Games do not turn on, what should I do? Windows is missing components and some libraries. What to do if nothing helps

Games do not turn on, what should I do? Windows is missing components and some libraries. What to do if nothing helps

Every young person these days has encountered computer games and knows firsthand that these applications can keep the player engaged for a long time. Sometimes it happens that or refuses to work. It’s even difficult to describe what exactly he’s experiencing. this moment Human. He is indignant, however, this word does little to describe his current state. By the way, questions of the influence of a computer on a person’s mental state are increasingly of interest to modern psychological science. But that's not what this article is about. We'll talk about what to do if the game doesn't start or doesn't work.

How to start the game correctly

The first thing you can do is try to reinstall the game. Look at the requirements that the program, that is, the game, places on the computer parameters. It is possible that the game is not working because it is not compatible with your system. The type and model of the operating system will play a special role. It so happens that many games do not work on new operating systems, but work on old proven products.

Reinstall the game to another disk partition. Maybe you installed the game in a place where there is not enough space for it and not all components of the game were installed. In order to reinstall the game, you just need to uninstall installed version. It is better to do this using the files provided in the game, that is, using the installer program. If you simply delete the game folder, then there may not be a positive effect.

What else can you do? Try restarting your computer. Maybe the game you installed requires a system reboot. This happens quite often.

What else should I do if the game does not start? You may have removed the disc from the drive. In this case, the game will report that the license disc required to run the game is missing. If you installed the game from a virtual disk image, then also make sure that the image is loaded, otherwise the game will not work correctly or will not work at all.

Different games have completely different unique features. It's safe to say that the game is a very complex program that often turns out to be a very finicky application. In this regard, there are a huge number of forums on the Internet dedicated to computer games. For almost any game you can find a description, its errors and methods for correcting them. Feel free to write the name and year of the game in the search bar and click Search. You will definitely find information about the compatibility of the game, the reasons for its problems and its features.

One of the most common causes of game launch problems is outdated drivers. For any modern game to work properly, a universal Direct X driver is required, which will show the computer and its devices how to interact with the game. Here's what will help if the game doesn't start. Often Direct X prompts you to install the game itself after installing the main game files.

Here are the main reasons for problems starting the game. We stand by our belief that every game and every game/computer combination is unique. You need to search for information on the Internet to understand the causes of the problems. But we think that our article may well be more than useful. Play computer games, but don't forget about real life. Sometimes the line between reality and virtual reality erased. This should not be allowed.

For many people, the computer is a means of entertainment where they can download a variety of games and enjoy them for hours.

But sometimes problems appear, games simply do not work, which can be due to various reasons. Some of them can be easily fixed, as discussed in this article.

Why won't games launch on Windows 7? If you have this installed operating system, first of all, look.

As a rule, the required version of this utility is distributed along with the game, but if it is not there, you will have to download it from the official website. But this is not the only thing that can interfere with playing.

Reasons why the game does not start

In fact, there are hundreds various reasons, for which games do not work. We will look at the most popular ones, and also tell you how to fix it:

1. Compatibility. Many users encountered this problem when Windows 7 first came out. Now almost all games are optimized for this OS, but they still have to face problems.

The easiest way to solve it is you just need to start the game in a special mode. To do this, you must first open the properties of the icon that launches it:

In properties there is a tab " Compatibility", where you can select one of the modes and try to launch the game:

Try it different variants, if the game is old, then it is better to choose Windows XP. The method is simple but effective.

2. Run as administrator. It also happens that the game does not want to start due to lack of rights to use it. Usually, this problem appears when using multiple accounts on a PC. It's even easier to solve:

Just right-click on the icon and select run as administrator. If this doesn't help, look for other reasons.

3. Prohibition on editing system folders and the registry. Each game creates additional folders and makes changes to the registry. If it was not installed using an administrator account, editing system files may be prohibited.

To solve this problem, you will have to reinstall the game, but when starting the installer, also select “As administrator”:

Open the game disc or downloaded folder, find Setup.exe, and as shown in the image, run the file correctly.

4. Additional software. Perhaps the game does not start because you have not installed various utilities necessary for its operation on a PC. It could be anything, including drivers.

Outdated software often causes not only a failure to launch, but also slowdowns in the game. The simplest solution is to use

A huge number of users love to play computer games, but unfortunately, some of them are faced with the situation that their favorite entertainment does not want to run on the PC. Let's find out what could be causing this phenomenon and how this problem is solved.

There are many reasons why games won't launch on your computer. But all of them can be divided into two main groups: inability to start individual games and refusal to launch absolutely all gaming applications. In the latter case, most often, no programs are activated at all. Let's look at the individual causes of the problem under study and try to find algorithms for eliminating them.

Reason 1: Weak hardware component

If you have a problem with launching not all games, but only resource-intensive applications, then there is a high probability that the cause of the problem is a lack of hardware power. The weak link could be the processor, video card, RAM, or other important PC component. As a rule, the minimum system requirements for normal operation of the game application are indicated on the disc box if you purchased the game on physical media, or they can be found on the Internet.

Now we’ll find out how you can view the main characteristics of your computer.

  1. Click "Start" and in the menu that opens, right-click ( RMB) by name "Computer". Select from the list that appears "Properties".
  2. A window will open with the main characteristics of the system. Here you can find out the size random access memory PC, processor frequency and model, OS bit depth, as well as such an interesting indicator as the performance index. It is a comprehensive assessment of the main elements of the system, which is graded according to the weakest link. Initially, this indicator was planned to be introduced specifically to evaluate a computer for compatibility with specific games and programs. But unfortunately, this innovation did not find mass support among software manufacturers. However, some of them still indicate this index. If your PC is lower than what is indicated on the game, then most likely it will not start for you or will function with problems.
  3. To find out the weakest link in the system you need to click on the name Windows Experience Index.
  4. A window will open in which the following OS components are rated:
    • Random access memory;
    • Processor;
    • Graphics;
    • Graphics for games;
    • Winchester.

    The component with the lowest score will be the weakest link, on the basis of which the overall index is set. Now you will know what needs to be improved in order for it to run large quantity game programs.

    If the information provided in the properties window is not enough for you Windows systems, and you, say, want to find out the power of the video card, then in this case you can use specialized third-party ones, for example, or.

What to do if some component or several elements do not meet the system requirements of the game? The answer to this question is simple, but its solution will require financial costs: it is necessary to purchase and install more powerful analogues of those devices that, according to their performance, are not suitable for running a gaming application.

Reason 2: EXE file association violation

One of the reasons why games do not launch may be a violation of the EXE file association. In this case, the system simply does not understand what to do with the objects. having the specified extension. The main sign that the cause of the problem is precisely the named factor is that not only individual game applications are not activated, but absolutely all objects with the EXE extension are not activated. Fortunately, there is a way to fix this problem.

  1. You need to go to "Registry Editor". To do this, call the window "Run", applying Win+R. In the area that opens, enter:

    After entering, press "OK".

  2. A tool called "Windows Registry Editor". Go to the section called "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT".
  3. In the list of folders that opens, find a directory with the name ".exe". On the right side of the window, click on the parameter name "Default".
  4. A window for editing the value will open. In its only field you need to enter the following expression if there is other data there or if it is not filled in at all:

    After that click "OK".

  5. Next, return to section navigation and move to the directory called "exefile". It is located in the same directory "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT". Go to the right side of the window again and click on the parameter name "Default".
  6. This time, enter the following expression into the properties window that opens, if it is not already entered in the field:

    To save the entered data, click "OK".

  7. Finally, go to the directory "shell", which is located inside the folder "exefile". Here again in the right area look for the parameter "Default" and go to its properties, as you did in previous cases.
  8. And this time in the field "Meaning" enter the expression:

    Click "OK".

  9. After this you can close the window "Registry Editor" and restart your computer. After restarting the system, the standard associations of files with the EXE extension will be restored, which means you will be able to run your favorite games and other programs again.

Reason 3: Insufficient startup rights

Some games may not start because to activate them you need to have elevated rights, that is, administrator rights. But even if you log into the system under administrative account, then you will still need to perform additional manipulations to launch the game application.


In addition, the problem under study sometimes occurs when, when installing a game, it was necessary to run the installer as an administrator, but the user activated it in normal mode. In this case, the application may be installed, but have restrictions on access to system folders, which does not allow the executable file to run correctly, even with administrative rights. In this case, you need to completely uninstall the gaming application, and then install it by running the installer with administrator rights.

Reason 4: Compatibility issues

If you cannot launch an old game, then it is likely that it is simply not compatible with Windows 7. In this case, you need to activate it in XP compatibility mode.


Reason 5: Outdated or incorrect video card drivers

The reason that you cannot launch the game may well be outdated graphics adapter drivers. It also often happens that the computer has standard Windows drivers instead of an analogue from the video card developer. This can also negatively affect the activation of applications that require large quantity graphic resources. To correct the situation, you need to replace the existing video drivers with current options or update them.

Of course, it is best to install drivers on a PC with installation disk, which came with the video card. If this is not possible, then you can download updated drivers from the manufacturer’s official website. But if you do not have physical media or you do not know the corresponding web resource, then there is still a way out of this situation.

  1. Click "Start" and go to "Control Panel".
  2. Open section "System and safety".
  3. In the settings group "System" find a position "Device Manager" and click on it.
  4. Window opens "Device Manager". Click on the section name "Video adapters".
  5. A list of video cards connected to the computer will open. There may be several of them, but there may also be one. In any case, click on the name of the active device, that is, the one through which graphic information is currently being displayed on the PC.
  6. The video card properties window opens. Move to section "Intelligence".
  7. In the window that opens, in the drop-down list "Property" select an option "Equipment ID". Information about the video card ID will open. You must write or copy the longest value.
  8. Now launch your browser. You will need to go to a website to search for drivers by video card ID, which is called DevID DriverPack. The link to it is given in a separate lesson below.
  9. On the web resource page that opens, enter the previously copied video card ID in the field. In the block « Windows version» select the cell with the number "7". This means that you are looking for components for Windows 7. To the right of this block, indicate the bitness of your OS by checking the checkbox "x64"(for 64-bit OS) or "x86"(for 32-bit OS). Next click "Find drivers".
  10. The search results will open. Look for the latest option by date. As a rule, it is in first place in the list, but the required information can be specified in the column "Driver version". Having found desired object, click on the button "Download" opposite him.
  11. The driver will be downloaded to your computer. Once the download is complete, you need to click on its executable file to begin installation on your PC.
  12. After installation is complete, restart your computer. If the problem of the inability to launch the game was due to an incorrect or outdated driver, then it will be solved.

If you don't want to bother with manual installation, then in this case you can resort to services that scan the PC and search for Latest updates drivers and install them. The most popular application of this class is .

Reason 6: Lack of required system components

One of the reasons why games do not launch may be the absence of certain system components or the presence of an outdated version. The fact is that not all necessary elements from Microsoft are included in the installation assembly. Therefore, they have to be additionally downloaded and installed in order to be able to perform tasks increased complexity. But even if the component is present in the initial assembly, its updates must be regularly monitored. The most important such elements for running gaming applications are,.

Some games are especially demanding and run with various “exotic” components that are not available on every computer. In this case, you need to carefully re-read the installation requirements for this game application and install all the necessary objects. Therefore, specific recommendations cannot be given here, since different applications require different elements.

Reason 7: Missing required OS updates

Some modern games may not start simply because the operating system has not been updated on the computer for a long time. To solve this problem you need to activate automatic update OS or install all necessary updates manually.

Reason 8: Cyrillic characters in the folder path

The game may not start because its executable file is located in a folder that contains Cyrillic characters in its name or the path to this directory contains Cyrillic letters. Some applications only allow Latin characters in the file location directory address.

In this case, simply renaming will not help. You need to completely uninstall the game and install it again in the folder whose path contains only Latin characters.

Reason 9: Viruses

You should not discount the cause of many computer problems as virus infection. Viruses can block EXE files from running or even rename them. If you suspect your PC has been infected, you should immediately scan it with an antivirus utility. For example, one of the best such applications is .

Ideally, it is recommended to check from another PC or by starting the computer from LiveCD/USB. But if you do not have such capabilities, then you can run this utility and just from a flash drive. If viruses are detected, follow the recommendations that are displayed in the antivirus window. But sometimes a malicious program manages to damage the system. In this case, after removing it, restore them if damage is detected.

There are many reasons why games or a certain gaming application does not want to run on a computer running Windows 7. We did not dwell on such trivial situations as poor assembly of the game itself, but described the main problems that may arise during its activation related to the functioning systems. Determining the specific cause and eliminating it is the main task that falls on the user, and this manual will help in solving this problem.

Good time everyone!

It happens that you install a game, click on the shortcut, and... nothing happens. It’s good if after 20-30 seconds. An error will appear, and you can roughly understand what’s going on. But what if there is no error and nothing appears on the screen?

And according to the law of meanness, this usually happens with the most beloved games, which I have been waiting for and have long wanted to install.

In this note, in fact, I will try to answer this question and analyze the main reasons. Having gone through them sequentially, you high share Most likely, you will solve this problem.

Now closer to the topic...

To begin with, I want to give a few general recommendations, which would be a good idea to check before everything else:


There are no video drivers installed on the system

Perhaps one of the most common reasons. Most users rarely update the video driver after installing Windows (and even less often go into its settings).

To check whether the video driver is installed on the system, just go to device Manager (to open it, press Win+R, and in the Run window use the command devmgmt.msc) and open the tab "Video adapter" .

If the driver is installed- you will see the name of your adapter (for example, IntelHD 5500, GeForce 920 M, as in the screenshot below).

If there is no driver- devices may be named as “Standard VGA adapter”, or the yellow light will just light up next to them Exclamation point ).

Also pay attention to the tray (note: icons next to the clock) and : if the normal “full” version of the video driver is installed, you should have a link to its settings (see screenshot below. Instead of IntelHD, you can, of course, have nVidia or AMD) .

To help!

Windows is missing components and some libraries

Every game, besides those. hardware requirements, there are also requirements for the system and components that are necessary to run it. Typically, this information can be found on the game's official website or in a file readme(among the game installation files). If the required component is not in the system, the game may either throw an error at startup or not start at all...

The most common components required for most modern games are:

  1. DirectX is a critical set of components that allows computer games to interact with the video and audio hardware of your PC/laptop. If you don't have the required version of DirectX, you simply won't have the necessary DLLs, and the game won't "know" how to behave (of course, you won't be able to run it). How to update DirectX -
  2. Visual C++ - used to develop many games. If you do not have the components of this environment in your system, or their integrity has been compromised, the game will not work. About how to install and update Visual C++ -
  3. Framework - special a package whose task is to combine and organize the operation of various software written in different languages programming. In its “essence” it resembles codecs (if you don’t have the required codec, you won’t be able to watch the video. With the Framework, the story is the same...). How to install the required Framework version -

Here I will also add that the 3 components listed above are not a panacea. Your specific game may require other libraries; it is hardly possible to consider all of them in one article.

In this regard, I would like to note the utility for auto-updating drivers Driver Booster. In addition to drivers, it can find and update all the most necessary components and libraries for games (automatically!). It helps a lot and saves time when dealing with such problems.

Antivirus conflict with some game files. Virus check

Also, the game launch is often blocked by the antivirus. This often happens with patched files (some users, for example, remove game protection, and the antivirus has a very “negative” attitude towards processes that change other files) ...

In addition, it is possible that the game is actually infected with a virus and the antivirus is doing everything correctly. I would recommend first checking both the game and the system with third-party products, and then, if everything is fine, disabling the protection and trying to start the game again.

To help! How to check your computer for viruses and malware-

Also, many modern antiviruses (including Avast) have game modes: if you turn it on and add the game to the exception, it will receive some “freedom” from the antivirus (in addition, due to this, you can increase PC performance in the game, because at this time the antivirus will not load the CPU).

The game is too old (newer operating systems don't support it)

New Windows operating systems do not always support older games (and perhaps this is very common reason games not working). If you open the properties of the executable file "EXE" of the game, you can find the tab "Compatibility" . In it you can specify the compatibility mode with one of the older Windows operating systems (see screenshot below). True, it doesn’t always help (but it’s worth trying, for example, a game like Worms WP - thanks to this kind of “shamanism” it works in Windows 10) ...

In general, in my opinion, the most effective solutions V in this case will be:

  1. buy a used laptop for old toys: it won’t take up much space, and it will solve the problem (nowadays such devices can be purchased for mere pennies on the same "Avito");
  2. install a second, older OS on your PC specifically for gaming. On how to install 2 OS, see this note:
  3. use virtual machine , into which you can install any Windows OS, and already download and install it the game you want. See here for the sequential execution of this operation:

Try using special. utilities for speeding up and optimizing games

For example, a utility like Game Fire can: disable some “unnecessary” processes (unnecessary in game mode) that may interfere normal operation games. In addition, it automatically defragments game files, sets some OS settings before launching games, etc. In general, it makes sense to try.

Game Fire - main window (one of the utilities for speeding up games)

Additions are welcome...

All the best!

If your computer meets the minimum system requirements installed game, then the problem is usually easily solved. Games do not start if the drivers installed on the computer need updating; the necessary DirectX, .Net Framework and Visual C++ libraries are missing (damaged); there are viruses in the system or an error occurred during the download/installation of the game.

The game does not start: why and what to do about it?

Above we have listed the main reasons why the game does not start. In this article we will look at each of them in turn and tell you what to do if this error occurs.

Before asking why something doesn’t work right or doesn’t start at all, you should follow the basic steps in these instructions.

1. Inconsistency with system requirements

First of all, you need to make sure that your computer meets at least the minimum system requirements for the game. They can be found on the box, the game page on Steam or on the Internet. Information about the computer can be obtained in the “System” tab of the Control Panel, the characteristics of the video card are available in the “Device Manager” (right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select “Device Manager”, in it find the “Video adapters” tab).

If the system requirements of the game exceed the characteristics of your PC, further attempts to launch the game will, unfortunately, be unsuccessful.

2. Outdated/incorrectly installed drivers

You need to make sure that the drivers (especially for the video card) are installed and updated to latest version.

You can learn more about this from our article: “How to correctly install drivers on a video card.”

3. Lack of DirectX, .Net Framework and Visual C++ libraries or parts thereof

Games most often do not run on a computer that does not have the necessary files of the above libraries. In some cases, having the latest version does not guarantee that some games will run. It is important to install exactly the version with which a particular game is compatible. As a rule, during the installation of the game, the program itself offers to install the necessary additional files.

If this does not happen, download the files from the official Microsoft website and install them.

4. Presence of viruses in the system

Malware may be preventing the game from launching on your computer. You need to scan your system with an antivirus - this may help solve the problem.

It's best to do this regularly, especially if you prefer pirated "builds".

5. System compatibility

The error may occur if your operating system is Windows 7 or later, and the game you are trying to launch was released for an older OS.

In this case, you should use compatibility mode. You can activate it in two ways:

  • using automatic setup: to do this, right-click on the game icon and select “Fix compatibility issues”, and then follow the wizard’s instructions;
  • using manual setting: by right-clicking on the game icon, select the “Properties” menu, the “Compatibility” tab and select the required line from the drop-down list.

Typically, Windows XP Service Pack 3 compatibility mode resolves most of these issues.

6. Error while downloading or installing the game

What to do if the above methods did not help? Most likely, the problem is related to a failure during the download or installation process. The only way to solve this is by downloading the game again via Steam or simply reinstalling it.