Black Ops 7 is the latest Call of Duty game for Windows PCs and consoles. Some players can’t get stuck into Black Ops 7 because that game doesn’t start on their PCs. A player’s Reddit post said this about BO 7 not starting: “BLACK OPS 7 won’t start. Does anyone have any tips? I press Play on Steam, and just nothing happens.” Black Ops 7 might also show a message or screen when it doesn’t start. These are some ways to fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 not launching on Windows PCs.
Start Steam With Admin Rights
A few players have confirmed that setting Steam to run with admin rights can fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 not launching. Applying this potential remedy will give Steam, rather than the game, full system rights. You can configure Steam to start with administrator rights as follows:
- Right-click the Steam shortcut icon on your Windows desktop to select Properties and Compatibility.
- Next, select the checkbox with the Run this program as an administrator label.
The Run this program as an administrator
- Click Apply > OK to set the elevated privileges for Steam.
Select to Repair the Call of Duty App
If you’ve installed Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with the Xbox app, try repairing the game app. Windows includes a Repair troubleshooting option you can select for apps. Select the Repair and Reset options for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as instructed on this Microsoft page.
The Repair option for the Call of Duty game app
Delete the Activision Folder
Players confirm that deleting the Activision data folder can sometimes fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 not launching. Applying this potential fix might erase antiquated or corrupted configuration files, which the game will regenerate after you’ve deleted the folder. This is how you can delete the Activision folder:
- Click on Start with your mouse’s right button and select Run.
- Input %localappdata% into the Run dialog and click OK.
- Next, right-click the Activision folder and select Delete.
The Activision data folder
Delete Data Folders and Sign Out and In to the Xbox App
If you see a sign in error when starting Black Ops 7, try erasing some data folders for the game and signing out and back into the Xbox app. Note that this potential resolution is applicable for players who’ve installed Black Ops 7 via Xbox Game Pass. You can apply this potential remedy with the following steps:
- First, erase the Activision data folder as instructed for resolution three above.
- Next, open the Documents folder in File Explorer.
- Right-click the Call of Duty data folder in the Documents directory to select Delete.
The Documents folder that includes the Call of Duty subfolder
- Next, open the Xbox app.
- Click the user profile button in the Xbox app and select Sign out.
- Close the Xbox app after signing out.
- Then, press the Windows logo + X hotkey to click on Run.
- Input wsreset inside the Run dialog that opens and hit Enter.
The wsreset command
- Restart your Windows PC.
- Start the Xbox app to sign in to it.
- Then, try starting Black Ops 7 again.
Verify the Black Ops 7 Game Files
Running a verification scan can sometimes repair corrupted files for games that don’t start. If there are corrupted or missing files for Black Ops 7, then applying this troubleshooting method might kick-start that game. These Valve help and Bethestada support pages tell you how players can verify games with Steam and the Xbox app.
The Verify integrity option in Steam
Install New Graphics Drivers
Black Ops 7 is a new game for which you might need up-to-date graphics drivers. So, try installing the latest graphical driver compatible with your PC’s GPU. KeenGamer’s guide to updating graphics drivers includes different methods for applying this potential remedy.
The NVIDIA drivers page
Disable HDR in Windows
Some players also say that they’ve disabled HDR (High Dynamic Range) to fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. If the Black Ops 7 game doesn’t start, you won’t be able to select the in-game HDR setting. However, you can disable HDR in Windows if it is enabled by pressing the Windows logo + Alt + B keyboard shortcut.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Not Launching
Try applying the potential remedies for Black Ops 7 not launching covered above first. If they’re not enough, try applying these additional troubleshooting methods:
- Start the Black Ops 7 game from its installation folder by right-clicking the cod.exe file there and selecting Run as administrator.
- If your PC has two GPUs, set Black Ops 7 to run with the dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card via Windows graphics settings.
- Disable overlays in Steam, GeForce Experience, Discord, and AMD Adrenalin Edition.
- Make sure TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are enabled on your PC. Check out these Microsoft Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 pages for further details about how to do that.
Those ways to fix Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 not launching have worked for some players who’ve applied them. So, maybe one might work for you as well. If not, try sending a help ticket to Activision from this support options page.
