[2021] Stellaris being really broken.

I think you have at least two separate problems, with the launcher and the game/Windows.


For the launcher, despite what you've tried it is almost certainly an antivirus problem. Please try the following:

- unsubscribe from all mods
- delete the folder Documents/paradox/stellaris/mod/
- delete the file Documents/paradox/stellaris/mods_registry.json
- delete the file Documents/paradox/stellaris/launcher-v2.sqlite

Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list. You should add steam.exe and C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.1/paradox launcher.exe to that list.

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


For the game, DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .  

Avast is the AV app causing us the most problems at present. You might need to get help from their support to ensure that the launcher and game can read and write to the Windows User Documents folder.

You may not have mods_registry.json as that's an old file no longer used, but the sqlite one ought to be there. In Windows Explorer click on Documents in the left column, then in the right pane double click on Paradox Interactive and Stellaris. You should see it in there. Depending on your Windows Explorer settings it may display as just launcher-v2. And the mod folder should be there too.  

The sqlite file gets created when mods come into play in the launcher, it's essentially a database of what mods you are subscribed to. The only reason I can see for it not being there is no mods subscriptions ... ?

Yes, Avast is absolutely the issue here, I am sure. I don't use it so can't really help with it in detail I'm afraid. There must be ways of telling it to leave our launcher alone as others have done that successfully!