Troubleshooting Windows Games
If a Windows game will not run, work through the fixes below. First make sure you installed it correctly – check the instructions on the game’s page where we have them – and restart your computer before trying anything else. That alone fixes a surprising number of problems.
Missing files
If files are missing from your download, check first that your antivirus has not deleted them. Some antivirus software flags harmless game files as malware – a false positive. Look in the quarantine, restore anything it took, and reinstall the game if you need to.
If it keeps happening, pause the antivirus, or add these two folders to its exclusions:
- the folder you download and extract the game into
- the folder you install the game into
DirectX and Visual C++
Most Windows games need both of these installed:
Corrupted parts errors
A corrupted archive almost always means the download was interrupted, so part of the file never arrived. Download it again on a stable connection and extract it once more – that resolves it in most cases.
Missing .dll file
This is usually the antivirus again: it has removed a .dll the game needs. Check the quarantine and restore it. If that does not work, reinstall the game with the antivirus paused.
If the file is still missing, make sure you’ve downloaded DirectX and Visual C++.
Plenty of sites offer replacement .dll files. We cannot recommend any of them – the files are frequently bundled with malware.
The game asks for a CD
Two things to check:
- If the download has a NoCD or Crack folder, apply it – see dealing with copy protection.
- If there is no such folder, look for a disc image such as an .ISO. Mount it to a virtual drive and launch the game again – see mounting disc images.
Compatibility settings
Windows is generally good at running old software, but games from the 1990s and early 2000s often need help. Right click the game’s launcher, choose Properties, open the Compatibility tab, then:
- Tick Run this program in compatibility mode for and pick an older version of Windows. Which one works depends on the game – Windows XP (Service Pack 2) is a good first try.
- Tick Reduced colour mode and choose 8-bit (256 colour).
- Tick Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution.
- Tick Run this program as an administrator.
- Click Apply, then OK, and launch the game.
If it still will not start, come back and change one setting at a time – the colour mode and resolution options are not needed for every game.
Games are not saving
Running the game as an administrator fixes this most of the time. If saves are still disappearing, add the game’s save folder to your antivirus exclusions – deleted save files are a common cause.
If none of that works
- Search for the exact error message along with the game’s name. If you find a fix, please share it in the comments on that game’s page – it helps everyone who comes after you.
- If the game was released for another platform, download that version and run it through an emulator.
- Try a different computer. Some old games simply refuse to run on certain hardware, and an older machine often works where a new one does not.
- As a last resort, run the game in a virtual machine. Our guide covers setting up a Windows XP virtual machine.