My Total War game (on STEAM) does not launch and/or crashes

If your Total War game (on STEAM) is not launching and/or crashing, please try the troubleshooting steps as referenced below.

Quick Checklist:

  • First-time install / Wait 5-10 minutes
  • Restart your computer & verify game files
  • Add STEAM/game to your Antivirus & Firewall Exceptions
  • Check the power setting of your graphics card
  • Update your Windows Operating System
  • Update your graphics drivers
  • Install the necessary Visual C++ components
  • Turn off Steam Overlay i.e. friends list, web browser, & chat.
  • Try launching your Total War game as an Admin.
  • Opt-out of past BETA(s)
  • Remove third-party mods
  • Delete Preferences & Cached Data
  • Try a different Windows account

Troubleshooting Steps & Instructions

  • First-time install / Wait 5-10 minutes

If you are launching your game for the first-time, the game may require some time to configure itself in accordance with your system settings (this is normal).

  • Restart your computer & verify game files

Your could be experiencing a computer memory/resource related issue or corruption in your extracted game files. Restart your computer and verify your game files as referenced below.

How to verify game files:

      1. From the Library section, right-click on the game and select Properties from the menu,
      2. Select Installed Files and click the Verify integrity of game files... button,
      3. Steam will verify the game's files.

Verify game cache Steam.jpg

  • Add STEAM/game to your Antivirus & Firewall Exceptions

Your anti-virus/firewall programs could be stopping STEAM/the game from functioning correctly.

A quick and simple test to help rule out your Anti-virus & Firewall software as a possible cause is to temporarily disable them to check whether that resolves your issue.

Further to this, you should ensure that both STEAM (including your Total War game) has been added to the exclusion list of your Anti-virus & Firewall programs to help minimise the potential for any issues.

  • Update your Windows Operating System

Your operating system could be missing important modules/files as required for both STEAM and your Total War game to function correctly. Please see instructions below on how to check for updates:

Windows® 10 & 11

Start Menu > Settings > Update & Security settings > Windows Update > Check for updates

Windows® 8.x

Point your mouse cursor to the lower right corner of your screen > Settings > Change PC settings > Update and Recovery > Check Now

Windows® 7

Start Menu > Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update (Check for updates).

  • Update your graphics drivers

Some of the most common game crashing and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even a system crash (BSOD).

To check whether you are using the latest graphics drivers (including sound), please refer to our driver support article.

  • Check the power setting of your graphics card

Your Total War game may not be functioning correctly due to the power settings of your computer system i.e. set to eco/power saving mode, as such your Total War game may not be using your dedicated graphics card!

Please see out support article on configuring the power setting of your graphics card for Windows 10.

For a instructions on how to configure your computer system to use your dedicated graphics card, click here for Nvidia Graphics cards and click here for AMD graphics cards.

  • Install the necessary Visual C++ components

You could be missing Visual C++ components as required in order to run your Total War game. These important components can be found and installed from the vcredist folder as located within STEAM's common shared folder.

Program path/directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\vcredist

  • Turn off Steam Overlay i.e. friends list, web browser, & chat

It may be the case that STEAM services is could be stopping the game from functioning correctly.

- Go to your library,

- Open the properties of your Total War game (right-click on game title or image),

- Under General disable Steam Overlay.

Disable Steam Overlay.JPG

  • Try launching your Total War game as an Admin.

In some cases, an operating system may not give your Total War game the necessary permissions to work as it should. This might result in the game not starting or running properly. Try enabling the option to run the game as administrator to see if this resolves your issue.

- Go to Steam Library and go to your Total War game and "right click",

- Go to Properties,

- Go to tab "Installed files",

- Click on "Browse",

- Right click on the Total War (game logo) executable,

- Go to 'Properties',

game_properties.png

- Go to the "Compatibility" tab,

- Look for the privilege level at the bottom and select "Run this program as administrator",

- Click on Apply.

game_admin.png

  • Opt-out from a past BETA version of the game

Using a past version of the game may be stopping you from being able to launch the game as it has not been updated to take into account any changes made by system/component vendors i.e. updates to Microsoft Windows and/or STEAM itself.

- Open Steam,
- Go to Steam library and right-click on your Total War game,
- Choose 'Properties',
- Click on the 'BETAS'-tab,
- Make sure that you opt out of any beta; 'NONE'.

opt out beta.JPG

  • Remove third party mods

STEAM Workshop Mods and/or changes for program files could be stopping the game functioning correctly for instance, the developer of the mod has not updated their mod for the new/updated version of the game. Try deactivating/deleting mods to see if this resolves your issue. 

  • Delete Preferences & Cached Data

Your game's preferences & cached data may be corrupt and/or have an incorrect system that is stopping your game from functioning correctly. Making a backup of your preferences & caches files and try the game to see if it now loads without any issues. 

- Right-click on your blank space on your desktop screen and select 'New' -> 'Folder'.

- Create a folder and name it something to distinguish it i.e. TW backup.

new_folder.png

- Once you've done this go to your Creative Assembly folder which by default can be accessed at the following location on PC:

C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

 

For Windows® 10 & 11

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel, and then select Control Panel.

2. Choose Folder Options under Appearance and Personalization.

3. Click the Options icon on the right of the ribbon.

4. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.

5. Select Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

6. Deselect Hide extensions for known file types and click OK.

For Windows 8.1 / Windows RT 8.1

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search), enter Control Panel in the search box, and then tap or click Control Panel.

2. Choose Folder Options under Appearance and Personalization.

3. Click the Options icon on the right of the ribbon.

4. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.

5. Select Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

6. Deselect Hide extensions for known file types and click OK.

For Windows® 7

1. Select Start > Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel dialog, double-click Appearance and Personalization.

3. In the Appearance And Personalization dialog box, double-click Folder Options, or click Show Hidden Files and Folders under Folder Options.

4. In the Folder Options dialog, ensure that Show Hidden Files and Folders is selected.

5. Click OK.

This should contain folders for all the TW games. Please move the entire folder from here and place them into the folder you've created on your desktop.

Once you've done this and the Creative Assembly folder is not at the Roaming folder anymore, start the game. If it works, copy back the folder from the desktop folder and see if it now loads without any issues.

  • Try a different Windows account

It's possible that a third-party software/applications could be stopping the game from functioning correctly. A quick & effective way to check on whether this is the case is by creating/installing on a different Windows account with administrator rights:

Windows®11

1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts and then select Family & other users. (In some versions of Windows you'll see Other users.)

2. Next to Add other user, select Add account.

3. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, and on the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.

4. Enter a user name, password, or password hint—or choose security questions—and then select Next.

Windows® 10

1. Click on Start Menu,
2. Click on Settings,
3. Click on Accounts,
4. Select Family & other users,
5. Select Add someone else to this PC,
6. Ignore the prompt to provide an email or phone number. Instead click on the link at the bottom that reads The person I want to add doesn’t have an email address,
7. Ignore the information that informs you to setup a new email address through @outlook.com and click on the link at the bottom Add a user without a Microsoft account.

Windows 8. x

1. Navigate to the Control Panel.

2. Double-click User Accounts, and then click Manage User Accounts.

3. Click Create new account. Enter a name for the account, and then click Next.

4. Click Computer administrator, and then click Create Account.

Windows® 7
1. Open Control Panel from the Start menu.
2. Click on User Accounts.
3. Click Manage another account...
4. Click Add.
5. Type the name and domain you want to give the user account and click Next.
6. Select Administrator and click Finish.
Note: These instructions are for PCs not hooked up to a domain

If this works, you will have narrowed it down to a software conflict in your other account and can proceed to eliminate variables.

 

IF for any reason that troubleshoot steps as above do not resolve your issue, please step a support request for further assistance (please be sure to include your DXDIAG).

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