PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has been a blockbuster among battle royale games since 2017. Boasting a large number of players, this game has done its best to bring a frisson of excitement to everyone except for a few game errors such as PUBG not launching/starting. If you are having this PUBG-not-launching issue, don’t lose your heart so soon – here we’ll provide you with 6 fixes that prove to be useful.
How to fix PUBG not launching
Causes of the PUBG-not-launching issue vary from one to another. Sometimes it is the game’s new update that triggers the problem; sometimes there may be a software conflict lurking in your computer; and sometimes the out-dated and missing files in your game or other Microsoft programs should be blame for the inconvenience. Whatever the reason is, you should try out the fixes we mention here and see whether that gets you out of trouble.
Here are 6 fixes that have helped many other players solve their problem. You don’t have to try them all; just walk your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Fix 1: Run system file checker
Fix 2: Verify integrity of game files
Fix 3: Repair or install the 2017 Visual C++ Redistributable
Fix 4: Disable unsupported programs
Fix 5: Update your device drivers
Fix 1: Run system file checker
Missing or damaged system files may lead to your PUBG-not-launching issue. If that’s the case, you can use the system file checker tool of Windows to check for any file corruption and thereby repair it.
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows Logo Key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog box. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
2) When prompted for permission to make changes to your device, click Yes.
3) In the pop-up window of Command Prompt, enter the following command (note that there’s a space between sfc and /):
sfc /scannow
After you finish typing the command, hit Enter on your keyboard. Then the sfc tool will begin to scan all system files and repair the corrupted or missing ones.
4) Wait for the verification to complete.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929833/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system
Now that your system files have been repaired, try to launch PUBG and see if the problem still remains. If so, please proceed to the next fix.
Fix 2: Verify integrity of game files
There’s a possibility that some of the game files got missing or damaged during the download process.In this case, you should use the built-in tool of Steam to verify the integrity of your game files.
1) Log in Steam and click LIBRARY.
2) Right-click on PUBG and select Properties.
3) Go to the LOCAL FILES tab and select VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES….
4) Wait till the process is complete. After that, click CLOSE.
Now it’s time to launch the game and check whether it runs normally. If not, read the next fix and give it a whirl.
Fix 3: Repair or install the 2017 Visual C++ Redistributable
To repair and install the 2017 Visual C++ Redistributable, you should complete the following procedure:
1) Find your own way to the folder where PUBG is downloaded. Or you can open it from Steam.
First of all, log in Steam and click LIBRARY.
2) Right-click on PUBG and then click Properties.
3) On the next page, go to the LOCAL FILES tab. Next, click BROWSE LOCAL FILES….
4) When the game folder is opened, locate _CommonRedist and double-click on it. Then go on to double-click these two subfolders: vcredist > 2017.
If you don’t spot a 2017 subfolder here, please download and install the 2017 Visual C++ Redistributable by yourself. Here’s a possible download webpage for your reference:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads
5) Double-click vc_redist.x64 to invoke the setup wizard.
6) Select Repair and follow the onscreen instructions to repair your 2017 Visual C++ Redistributable. Wait for the process to finish, and then launch PUBG to check if it has gone back to normal. If yes, then congrats – you’ve solved the problem!
If not, return to this step and choose Uninstall. Likewise, complete the follow-up process and check to see whether your PUBG-not-launching issue has disappeared or not.
In case your problem hasn’t been solved successfully, you may move on to the next fix below.
Fix 4: Disable unsupported programs
Unsupported programs are among the most common causes of games-not-launching issues. This is also true with PUBG. To solve the problem, you need to remove or disable any programs unrelated to the game, and even turn off your antivirus temporarily.
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows Logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in taskmgr and hit Enter.
2) Select the Processes tab. Right-click on the program that needs to be ended and click End task. If you don’t know which program should be shut down, simply close all the background running apps that you think are unnecessary. Note that you shouldn’t end any processes that you’re not familiar with in case you mistakenly close the important ones.
If you find out any programs that trigger the issue, you can forward them to PUBG support.
3) Your trouble is sometimes caused by interference from antivirus software. To see if that’s the problem for you, temporarily disable your antivirus program and check if the PUBG-not-launching issue persists. (Consult your antivirus documentation for instructions on disabling it.)
If the game works properly after you disable the antivirus, contact the vendor of your antivirus software and ask them for advice, or install a different antivirus solution.
If this didn’t help, please try out the next fix.
Fix 5: Update your device drivers
Make sure you have the latest drivers for your PC components (such as CPU, GPU, and audio). Sometimes PUBG may fail to be launched because of an out-dated or corrupt driver, which is so inconspicuous that you may not even notice it until the problem occurs. If that’s the case, try to update your device drivers periodically.
You may either download the most up-to-date drivers online and install them manually, or simply trust in Driver Easy and its abilities to update all your drivers automatically.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy takes care of everything.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to the flagged device to automatically download the correct version of the driver (you can do this with the FREE version). Then install the driver in your computer.
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
4) Reboot your computer and launch PUBG. Check to see whether it can run properly this time.
Fix 6: Reinstall PUBG
If all the fixes above can’t help you solve the problem, then you should try to reinstall PUBG in case some of its crucial files have been corrupted. Here’s how to do it:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows Logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in control panel and press Enter.
2) Expand the drop-down list next to View by: and select Category. Then, click Uninstall a program right under the Programs category.
3) Right-click on PUBG and click Uninstall.
4) Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall PUBG.
5) Download and install PUBG from Steam once again. Then try to launch the game and see if your problem still remains.
So far, have you succeeded in solving the PUBG-not-launching issue? If you have any follow-up questions or ideas, please feel free to leave a comment below. Hopefully you’ll have chicken for dinner as much as you like in PUBG!
