Satisfactory just released early access for players. It’s a factory simulation game with a mix of combat and explorations. You can play the game alone or with friends. The first few hours on the game was amazing; however, a lot of users have encountered problems with Satisfactory such as game not launching, crash at startup, or crash to desktop.
Such problems with games have become a usual. Every one out of three games have the same error. Fortunately, that has allowed us to devise some sure shot fix to the problem. However, the fixes will only work if your graphics and OS is updated. So, perform the gamer’s modus operandi first and ensure everything on your rid or system is up-to-date.
Satisfactory not launching or crash at startup can be caused when the game is not using the dedicated GPU. Players on laptop or those who have two graphics card on their system encounter this issue. To fix the issue, ensure that the game uses the dedicated or the best graphics card on the system. For Nvidia user, open the NVIDIA Control panel > Manage 3D Settings > select High-performance NVIDIA processor. Click Apply to save the changes and exit.
AMD users can do the same through the Radeon Settings. If you want me to instruct the steps for the same, comment in the blog.
Once you have tried the above step and the crash at startup or to desktop still occurs, you can proceed with the other fixes we have shared. But, before that, let’s look at the causes of the problem.
Causes of Crash at Startup and Game Not Launching in Satisfactory
Old Graphics Card Drivers
Both NVIDIA and AMD release driver updates frequently. If you are using an outdated driver on a new game that can cause problems as games are developed to run on the latest driver software. Hence, the first troubleshooting step you must perform is check if a recent driver update is available.
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.
Windows Virus and Threat Protection or Antivirus
The Windows Virus and Threat Protection or the third-party antivirus installed on your PC protects you against malwares and Trojans. However, sometimes the program can mistake the Satisfactory .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.
Now, let’s try the fixes to resolve the errors with Satisfactory.
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 and disabling Overlay for all games. Here is how you can disable the Overlay for all games and fix Satisfactory 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: Set Exclusion on Virus and Threat Protection / Antivirus
As this problem can also be caused due to your system malware protection detecting Satisfactory .exe as a malware, placing an exception on the game folder can solve the 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 Satisfactory 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 4: Disable or Remove GeForce Experience / MSI Afterburner
Sometimes the third-party software can tune the GPU settings that does 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 5: Provide the Game Admin Privileges
The Satisfactory “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
- Right-click and select Properties
- Go to Compatibility tab and check the box that reads Run this program as an administrator
- Save the changes.
Game Not Launching On Proton
Satisfactory is not designed to run on a Linux operating system. Hence, you require Proton to play the game. However, users are reporting they are unable to launch the game on proton. The possible cause can be your graphics driver software. For NVIDIA users, try using the Studio driver or uninstall the driver and reinstall. Then, reinstall the game and all should be well. You should be able to play.
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.
