why did it do this? i'm craving ESO, i know there's not a beta, but i just started the launcher anyway, clicked on ESO in the top left corner and then the INSTALL button appeared in the lower right corner, i thought that was weird because i had already installed and played for a few days last weekend, so i went to check the folder and it was pretty much empty besides a few files it managed to download after i clicked install

Stop the download.

Find your Zenimax Online folder. There should be 3 folders there - Launcher, Elder Scrolls Online, and Elder Scrolls Online EU (if the EU folder isn't there, click the Install button in the client then pause the download, that should create the folder). Open the Elder Scrolls Online folder. Copy all the folders and files into the Elder Scrolls Online EU folder.

Launch client. Client will verify the files and do a small update.

Headache averted!

Edit: I guess they are setting up EU folks to test the EU server next beta, which might explain the "why" of it, but the existing install has not been deleted, just that the client no longer points to that folder. Copying the files to the EU folder will prevent you having to download the whole thing again, although there may be other updates before another beta test.

i made a folder simply named ESO when i first installed the game, there are no folders with the names you spoke of within this folder, nor in the 25gb folder i just found named "the elder scrolls online".. the launcher files are straight in the ESO folder, then there's locales and ProgramData

edit: where are the depot, game, and vo_en folders located in the main directory? i'll try shifting them over.. either into ProgramData or locales?

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1488717-launcher-update/ <==link

depot game and vo are supposed to be in the elder scrolls online folder there is no programdata or locales inside.

Ah, you are seeing program data and locales in the launcher folder, not the game directory folder.

If you go out from the launcher folder, can you see "the elder scrolls online" folder there?

Or you can search for it.

np, done what was suggested in the link, that has sorted it, cheers... something so simple