Elden Ring not downloading or installing on PC and Console

Are you unable to download or install Elden Ring on your PC or console? Here is a full guide to fixing the Elden Ring installation error on your PC and console. Elden Ring is popular amongst gaming enthusiasts. But, many gamers are getting stuck on its installation, which is depleting the excitement of this game that was created by its launch. This installation error is reportedly experienced by both PC and console users.

Why is my Elden Ring not installing?

We have dug deep into this issue to identify possible reasons for the installation problem with Elden Ring. Here are some of the potential causes for this issue:

Incorrectly passed temporary files can also cause these types of problems on consoles. If applicable, this can be fixed by performing a power cycle on your console.
If the problem occurs after the installation was interrupted previously, it can be caused due to corrupted game files. Hence, don’t attempt to reinstall the game from the game listing on Steam as it will lead to the same installation issue. And, try verifying the integrity of the game files.
Some files are large in the installation package that takes time to get repackaged, so this could be a possible reason for taking more time in installation or the freeze point. So, be patient and try installing it again.
Installing from a physical source and using a PC with 8 GB or less of RAM can cause the error, because all resources are allocated to installing the game, and your PC ends up freezing Windows processes. So, to resolve the issue, use the RAM limiter at the start of installation so that installation goes smooth.
It can also be caused due to too many resource-hungry applications running in the background. In that case, you should be able to fix the issue by closing the background programs from Task Manager.
Another reason could be a compatibility issue with the latest Windows version. If applicable, you can try running the game installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

Elden Ring not downloading or installing on PC and Console

If you are facing an issue downloading the game, restart your PC, check your internet connection and download Elden Ring to a different location. That should work. Here are the potential fixes to resolve the problem if you are unable to install Elden Ring on PC or console:

Take time to unfreeze the installation.
Restart your PC.
Perform a power cycle on your console.
Close unnecessary background applications.
Run in compatibility mode.
Use RAM Limiter option.
Disable or Temporarily uninstall your antivirus.

1] Take time to unfreeze installation

For the installation of large games like Elden Ring, some files (e.g., data0.bdt) take time to be copied or repackaged to the system. Data0.bdt is the largest file in the Elden Ring installation folder, so it will take time to download. Players are reporting that after some time (20 minutes), the installation unfreezes itself and becomes complete. The installation may look like it froze, while it is copying a big file (data0.bdt).

So, don’t rush to stop the installation and reinstall it again. Allow 25-30 minutes for the game to install so it has time to copy large files. However, if it goes beyond 30 minutes, you can try the other solutions we mentioned below.

Do note that this issue possibly arises in a typical HDD (5400 rpm) which has low read/write speed. Hence, we recommend you use SSD or HDD with higher speed (7200 rpm).

2] Restart your PC

It is also possible that temporarily corrupted files or cache, or some glitch, is creating a hindrance in the installation of the game. So, try restarting your system once as it might resolve the issue at hand. If not, you can move on to the next potential fix to get rid of the problem.

3] Perform a power cycle on your console

You can also try performing a power cycle on your console, as it clears the corrupted cache that might be causing the issue at hand.

Xbox Series S / Xbox one:

Here are the steps you can follow to perform a power cycle on your Xbox console:

Firstly, press and hold the power button on your console until you notice the front LED blinking.
Now, wait for 1-2 minutes and unplug the console.
Next, plug in your console and boot it again normally.
Finally, try to reinstall ELDEN RING and see if the issue is resolved.

PlayStation 5:

Try the below steps to power cycle your PlayStation 5 console:

First, press and hold the power button until you hear the fan turning off.
When the power light stops blinking, remove the power cable and leave the system for 2 minutes.
After waiting 2-3 minutes, reconnect the power cable and restart the device.
Now, try installing ELDEN RING again and see if the problem is fixed.

4] Close unnecessary background applications

In many instances, the installation is obstructed by applications running in the background that consume memory, leaving less available for the installation. This might hinder the installer from copying large files, and the installation might get stuck at some point. As a result, you are unable to install games like Elden Ring. Hence, it is highly recommended that you close all unnecessary programs that are consuming your resources.

To close background applications and processes, you can open Task Manager using CTRL + ALT + DELETE hotkey. Then, go to the Processes tab and close all the background programs. After that, attempt to install the game again and check whether the issue is fixed. If you are still unable to install the game, proceed to the next potential fix to resolve the issue.

5] Run in compatibility mode

The reason you are unable to install the game may be that your Windows version isn’t compatible with installing a game from a physical copy. Many gamers are currently experiencing this issue. Physical day 1 copies of Elden Ring are partially compatible with Windows 11. There is a weird glitch preventing installations on certain versions of Windows 11. However, you should be able to bypass this problem completely by launching the game installer in compatibility mode with Windows 7.

Here are the steps to run the game installer in compatibility mode:

Firstly, go to the game installer file in File Explorer and then right-click on the setup file.
Now, from the context menu, select the Properties option.
In the Properties window, go to the Compatibility tab.
Inside the compatibility tab, tick on the “Run this program in compatibility for” checkbox and select Windows 7 or Windows 8 from the below options in the box.
Finally, press the Apply > OK button to save changes.

Once the modifications are complete, reinstall the game and see if the installation completes this time. If the problem persists, move down to the next potential fix.

6] Use RAM Limiter option

If your PC has limited RAM (8GB or less), then it is likely that the installation may get stuck in between. Fortunately, the developer of the game, i.e., FromSoftware Inc., has got the solution to this problem, and they have added an option (RAM Limiter) in the installation so that it does not take up all resources and can be smoothly installed on low-end systems. If this scenario is applicable, during the initial Elden Ring installation screen, you can check and use the RAM Limiter option.

7] Disable or Temporarily uninstall your antivirus

Certain antiviruses can also hinder the installation of the game. Bit-Defender is amongst the top antivirus in that list reported by the users. There are many other antiviruses that are causing the issue at hand. If the scenario is applicable, here are the major fixes that you can try:

Disable the Real-time protection on Antivirus while you install the game.
Add all files (e.g., setup) of the game on the whitelist/exempted list on antivirus. This allows the setup files to get exempted from the antivirus scan.
Uninstall the 3rd party antivirus suite.

Read: Fix Elden Ring white screen crash on startup in Windows PC.

Why is Elden Ring multiplayer not working?

There can be different reasons that Elden Ring multiplayer is not working for you. It can be due to outdated or corrupted graphics drivers, using an old version of the game, corrupted or missing game files, etc. It can also be caused by a corrupted cache issue or an internet issue. If you are having a problem with launching the game, you can try these fixes.

That’s it! Hopefully, this helps.

Now read: Fix Elden Ring FPS Drops and Stuttering issues on Windows PC.