Launch, crashing or performance issues with Elite Dangerous on PC

If you've encountered a problem that is preventing the launcher from starting, or the launcher crashes shortly after you try to load it, please follow the steps below.

Note: If you are having issues downloading the game via the launcher, please see the 'Validation error' section below for details on how to resolve this.

RESTART YOUR COMPUTER

Restart your PC fully and then run the launcher again, making sure you're not launching the game as an administrator.

REINSTALL THE LAUNCHER

If the launcher refuses to function correctly, it may be caused by potential file errors or installation problems. This may be resolved by removing and re-installing the launcher.

• Uninstall the launcher from your computer using Programs and Features in Windows (or uninstall direct through Steam/Epic).
• Delete any files from where the launcher was installed. If the following folders exist, delete them:
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Frontier\EDLaunch
  • C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Frontier_Developments\Products
• Restart your computer.
• If you purchased the game on Steam or the Epic Games Store, please re-download it from the platform directly.
• If you purchased the game from the Frontier Store, please download the launcher from here.
• Install the launcher as normal (do not run the installer as an administrator - it will ask for an administrator password automatically, if necessary.)
  • Some players find that installing the game to a custom location is beneficial, for example, C:\Games\EliteDangerous
• Use the launcher as normal to install Elite Dangerous.

REPAIR/REINSTALL MICROSOFT .NET

If the launcher is unable to run or is encountering regular errors preventing it from working normally, you may need to re-install Microsoft .NET. TechHit have created a complete and handy guide on how to reinstall and repair .NET on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10: https://www.techhit.com/how-to/install-.net-3.5.1/

CHECK FOR 3RD PARTY MONITORING PROGRAMS

In some cases, third-party programs may prevent the Elite Dangerous launcher from working normally. Likely programs that cause this are third-party hardware monitors, graphics card companion programs, or programs that provide overlays such as EVGA Precision, Raptr, Lucid Virtu MVP, MSI Afterburner, Nvidia GeForce Experience or AMD Gaming Evolved. Please disable programs like these prior to starting the Elite Dangerous launcher. You can also perform a clean boot in Windows to prevent these programs from starting at all.

CHECK WINDOWS FOR CORRUPTED FILES

In some cases, Windows may have become damaged which can stop the launcher and other programs from behaving normally. Windows has a self-repair tool called SFC to help repair itself. You can find out how to run this tool here: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/929833

We hope that the above steps have solved any issues you're having with the launcher. However, if you are still encountering problems when loading the launcher that are not helped by the steps or articles linked above then you may wish to get in touch with the support team who will be able to help further using the contact button at the bottom of this article.

This problem is often caused by some missing or corrupt Windows components and the following guide should help make sure these are installed and working correctly.

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

The first thing to try is to disable your security software temporarily as this can interfere with the game launching. If you're familiar with your brand of software, you can whitelist the Elite Dangerous files.

These files are called elitedangerous64.exe, and Watchdog64.exe.

These can be found in either the EDLaunch folder or the game folder.

VISUAL C++ REDISTRIBUTABLES and .NET framework

• Check for updates on your computer. ***This is a crucial step and must be completed before proceeding!***Go to Start/search -- type in 'windows updates' -- Check for updates
• Open Programs and Features and uninstall all items beginning with Microsoft Visual C++
• Run Disk Cleanup in Windows. Make sure to tick the option to Delete temporary files
• Restart your PC
• Run the installers found here:
  • https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=30679
  • https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=48145
• And the x64 download of 2015/17/19 at the top of the page here:
  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170
• Open Windows Features by typing Windows Features in Start -- Search.
• Turn off all available versions of .NET in this window (these should be v3.x and v4.x), click OK.
• Restart your computer.
• Open Windows Features again.
• Turn on all available versions of .NET in this window (once again v3.x and v4.x). Click OK.
• Restart your computer again. Windows Update should repair all .NET components at this point.

GPU DRIVERS

And lastly, please try a clean installation of your graphics drivers, you can find out how to do this from this FAQ page, under Quick Troubleshooting > "Ensure your GPU drivers are up-to-date or perform a clean reinstall".

Should the issue persist please open a ticket with our customer support team by clicking the contact button at the bottom of this FAQ article, who will be able to look further into the problem for you.

If you are experiencing slow download speeds, or are finding that the download of the game is getting stuck at certain points, try temporarily disabling any anti-virus, firewall, or VPN software that you may have installed. Restarting the launcher once disabling these programs should allow any slow or stopped downloads to continue and can sometimes improve your download speed. If you continue to have issues please open Control Panel on your PC; select Internet Options. Select the Connections tab, select LAN settings, and make sure Automatically detect settings is un-ticked.

This message occurs if your login details are incorrect. Please ensure you're entering your email address and password correctly.

• If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here.
• If you require assistance recovering your account, please follow the steps here.

To resolve this, simply restart your computer completely. If you run any security software, make sure that the file in question isn't being scanned, quarantined, or otherwise held.

If you close the verification code window and enter your verification code at a later time the launcher will present the error Invalid Security Code. This is because each individual login will generate a new verification code, if you close the verification code window you will no longer be able to use that code.

If you consistently find that you cannot get past entering the verification code please leave the verification code window open and wait for each previous code to arrive via email. Normally this will only take a few seconds/minutes but in some cases, it could take a little while longer. Once you're sure that you have the latest code, enter it into the launcher and it should allow you to proceed.

If the problem persists, please get in touch with our support team via the button below.

Note: that you should only need to manually enter your account credentials and verify via security code if you have a Steam key copy (pre-dating April 2019) or a Frontier store copy of ED.

The "Please purchase/redeem Elite Dangerous to continue" message will appear when the launcher does not detect Elite Dangerous game access.

If you have purchased Elite Dangerous for Steam after 25th April 2019…

These newer licenses are non-key, and so require a link between your Frontier and Steam accounts, and use of the 'Steam log in' button. Customers who have bought a new copy of the game on Steam, but wish to use an existing Frontier account will also need to follow these steps in order to link their account:

LINK REQUIRED (https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous)

Brand new Steam customers should be automatically linked during account creation. If you have not yet created an account, please follow the steps in the following FAQ:

LINK REQUIRED (https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404180408338-Creating-a-Frontier-account-after-purchasing-Elite-Dangerous-on-Steam-or-the-Epic-Store)

If you have purchased Elite Dangerous for Steam before 25th April 2019…

The Frontier account/email address you are logging in with does not have Elite Dangerous access.

Elite Dangerous purchases made prior to April 2019 came with a 25-digit key that grants access once redeemed to a Frontier account. This key is visible in Steam by navigating to your Library, right-clicking Elite Dangerous and selecting Manage CD keys.

You can try redeeming your key to your Frontier account here:

https://user.frontierstore.net/thirdpartykey/register

If you are told that the key has already been redeemed, it has been registered with a Frontier account under a different email address than the one you’re attempting to log in with. Please try logging in with an alternative email you may have used upon your initial purchase of Elite Dangerous. If you are unsure of the email address you could have used, please click the button at the bottom of this FAQ to contact our Customer Support team who will be happy to help you further.

If you have purchased Elite Dangerous from the Frontier Store…

The Frontier account/email address you are logging in with does not have Elite Dangerous access. Your access is very likely registered with a Frontier account under a different email address. Please try logging in with an alternative email you may have used upon your initial purchase of Elite Dangerous.

If you are unsure of the email address you could have used, please click the button below to contact our Customer Support team who will be happy to help you further.

If you have purchased Elite Dangerous from the Epic Games Store...

As Elite Dangerous has recently been released on the Epic Games Store, these newer licenses are non-key, and so requires a link between your Frontier and Epic account, and that you use the 'Log In' button on the launcher:

LINK REQUIRED (https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous)

Brand new Epic customers should be automatically linked during account creation. If you have not yet created an account, please follow the steps in this FAQ:

LINK REQUIRED (https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404180408338-Creating-a-Frontier-account-after-purchasing-Elite-Dangerous-on-Steam-or-the-Epic-Store)

If you are still encountering problems with logging in, please click the button at the bottom of this FAQ to contact our Customer Support team who will be happy to help you further.

If you're unable to load Elite Dangerous from the launcher due to an error message mentioning WatchDog.exe, MSVCP140.dll or VCRUNTIME140.dll it's likely that you are missing some necessary files found in the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 package.

In order to install the missing files, please install the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 package available here.

If you're still experiencing issues after those steps, please click the button at the bottom of this FAQ to contact our Customer Support team who will be happy to help you further.

If you are seeing this message upon starting the launcher, it means this file has not been located and you may need to install or repair the DirectX 9.0c Runtime.

If you're not experiencing any ill affect, you may simply disable this check in the launcher. Click on the "CONNECTED AS" dropdown and go to SETTINGS -- OPTIONS, then uncheck the box "Check for XInput"

If this error message persists then you may need to repair your system files. Please see Microsoft's guide on using the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files.

If you believe you are seeing this and you do have DirectX 9.0c installed, please contact the support team via the button below with an attached DxDiag report and let them know. This report provides information on your system that we can use to potentially identify the cause of the issues experienced. You can generate this report via the following steps:

• Click the "Start" menuType/Search for "DxDiag" and open it.
• In the new window, click on the button labelled "Save all information"
• A "Save As…" dialogue box appears. Choose a handy destination and click "Save"
• Attach that saved file to your ticket or to your email to us

Xinput9_1_0.dll issues are caused by a missing or corrupt DirectX DLL file.

The xinput9_1_0.dll file is one of many files contained in DirectX. Since DirectX is utilized by most Windows-based games and advanced graphics programs, xinput9_1_0.dll errors usually show up only when using these programs.

If you're not experiencing any ill affect, you may simply disable this check in the launcher. Click on the "CONNECTED AS" dropdown and go to SETTINGS -- OPTIONS, then uncheck the box "Check for XInput"

[The following advice is courtesy of the good folks at pcsupport.about.com]

Important Note: Do not download the xinput9_1_0.dll DLL file individually from any "DLL download site." There are a number of excellent reasons that downloading DLLs from these sites are never a good idea - [see here for more information]

The first thing to try would be to install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. Chances are, upgrading to the latest version of DirectX will fix the 'xinput9_1_0.dll not found' error.

Note: Windows 7, 8, Vista, XP, etc. are all supported by this same DirectX installation package. It will install any DirectX 11, DirectX 10, or DirectX 9 file needed and supported in that version of Windows.

• Uninstall the game or software program and then reinstall it again. Something might have happened to the program files that work with xinput9_1_0.dll and a reinstall could do the trick.
• Update the drivers for your video card. While it's not the most common solution, in some situations updating the drivers for the video card in your computer could correct this DirectX issue.

If you're still experiencing issues after those steps, please click the button at the bottom of this FAQ to contact our Customer Support team who will be happy to help you further.

There may be a problem with your launcher or Microsoft .Net installations:

RESTART YOUR COMPUTER

Restart your PC fully and then run the launcher again, making sure you're not launching the game as an administrator.

REINSTALL THE LAUNCHER

If the launcher refuses to function correctly, it may be caused by potential file errors or installation problems. This may be resolved by removing and re-installing the launcher.

• Uninstall the launcher from your computer using Programs and Features in Windows (or uninstall direct through Steam/Epic).
• Delete any files from where the launcher was installed. If the following folders exist, delete them:
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Frontier\EDLaunch
  • C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Frontier_Developments\Products
• Restart your computer.
• If you purchased the game on Steam or the Epic Games Store, please re-download it from the platform directly.
• If you purchased the game from the Frontier Store, please download the launcher from here.
• Install the launcher as normal (do not run the installer as an administrator - it will ask for an administrator password automatically, if necessary.)
  • Some players find that installing the game to a custom location is beneficial, for example, C:\Games\EliteDangerous
• Use the launcher as normal to install Elite Dangerous.

REPAIR/REINSTALL MICROSOFT .NET

If the launcher is unable to run or is encountering regular errors preventing it from working normally, you may need to re-install Microsoft .NET. TechHit have created a complete and handy guide on how to reinstall and repair .NET on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10: https://www.techhit.com/how-to/install-.net-3.5.1/

CHECK FOR 3RD PARTY MONITORING PROGRAMS

In some cases, third-party programs may prevent the Elite Dangerous launcher from working normally. Likely programs that cause this are third-party hardware monitors, graphics card companion programs, or programs that provide overlays such as EVGA Precision, Raptr, Lucid Virtu MVP, MSI Afterburner, Nvidia GeForce Experience or AMD Gaming Evolved. Please disable programs like these prior to starting the Elite Dangerous launcher. You can also perform a clean boot in Windows to prevent these programs from starting at all.

CHECK WINDOWS FOR CORRUPTED FILES

In some cases, Windows may have become damaged which can stop the launcher and other programs from behaving normally. Windows has a self-repair tool called SFC to help repair itself. You can find out how to run this tool here: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/929833

We hope that the above steps have solved any issues you're having with the launcher. However, if you are still encountering problems when loading the launcher that are not helped by the steps or articles linked above then you may wish to get in touch with the support team who will be able to help further using the contact button at the bottom of this article.

The Incorrect Manifest Checksum error typically occurs when you try and install or update Elite Dangerous and is usually due to your router filtering content when you download files from our servers.

You can usually overcome this issue by disabling web proxy filtering/web content filtering/firewalls in your router. Please check your router's settings and instructions on disabling these features.

If you're still experiencing issues with this error after running through the steps above, please open a ticket with our Customer Support team by clicking the button at the bottom of this article.

If you find that the launcher is unable to download the game fully, or you see "Update failed for file... (validation error)" when updating the game. You may need to clear the temporary files that the launcher stores to continue downloading normally.

REMOVE THE LAUNCHER'S TEMPORARY DOWNLOAD FILES

The launcher stores its current file download in .part or .progress files, deleting these can help refresh the download:

• Close the Elite Dangerous launcher.
• Locate your game's installation folder by checking this FAQ. [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405700513298-Game-installation-and-file-locations-Netlog-AppConfig-Client-Log-Update-Log-Game-Folder]
• To easily locate all these files, search the folder for files ending in .part or .progress.
• Remove all files that end in .part or .progress.
• Start the Elite Dangerous launcher as normal.

TRY CLEARING WINDOWS' CACHED DOWNLOAD FILES

In some cases, you may need to clear the cached files for Microsoft's .NET. framework:

• Close the Elite Dangerous launcher.
• Go to the Windows Start Menu and type Internet Options.
• Open the Internet Options dialogue.
• On the General tab, under Browsing History, click Delete...
• Tick Temporary Internet files and website files and Cookies and website data.
• Click Delete.
• Start the Elite Dangerous launcher as normal.

I'M STILL HAVING PROBLEMS, CAN I DOWNLOAD THE GAME A DIFFERENT WAY?

Yes - If you continue to encounter problems when downloading the game via our launcher, you may wish to install the game via Steam instead. Adding the game to Steam is free and you can find out how to add Elite Dangerous to Steam here [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous]

I CAN'T USE STEAM, WHAT ELSE CAN I TRY?

This error has historically appears when there is something altering the files that are downloaded from our cloud servers. This can happen in many ways, including:

• Internet security packages with anti-banner tools altering files
• Firewalls altering files
• ISPs altering files

If you experience this issue, our first piece of advice is to ask you temporarily disable your Internet security package or add the Elite Dangerous Launcher as an exception.

We would then also advise you temporarily disable any firewalls you have running. There may be a firewall built into your router that may need temporarily disabling too.

This should help prevent 'Unable to verify' and Validation errors when downloading Elite Dangerous for most users.

In rare cases, some Internet Service Providers filter content that may lead to validation errors. To resolve this you would need to contact your ISP.

For those using ‘Anti Banner’ protection, then you may need to place an exclusion into your Anti Banner tool within the application:

• Open Kaspersky Internet Security – instructions will be similar for other tools.
• Click on settings (Bottom of the main menu)
• Click on the Protection Centre and you will get a menu list.
• Scroll down until you see Anti Banner and click on it.
• Once you see the next menu make sure that 'Use the list of allowed URLs' is checked on.
• Click 'Configure allowed URLs' You now want to add a URL.
• Click on Add and where you see http:// write after it cdn.zaonce.net Now check 'Active' and then press add.
• The URL will be added to your trusted URLs and should no longer be blocked.

This should help prevent 'Unable to verify' and Validation errors when downloading Elite.

If you're still experiencing problems, please send us a ticket by clicking the button at the bottom of this article and we'll be happy to help.

ANTIVIRUS/FIREWALL

Often the cause for this error message cropping up is the result of an antivirus or firewall interfering with Elite Dangerous's secure connection.

You can try adding Elite Dangerous to the whitelist table for your specific antivirus.

Do note changes to antivirus settings can require a reboot of you machine for those settings to take.

CLOCK SYNCHRONISATION

In some cases, you may need to resynchronise your system clock as explained below:

• Open the Start menu and type "Date and Time".
• The Date and Time configuration window should pop up, please open this.
• In this window, please change to the "Internet Time" tab.
• Click "Change Settings" on the "Internet Time" tab.
• Make sure Synchronise with an Internet Time Server is activated.
• Enter any public time server such as time.microsoft.com into the Server selection field and hit "Update now".

If you continue to get this error message when logging in to the game, please contact the Frontier Support Team via the button below and include your TelemetryCache.log file and your Netlog file which can both be found by checking this FAQ article.

What does this mean?

This is a generic error which means that you cannot connect to the server. This most often happens when your CMDR cannot be loaded.

What can I do to fix this?

• Perform a file validation. This is different for each of our PC platforms:
  • Epic: To verify the installation of game files, navigate to the game in your Library and click on the three dots or right-click on the game icon. Then, on the drop-down navigation, click Manage. Once this is open, select "Verify".
  • Steam: Open your Game Library on Steam, then right-click on Elite Dangerous. Select Properties from the menu, then select 'Local Files' from the left-hand panel. On the Local Files page, select 'Verify integrity of game files, Steam will then verify your files.
• Standalone launcher: Open the launcher as you normally would, then select "Options" in the top right, and in the drop-down menu select "Validate Game Files".
• If you're using an AMD graphics card please update to the latest drivers here: https://www.amd.com/en/support. Once you have the latest drivers, you should be able to play properly.
• If the problem persists after following the above steps, please send us a ticket as it's likely we will need to move your CMDR in order to get you back into the game.

What does this mean?

This error appears when you experience a problem connecting to the matchmaking server.

What can I do to fix this?

• If this error only appears when in-game with other players, it's likely port forwarding will help, we have a guide that shows how to set this up here: Network Options & Configuration
• Otherwise, log in to your router and look for any content filters and disable them, if available, try another router.

What does this mean?

Could not connect to the transaction server.

What can I do to fix this?

If you are getting disconnected while in game or on the menu screen when you first start the game with an error message saying "Could not connect to transaction server" this is often caused by a problem between your computer and our game servers. This is likely to be caused by a networking error that affects TCP or HTTPS, and can sometimes be a client desync. It's also possible for this to be on our side. These errors are usually temporary, so hopefully you can get back online as soon as possible but if you are still having trouble, please get in touch with customer support via the button at the end of this article.

What does this mean?

If you are seeing this error message it usually means that we are experiencing a server issue due to high demand, which we are working to resolve. This may interfere with your games performance.

What can I do to fix this?

This is usually a temporary CMDR error involving a module or the CMDR data itself, we would suggest restarting the game where you will hopefully be able to reconnect. If the problem persists, please send us a ticket as it's likely we will need to make some changes to your CMDR in order to get you back into the game.

What does this mean?

These errors are variations of problems connecting to the adjudication or in-game mission servers.

What can I do to fix this?

When requesting missions, you are downloading a chunk of data over a short time. Therefore, for best results, we recommend making sure that nothing else is using your network in the background. For this reason, we would recommend avoiding streaming services such as YouTube/Twitch and making sure not to be downloading large files. Log in to your router and disable any content filters that may be present, in particular, look for anything that aims to filter fragmented traffic.

What does this mean?

This is a multicrew timeout. Alternatively it may be trouble finding others when in CQC on the Xbox One and is most commonly down to NAT type restrictions on your network gateway/router.

For help understanding what your NAT type is:

"A NAT (Network Address Translation or Network Address Translator) is the virtualization of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. NAT helps improve security and decrease the number of IP addresses an organization needs." - searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com

What can I do to fix this?

• Please make sure that you and the player(s) you are playing with have compatible NAT types, ideally, all players should have an open NAT.
• Check to see if you and other players within your group can multi-crew with other players, the player that cannot is likely where the problem exists, therefore we recommend that they send us a ticket.

If you are experiencing errors connecting to the matchmaking or adjudication servers whilst playing please follow the steps below.

Connection errors can often caused by a number of problems. Please review our Connectivity Troubleshooting Steps [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405953243666-Connectivity-troubleshooting-steps] to rule out the most common problems before proceeding.

Verify your game files as follows:

• Ensure that the game is not currently running and open the Elite Dangerous launcher.
• Select the correct way to repair your game files
  • Normal Frontier Installation: Go to Options and select Validate Game Files.
  • Steam: If you are using Steam you can use Steam's built-in verify integrity function
  • Xbox One: Re-install the game as normal.
  • Playstation: Re-install the game as normal.

PC USERS: If you've already completed the above steps and continue to regularly encounter 'Error connecting to Matchmaking (or Adjudication) Server' messages we encourage you to obtain a Netlog file and submit it to our QA team for them to review.

You can create a Netlog file as follows:

• If you are currently playing the game please select Save and Exit to exit to the main menu to enable the Network section of the Options menu.
• Open the Network options menu.
• Set Logging to On.
• Continue to play the game until you encounter the error.
• Your Netlog file will appear in the location listed under Path in the Network options menu. You can also locate these using this FAQ article. [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405700513298-Game-installation-and-file-locations-Netlog-AppConfig-Client-Log-Update-Log-Game-Folder]

Please send this to our QA team by creating a report on our issue tracker

If none of the above have resolved your issue, please send our support team a ticket by clicking the button at the end of this article.

Elite Dangerous contains extremely high-quality audio. If your audio sample rate is set too low it can often cause odd sounds to occur, and disrupt your experience in the game.

For best audio quality, the recommended Windows audio sample rate is 48000hz or higher. Using an audio sample rate of 44100hz or lower can result in noticeably degraded audio quality and is not advised.

To improve your audio and resolve audio-based issues, please follow the steps below.

• Go to the start menu and type Settings.
• From Settings, search for Sound then open Device Properties on the relevant speakers.
• From here, please select Additional Device Properties
• Go to the Advanced tab
• Under Default Format select an option that is 48000hz or higher.
• We recommend 16bit, 48000 Hz (DVD quality)
• Click Apply

If problems persist, please send our support team a ticket via the button at the bottom of this article.

Your Frontier and Steam accounts must be linked in order to access the base game with Odyssey.

If you need assistance with linking your Steam account to your Frontier account, please visit this article: [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous]

If you still do not see the option to install Odyssey, please try completely restarting Steam.

If you find that you have the Install button on the launcher, but it is greyed out, you can try directly starting the launcher from this file location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Elite Dangerous

Doing this will create an install folder for Odyssey.

Some players have also reported success by hitting Enter while highlighting Odyssey in the launcher as well.

Your Frontier and Steam accounts must be linked.

If you need assistance with linking your Steam account to your Frontier account, please visit this article: [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous]

If you still cannot see Odyssey as an option in the launcher, then you can try restarting Steam completely.

If you find that you have the Install button on the launcher, but it is greyed out, you can try directly starting the launcher from this file location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Elite Dangerous

Doing this will create an install folder for Odyssey.

Some players have also reported success by hitting Enter while highlighting Odyssey in the launcher as well.

If you have purchased Odyssey on Steam, then you will need to add the base game to your Steam library by generating a Partner Key from your Frontier account and then redeeming this in Steam.

Once this is done, you must link your Frontier account to your Steam account, if you need assistance with linking your Steam account to your Frontier account, please visit this article: [LINK https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4404175514514-How-to-link-your-Frontier-Account-to-the-platform-on-which-you-play-Elite-Dangerous-]

You should then see the option to download Odyssey.

If you do not see this option, please try completely restarting Steam.

If you find that you have the Install button on the launcher, but it is greyed out, you can try directly starting the launcher from this file location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Elite Dangerous

Doing this will create an install folder for Odyssey.

Some players have also reported success by hitting Enter while highlighting Odyssey in the launcher as well.

You should just be able to start the launcher as usual, and the option to download Odyssey should be there.

If you see a grey install button, please try directly launching from this file location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Frontier\Products\elite-dangerous-64\

You can also try hitting Enter while highlighting Odyssey in the launcher.

If you have the LEP, you will NOT see any reference to Odyssey on your Frontier account anywhere, you should simply have the option to download it within the launcher.

If you do not have the option to download, please try launching from this file location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Frontier\Products\elite-dangerous-64\

If you find yourself seeing a grey Install button, also try hitting Enter while highlighting Odyssey in the launcher.