Paradox Launcher has an error i'm not sure how to fix

Ah, that is usually an antivirus app getting in the way. What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

ck3.exe (in the Steam CK3-binaries folder)
dowser.exe (in the Steam CK3-launcher folder)
C:/users/{UserName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2024..1/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users/{UserName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

IF that doesn't help, also set each of those .exe files (EXCEPT ck3.exe !) to run as the Windows Admin user.

Then the game should run from Steam/our launcher, and enable all the DLCs.  

All those games use the same installation of the same launcher. So yes, if one has a launcher problem they all will.

What AV do you use?

Did you try the Windows Admin thing, for the launcher .exe files only?  

b1gdrum said: I tried the windows admin for the .exe files (I didn't do ck3.exe as you said) and now the game is saying "Steam runtime communication error" and doesn't seem to be connected to steam while running

Remove that setting from each of the .exe files in turn, I think one of them might be getting this - IIRC it is dowser, but it could be bootstrapper.  

So you are back to how these were set up before, but are still getting that Steam runtime communication error" ? Because that makes no sense ...

Make a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that and try the game/launcher there - does that help?