Many players have reported they need to fix a Roblox critical settings error. This is how one player’s Reddit post reported that error, “Every time I try to launch Roblox it says. ‘failed to download or apply critical settings, please check your internet connection. Error info: HttpError: DnsResolve,’ my internet is working normally.” Roblox doesn’t start when it throws up the critical settings error message. This is how you can fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error on a Windows PC.
Looking for more Roblox guides from KeenGamer?
- 7 Ways to Fix Regular In-Game Roblox Crashing on a Windows PC
- 7 Ways to Fix Roblox Voice Chat Not Working on Windows PCs
- 6 Ways to Fix Roblox Not Installing on a Windows PC
- 6 Ways to Fix the Roblox Error Code 268 on a Windows PC
- 6 Ways to Fix the Roblox Code 279 Error on Windows PCs
Run Roblox With Administrator Rights
Running Roblox with administrative rights is a potential solution that’s worked for some players who’ve needed to fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error. Applying this troubleshooting method will likely resolve permission issues for the game. These are the steps for running Roblox with elevated permissions.
- Right-click the Roblox Player desktop shortcut to select Open file location.
- Next, right-click the RobloxPlayerBeta.exe file and select Properties > Compatibility.
- Select Run this program as an administrator by clicking on its checkbox.
The Run this program as administrator option
- To save the options selected, press the Apply button.
- Finally, exit the RobloxPlayerBeta.exe Properties window by clicking OK.
Delete the Version Folders
Many players have confirmed erasing the version data folders can fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error. Those subfolders include leftover data from earlier Roblox versions. This is how you can delete the version folders.
- Right-click Start within the Windows 11/10 taskbar and select Run.
- Next, input appdata into Run and click OK to access the AppData directory.
- Double-click Local > Roblox > Versions within the AppData directory.
- Now, select all the version data folders by holding the Ctrl key and clicking on them.
The Versions folder
- Right-click and select Delete to erase the selected version folders.
Clear the Temp Folder
Clearing the Temp folder has worked for some players who’ve needed to resolve the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error. Applying this possible solution might eradicate corrupted temporary file data causing the error to occur. These are the steps for clearing the Temp folder.
- Bring up Run as instructed for step one of the previous potential fix.
- Input %temp% into Run and press the Enter keyboard button.
- Select everything in the Temp folder that opens by pressing Ctrl + A.
- Click Delete within File Explorer’s command bar or Home tab to erase selected files.
The Temp folder
- Or you can erase temporary data with the Disk Cleanup tool. To do that, input cleanmgr in Run and select OK. Select your C drive and click OK. Then, select all checkboxes on the Disk Cleanup tab and press OK.
Reset Your Network Configuration
Resetting your network configuration can fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error when caused by connection issues. You can apply this fix by executing a series of network commands with the Command Prompt tool like this.
- Press the Windows logo + S key combination to quickly access the search tool.
- Type in a cmd search phrase to find the Command Prompt, right-click that app, and select Run as administrator.
- Input and execute all of these network commands:
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
The ipconfig /flushdns command
Change Your DNS Server to Google
Players confirm changing DNS servers can fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” on Windows PCs. Google DNS is the recommended alternative domain name system server to change. This is how you can switch to the Google DNS.
- First, start Run, type in ncpa.cpl, and click OK.
- Next, right-click the internet network adapter shown within the Control Panel and select Properties.
- Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 to access settings for that protocol.
- Click Use the following DNS server addresses to activate more options.
- Next, input 8.8.8.8 Google address value inside the Preferred DNS box
- Enter a secondary 8.8.4.4. Google address value within the Alternative DNS box.
The Use the following DNS server addresses
- Now click OK to apply the Google DNS settings.
- Restart Windows after changing the DNS settings.
Disable Third-Party Antivirus Tools
Third-party antivirus false flags can potentially cause the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error on Windows PCs. A false flag is when an antivirus program misidentifies legitimate software to be malware. This false flagging is quite a common cause for game startup issues.
So, try temporarily disabling any third-party antivirus tool on your PC (if there is one) to identify if it is the issue. Click on the system tray icon for your antivirus with the right mouse button and select an option for disabling it. If possible, select to disable it for at least an hour before starting Roblox.
The Avast Antivirus system tray icon
Other Ways to Fix the Roblox “Failed to Download or Apply Critical Settings” Error
The potential resolutions above are more widely confirmed fixes, but other troubleshooting methods might resolve the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error. Try applying these extra potential solutions:
- Reinstall your Roblox Player software.
- Try playing Roblox with a VPN connection.
- Add the Roblox Game Client to Windows Defender Firewall’s allowed list.
There’s a good chance one of the potential resolutions in this guide will fix the Roblox “Failed to download or apply critical settings” error on your PC because they’ve worked for many other players. However, Roblox does have a help service you can contact if this gaming issue persists. You can fill out the form on this Roblox help page to submit a support ticket.
