How to fix
Install Epic Online Services
on Windows

Hi, I need help with Epic Games Launcher. I heard that I need to install Epic Online Services in order to continue using the platform properly. I have no idea where to download it from and how to update it. Please advise.

Epic Online Services were first introduced back in May 2020[ref en-2], primarily for game developers to have an easier to manage their games. With its cross-platform functionality, the Software Development Kit[ref en-1] was a great addition to game creators. With the release of the 13.0.0 update,[ref en-3] the game developer announced that Epic Online Services is now required to be installed locally for the Launcher to operate properly.

With this iteration, players will need to install the EOS component as a prerequisite on Windows systems, which later would prompt them to install the full installation of the service. 

Upon opening the Launcher, users would receive the following message (although some people did not receive any notifications):

Epic Online Services installation is required - you will not receive any Launcher updates until Epic Online Services is installed. Please see the settings menu

From here, users can then click the "Click here for more information" button to access the Settings menu and install the needed component. This way, the Launcher will be capable of receiving further updates without problems.

However, some users reported that they couldn't install Epic Online Services because they were stuck in the black screen, which prevented them from accessing the Settings menu altogether. For this reason, they are unable to use the Launcher at all.

Note that people have already had issues with Epic Online Services since its release - some developers reported that they were unable to install the component due to the EOS-ERR-1603 error. This could usually be solved by reinstalling the Launcher on the main drive or by running the app as an administrator.

In this case, however, the fix lies within gaming the access to the settings menu - it is easily achievable by using a simple trick below. Before you proceed with the instructions below, we would like to recommend a PC repair and optimization tool [d1] - it could help you fix any underlying issues and improve performance for gaming.

1. Install the Epic Online Services

Typically, users set Epic Games Launcher to be launched automatically as soon as they boot their system. Alternatively, users commonly use a shortcut to launch the app. There is another way to access it when encountering Epic Online Services black screen - here's how:

• Open Epic Games Launcher by using a desktop shortcut or the main EXE file (type Epic Games Launcher in Windows search > right-click the result > select Open file location to see the main executable)

  

• In the taskbar, click the Show hidden icons arrow to open the system tray
• Right-click the Epic Games Launcher icon and select Store

  

• Select Settings

  

• In here, you should see the EPIC ONLINE SERVICES INSTALL AVAILABLE message
• Click Install now

  

• When User Account Control shows up, click Yes
• The whole process should last a mere few seconds
• You should get a small notification in the bottom-right corner of the screen about the Install being successful.

2. Reinstall the Launcher

If the above method still can't install Epic Online Services - whether due to inaccessible Settings menu or other issues - you can reinstall the application altogether. Many users said that this helped them to fix the issue quickly.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager
• Select Epic Games Launcher and click End Task

  

• Right-click on Start and select Apps and Features
• Find Epic Games Launcher from the list
• Click Uninstall > Uninstall

  

• Follow on-screen instructions to remove the app
• Now visit the official website and download the app installer
• Follow on-screen instructions and install the Epic Online Services as required.