Phasmophobia is a popular co-op horror game for which players have reported PC startup issues. A player described a Phasmophobia startup issue on Reddit like this: “From my Steam library, I hit Play to start Phasmophobia, and it just sits on running. I see it in Task Manager, but it is using very little resources, and there is no window for it.” Players have reported that the game crashes in various ways when they try to start it. This is how you can fix Phasmophobia not launching on a Windows PC.
Start Phasmophobia With Administrator Rights
First, try starting Phasmophobia with administrator rights, which a few players say has worked for them. Setting Phasmophobia to run with administrative rights will give the game full system access. This is how you can start the game with elevated privileges.
- First, open the installation folder for the game in File Explorer at SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Phasmophobia.
- Next, right-click the Phasmophobia.exe file to select Properties and Compatibility.
- Select Run this program as administrator by clicking on its checkbox.
The Run this program as an administrator option
- Press Apply to save what compatibility settings you’ve selected.
- To exit the window, click on OK.
Rename the Openxr_loader.dll
Renaming the openxr_loader.dll file is a way to fix Phasmophobia not launching many players confirmed to work. The OpenXR_loader.dll loads OpenXR runtimes on PCs. Try renaming that file like this.
- Open the Library tab inside Steam.
- Right-click Phasmophobia to select Manage and Browse Local Files.
- Next, open the Phasmophobia_Data > Plugins > x86_64 subfolder in the game’s installation folder.
- Right-click the OpenXR_loader.dll file and select Rename.
- Rename the file to openxr_loader.dll.bak and press Enter.
Delete the Phasmophobia Folder and Verify the Files
Players confirm deleting and restoring the Phasmophobia installation folder has fixed the game not starting on their PCs. Running a verification scan for Phasmophobia will restore the deleted folder and files. You can delete that folder and verify files like this.
- Press the Windows + E keys and go to the SteamLibrary > steamapps > common directory path.
- Right-click the Phasmophobia game folder and select Delete.
- Next, open your Steam software and its Library tab.
- Right-click Phasmophobia and select Properties.
- Click Verify integrity of game files on the Installed Files tab.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Run the Oculus App Before Starting Phasmophobia
Is the Oculus app for Quest VR gaming installed on your PC? If so, try running (opening) the Oculus app before launching Phasmophobia. That’s a slightly unusual potential resolution numerous players have applied to fix Phasmophobia not launching on their PCs.
The Oculus app
Make Sure Wemod Isn’t Running
WeMod is cheat software for games players confirm they’ve needed to disable to fix Phasmophobia not launching on PCs. Is Wemod installed on your PC? If so, make sure that the game isn’t running in the background when you try to start Phasmophobia as follows.
- Go into Task Manager by using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut.
- Look for WeMod on the Processes tab.
- Right-click WeMod processes to select End task.
The End task option
- Try playing Phasmophobia with WeMod closed.
Apply a Clean Boot
The clean-boot troubleshooting method disables all third-party apps and services that start with Windows when users apply it. Doing this might fix Phasmophobia not launching on your PC because clean booting might eliminate a troublesome background app or service causing startup issues. To apply this possible fix, go through the instructions in this Microsoft clean-boot guide and restart your PC.
The Services tab in MSConfig
Reinstall Phasmophobia
Reinstalling Phasmophobia is a standard troubleshooting method that can fix a wide variety of gaming issues. You might need to reinstall the game to get it started again if alternative potential solutions don’t work on your Windows PC. This is how you can reinstall Phasmophobia with the Steam software.
- Run your Steam app and select Library inside it.
- Click the Phasmophobia game in Steam’s sidebar with the right mouse button to select Manage and Uninstall.
The Manage and Uninstall option in Steam
- Select Uninstall again when asked for confirmation.
- Click the uninstalled Phasmophobia game in Steam’s Library tab and press Install.
- Select the second Install option.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Phasmophobia Not Launching
First, try applying the more widely confirmed ways to fix Phasmophobia not launching discussed above. If they’re not enough, these are some additional troubleshooting methods that could get that gaming up and running:
- Add Phasmophobia to Windows Defender Firewall’s allowed list.
- Install the newest driver available for your desktop’s or laptop’s graphics adapter (GPU). This KeenGamer post provides full instructions for how users can update graphical drivers.
- Select a High-Performance graphics preference for Phasmophobia via Settings.
- Turn off Steam’s overlay feature.
Many players have been able to fix Phasmophobia not launching by applying the troubleshooting methods outlined above. So, there’s a good probability one might also fix that game when it doesn’t start on your PC. If you need more potential resolutions, try sending an email to the Kinetic Games support service at co*****@*************co.uk.
