Many players have reported that Valheim doesn’t start on their PCs. For example, one player’s Steam post says this, “I have started this thread because every time I start Valheim, it crashes immediately. The loading logo comes up with a red exclamation point on the top left corner, and the progress bar goes to about 20%, and then it crashes to desktop.” Other players report seeing Unity loading bars when Valheim doesn’t start. These are some ways you can fix Valheim not launching on Windows PCs.
Verify the Valheim Game Files
Running a scan that verifies (checks and repairs) Valheim’s files could fix that game not launching for some players. Steam has a Verify option you can run for all games installed with that gaming client. To run a verification scan, go through the steps on this Steam support page.
The Verify integrity of game files
Delete the BepInEx Folder
Many players confirm erasing the BepInEx folder can fix Valheim not launching. This potential solution is particularly widely confirmed to fix startup issues for which a Unity loading bar appears. You can erase the BepInEx folder as follows.
- Press the Windows keyboard button and E to view a File Explorer window for navigating folders.
- Go to the game’s installation directory, at this path: Steam > steamapps > common > Valheim.
The BepInEx folder
- Right-click the BepInEx folder and select Delete.
Set Your GPU for NVIDIA PhysX
Valheim can also crash at startup because NVIDIA PhysX is set for a CPU rather than a GPU. To remedy this, try setting your GPU for PhysX via the NVIDIA Control Panel, as follows.
- Double-click the NVIDIA system tray icon.
- Click 3D Settings in the sidebar.
- Select Set PhysX Configuration in the sidebar.
- Next, click the Select a PhysX process drop-down menu.
The Select a PhysX process drop-down menu
- Select your PC’s dedicated GPU on the drop-down menu.
Set a Windowed Mode Startup Parameter for Valheim
- Launch the Steam software and click Library.
- Right-click the Valheim game to select Properties.
- Input -windowed -noborder into Launch Options on the General tab.
The Launch Options
- Restart Steam after setting the new launch parameter.
Disable the Overlay Setting in Steam
It’s not uncommon for the Steam overlay feature to cause startup issues for some games. The simple solution is to ensure that overlay isn’t an issue for Valheim. This is how you can disable the overlay feature in Steam.
- Start Steam to access that gaming software.
- Click Steam at the top-right corner of the gaming client.
- Select Settings to access the configuration window for Steam.
- Click the In Game tab.
The In-Game tab
- Turn off the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game option.
Run System File and Deployment Image Scans
A few players confirm they’ve been able to fix Valheim not launching by running System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing scans with the Command Prompt. Those are scans that repair system files and Windows system image issues. This Microsoft support page tells you how users can run those repair scans.
The SFC scannow command
Reinstall Valheim
Reinstalling is another confirmed way to fix Valheim not launching on Windows 11/10 PCs. However, players who’ve fixed the game by doing so also say they erased a Valheim folder after uninstalling. So, try reinstalling Valheim like this.
- Go to the Library tab within Steam.
- Right-click your Valheim game and select the Manage submenu.
- Click Uninstall twice to remove the game.
The Uninstall option in Steam
- Next, go into File Explorer to bring up the Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ folder.
- Right-click the Valheim folder if it’s still there to select Delete.
- Return to Steam’s Library tab and click Install for your Valheim game.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Valheim Not Launching
Try applying all the potential resolutions above to fix Valheim not launching. If they’re not enough, these are some additional troubleshooting methods that could be worth a try:
- Configure your Valheim game to run as an administrator.
- Install the newest available driver for your PC’s GPU.
- Temporarily turn off the Windows Defender Firewall via the Control Panel before launching Valheim. Turn off third-party firewalls if any are installed.
- Close unneeded third-party background apps via Task Manager before launching Valheim. Also, restart Steam by ending that app’s process from Task Manager.
There’s no guaranteed way to fix Valheim not launching, and you’ll probably need to try different potential solutions to find one that works for you. There’s a pretty good probability one of the methods above could fix that game not starting on your PC. Players who’ve found other ways to fix Valheim, not starting not mentioned, above are most welcome to share their resolutions in the comments below.
