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Since it came out in 2020, Phasmophobia has been a favorite among horror fans. Over the years, the title has gained a fair amount of attention, and there are still a lot of people who play it today. But even though the number of players is growing, the game has had a lot of performance problems from the start. Bugs and error codes have always been a part of the game, and after the Halloween update, Phasmophobia seems to be crashing for a lot of people.
One of the most obvious reasons why your game might crash or not start is that your antivirus software or Windows Defender is blocking it. It tends to get in the way of the game. During the download and installation process, some game files can sometimes get lost or corrupted, which can cause the game to crash when it starts up. The other things that can cause this are an old or out-of-date graphics card, an old version of Windows, and other software.
So, before you try to start the game, make sure that your graphics card drivers and any other software on the system are up to date. New games are made to work with the most recent versions of software, such as the GPU driver and the operating system. Sometimes, a third-party programme can get in the way of the game’s process and cause the Launching.
Ways to Fix Phasmophobia Not Launching Error
Set high performance in the power options
If your Windows system is running in “Balanced” mode in the power options, simply set it to “High Performance” mode for better results. Even if this option results in higher power or battery consumption. Proceed as follows:
- Click the Start menu > Type Control Panel, and click it in the search result.
- Now go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
- Click on High Power to select it.
- Make sure to close the window and shut down your computer completely. To do this, click on the Start menu > Go to Power > Shutdown.
- Once your computer is completely shut down, you can turn it back on.
- This should fix the problem of Phasmophobia crashing on your PC in most cases. However, if none of the methods worked for you, follow the next one.
Close the game from background apps
- Press the Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Click Privacy > Scroll down in the left pane and select Background Apps.
- Scroll down and find the title of the game Phasmophobia.
- Uncheck the box next to the title of the game.
- Then close the window and restart your computer.
Update Phasmophobia game
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Phasmophobia in the left pane.
- It will automatically check for an available update. If an update is available, click on “Update”.
- It may take some time for the update to install > Once it does, you will need to close the Steam client.
- Finally, restart your PC to apply the changes and then try to start the game again.
Checking the integrity of game files on Steam
- Launch Steam > Click Library.
- Right-click Phasmophobia in the list of installed games.
- Now click Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for the process to complete.
- After that, restart your computer.
Perform a Clean Boot
- Click Disable All > Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.
- Now go to the Start tab > Click Open Task Manager.
- The Task Manager interface will open. Switch to the Start tab.
- Then click on the particular task that has a greater impact on startup.
- Then click Disable to exclude it from the startup process.
- Follow the same steps for each program that has a greater impact on the startup process.
- Then restart your computer to apply the changes.
Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
- Type Apps & Features and click on the search result.
- Now locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.
- Select each program and click Uninstall.
- Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- Then install it on your computer and restart the system to change the effects.
Run the game as an administrator
- Right-click the Phasmophobia exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now select Properties > Click the Compatibility tab.
- Make sure you click the Run this program as administrator checkbox to enable it.
- Click Apply and select OK to save the changes.
Update Windows
- Press the Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Then click Update & Security > In the Windows Update section, select Check for updates.
- If a feature update is available, select Download and install.
- It may take a while for the update to complete.
- Then restart your computer to install the update.
System Requirements
Final Words
So here we conclude our article on How to Fix Phasmophobia Not Launching error. Visit their official website for more information. Phasmophobia is the best game for people who want to be occultists in their dreams. Phasmophobia is an online game for up to 4 players that was made by Kinetic Games and is available on Steam. With this game, you and up to three other people can go ghost hunting together. You might meet a ghost, a demon, a banshee, a poltergeist, or even a ghoul.