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Installation

ZCORE has a two-part runtime: a small EFI bootloader that arms a kernel-level hook on each boot, and the Windows launcher that uses that hook to load the per-game module. You set the EFI side up first, then install the launcher.

1. Create an account​

ZCORE is invite-only. You need an invite code to register.

  1. Go to zcore.club/register
  2. Enter a username, email, password, and your invite code
  3. Log in at zcore.club/login

If you don't have an invite code, ask a current member or check the Discord.

2. Buy a subscription​

Before you can use the launcher, you need an active subscription for at least one game.

  1. Go to the Store
  2. Pick a game, then select a plan and duration
  3. Your purchase goes into pending state — an admin confirms it manually
  4. Once confirmed, the status changes to active and the game appears on your dashboard
info

Subscriptions expire on the date shown in My Subscriptions. There is no auto-renewal.

3. Prepare your machine​

Three things on the gaming PC need to be set before the EFI bootloader can run:

Boot mode: UEFI​

ZCORE is UEFI-only. Legacy / CSM boot is not supported. Most modern machines are UEFI by default; if yours boots in legacy mode, switch to UEFI in firmware setup. Switching boot mode usually requires reinstalling Windows on a GPT disk — handle this before you go further.

Secure Boot: off​

The ZCORE EFI bootloader isn't signed with a Microsoft-trusted key, so Secure Boot rejects it.

  1. Reboot into firmware setup (usually Del or F2 during early boot — board-dependent)
  2. Find Secure Boot under the Security or Boot section and disable it
  3. Save and exit

Memory Integrity (HVCI): off​

ZCORE's kernel driver loader is incompatible with Hyper-V Code Integrity.

  1. Open Windows Security → Device security → Core isolation details
  2. Turn Memory integrity off
  3. Reboot

The green HVCI pip on the launcher's status strip after first login confirms this is set correctly.

Antivirus exclusion​

The launcher and its temp download path should be excluded from real-time scanning, otherwise Defender / your AV may quarantine update files or modules mid-flight.

Add exclusions for:

  • The folder you install the launcher into
  • %TEMP% (or at minimum %TEMP%\zcore-client-update.exe)

4. Prepare the EFI bootloader USB​

The EFI bootloader is shipped as a small directory tree (a few MB total) that boots from a USB stick. You'll boot from this stick before every ZCORE session.

What you need​

  • A USB stick (any size — the bundle is under 2 MB; an old 1 GB stick is fine)
  • The ability to reformat it (any existing data on the stick will be lost)

Steps​

  1. Format the USB stick as FAT32

    • Plug the stick in
    • Open This PC, right-click the stick → Format...
    • File system: FAT32
    • Allocation unit size: default
    • Click Start, confirm the warning

  2. Download the EFI bundle from your Dashboard — the Download EFI button gives you a ZIP file.

  3. Extract the ZIP directly to the root of the USB stick. After extraction the stick should contain:

    E:\startup.nsh
    E:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
    E:\EFI\ZCORE\zcore.efi

    (Drive letter E: will be whatever your USB stick is.) The exact filenames and folder structure matter — the firmware looks for EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi at the root.

warning

Don't put the files in a subfolder. If you extracted into E:\zcore-efi\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi instead of E:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi, firmware won't find them and the stick won't boot. Move them up to the root.

Test the USB boot​

You should confirm the stick boots before installing the launcher.

  1. Leave the USB plugged in
  2. Reboot the PC
  3. As the machine is starting, press the boot menu key (usually F11, F12, or Esc — board-dependent; you'll see it briefly on the splash screen)
  4. From the boot menu, pick your USB stick (often shown as the stick's brand name, or as UEFI: USB)
  5. You'll briefly see the ZCORE logo flash — that's the EFI bootloader installing its hook
  6. The PC then continues booting into Windows normally

If you don't see the logo flash, see Troubleshooting → "EFI doesn't boot from USB".

info

The EFI hook lives in firmware runtime memory and is cleared on every reboot. You need to boot from the USB stick once per session — every time you cold-boot or restart the machine and want to use ZCORE.

If you log in to Windows without booting from the USB first, the launcher's EFI pip on the status strip will be red and inject will fail.

5. Download the launcher (one-time)​

Once you have an active subscription:

  1. Open your Dashboard
  2. The current launcher version and download link appear in the system status card
  3. Download and place the executable in a normal local folder (your user directory works fine — avoid synced cloud folders like OneDrive and read-only paths like C:\Program Files)
info

You only need to do this once. The launcher updates itself automatically after every login — no manual re-downloads.

6. Launch and inject​

Every ZCORE session looks like this:

  1. Plug in the EFI USB stick, reboot, boot from it (firmware boot menu → pick the USB → see the ZCORE logo flash → Windows starts)
  2. Right-click the launcher → Run as administrator
  3. The splash connects to the backend; once it shows READY FOR LOGIN, sign in
  4. On first sign-in your hardware (HWID) is bound to your account
  5. Wait for the auto-update to finish if one is pending (the splash will show progress)
  6. Confirm all required pips on the status strip are green (EFI, Driver after first inject, HVCI)
  7. Start the game you have a subscription for
  8. In the launcher, select the game on the rail and click Inject
warning

The client session is tied to your hardware ID. Using the launcher on a different machine requires an HWID reset — see Profile or Troubleshooting.

System requirements​

RequirementDetails
OSWindows 10 / 11 (64-bit) on a GPT disk
Boot modeUEFI (not Legacy / CSM)
Secure BootOff
Memory Integrity (HVCI)Off
PrivilegesAdministrator (required for the kernel driver load)
USB stickAny capacity, formatted FAT32
AntivirusExclusion for the launcher folder and %TEMP%
Install locationWritable local path (not OneDrive, not Program Files without elevation)
InternetRequired at all times — the launcher maintains a live session