Project Zomboid is a popular open-world survival game for which players report startup issues. A PZ player’s Reddit post reported that the game not starting like this: “I’m having trouble launching the game (Project Zomboid) and was wondering if any of you fellows could assist. Whenever I click Play on Steam, it will say it’s running for 3-4 seconds, then stop.” Players can’t play Project Zomboid when it doesn’t start. This is how you can fix Project Zomboid not launching on Windows PCs.
Run Project Zomboid as an Administrator
A widely confirmed way to fix Project Zomboid not launching is to run the game with administrator rights. This will enable the game to start with elevated folder access privileges. You can configure Project Zomboid to run as an administrator like this:
- Go into File Explorer to open the SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > ProjectZomboid folder.
- Next, right-click the ProjectZomboid64 file and select Properties > Compatibility.
- Select Run this program as an administrator by clicking that settings checkbox.
The Run this program as an administrator option
- Press Apply to save the new compatibility options.
- Close the ProjectZomboid64 Properties window by clicking OK.
Set a New Launch Parameter
Some players say setting a -cachedir=C:\Zomboid launch parameter can fix Project Zomboid not launching. Admittedly, I’m not entirely sure what that parameter does, but it’s confirmed to work nonetheless. You can set that launch parameter for Project Zomboid within Steam like this:
- Go the Library tab inside Steam.
- Right-click the Project Zomboid game to select Properties.
- Enter -cachedir=C:\Zomboid into the launch text box.
The launch options box
Update GPU Drivers
A few players have said they were able to fix Project Zomboid not launching by updating graphics drivers. So, doing that might be worth a try if your graphics card’s driver is outdated. To apply this potential fix, check out our guide to updating graphics drivers on Windows PCs.
The NVIDIA graphics drivers page
Repair Project Zomboid With the Verify Option
Scanning for corrupted or missing game files is a standard troubleshooting method that can fix a wide variety of potential gaming issues. So, running a verification scan might fix Project Zomboid not launching for a few players. Go through the steps in this Steam help page to verify the game.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Disable Game Mode
- Press the Windows logo + S hotkey to access the search box.
- Next, enter Game Mode into the search tool.
- Click Game Mode settings to access the option.
The Game Mode option
- Toggle off the Game Mode option.
Disable Unused Sound Devices
Another way to fix Project Zomboid not launching that’s worked for some players is to disable unused sound devices. For example, a player said this on Reddit, “It was specifically an ‘internal aux plug’ for my webcam under sound devices? Not sure why I have a sound device for that, but disabling it launched the game.” So, try disabling superfluous sound devices on your Windows PC like this:
- Hold the Windows logo key and press R to access the Run dialog.
- Input mmsys.cpl into Run and click OK.
- Next, click the Playback tab if not already selected.
- Right-click sound output devices you don’t need for the game to select Disable.
The Playback tab
- Select Apply and OK to save the sound settings.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Project Zomboid Not Launching
If Project Zomboid still doesn’t start, there are other potential fixes you can try. These are some additional possible fixes that might work for some players:
- Disable Discord’s and Steam’s overlays.
- Reinstall the Project Zomboid game.
- Apply the clean boot troubleshooting method.
- Temporarily disable firewalls and antivirus tools before starting Project Zomboid.
The potential resolutions above are more widely confirmed ways to fix Project Zomboid not launching on PCs. So, there’s a pretty good chance applying some of those fixes will get the game started on your PC. You can also ask for further potential potential fixes by posting on the PZ tech support forum.
