DOOM Eternal is out and players who have waited months for the game are suddenly unable to play the game due to errors. The “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup” are the most common errors with the game. There are various reasons due to which the error can emerge. Here are the causes and the fix for errors with the game.
Causes of “Crash at Startup” Or “Game Not Launching”
- Old Graphics Card Drivers: Just a day before the launch of DOOM Eternal, both Nvidia and Radeon released a new update for their drivers. The driver update has a fix for the game like COD Modern Warfare and DOOM. For Nvidia users, you can download the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver Version – 442.74 and AMD users, the version 20.3.1. The drivers are said to boost the performance of DOOM Eternal while addressing some known issues. You outdated drivers could be the cause of the problem, so, update them to fix the errors.
- Steam Overlay: If the game crashes right after the intro video, the cause of the problem can be the Steam Overlay. This feature has been known to act up with some games. You can resolve the error by disabling the Steam Overlay.
- Error with xinput1_3.dll File: If the game is not launching or crashing without an error, the possible cause can be hidden xinput1_3.dll file. Reinstalling the DirectX has resolved the error for most users.
- Windows Virus and Threat Protection or Antivirus: The Windows Virus and Threat Protection or the third-party antivirus installed on your PC protect you against malware and Trojans. However, sometimes the program can mistake the DOOM Eternal .exe file or the desktop launcher as a malicious program and block its functions. To resolve the issue, you can create an exclusion on the Windows Virus and Threat Protection or the antivirus for the game.
- Remove Third-party Game Optimization Software: If you are using GeForce Experience or the MSI Afterburner to optimize the game settings, it might be causing the problem. The fix is simple disable or uninstall the program to fix “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup” errors.
- Outdated Windows OS: Whether you are using Windows 7 or Windows 10, an outdated OS could also be the cause for this problem. Simply update the OS and the problem will be resolved.
- Lack of Privilege: By default, no software on Windows has the admin privilege, but it’s essential for games to perform certain functions, which leads to the error. Resolve the error by running the game with administrator permission.
If you face other errors with DOOM Eternal, you can refer to these blogs.
- Failed to Allocate Video Memory/ Vulkan-1.dll/You do not have permission to access this content.
- DOOM Eternal Audio Problem.
- PS4 Error “Content still pending.”
- Stuttering and Performance Problem.
Now, let’s try the fixes to resolve the errors with DOOM Eternal.
Fix 1: Update Graphics Card Drivers
If you use GeForce Experience, you can directly install the update from the software. Or, you can manually download the graphics card driver from the official website of respective manufacturers. After you have downloaded the copy, double-click and follow the onscreen instructions to install the software. You can also completely uninstall the driver using any third-party tool and install the new updated driver fresh.
Fix 2: Disable Steam Overlay
Disabling the Steam Overlay has resolved this error for a lot of users. You can disable it for specific games or for all games. We will show you how to disable Steam Overlay using the global settings disabling Overlay for all games. Here is how you can disable the Overlay for all games and fix errors “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup”.
- From the Steam client Home Screen, click on Steam
- Click on Settings and select the In-Game from the menu
- Uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game
- Click OK to save the changes.
- Now, try launching the game.
Fix 3: Reinstall DirectX
As discussed, if the xinput1_3.dll File is missing or hidden it can also lead to the errors “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup”. You can resolve this issue by reinstalling the DirectX. To do this, create a system restore, uninstall the current DirectX, download the latest DirectX from the official website, and install it.
Fix 4: Set Exclusion on Virus and Threat Protection /
Antivirus
As this problem can also be caused due to your system malware protection detecting DOOM Eternal .exe as malware, placing an exception on the DOOM folder can solve the errors “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup” error. Here are the steps to follow.
Windows Virus and Threat Protection
- Press Windows Key + I and select Update and Security
- Go to Windows Security and click on Virus & threat protection
- Under Virus & threat protection settings, click on Manage settings
- Scroll down to locate Exclusions, click on Add or remove exclusions
- Follow the on-screen instructions and add exclusion to DOOM Eternal folder installed on your PC.
Kaspersky
Internet Security
Home >> Settings >> Additional >> Threats and Exclusions >> Exclusions >> Specify Trusted Applications >> Add
AVG
Home >> Settings >> Components >> Web Shield >> Exceptions >> Set the exception
Avast
Antivirus
Home >> Settings >> General >> Exclusions >> Set the exclusion
Fix 5: Disable or Remove GeForce Experience / MSI
Afterburner
Sometimes the third-party software can tune the GPU settings that do not pair with the game leading to the error. By simply disabling the software, you can resolve the errors. You can uninstall the programs to disable them or simply disable them from the Task Manager. Disable the programs via any method that suits you. Once done, try playing the game and check if the error still appears.
Fix 6: Updating the Windows OS
If you are playing the game from Windows 7, the most probable cause of the problem is an outdated OS, you need to install the latest update for Win 7 – update KB3080149.
Often times, when the OS is outdated, it can cause problems with new games as new titles are designed for the updated version of the OS. Hence, update the Windows 10 OS to fix the problem.
You can do this via the Update application on your windows, search for updates and the latest update should appear. Install them all.
Fix 7: Provide the Game Admin Privileges
The “Game Not Launching” Or “Crash at Startup” can be caused when the game does not have admin permission. By providing the game admin privilege you can resolve the error. Here are the steps:
- Locate the game executable ( C:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda.net Launcher\games\DOOM Eternal or C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DOOM Eternal )
- Right-click and select Properties
- Go to Compatibility tab and check the box that reads Run this program as an administrator
- Save the changes.
We hope by now you would have resolved the crash on startup or not launching error. Let us know in the comments what worked for you.
Hi,
For me it helped when I installed the game in default bethesda launcher folder. Fault error logs gave me the same repeated errors. If you have also installed the game in different folder or drive then try reinstalling bethesda launcher and doom in same place. Hope this fixes your problem too.
I have tried every option listed here with the addition of the Vulcan dll file download in you other article and am still unable to launch the game. In the Bethesda launcher diagnostic report there is a repeated error which states “user is not entitled to branch (number) on product (number). User is not entitled to resource.” There is also an error that states “unable to fetch game branches list” and another that states “unable to find card data for game” I have sent this to Bethesda but it has been 3 days with no response. Any ideas?