Atomfall is a new IP from the developer Rebellion Developments, best known for its Sniper Elite franchise. It is certainly a welcome change in the studio’s output. The game is running on Rebellion’s proprietary engine, and scales well on consoles, as it is available on last-gen Xbox One and PS4, along with current-gen releases. However, a lot of PC users are unable to play the game due to a missing executable. Here is how to fix the Atomfall “can’t find .exe file” error on your Windows PC.

Best Fixes for Atomfall Missing Executable Error

According to PC users, Atomfall crashes at startup with the missing exe file error. Furthermore, PC users report that only 4GB of game data is downloaded on Steam. This issue is occurring due to Steam cache, and here is how to fix Atomfall’s “can’t find exe file” error on your PC.

Fix #1 – Restart Steam

Some PC users report that simply restarting Steam fixes the missing exe file error. So close Steam and run it again, and it will download the complete Atomfall package, which would be around 50 GB. After that, just play the game.

Fix #2 – Uninstall Atomfall and Clear Steam Download Cache

As stated, the game only downloads 4GB of game files, which isn’t complete game data, and also is missing the executable. To fix the “can’t find .exe file” error, uninstall the Atomfall and clear the Steam download cache. After that, Steam will download the complete game, which will be around 50 GB.

Here is how you can uninstall the game and clear the Steam cache:

  • Right-click Atomfall in your Steam library, hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” and click the “Uninstall” option.
  • After that, click the “Steam” button from the top menu and select “Properties”.
  • Go to the “Downloads” tab and click the “Clear cache” button in front of “Clear Download Cache”.
  • Log back in and download Atomfall.
  • It will be a complete download of around 50 GB.
  • Once the download is complete, launch Atomfall, and the missing executable error is now fixed.
How to uninstall games on Steam?
Right-click the game > Manage > Uninstall.
How to clear the Steam Downlaod Cache to fix crash at startup issue?

Fix #3 – Exclude Atomfall’s Install Folder from Anti-Virus

A lot of PC users install third-party anti-virus software to protect their systems from malware and viruses. However, such protection software often falsely detects game executables as malware and quarantines them. Anti-virus software like Avast or DeepGuard are known for this.

If you are using an anti-virus, this is crashing Atomfall at startup with the “can’t find .exe file” error. You can fix this issue by either disabling the real-time protection or excluding the game folder from the anti-virus, I recommend the latter. After that, verify the game files, play Atomfall, and the missing exe error is now fixed.

  • Right-click Atomfall in your Steam library and select the “properties” option.
  • In the new window, go to the “Installed Files” tab.
  • Click the “verify integrity of game files” button.
  • Let Steam complete the scan and download any missing files.
  • Play Atomfall, and the missing executable error is now fixed.
How to verify Steam games files after download.
Right-click the game in the Steam library > Properties > Installed files tab. Click the “Verify integrity of game files” button.

That is all for our fixes for the “can’t find .exe file” startup crash when you launch Atomfall on your PC. If you are experiencing errors and crashes in games, also see our fixes hub for commonly occurring errors for PC and handhelds.

  • Ahmad Hassan

    I'm a highly skilled technical writer with 5+ years of experience in providing fixes for video games and tech bugs. An expert in troubleshooting and has helped countless gamers overcome frustrating technical issues. In addition to providing bug fixes, I also specialize in writing technical reviews for video games.