Bypass the launcher for EQ:
Right click the launcher and hold, then drag to area of your desktop or where ever and select "Create shortcuts here".
Rename it something appropriate, such as: EQ bypass launcher
Right click the shortcut you just created, select: Properties
In the Properties window, the Target: box will be something like: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\EverQuest\LaunchPad.exe"
Change it to one of the following depending on your windows version:
Windows 7: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\EverQuest\eqgame.exe" patchme
or
Windows XP: "C:\Program Files\Sony\EverQuest\eqgame.exe" patchme
Notes:
- The quotes above are required.
- Adjust the target path as appropriate to where EQ is installed on your system.