Fix: “Easy Anti-Cheat is not Installed” When Launching Games

The error “Easy Anti-Cheat is not installed” appears when Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) can’t install, register, or launch correctly on your PC.

Since many games use EAC (for example Brawlhalla, Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, Dead by Daylight, Multiversus, and more), the same fixes apply across different titles.

This usually happens because EAC is missing/corrupted, its service is disabled, it’s being blocked by antivirus/firewall, or the game’s files are corrupted so EAC can’t deploy properly. In some cases, EAC setup doesn’t apply the game’s EAC product identifier (productid in EAC config), so EAC keeps showing as “not installed” until it’s registered manually.

Most common causes (quick checklist):

• Lack of Administrator Privileges (EAC/game can’t write/register properly)
• Disabled EasyAntiCheat service (service won’t start with the game)
• Corrupted or incomplete EAC install (EAC exists but its state is broken)
• Missing EAC (folder/files not present)
• Antivirus/Firewall conflict (quarantine/block/exploit protection behavior)
• Corrupted game files (EAC can’t deploy from the game directory)
• Outdated Windows (compatibility/security components can break EAC)

Before applying fixes, restart your PC, then continue below.

All fixes start by opening the game’s installation directory (where the EasyAntiCheat or EasyAntiCheat_EOS folder lives).

• Steam: Steam > Library > right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Browse.
  
• Steam (alternate path): right-click the game > Manage > Browse Local Files.

• Epic Games Launcher: Epic > Library > right-click the game > Manage > click the folder icon next to Installation.

• PC Game Pass (Xbox app): Xbox app > select the game > Manage (or …) > Files/Installation > Browse/Open folder (wording varies).

1. Run EAC and the Game as Administrator

EAC often fails to register because it can’t write service/config data. Running both the EAC setup and the game EXE as admin fixes a lot of “not installed” cases.

1. In the game folder, find EasyAntiCheat or EasyAntiCheat_EOS. Some games place it deeper (example: Fortnite > FortniteGame > Binaries > Win64).

   Fortnite > ForniteGame> Binaries > Win64.

   

2. Inside the EAC folder, locate EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe or EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe.
3. Right-click the setup file > Properties.
   
4. Go to the Compatibility tab > enable Run as an administrator > Apply.
   
5. Do the same for the game’s main .exe (run as admin), then launch the game again.

2. Enable the Easy Anti-Cheat Service

If the EAC service is disabled, the game can’t start anti-cheat and may report it as “not installed.”

1. Press Windows + R > type services.msc > press Enter.
2. Find EasyAntiCheat > double-click it.
3. Set Startup type to Manual (or Automatic if Manual isn’t available) > Apply.
4. Restart your PC and test the game.

3. Repair Easy Anti-Cheat

Use repair if EAC files exist but the install state is broken.

Option A (GUI repair): Open the EAC folder and run EasyAntiCheat_Setup, then click Repair Service.

Option B (Command Prompt repair):

1. Open the game’s EasyAntiCheat_EOS (or EasyAntiCheat) folder.
2. Run Command Prompt as admin.
3. Change directory to the EAC folder:

cd /d "<path-to-Game>\EasyAntiCheat_EOS"

4. Confirm the setup EXE is present:

dir

5. Run repair:

EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe repair

If repair isn’t supported on your build, run the setup EXE normally and use Repair/Install in the window.

4. Manually Register / Install EAC Using the Game’s productid (Advanced)

Use this if the error keeps coming back because EAC wasn’t registered for the game (common when setup was blocked or the productid wasn’t applied).

1. Open the game install folder.
2. Open EasyAntiCheat or EasyAntiCheat_EOS.
3. Locate Settings.json / settings.json, open it, and copy the productid value only (no quotes).

If the file is missing or there’s no productid, skip to Section 5 (Verify/Repair) or Section 8 (Reinstall EAC).

4. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
5. Switch to the EAC folder path:

cd /d "<path-to-EasyAntiCheat-folder>"

6. Confirm you see the setup EXE:

dir

7. Run install (replace <productid>):

EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe install <productid>

If your file name is different (for example EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe), use the exact name shown by dir.

If Windows blocks it: right-click the EXE > Properties > check Unblock (if present), then try again.

Restart your PC and test the game.

5. Verify / Repair Game Files (Steam / Epic / Game Pass)

If game files are corrupt, EAC may fail to deploy and the game reports it as “not installed.” Verification repairs both the game and its bundled EAC components.

Steam:

1. Steam > Library > right-click the game > Properties.
2. Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
3. Restart your PC after it completes.

Epic Games Launcher:

1. Epic > Library > right-click the game > Manage.
2. Click Verify.
3. Restart your PC after it completes.

PC Game Pass (Xbox app):

1. Xbox app > My Library/Installed > select the game > Manage/More options.
2. Run Verify/Repair/Verify and Repair (wording varies).
3. Restart and test again.

If the EAC folder looks broken: delete the EasyAntiCheat folder from the game directory, then verify files again (Steam/Epic will reinstall it cleanly).

6. Antivirus / Firewall: Restore, Exclude, and Allow EAC

Security tools often quarantine EAC files or block registration, which makes games think EAC is “not installed.”

1. Open your antivirus/security tool and check Quarantine/Blocked items.
2. Restore any EasyAntiCheat/game files that were quarantined.
3. Add Exclusions for the game folder and the EasyAntiCheat/EasyAntiCheat_EOS folder.

If you use Windows Security: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Exclusions > Add an exclusion > select the game folder and the EAC folder.

If Windows Firewall is blocking EAC: allow it through firewall.

1. Press Windows, type Security, open Windows Security.

2. Go to Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall.

3. Click Change settings.

4. Check Easy Anti-Cheat (or add it via Allow another app and select the setup EXE), then click OK.

If live scanning is actively blocking installs: you can briefly disable protection, install/repair EAC, then re-enable it immediately (exclusions are safer long-term).

7. Update Windows

If Windows is outdated, EAC can fail due to compatibility/security component issues. Update Windows, then restart.

1. Press Windows, type Settings, open it.

2. Go to Updates & Security (or Windows Update), then open the update page.

3. Click Check for updates and install everything available.

8. Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat (Clean State)

If repair doesn’t work, reinstalling EAC resets broken/outdated components.

1. Open the game’s EasyAntiCheat or EasyAntiCheat_EOS folder.
2. Run EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe or EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe (prefer Run as administrator).

3. Select Uninstall, wait for it to finish.

4. Run the setup again and select Install.

Restart and test again.

9. Reinstall the Game (Last Resort)

If EAC still won’t install/register after everything above, reinstall the game (this forces a fresh EAC bundle for that title).

1. Open Settings > Apps > uninstall the game.
   
2. Reinstall it from Steam/Epic/Xbox app, then restart and launch.