New computer won't run games. Why don't games open?
Regular computer users and fans of computer games (of any age) regularly encounter one annoying problem - their favorite game does not start. How to find out why games won't launch on my computer? Where to start? Let's find out in the article!
The main thing is not to panic. Now, let's look at the possible reasons:
The main reasons why games do not start
Reason #1) Weak computer
Why don’t games launch on my computer and what should I do? First of all, find out the parameters of your computer. The game requires certain system requirements (or appropriate configuration) from your computer, but it does not have any.
That is, literally, the computer, in terms of its system and software parameters, does not meet the requirements of the game. So start by checking whether a particular game is suitable for your computer (information about the game’s system requirements can be found on the back of the disc, or simply on the Internet). We compare the following parameters:
- Windows operating system type;
- processor type (or CPU);
- indicator of the amount of random access memory (RAM);
- video adapter indicators;
- hard drive capacity – each game requires a certain amount of space on your computer’s hard drive to install;
- The game may also require additional software or updates.
Reason No. 2) Problems with the video card software (lack of drivers necessary for operation)
To check the status or availability of the driver, go to the “START” menu, right-click on “MY COMPUTER”.
Find the item “PROPERS” in the drop-down list. Next, a window will open in which you need to click on the “EQUIPMENT” tab. Then, go to the “TASK MANAGER”. In the device manager tree, select “VIDEO ADAPTERS”.
If you see exclamation marks near some lines, this means that the driver requires either reinstallation, update, or complete replacement.
It may even be that your system is running on an integrated VGA driver, but the driver for your specific video card is not installed at all.
Reason #3) Components for running games are not installed
People often ask why games won’t run on Windows 7? An update is required for DirectX, the software module responsible for the graphical execution of the game. Or, your computer may be missing a file with a .dll extension. In this case, you need to install all the necessary components from the links below:
Other possible reasons
There is not enough space on your hard drive to install the game
If such a problem occurs, the game either simply does not install or freezes during the installation process. When installing most modern games, installation also requires additional space to unzip temporary files. Therefore, please note that when installing games, your hard drive must have twice the space of the game itself.
The CD containing your game is damaged.
If the visible surface of the disc is simply dirty, then this problem can be easily solved with a cotton pad, a weak soap solution and a dry soft towel. If your disc is mechanically damaged (for example, scratched), then most likely trying to launch the game is a futile endeavor. The only option is to try to read the disk on a new drive model using special programs for recovering information on the disk. If successful, you can create a virtual disk image and, in the future, copy it to new media.
Game incompatibility problem with operating system
In this case, you can try turning on compatibility mode. To do this, right-click on the game icon and in the new window that opens, click on the “COMPATIBILITY” tab. Next to “Run the program in compatibility mode for...” you should select a compatible operating system.
Operating system errors and viruses
If everything is hidden only in viruses, then anti-virus software will save you. All sorts of utilities for cleaning the registry will get rid of errors in the system - most of them are available for free download.
Do not forget, also, about such a built-in system mechanism. Although, the most reliable and proven option is a completely reinstalled Windows system.
Surely almost every computer user, even those who mainly work on it, at least sometimes plays computer games as a form of relaxation. From time to time you just want to unwind, take your mind off work and change your type of activity. Other users specifically purchase a computer with regular entertainment in mind. And even the most powerful and advanced computer or laptop is by no means immune from a situation where the game does not start. Various errors may appear, a black or blue screen pops up, or the launch shortcut simply does not respond to mouse clicks. There are many possible symptoms. What to do? Why is this happening? What points should you pay attention to first in order to solve the difficulties that have arisen? This is what our material today will be about.
Inconsistency with system requirements
For any game, the developer must indicate the necessary system requirements. They can be found on the disc box or on the game's official website if you prefer a digital copy instead of a disc. After reading them, you will be able to understand what parameters your computer or laptop must have so that you can run the game. There are two types of requirements:
- Recommended, that is, those with which you can play normally on normal settings.
- Minimum, at which you can play at the lowest game settings.
Your computer or laptop must meet at least the minimum recommendations, otherwise you will encounter a situation where games do not launch. Practice shows that if your computer has a dual-core processor and less than 4 gigabytes of RAM, most modern games will be inaccessible to you. Therefore, if you expect to be entertained regularly, take care of the power reserve by installing an advanced video card, a powerful quad-core processor and at least 8 gigabytes of RAM.
Your computer must have: a powerful quad-core processor and at least 8 gigabytes of RAM
REMEMBER! If you have weak hardware, then no programs or drivers will improve its performance! Be prepared to pay either in money or in limited performance!
Outdated drivers
Drivers are special system programs that control the operation of all installed equipment. For the computer to work correctly, it is advisable that all of them are updated regularly. In principle, the system will work even if this is not done, and quite normally, but a feature of almost all modern games is sensitivity to the latest driver versions. Their developers regularly release updates in which a wide variety of innovations can be implemented. Game developers, in turn, can release games with the latest driver updates. If they are outdated or, by coincidence, missing at all, the games will not launch.
It is most important to have driver updates for the video card, although in some cases it may be necessary for other components, for example, the sound card (when using special sound effects) or the chipset (when using processor acceleration technologies). How can you check which software versions you have installed and update them if necessary? To get started, go to Device Manager, select the equipment you need, for example, video card, chipset, speakers, double-click, and then a window with details will open. In the “General” tab you will see the device model. Also look at the “Driver” tab, where you need to pay attention to the lines “Development date” and “Driver version”. Remember this information or write it down. If the driver is not installed, then go to the “Information” tab to find out the digital identifier of the equipment. To see it, click on the pop-up line and select "Value". An alphanumeric code will be displayed which you will need to copy.
Now let's move on directly to updating the drivers. In what ways can this be done?
- Download from the manufacturer's official website. If you know the model of your laptop or computer, video card, go to the website, open the page with drivers, select the model or series of devices, as well as the operating system version. Download the necessary files and install like regular programs.
- If only the ID is known, open the website http://devid.info, paste the copied ID into the search bar, select the desired version of the file, and after downloading, install it in the usual way.
- Install special utilities to search and update drivers. The principle of their operation is to scan the system and download the required driver versions. You can find a large number of them on the Internet. However, you should use them carefully. Why? It is important to consider that such utilities often contain a lot of advertising and install a bunch of different third-party software.
- Take advantage of the driver package with automatic installation. You will need to download a file weighing approximately 10-12 gigabytes, which contains almost all possible drivers for any component of the computer and any version of the Windows operating system. In our opinion, the best such package is SamDrivers. Among its advantages are the latest versions of software for any component of the computer, as well as the ability to use one of four automatic installers that will scan your system and make the update as painless as possible. In addition, it provides the ability to automatically create restore points so that you can restore Windows 10 to error-free operation in the event of an incorrect installation. By the way, we recommend using Snappy Driver Installer, since it has the fewest errors and works most correctly. To use it, you need to download the archive in ISO format. This is a disk image format. To start installing drivers, mount the virtual disk on the system. If you use Windows 10 or 8, this can be done through standard Explorer. If the version of Windows is older, use an application for working with virtual disks or unpack it like a regular archive using WinRAR. After that, run the automatic installer exe file, wait until it scans the system, mark the drivers you need to update and wait a few minutes until they are installed.
Lack of required software components
Usually, along with the game, third-party software components necessary for its normal launch are installed. If they are missing or their version does not correspond to the one for which the game is designed, it may not start or display various errors. What software components are needed to run the game normally?
DirectX
One of the most important software components, much like the drivers for a video card. Used to develop various applications for the Windows operating system. Most often used in games. The developers are developing the game for use with a specific version of DirectX, so for it to work fully it must be installed on your computer. In the vast majority of cases, DirectX is included in the game's installation package, but in some cases you will still have to install it manually. Why? The package may not be installed for various reasons, for example, the developer forgot to include it in the installation file.
Fortunately, you don't need to keep all existing versions on your computer, because the files from the previous ones are included with the newer ones. This means that you just need to download and install the latest version of DirectX from the official website. Follow this link https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/Download/confirmation.aspx?id=35, and in just a few seconds the file will start downloading automatically, and it will immediately match your version of Windows. Run the downloaded exe file and follow the installer's instructions.
An equally important software component used by game developers. Responsible for the compatibility of programs written in different programming languages. If a component is missing, there may be problems launching the game. True, it is included by default in the Windows system, and the newer the version, the newer the version of the Net Framework. However, in some cases you may need to install or update the utility manually. To do this, just go to the official website, download the file with the exe extension and then install it as a regular program.
A fairly popular software environment used for developing software for Windows. Very often it is automatically installed along with the toy, but in some cases you will have to do it manually. To do this, go to the official website, download the installation file, first selecting the language, and then install it as usual.
Windows version too old or too new
One of the possible reasons why the game does not start is that the version of Windows is too old or too new. If the game was recently released, it may not be compatible with older versions of Windows such as Vista, XP or older. And vice versa, if the game is old, released at the time of maximum XP, then it is unlikely to work on the new 8 or 10. How to get out of this situation? What should you do for this?
Almost all versions of Windows have the excellent ability to run applications in compatibility mode. For example, you have a modern Windows 10 installed, but you want to remember the past years and play a game from 15 years ago. With a high degree of probability it will not start just like that.
- After installing the game, display the launch shortcut on your desktop.
- Right-click on it, select Properties - Compatibility.
- Find the line “Run a program in compatibility mode" and select the desired version of Windows from the drop-down list.
- Click OK and try to launch the game again.
Incorrectly installed game
It is unlikely that the game will launch correctly if you installed it incorrectly. What do you mean? It is possible that the installation sequence was broken or that not all necessary files and update patches were installed. This problem especially often occurs when using a hacked version, when for full functionality it is extremely important to do everything as indicated in the installation instructions.
You should also remember that the folder in which you install the game should under no circumstances contain Russian letters. In some cases there will be no problems, but in most cases you will not be able to play. Where should I install the game so that it works correctly? Typically the default path looks like C:\Program Files\game folder. Some, in order to save space on drive C, transfer the game to drive D, and mistakenly name the folder in Russian letters. This is why games won't launch. Make sure that the installation path contains only English letters. The best option would be to leave the installation path as suggested by the installer.
Bad Windows build
Considering that many users simply do not use the licensed version of Windows 10 due to the high cost of the license, the problem of incorrect operation arises not least because of the operating system assembly curve. If you use pirated builds, make sure that the version you want to use has positive feedback from other users and works flawlessly.
Virus infection
Virus infection
Quite often, when using unverified sites and assemblies, various viral advertising files can penetrate your system. They can damage game files and disrupt the stable operation of the Windows 10 operating system as a whole. Therefore, check from time to time to see if you have contracted any virus on your computer or laptop. To do this, use your built-in antivirus or any free antivirus scanner to scan the system for malware and, if found, remove it.
System contamination and computer overheating
It can also be much more trivial: the RAM is full, the file system is clogged, or the computer overheats due to dust contaminating its components. If your computer is not super powerful enough to run several resource-intensive applications on it simultaneously, make sure that all other software windows are closed before turning on the game. Also regularly clean the file system of accumulated garbage that is formed as a result of running various programs. The largest generators of software garbage are browsers and instant messengers. For convenience, use one of the automatic cleaning applications, such as CCleaner.
Security settings are too strict
It is quite rare to encounter a problem caused by too strict security settings in the Windows operating system. The following settings can be made:
- Go to Start - Control Panel - User Accounts - Change User Account Control (UAC) settings.
- Move the slider to the very bottom and restart your computer.
Conclusion
Despite the large number of possible reasons why the game may not start, solving them is not at all difficult. Tell us in the comments why the game did not work on your computer.
Hello dear readers.
Sometimes it seems that after a fresh installation of any application, it should work without any problems. But this does not always happen, because often additional system components are used for the functioning of certain programs. The absence of at least one leads to incorrect operation. Later in the article I will tell you why the game does not start after installation, as well as obvious solutions.
Most users don't even realize that there are many small programs on the computer that run other components, including entertainment. Moreover, their placement in most cases solves all emerging issues. You can find the necessary elements on the official websites.
.NET Framework( )
This software is considered one of the most important on a computer. It is a special platform with the help of which other solutions are created. If missing, many elements will not run and an error will be generated.
The required installer is located on the official Microsoft page. In addition, you can use " Update Center", which must independently find a new or missing assembly, download and place it in the OS.
Visual C++( )
Another equally important element is Visual C++ 2010. It is necessary so that the system can recognize the corresponding programming language. The installer is located on the main page of the same Microsoft. Just download and install like any other application.
DirectX( )
This technology makes it possible to run entertainment solutions and multimedia at high speed. Therefore, it is always important to have the latest version of this software. Moreover, it does not have to be the last one released by the developer. It is important to select the assembly based on the Windows operating system.
After downloading the installer, run it. It will check the version of the existing software, and then show the number of megabytes that need to be added to the operating system. Then you must restart your computer.
Codec Pack( )
If suddenly you start having problems with video or sound without errors, you should pay attention to the K-Lite Pack of codecs. Just go to official page and install the latest version. Restart the system.
« Reinstalled Windows. Now the games simply won't launch. What to do? »
Perhaps everyone, at least once, has encountered difficulties 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 I still advise you to read it and, if it doesn’t help, contact people on the forums.
Common problems and solutions
Most often, the dog is buried in the elementary lack of required software. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is install or update the 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 an exclamation point inside.
In addition, you can download the latest drivers for your video card from the website http://www.nvidia.ru/Download/index.aspx?lang=ru.
It is also worth paying 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 solve this error.
- Completely remove and then reinstall the entire DirectX library.
- Install a useful utility DXUpdate, 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 unintentional removal or movement of this dll from the system-32 library directory. This could happen as a result of antivirus activities, which often consider this file as a potential threat. So next time, pay attention to what you delete.
« Reinstalled Windows. Why won't the game installed on drive D (non-primary) 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 a file like this in the “Documents” folder.
This file contains all the system information required by the game program. Starting from screen resolution and ending with the data of the game itself. Some toys register their data there, without which it is impossible to launch them. You can also use this file to adjust game parameters, such as resolution or, for example, parameters for entering information into an 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 mandatory registration in the registry, they simply will not work after reinstalling Windows.
But there are also exceptions. For example, if the predecessor game after reinstalling Windows reports that it cannot find a certain file, you can safely delete the remaining files. The gaming app for the computer no longer exists. You'll have to install it again. This is much easier than “reanimating” her.
Conclusion: reinstalled Windows - lost all entries in the registry - reinstall all games.
There may be several reasons for problems with launching many games on Windows 7. Let's look at the most popular of them:
Compatibility.
Many games were created for older versions of Windows (XP, Vista, 98). To run them, you need to do the following:
1. Right-click on the game shortcut - Properties.
2. Go to the Compatibility tab and run the game in compatibility mode for Windows XP. Apply the changes.
Run as Administrator.
Some games need to be launched only under the Administrator name.
1. Right-click on the game shortcut - Run as Administrator.
Prohibition of changes in system folders.
It happens that you have restrictions on changes in system folders, so games cannot be installed normally on your PC.
1. Completely uninstall the previously installed game.
2. Go to the game installer - find the Setup.exe file and run it as administrator.
3. Install the game and launch it. She should go fine.
Missing .dll files.
There can be many reasons for problems with dll files.
1. Remember the name of the file and game.
2. Open the Google search engine, enter the name of the game and the name of the dll file into the search box.
3. Read information on popular websites. In some cases, you will be advised to download a ready-made dll file, and in others, you will be advised to carry out some other manipulations.
Drivers, DirectX and additional software.
Always try to have the latest drivers for your video card, update DirectX and install additional software. In most cases, all this comes with the game.
1. Open the installation disc with the game.
2. Install all the contents of the Redist folder.
3. Find the latest drivers for your video card on the Internet and install them.
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