Gray Zone Warfare is a PvE game for which there has been a big resurgence after recent updates. However, many players report that Gray Zone Warfare doesn’t start when they try to play it. One GZW player said this, “I haven’t played in a while, but recently I went to play, and the game [Gray Zone Warfare] wouldn’t launch; when I open Task Manager, it shows ‘suspended’ under the status section.” This is how you can fix Gray Zone Warfare from not launching on a Windows PC.
Run Gray Zone Warfare in Compatibility Mode
Running Gray Zone Warfare in compatibility mode has worked for some players. I also recommend setting Gray Zone Warfare to run with administrator rights while you’re at it. These are the steps for running Gray Zone Warfare in compatibility mode:
- Open File Explorer and the Steam > steampps > common > Gray Zone Warfare > GZW > Binaries > Win64 folder directory.
- Right-click the GZWClientSteam-Win64-Shipping.exe file and select Properties > Compatibility.
- First, select Run this program in compatibility mode and Windows 7 in the drop-down menu.
The Compatibility tab
- Select Run this program as an administrator to set elevated privileges for the game.
- Next, select Apply to set the options as configured.
- Click OK to exit.
Run Steam With Admin Rights
Some players say that running Steam with administrator rights can fix Gray Zone Warfare from launching. To do so, right-click your Steam desktop icon and select Run as administrator. Alternatively, you can permanently set that game client to run with elevated privileges by selecting Run this program as an administrator on the Compatibility tab for the Steam desktop shortcut.
Disable Steam’s Overlay
Another player-confirmed way to fix Gray Zone Warfare not launching is to disable Steam’s overlay. Steam has an overlay feature that can sometimes conflict with games when enabled. So, try turning off the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game setting. This page tells you how players can access the option for disabling Steam’s overlay.
Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game settings
Add Gray Zone Warfare to Antivirus Exclusion Lists
Adding GZW to antivirus exclusion lists can also fix Gray Zone Warfare not launching. For example, players have specifically confirmed they’ve fixed the game not starting by adding Gray Zone Warfare to the Norton Antivirus exclusion list. The Exclusions section on this Microsoft page tells you how to add apps to Windows Security’s whitelist. These are the files you should add to antivirus exclusion lists:
- ZWClientSteam-Win64-Shipping.exe
- EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe
- GZWClientEAC.exe
The exclusion settings in Windows Security
Set a Clean Boot
Disabling background third-party apps might fix Gray Zone Warfare not launching for some players. One way to do this is to set a clean boot, which disables third-party startup items and services, and then restart Windows. Go through the steps on this Microsoft page to configure a clean boot, restart Windows, and then try launching Gray Zone Warfare.
The System Configuration tool
Roll Back Graphical Drivers
Although updating graphical drivers is usually recommended, some players say they’ve fixed Gray Zone Warfare by rolling them back. If you’ve recently updated your graphics card’s driver, try rolling it back to the previous one. This NVIDIA page provides step-by-step instructions for rolling back graphical drivers with the Device Manager tool in Windows.
The Roll Back Driver option
Run a Gray Zone Warfare Verification Scan
Check if there are corrupted or missing Gray Zone Warfare files by running a verification scan. If there are corrupted Gray Zone Warfare files, running a verification scan for the game will probably repair them. This page on Steam’s website provides guidelines for selecting the Verify Integrity option.
The Verity integrity of game files option in Steam
The troubleshooting methods above are ways to fix Gray Zone Warfare not launching that have worked for many players. So, one might kick-start your GZW game as well. To send a support ticket about Gray Zone Warfare not launching, check out this Submit a Request page on the MADFINGER Games website.
