no map or poi, eq2 installed in diff folder
 

i have my eq2 installed in a different location then c:\programfiles(86x)\sony or whatever i have it at D:\games\sony\everquest ||

i'm running vista 64 and i have gone to the options and changed the file paths so it routes to D:\games\sony\everquest ||\eq2.exe and D:\games\sony\everquest || but it still comes up with the must start manually message. its downloaded all the map files and such but they arent viewable in game

That should work, try to change the path again, remeber to select the everquest2.exe before you press open.

everything on the map updater settings points to the correct location, perhaps its more a problem with the game, this is a fairly new computer and when i downloaded the game off the website i now have to use the station launcher to access eq2, when i go thru the sony\everquest2 folder and click on the .exe file it will not bring up the updater it just launches the game in goes through the loading screens and a window pops up with username and password

if it isn't visible in game then you pointed it to the wrong location. Yes, there may be an EQ2 installation at the location you selected but you likely have more than one EQ2 installation on your discs without even knowing it. Just search your discs for everquest2.exe.

The patcher is eq2.exe

I had this problem few month back, the map-udater kept downloading the fles in the wrong folder.

I have done someting radical to fix this..

Made a copy of the big (Maps) folder to reduce the new dowload from SOE
Uninstalled EQ and checked register with RegEdit (be care full with this) for all the Everuest lines and it appeared to me had more than 1 path's. dont ask me how it came because i dont know.

removed all the lines with Everquest in it, booted the comp an installed a fresh EQ, psted the big folder back itoo EQ root (to prevent ong download), installed Mapupdate and made a fresh run... and all was k again.

I know its radical i did but it was worked for me :p

To force launchpad to use a specific path:

LaunchPad.exe /gamepatchpath:<fullpath>