Sea of Thieves Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: “Sea of Thieves is an engaging action-adventure multiplayer game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios. This game allows enthusiasts of piracy to immerse themselves in the thrill of a pirate’s life, featuring activities such as sailing ships, battling foes, exploring uncharted territories, and looting treasures.
However, if you’re experiencing issues with the game not launching after startup, this guide is designed to help you troubleshoot and resolve the problem.
If you’re encountering similar difficulties, it’s essential to follow this comprehensive troubleshooting guide. Like many PC games, Sea of Thieves is not immune to occasional technical glitches or errors.
A significant number of players have reported experiencing crashes during startup or failures to launch altogether. Identifying the root cause and implementing a solution is crucial for restoring your gaming experience.”
Why Won’t Sea of Thieves Launch?
The launch of Sea of Thieves faced significant challenges, primarily due to numerous bugs and connectivity issues affecting players across all gaming platforms.
While it’s important to acknowledge that Sea of Thieves has its share of technical problems, it’s also essential to recognize that certain issues may stem from the player’s own setup, whether directly or indirectly impacting the game’s performance.
Several factors could be preventing you from launching Sea of Thieves. These include outdated game patches, older versions of graphics drivers or Windows, missing or corrupted game files, problems with the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and unnecessary background processes.
Additionally, some users may experience launching difficulties due to incompatible hardware, conflicting background tasks, or the presence of overlay applications. Let’s explore these issues further to help you resolve them.
Fix: Sea of Thieves Not Loading on PC
If you’re experiencing difficulties launching Sea of Thieves on your Windows PC, or if the game crashes after a brief period of play, you may find the following troubleshooting steps helpful. Please go through each suggested solution methodically to determine if it resolves 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:
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Q9450 @ 2.6GHz or AMD Phenom II X6 @ 3.3 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 or AMD Radeon 7750
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 50 GB available space
Recommended System Requirements:
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i5 4690 @ 3.5GHz or AMD FX-8150 @ 3.6 GHz
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon R9 380x
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 50 GB available space
2. Run the game as an Administrator
Running your video game without administrator privileges can lead to various issues, such as problems with launching, unexpected crashes, or even failure to load altogether. To potentially resolve these issues, it’s advisable to run the game executable as an administrator on your Windows computer. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Right-click on the Sea of Thieves shortcut on your desktop or in your file explorer.
- 2. Choose ‘Properties’ from the context menu, then navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
- 3. Locate the option that says ‘Run this program as an administrator’ and check the box next to it.
- 4. Click ‘Apply,’ then press ‘OK’ to confirm and save your changes.
This simple step might help improve your gaming experience.
3. Verify Integrity of Game Files
In the event that your game files are found to be corrupted or missing due to unforeseen circumstances, utilizing the game launcher to verify and repair these files can be quite beneficial. Here’s how you can do this on the Steam client:
- 1. Open the Steam application and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate “Sea of Thieves” in your list of installed games and right-click on it.
- 3. Select “Properties” from the context menu, then click on the “Local Files” tab.
- 4. Choose the option labeled “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”
- 5. Allow the verification process to complete; this may take some time.
- 6. After the process is finished, it’s advisable to restart your computer.
This procedure can help restore any missing or damaged files, ensuring a smoother gaming experience.
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
Please ensure that you execute all of the available executable files. If you have multiple folders, be sure to run the vc_redist.x64.exe file located in each of them. Once you have completed these steps, restart your computer to resolve the issue.
5. Update DirectX
- Navigate to the folder located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX.
- After reaching this directory, execute the DXSETUP.exe application to reinstall or update DirectX.
- Once the process is complete, be sure to restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.
6. Update GPU Drivers
Numerous players experiencing issues have indicated that they are using an outdated graphics driver. If you suspect that your graphics driver may also be outdated, follow these steps to check for and install any updates:
- 1. Press the Windows key and the X key simultaneously to access the Quick Link Menu.
- 2. From the menu, select Device Manager, then double-click on Display adapters to expand the section.
- 3. Right-click on your active dedicated graphics card.
- 4. Choose the option to Update driver, and then select Search automatically for drivers.
- 5. If an update is found, your system will begin the download and installation process automatically.
- 6. After the update is complete, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
This process should resolve the issue of Sea of Thieves not launching on your PC. If the problem persists, you may want to explore other troubleshooting methods.
7. Disable Overlay Apps
Several players who have experienced issues with their games not launching have reported that turning off overlay applications like Xbox or Discord on their Windows computers has resolved the problem.
Since these overlay apps operate in the background when the game client is initiated, they may interfere with system processes or resource allocation, potentially causing launch failures.
8. Install All Pending Windows Updates
There may be occasions where certain bugs or system files within Windows interfere with the game’s ability to function correctly. Additionally, if your software has not been updated in some time, it can lead to compatibility issues. To ensure optimal performance, it’s important to install any pending Windows updates and keep your operating system up to date. Here’s how you can do this:
- 1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to access the Windows Settings menu.
- 2. Navigate to Update & Security, then click on Check for updates in the Windows Update section.
- 3. If a feature update is available, select the option to Download and install it.
- 4. Allow some time for the update process to complete.
- 5. Finally, restart your computer to implement the changes immediately.
By following these steps, you can help prevent potential conflicts and improve the overall performance of your game.
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, search for “firewall” in the Control Panel search field and choose “Windows Firewall.” In the left-hand menu, click on “Turn Windows Firewall on or off.”
- Ensure that you select the option to disable Windows Firewall for Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings.
After making these adjustments, restart your computer to implement the changes and verify if the issue persists.
- In addition, you will need to disable Windows Defender antivirus protection by following these steps:
- Navigate to Windows Settings and select “Privacy and Security.”
- From there, go to “Windows Security” and then “Virus & threat protection.” Click on “Manage settings” and toggle off the “Real-time Protection” feature.
- Once you have completed these steps, restart your PC to ensure the changes take effect.
If you are using a third-party antivirus software, remember to deactivate it manually as well.
10. Perform a Clean Boot
To begin, press the Windows and R keys together to bring up the Run dialog box. In the box that appears, enter “msconfig” and press Enter to access the System Configuration window.
Next, navigate to the Services tab and select the option to “Hide all Microsoft services.” After that, click on “Disable all” to turn off non-Microsoft services. Don’t forget to click “Apply,” followed by “OK” to confirm your changes.
Proceed to the Startup tab and click on “Open Task Manager.” In the Task Manager’s Startup section, identify any enabled programs that launch at startup. For each of these high-impact programs, click on them individually and select “Disable.”
Once you have disabled all unnecessary startup items, restart your computer to implement the changes. Finally, check to see if the issue with Sea of Thieves not launching on your PC has been resolved.
11. Close Background Processes
To launch Task Manager, simultaneously press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys. 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 task you want to close individually. Once you have finished, restart your computer to apply the changes immediately.
12. Reset Sea of Thieves
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 and select “Sea of Thieves” from the list of installed applications.
Next, click on “Advanced options,” and then proceed to select the “Reset” option. After the reset process is complete, restart your computer and attempt to launch the game again.
13. Reinstall Sea of Thieves
If you’ve tried all the previous solutions and are still unable to launch Sea of Thieves, reinstalling the game may be your best option. Here’s how you can do it:
- 1. Open the Steam client on your computer.
- 2. Navigate to your Library and locate Sea of Thieves.
- 3. Right-click on the game title and select the “Manage” option.
- 4. Choose “Uninstall” from the dropdown menu.
- 5. If a confirmation prompt appears, click “Uninstall” again and follow the on-screen instructions to remove the game completely.
- 6. After the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.
- 7. Once your computer is back up, launch the Steam client again and reinstall Sea of Thieves using your existing Steam account.
Following these steps should help resolve any issues with launching the game. We hope you find this guide useful! If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Enjoy your gaming experience!
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