Deep Rock Galactic Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: Deep Rock Galactic is an engaging cooperative first-person shooter designed for 1 to 4 players, created by Ghost Ship Games and released by Coffee Stain Publishing in May 2020 for PC and Xbox One.
The game immerses players in a vibrant universe inhabited by space dwarves, featuring fully destructible environments, procedurally generated caves, and relentless waves of alien creatures.
While the game has garnered positive feedback on Steam, some users have reported issues with launching the game on their PCs, which can be quite frustrating.
If you find yourself facing similar problems, this troubleshooting guide aims to help you resolve them. It’s not uncommon for PC games to experience various technical difficulties or bugs, and Deep Rock Galactic is no exception.
Many players have reported challenges such as startup crashes or the game failing to launch. Therefore, it’s essential to identify the root cause of these issues and implement effective solutions to ensure a smooth gaming experience.
Why Won’t Deep Rock Galactic Launch?
The launch of Deep Rock Galactic faced significant challenges, primarily due to a variety of bugs and connectivity issues impacting players across all gaming platforms.
While it’s clear that the game has its share of problems, it’s important to recognize that certain issues may also stem from the player’s own system or setup, which can lead to difficulties in launching or experiencing crashes.
Several factors may prevent Deep Rock Galactic from starting properly. These include an outdated game patch, outdated graphics drivers, or an unsupported version of Windows.
Additionally, missing or corrupted game files, problems with the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and unnecessary background processes can contribute to these launch issues. Some players might also face difficulties due to incompatible hardware, active background tasks, or the presence of overlay applications. Let’s explore these potential problems in more detail.
Fix: Deep Rock Galactic Not Loading on PC
It appears that you are experiencing difficulties launching the Deep Rock Galactic game on your Windows PC, or the game may be stalling and crashing after a period of time. In this case, you can systematically try each of the suggested troubleshooting steps to determine if they resolve your issue.
1. Check System Requirements
To begin with, it’s essential to verify if your computer’s specifications align with the game’s system requirements. Incompatible hardware can often lead to various problems when attempting to launch the game.
Minimum System Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7 64 Bit
- Processor: 2.4 GHz Dual Core
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 5770 /w 1GB VRAM
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Recommended System Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64 Bit
- Processor: 2.4 GHz Quad-Core
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA 970 / AMD Radeon 290
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 3 GB available space
2. Run the game as an Administrator
Running your video game without administrator privileges can lead to various issues, such as startup crashes or problems with the game not loading properly.
To resolve these potential problems, it is advisable to run the game’s executable file with administrator rights on your Windows computer. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Right-click the shortcut for Deep Rock Galactic on your desktop or in your file explorer.
- 2. Choose “Properties” from the context menu.
- 3. Navigate to the “Compatibility” tab in the Properties window.
- 4. Check the box labeled “Run this program as an administrator.”
- 5. Click “Apply,” and then hit “OK” to confirm the changes.
This simple adjustment may help improve your gaming experience by addressing any launch-related issues.
3. Verify Integrity of Game Files
In the event that your game files are corrupted or missing due to unforeseen circumstances, utilizing the game launcher to verify and repair them can be beneficial. Here’s how you can go about it:
- 1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate Deep Rock Galactic in your list of installed games and right-click on it.
- 3. Select Properties from the context menu, then proceed to the Local Files tab.
- 4. Click on the option to Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- 5. Allow the process to run until it completes.
- 6. Once verification is finished, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
This process can help restore your game to proper functioning order.
4. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
- Head over to the following path on your PC:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\vcredist
- You should see the following folders:
- 2012\vc_redist.x64.exe
- 2013\vc_redist.x64.exe
- 2019\vc_redist.x64.exe
Ensure that you execute all the available executable files.
If you have multiple folders, be sure to run the vc_redist.x64.exe file located within each of them. After completing these steps, restart your computer to resolve the issue.
5. Update DirectX
- Go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX folder path.
- Next, run the DXSETUP.exe file to reinstall/update DirectX.
- Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.
6. Update GPU Drivers
Several players experiencing issues have pointed out that their graphics drivers are outdated. If you’ve been using an older graphics driver as well, it’s important to check for updates. To do this, follow these steps:
- 1. Press the Windows key and the X key simultaneously to access the Quick Link Menu.
- 2. From the menu, select Device Manager.
- 3. In Device Manager, locate and double-click on Display adapters.
- 4. Find your active dedicated graphics card, right-click on it, and choose Update driver.
- 5. Then, select the option to Search automatically for drivers.
- 6. If an update is available, your system will automatically download and install it.
- 7. After the installation is complete, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
This process should help resolve the issue of Deep Rock Galactic not launching on your PC. If the problem persists, consider exploring additional troubleshooting methods.
7. Disable Overlay Apps
Some players experiencing difficulties with game launches have reported that turning off overlay applications like Xbox or Discord on their Windows computers has resolved the issue.
Since these overlay apps operate in the background whenever the game client is opened, they can sometimes interfere with system processes or resource allocation, leading to problems. Disabling them may provide a straightforward solution to enhance game performance.
8. Install All Pending Windows Updates
There may be instances where certain bugs in Windows or system files could interfere with the game’s functionality. Additionally, if your software has not been updated in some time, compatibility issues might arise. To ensure optimal performance, it’s advisable to install any outstanding Windows updates and upgrade to the latest operating system version. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Press the Windows key + I simultaneously to access the Windows Settings menu.
- 2. Navigate to Update & Security and click on the “Check for updates” option in the Windows Update section.
- 3. If a feature update is available, select “Download and install.”
- 4. Allow some time for the update process to complete.
- 5. Finally, restart your computer to implement the changes.
9. Disable Antivirus and Firewall Program
To begin, access the Start menu and enter “Control Panel” in the search bar, then select it from the results. Next, in the search field of the Control Panel, input “firewall” and choose “Windows Firewall.”
In the left sidebar, click on the option to “Turn Windows Firewall on or off.” Ensure that you select the option to disable the Windows Firewall for all network settings: Private, Domain, and Public. After making these changes, restart your computer to ensure they take effect and to assess whether the issue persists.
In addition to disabling the firewall, it’s also necessary to turn off the antivirus protection provided by Windows Defender. To do this, navigate to Windows Settings, then select “Privacy and Security.” Proceed to “Windows Security” and click on “Virus & threat protection.”
From there, click “Manage settings” and toggle off the “Real-time Protection” feature. Remember to restart your PC again to apply these changes.
If you are using a third-party antivirus software, be sure to disable it manually as well.
11. Perform a Clean Boot
To begin troubleshooting, press the Windows key along with the R key simultaneously to access the Run dialog box. In the dialog, enter “msconfig” and press Enter to bring up the System Configuration window.
Next, navigate to the Services tab and check the option that says “Hide all Microsoft services.” After doing this, click on the “Disable all” button. Don’t forget to apply the changes by clicking on Apply, followed by OK.
Following this, head over to the Startup tab and select “Open Task Manager.” In the Task Manager, under the Startup tab, you’ll see a list of programs that launch during startup. Review these and click on each item you wish to disable, specifically targeting those that have a high impact on startup performance.
Once you have disabled the desired programs, restart your computer to implement these changes. After rebooting, check if the issue with Deep Rock Galactic not launching has been resolved.
12. Close Background Processes
- To access the Task Manager, simultaneously press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys on your keyboard.
- Navigate to the Processes tab and identify the task you wish to terminate.
- After selecting the desired task, click on the “End Task” button.
- Remember to repeat this process for each individual task you want to close.
- Once you have completed these steps, simply restart your computer to apply the changes immediately.
13. Reset Deep Rock Galactic
- To access the Quick Link Menu, simultaneously press the Windows (Start) key and the X key.
- From the menu that appears, choose “Apps and Features.” Locate “Deep Rock Galactic” in the list of installed applications and select it.
- Next, navigate to “Advanced options” and click on the “Reset” option.
- After completing this process, restart your computer and attempt to launch the game again.
14. Reinstall Deep Rock Galactic
If you have tried all other options and the game still won’t launch, consider reinstalling Deep Rock Galactic to address the issue. Here’s how you can do it:
- 1. Open the Steam client on your computer.
- 2. Navigate to your Library and locate Deep Rock Galactic.
- 3. Right-click on the game title.
- 4. Select “Manage” from the dropdown menu and then choose “Uninstall.”
- 5. Confirm the uninstallation by clicking “Uninstall” again if prompted, and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.
- 6. Once uninstalled, it’s advisable to restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.
- 7. After rebooting, open the Steam client again and reinstall the game using your current Steam account.
This process may help resolve the launching issue with Deep Rock Galactic. We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any further questions or need assistance, feel free to leave a comment below. Enjoy your gaming experience!
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