If your computer meets the minimum system requirements installed game, then the problem is usually easily solved. Games do not start if the drivers installed on the computer need to be updated; missing (corrupted) required DirectX libraries, . net framework and Visual C++; there are viruses in the system or an error occurred during the download / installation of the game.
The game does not start: why and what to do about it?
Above, we have listed the main reasons why the game does not start. In the article we will consider each of them in turn and tell you what to do if this error occurs.
Before asking why something does not work or does not start at all, it is worth performing the basic steps from this instruction.
1. Non-compliance with system requirements
First of all, you need to make sure that the computer meets at least the minimum system requirements games. They can be found on the box, the game page on Steam or on the Internet. Information about the computer can be obtained in the "System" tab of the Control Panel, the characteristics of the video card are available in the "Device Manager" (right-click on the "My Computer" icon and select "Device Manager", find the "Display adapters" tab in it).
If the system requirements of the game exceed the specifications of your PC, further attempts to launch the game will, unfortunately, be unsuccessful.
2. Outdated/incorrectly installed drivers
You need to make sure that the drivers (especially for the video card) are installed and updated to the latest version.
You can learn more about this from our article: "How to install drivers on a video card correctly."
3. Absence of DirectX, .Net Framework and Visual C++ libraries or parts thereof
Games most often do not run on a computer that lacks the necessary files of the above libraries. In some cases, having the latest version does not guarantee that certain games will run. It is important to install exactly the version with which a particular game is compatible. As a rule, during the installation of the game, the program itself offers to install the necessary additional files.
If this does not happen, download the files from the official Microsoft website and install them.
4. The presence of viruses in the system
Malware may be preventing the game from running on your computer. It is necessary to scan the system with an antivirus - this may help solve the problem.
It's best to do this regularly, especially if you prefer pirated builds.
5. System compatibility
The error can occur if your operating system is Windows 7 or newer and the game you are trying to run was released for an older OS.
In this case, you should use compatibility mode. You can activate it in two ways:
- using automatic tuning: to do this, you need to right-click on the game icon and select "Fix Compatibility Issues", and then follow the instructions of the wizard;
- using manual setting: by right-clicking on the game icon, select the "Properties" menu, the "Compatibility" tab and select the required line from the drop-down list.
Typically, Windows XP Service Pack 3 Compatibility Mode solves most of these problems.
6. Error while downloading or installing the game
What to do if the above methods did not help? Most likely, the problem is related to a failure in the download or installation process. You can solve it only by re-downloading the game through Steam or simply reinstalling it.
Game won't start? Any problems? Error windows pop up? Other problems?
Most likely, some necessary components are not installed on your system! They are used in their work by many programs! Most users are unaware of their absence!
First, make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements (especially for the video card). To find out the configuration of your computer, you can use the program Speccy. You can check it out and download it.
Game installed but won't launch?
There can be many reasons, the main ones are listed below.
1. Choosing the path to install the game may affect its correct operation. If you changed the default installation path of the game and wrote it in Russian letters, this may be quite enough for the game not to work!
It is clear that Disk C not rubber and often you need to change the installation path of the game, for this just change the drive letter and that's it.
For example: From:/Games/Hexalot change to D:/Games/Hexalot
Accounts in the game and in Windows should be on English language (this solves most problems with crashes, not saving and other unforeseen errors).
2. If the game starts, there is sound, but there is no image, you need to uninstall K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, then install it again, when installing, be sure to remove the checks near fdshow. This problem occurs because the last K-Lite versions Mega Codec Pack is forced to install ffdshow plugin.
You also need to update your video card driver.
3. If a message appears when starting the game: "d3dx9_41.dll not found" or "d3dx9_33.dll" or "x_input.dll" etc., just download and install
Can be downloaded from the official site
Run it - an analysis will be made of the presence of libraries in your system and the missing elements will be loaded additionally.
4. Does the game slow down?
Pay attention to the system requirements of the game - if random access memory is not enough, you can increase the swap file:
Right click on the icon "A computer" – "Properties". Select "Advanced system settings".
Tab "Additionally" – "Performance", click on "Parameters".
Tab "Additionally", click on "Change".
In this window, check the box "Specify size" and set the initial and maximum dimensions paging file. Microsoft recommends that the original size should be RAM plus 300 MB, and the maximum more than three times the amount of RAM. There is also a recommended paging file size below.
5. If you have OS Windows 7 try running the game on behalf of the Administrator: right-click on the game shortcut - "Run as Administrator".
If it does not start, right-click on the game shortcut - "Fix incompatibilities".
Or: right-click on the game's shortcut - "Properties". Tab "Compatibility".
Required libraries and programs for the correct operation of most games:
Incorrect display of Russian fonts
Are there any squiggles instead of Russian letters?
The problem is solved like this: "Start" – "Execute...", enter regedit in the input field, press OK. The Registry Editor will open. Find the key in the registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet\Control\Nls\CodePage and change the value of the parameters 1250 , 1252 , 1253 on the c_1251.nls(It was c_1250.nls, c_1252.nls, c_1253.nls, will become c_1251.nls).
To do this, right-click on the desired page, as shown in the figure and click "Change"
In the window that appears, change the value to c_1251, manually replacing the last digit with 1 and press OK. You must restart your computer after changing the values.
In order not to climb into the registry with your hands, download the registry file from the link below, which automatically replaces the code page values. Unpack and run the file, agreeing to make an entry in the registry. After that, restart your computer.
If it does not help, you need to check the language settings.
"Start" – "Control Panel" – "Language and regional standards". See that Russian is selected.
What to do if the game does not start on Windows 7, 8, 10? This question can be asked by a user who has a problem starting the game after installing it. In this article, we will try to reveal all possible reasons and ways to solve this problem.
Causes of the error and its solution
The causes of the error, or the situation as a whole, may differ depending on many factors. They can be divided into 2 main groups:
- External factors- compatibility issue operating system or the influence of third-party software (for example, antivirus). Anything that prevents the game from launching equal conditions on another system or PC.
- Internal factors- an error on the part of the application itself: incorrect installation, a “broken” image or installer, as well as the absence or errors of software or drivers.
For the convenience and ease of perception of information, we will begin the description of each cause and method of solving the problem from the simplest and most frequent, ending with the more complex and rare.
1. Check system requirements and compatibility
You can check the system requirements on the store page, disc cover or on the site where the game was purchased or downloaded.
To find out the characteristics of your PC and, in the future, compare them with the requirements of the application, you can use utilities to display information about the components of the device (Speccy, and others) or use standard applications.
In Windows search, enter the command msinfo32 and open the "System Information" application, where the necessary information will be available.
Note! Game and Windows version compatibility is also important. Many modern applications may not start on Windows XP or, conversely, the old ones are unlikely to start on Windows 10 without additional manipulations.
You can try to run the program in compatibility mode if it is quite old. To do this, open the properties of the shortcut or application, go to “Compatibility” and set the compatibility settings for various operating systems. Try several configurations, maybe one will help you get started.
2. Drivers and programs
For the correct launch and operation of programs, an additional software. Under these categories, 2 types of software fit: drivers and components
Drivers- Software necessary to maintain the correct and productive operation of the equipment. For example, in order for the video card to work at full capacity on all modern games, it is necessary to update them periodically.
A common reason why the game does not start after installation is the missing or outdated version of the video driver. To do this, update the driver in Device Manager or download current version from the official site - AMD or NVIDIA.
But in addition to the drivers needed for the correct interaction of the hardware and the system, programs and libraries are required for interaction between Windows and the application.
These applications include:
- DirectX - you need to download and install the Web installer, which will add the missing files
- .NET Framework - you must install version 3.5, and 4.7.1 (the latest at the moment)
- Microsoft Visual C++ - for games to work, all versions from 2005 to 2017 are needed
- Games for Windows Live is a Microsoft client that is no longer updated. Not required for all games.
In general, if you install the game from the Steam client, all the necessary applications are updated or installed on their own, without user intervention. Also, some assemblies have a similar functionality for installing these applications from the installer. But not all builds, so it is advisable to update this software after installation.
3. Launch rights
Some games, especially pirated builds, require Administrator rights to run them. In user mode, without Admin rights, the game may simply not start.
You can change the permissions by right clicking on the game's shortcut and selecting "Run as administrator". Or change your account permanently.
To change user rights, enter the netplwiz command in the Run window.
Necessarily! To change rights, you must have an Administrator password, if any.
Then, double-click on the username and in the "Group Memberships" tab, select desired group- Administrator.
4. Poor assembly
In the event that games do not start on Windows 7 or 10, but you followed the previous recommendations, but they did not help, there is a possibility that the problem may lie in the installation error or the assembly itself.
One of the reasons why errors occur when installing or starting the game is poor optimization of the installer and the build as a whole. Such problems practically do not arise on licensed versions, for example, installed from Steam.
What to do in this case:
- Reinstall the game, the installation error may have been temporary
- Find a new assembly, it will probably install and run without any problems
- Install from Steam or another marketplace. You will have to buy it, but this will free you from wasting time looking for problems and trying to find a normal assembly.
5. Antivirus blocks files
IN Lately, Windows users 10 might have noticed that when installing pirated assemblies, more and more games stopped running. The reason for this is Windows Defender, which automatically blocks and deletes the files necessary to bypass protection. If earlier, third-party antiviruses had a notification and the file was transferred to quarantine, from where it could be easily restored. Now, Windows Defender almost immediately, after installing the application, removes the pill or crack.
To solve this problem, you can add the games folder to the exceptions, or simply disable Windows Defender.
- Go to the Windows Defender Security Center and in the Exclusions settings, add the desired folder
- To disable Defender completely, turn off Real-time Protection and Cloud Protection in its settings. Don't forget to install any other antivirus so you don't get left unprotected.
In this article, we answered the main question “why does the game not start?”, And also examined the causes of this error and how to solve them. If you have any questions or difficulties, we will be happy to answer in the comments.
Video: What to do if the game does not start on Windows
A huge number of users like to play computer games, but unfortunately, some of them are faced with such a situation that their favorite entertainment does not want to run on a PC. Let's find out what this phenomenon can be connected with and how this problem is solved.
There are many reasons why games on the computer do not start. But all of them can be divided into two main groups: the inability to launch individual games and the refusal to launch absolutely all gaming applications. In the latter case, most often, no programs are activated at all. Let's look at the individual causes of the problem under study and try to find algorithms for their elimination.
Reason 1: Weak hardware
If you have a problem with running not all games, but only resource-intensive applications, then it is more likely that the cause of the problem is a lack of hardware power. The weak link can be the processor, graphics card, RAM, or another important PC component. As a rule, the minimum system requirements for the normal operation of the game application are indicated on the disc box if you purchased the game on physical media, or they can be found on the Internet.
Now let's find out how you can view the main characteristics of your computer.
- click "Start" and in the menu that opens, right-click ( PKM) by name "A computer". In the list that appears, select "Properties".
- A window with the main characteristics of the system will open. Here you can find out the size of the PC's RAM, the frequency and model of the processor, the OS bit depth, as well as such an interesting indicator as the performance index. It is a comprehensive assessment of the main elements of the system, which is set according to the weakest link. Initially, this indicator was planned to be introduced, just to evaluate the computer for compatibility with specific games and programs. But unfortunately, this innovation did not find mass support from software manufacturers. However, some of them still indicate this index. If it is lower on your PC than indicated on the game, then most likely it will not start for you or will function with problems.
- To find out the weakest link in the system, you need to click on the name "Windows Experience Index".
- A window will open in which the following OS components are rated:
- Random access memory;
- Processor
- Graphics;
- Graphics for games;
- Winchester.
The component with the lowest score will be the weakest link, on the basis of which it is set. general index. Now you will know what needs to be improved in order to run large quantity game programs.
If you do not have enough information that is presented in the properties window Windows systems, and you, for example, want to know the power of the video card, then in this case you can use specialized third-party ones, for example, or.
What to do if some component or several elements do not meet the system requirements of the game? The answer to this question is simple, but its solution will require financial costs: it is necessary to purchase and install more powerful analogues of those devices that are not suitable for running a gaming application in terms of their performance.
Reason 2: Broken EXE file association
One of the reasons why games do not start may be a violation of the EXE file association. In this case, the system simply does not understand what to do with the objects. with the specified extension. The main sign that the named factor is the cause of the problem is that not only individual gaming applications are not activated, but absolutely all objects that have the EXE extension. Fortunately, there is a way to fix this problem.
- Need to go to "Registry Editor". To do this, open the window "Run", applying Win+R. In the area that opens, enter:
After entering, press OK.
- A tool called "Windows Registry Editor". Go to the section called "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT".
- In the list of folders that opens, look for a directory named ".exe". In the right part of the window, click on the parameter name "Default".
- The edit value window will open. In its only field, you need to enter the following expression, if there is other data there or if it is not filled at all:
After that click OK.
- Next, return to the section navigation and move to the directory named "exefile". It is located in the same directory "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT". Go to the right side of the window again and click on the parameter name "Default".
- This time, in the properties window that opens, type in the following expression, if it has not already been entered in the field:
To save the entered data, press OK.
- Finally, change to the directory shell, which is located inside the folder "exefile". Here again in the right area, look for the parameter "Default" and go to its properties, as you did in previous cases.
- And this time in the field "Meaning" type in the expression:
Click OK.
- After that, you can close the window "Registry Editor" and restart your computer. After the system is restarted, the standard EXE file associations will be restored, which means that you will be able to run your favorite games and other programs again.
Reason 3: Insufficient launch rights
Some games may not run due to the fact that in order to activate them, you must have elevated rights, that is, administrator rights. But even if you log into the system under the administrative account, then it will still be necessary to perform additional manipulations to launch the game application.
In addition, the issue under study sometimes occurs when, when installing a game, it was necessary to run the installer as an administrator, but the user activated it in normal mode. In this case, the application may be installed but restricted to system folders, preventing the executable from running correctly, even with administrative privileges. In this case, you need to completely uninstall the game application, and then install it by running the installer with administrator rights.
Reason 4: Compatibility issues
If you are unable to run any old game, then it is likely that it is simply not compatible with Windows 7. In this case, it is necessary to activate it in XP compatibility mode.
Reason 5: Outdated or incorrect video card drivers
The reason that you cannot start the game may well be outdated graphics adapter drivers. It also often happens that standard Windows drivers are installed on the computer instead of the analogue from the video card developer. This can also negatively affect the activation of applications that require a large number graphic resources. To correct the situation, you need to replace the existing video drivers with the latest versions or update them.
Of course, it is best to install the drivers on a PC with installation disk that came with the video card. If this is not possible, then you can download updated drivers from the official website of the manufacturer. But if you do not have a physical medium or you do not know the corresponding web resource, then there is still a way out of this situation.
- click "Start" and go to "Control Panel".
- Open section "System and safety".
- In the settings group "System" find a position "Device Manager" and click on it.
- window starts "Device Manager". Click on the title of the section "Video Adapters".
- A list of video cards connected to the computer will open. There may be several, but there may be one. In any case, click on the name of the active device, that is, the one through which the display is currently being performed graphic information on PC.
- The video card properties window opens. Move to section "Intelligence".
- In the window that opens, in the drop-down list "Property" choose an option "Hardware ID". Information about the ID of the video card will open. You must write or copy the longest value.
- Now launch your browser. You will need to go to a site to search for drivers by video card ID, which is called DevID DriverPack. A link to it is given in a separate lesson below.
- On the web resource page that opens, enter the pre-copied video card ID in the field. In the block « Windows Version» select a cell with a number "7". This means that you are looking for components for Windows 7. To the right of this block, indicate the bitness of your OS by checking the checkbox "x64"(for 64-bit OS) or "x86"(for 32-bit OS). Next click "Find drivers".
- The search results will open. Look for the latest version by date. As a rule, it is in the first place in the list, but the required information can be specified in the column "Driver version". Once you find the item you want, click the button. "Download" opposite him.
- The driver will be downloaded to the computer. Once the download is complete, you need to click on its executable file to begin installation on your PC.
- After installation is complete, restart your computer. If the problem of not being able to start the game was due to an incorrect or outdated driver, then it will be resolved.
If you do not want to bother with manual installation, then in this case you can resort to services that scan PCs, they themselves are looking for Latest updates drivers and install them. The most popular application of this class is .
Reason 6: Missing required system components
One of the reasons why games do not start may be the absence of certain system components or the presence of them outdated version. The fact is that not all the necessary elements from Microsoft included in the installation package. Therefore, they have to be additionally downloaded and installed in order to be able to perform tasks. increased complexity. But even if the component is present in the initial assembly, then it must be regularly updated. The most important such elements for launching game applications are , .
Some games are especially demanding and run in the presence of various "exotic" components that are not available on every computer. In this case, you need to carefully reread the requirement for installing this game application and install all the necessary objects. Therefore, specific recommendations cannot be given here, since different applications require different elements.
Reason 7: Missing required OS updates
Some modern games may not start simply because the operating system has not been updated on the computer for a long time. To solve this problem, you need to activate automatic update OS or install all necessary updates manually.
Reason 8: Cyrillic characters in the folder path
The game may not start for the reason that its executable file is located in a folder that contains Cyrillic characters in its name, or the path to this directory contains Cyrillic letters. Some applications only allow Latin characters in the file location directory address.
In this case, simply renaming will not help. You need to completely uninstall the game and install it again in that folder, the path to which contains only Latin characters.
Reason 9: Viruses
You should not discount such a cause of many computer problems as a virus infection. Viruses can block EXE files from running or even rename them. If a PC infection is suspected, it should be checked immediately antivirus utility. For example, one of the best such applications is .
Ideally, it is recommended to check from another PC or by starting the computer from a LiveCD/USB. But if you do not have such capabilities, then you can run this utility simply from a flash drive. If viruses are detected, follow the recommendations that are displayed in the antivirus window. But sometimes malware manages to damage the system. In this case, after removing it and restore them in case of damage.
There are many reasons why a game or a certain game application does not want to run on a computer under Windows control 7. We did not dwell on such banal situations as a poor assembly of the game itself, but described the main problems that may arise when it is activated, related to the functioning of the system. Define specific reason and eliminate it - this is the main task that falls on the user, and this guide will help in solving this problem.
« Reinstalled Windows. Now the games just won't launch. What to do? »
Perhaps everyone, at least once, faced difficulties in launching games after reinstalling Windows. Their range is diverse and I cannot give an exact guarantee that after reading this article everything will work out for you. But still I advise you to read it and, if it does not help, contact people on the forums.
Common Problems and Solutions
Most often, the dog is buried in elementary absence required software. Therefore, the first step is to install or update drivers. You can find out which drivers are missing or outdated like this: Start - Control Panel - Device Manager (relevant for Windows 7). All modules that need attention will be indicated by a yellow triangle with exclamation mark inside.
In addition, you can download the latest video card drivers from http://www.nvidia.ru/Download/index.aspx?lang=ru.
You should also pay attention to the DirectX library. It is required in all toys. And most of the problems are related to it. Here is the most common one:
There are two ways to resolve this error.
- Completely uninstall and then reinstall the entire DirectX library.
- Install the useful DXUpdate utility, which will download everything that is missing, and in the future will monitor the integrity and relevance of the DirectX library.
I would like to mention that this error is due to the inadvertent removal or relocation of this dll from the system-32 library directory. This could have happened as a result of antivirus activity, which is often considered given file as a potential threat. So next time, pay attention to what you delete.
« Reinstalled windows. Why does the game installed on drive D (non-primary) not start? »
The fact is that each game, in addition to copying the main components to the folder specified during installation, is registered in the registry and creates such a file in the Documents folder.
This file contains all system information required game program. Starting with the screen resolution and ending with the data of the game itself. Some toys prescribe their data there, without which they cannot be launched. Also, with the help of this file, you can adjust the game parameters, such as resolution or, for example, the parameters for entering information into the application, but this is a completely different topic.
So, when the operating system is demolished, the entire main disk is cleared, especially the registry, which is part of the operating system. Based on the fact that 90% of games, if not more, require a mandatory registration in the registry, they simply will not work after reinstalling Windows.
But there are exceptions. For example, if the forerunner game, after reinstalling Windows, shows that it cannot find some file, you can safely delete the remaining files. gaming application no longer exists for the computer. You'll have to reinstall it. It's much easier than "reanimating" it.
Conclusion: reinstalled Windows - lost all entries in the registry - reinstall all games.
