[2022] stellaris won't start from launcher

If you run stellaris.exe directly from file explorer, does the game start up then?  

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:

Stellaris.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Stellaris folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2022.14/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

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

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

Please try this:

- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- exit the Steam app entirely
- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam


IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.  

Betnicjac said: View attachment 936946 No anti-virus popups, attempted to verify files, I am now attempting to reinstall and see what happens but this is quite annoying. I have even attempted to manually install the launcher, nothing appears to be working.

Are you on Windows 11? if so, is it a clean installation of it, not an update from Win10? If so, that's starting to look like a problem with the launcher installation process, which I reported to Paradox yesterday. Sorry about that!  

Betnicjac said: All good, I restarted my PC and it has downloaded but I am now having difficulties with the mods, even though they are downloaded they are taking a ridiculous amount of time to show up in the launcher and the launcher shows that is trying to "load" something in "All Installed Mods" section. (PC is newly built so it was a fresh installation.)

Please try the following:

- unsubscribe from all mods in BOTH the Steam Workshop and the Paradox mod site mods.paradoxplaza.com
- delete the folder Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mods_registry.json (if present)
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/launcher-v2.sqlite (if present)
- run the game up and check the launcher is okay with no mod or other errors
- subscribe to a few mods

- run the game up and see if those mods are now available to you.

I hope that does it for you!  

Betnicjac said: I appear to be suffering the same problem even after following those steps but is there a way I can uninstall the Launcher and then reinstall it?

Those steps are up in post #6 above.