[2020] launcher not updating

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

Delete the following folders if still present:

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

- 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//AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.  

Looks like your antivirus app is getting in the way:

2020-12-21 05:21:30 [daemon] [ERROR] patch: open C:\Users\Jeffrey Ramberg\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2020.16\Paradox Launcher.exe: Access is denied.

We now have reports of this on AVG, Avast and possibly Kaspersky.

You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

dowser.exe (in the Steam Stellaris folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2020.16/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

Good luck!  

SteelCrow said: because paradox launcher.exe doesn't exist in that folder. It exists in 'launcher-v2.2020.11' but not 'launcher-v2.2020.16'
A lot of other files are missing from 'launcher-v2.2020.16' as well, in comparison to 'launcher-v2.2020.11'
Furthermore, my intuition tells me there need only be one version of the launcher on my computer, yet here is an older version alongside an incomplete newer one.

It is normal for the install of a new launcher version to leave the older version there.

However if Paradox Launcher .exe is missing from the 2020.16 folder, that is the problem! It will have been quarantined by your AV app - we've seen this with Avast, AVG, and possibly Kaspersky. You'll need to release it from quarantine and tell the AV app to leave it alone in future. The same applies to bootstrapper-v2.exe