8. The download took up space on my hard drive while it was active, but once it was completed I got my 20GB back. I guess this means it re-downloaded files that were already present and then merged them or overwrote the old ones.
9. Trying to launch the game gives the error / malfunctioning launcher shown above.
10. Launching directly via EliteDangerous64.exe launches the game, but gives me a "login error," and tells me to login via the launcher.

Is there a button I can press to fix this that doesn't involve reinstalling the entire game? Thanks in advance.

 

[Paul lions]

try useing the EDLaunch.exe located here on windows 10 C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Elite Dangerous

 

[[VR] Mad Life Crisis]

Have you tried validating game files? It cam be done on the ED launcher under options, or in steam by right clicking on ED >Properties, and selecting 'Verify Integrity Of Game Files' as shown below. It's worth a try.

 

[Crimson Echo]

You can try logging out and back in within the launcher. I think it is either 'my account' or 'options' within the launcher( as shown in your 2nd screenshot)
There should be the option to either login via frontier account or via steam. Try the steam option first.

The launcher normally looks like your screen shot minus the missing images when the game is launched with the 'horizons' option from steam. So it is strange if it coming up when selecting the vanilla elite option from steam.

You should probably just raise a ticket with support. They will be more well equipped to help you.

Are you trying to run it on linux via proton? I have not seen the launcher with the scroll bar when using windows to run elite.

 

[Callidor]

Launching via EDLaunch does open the vanilla version of the launcher, but with similar issues.

Verifying local files had no effect.

The launcher normally looks like your screen shot minus the missing images when the game is launched with the 'horizons' option from steam. So it is strange if it coming up when selecting the vanilla elite option from steam.

Yes, after "reinstalling" (steps 7, 8 above), I did have the option to launch Horizons, with this result.

I did just try completely deleting all local files from my Steam directory and reinstalling from scratch, but the problem persists. (I did not delete the Frontier Developments directory in my App Data folder.)

Have submitted a ticket now.

 

[Factabulous]

The other thing to try is the .NET reinstall https://support.frontier.co.uk/kb/faq.php?id=72

Those errors in the launcher do look like something in the embedded browser that the launcher uses, and .net often comes up around launcher issues.

BTW Support is running on a 7 day response at the moment, so it's not a fast option - and make sure you got a confirmation email from your ticket - people have waited ages for a reply when they didn't actually raise a ticket - best to be sure

 

[Callidor]

The other thing to try is the .NET reinstall https://support.frontier.co.uk/kb/faq.php?id=72

Those errors in the launcher do look like something in the embedded browser that the launcher uses, and .net often comes up around launcher issues.

BTW Support is running on a 7 day response at the moment, so it's not a fast option - and make sure you got a confirmation email from your ticket - people have waited ages for a reply when they didn't actually raise a ticket - best to be sure

This looks helpful! I know the client is working because I can launch it directly, it just won't let me play unless I do it through the launcher. So it's definitely primarily a launcher issue.

The instructions you linked say to uninstall the launcher through Windows Programs and Features, but that only lists ED itself, not the launcher. I could delete the launcher executable from my steam files, but I already did that a couple hours ago when I did a full reinstall via Steam. Everything with .NET appears to be in order...

EDIT: The Windows update that failed last night is a "cumulative update for .NET framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10. It would make a lot of sense if that was what was broken. Trying that update again...

EDIT 2: Successfully installed the Windows update, no effect. Disabled .NET framework in Windows Features, rebooted, reenabled .NET framework, rebooted. No effect. I am now out of ideas and this is beginning to get very frustrating. The client is installed and works fine, I literally just can't play because of the broken launcher. It seemed like a .NET issue, but I have super-duper made sure it's working. what?

EDIT 3: I think I fixed it by un and reinstalling visual c++ redistributables, as per this article!