Doom 2016 brought the popular FPS franchise back into the spotlight, with its fast-paced gameplay and brutal action. Running on id Tech 6, it runs incredibly well across all systems. However, with so many PC configurations out there, there are bound to be some PC players experiencing errors and issues with the game, like the black screen at startup issue or crashes at startup. PC users report that the game is crashing on startup. I have compiled the best fixes that will resolve the Doom 2016 crash at startup issue on your Windows PC.

Ultimate Fixes for Doom 2016 Crashing on Startup

PC users report that when they launch Doom 2016, it crashes on startup. Some PC users experience Fatal errors, like the following, while others don’t get an error message.

FATAL ERROR: Failed to create XAudio2 engine. Try installing the latest DirectX.

Or

FATAL ERROR: wglCreateContextAttribsARB failed

There are multiple reasons why you are experiencing these issues, like missing or damaged Visual C++ components, the game using the Vulkan API, a lack of administrative rights for the game, and more. The following fixes will resolve the crash at startup issue in Doom 2016 on your Windows PC.

Fix #1 – Use OpenGL to Run Doom

The game supports Vulkan and OpenGL APIs, and players can choose between the two. The reason Doom 2016 is crashing on startup on your PC is that it is using the Vulkan API. To fix the issue, switch the game to OpenGL. However, since the game is not launching, you can use the +r_renderAPI 0 command line argument to force it to use OpenGL. Here is how you can switch to OpenGL without opening the game:

  • Right-click Doom 2016 in your Steam library and click the “properties” option.
  • In the “General” tab, type +r_renderAPI 0 under “Launch Options”, and close the windows.
  • Launch Doom 2016, and it’ll run without crashing on startup.

Fix #2 – Repair System Files and Visual C++ Components

Based on community feedback, for most players, Doom 2016 is crashing on startup due to missing or damaged system files and Visual C++ Components. Since these files and components are essential to run games on your Windows PC, you have to repair or install them to fix the crash at startup issue with the game. Here is how you repair or install them:

Install or Repair Visual C++ Components

PC users report that installing Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC fixes the crash at startup issue with the game.

If the above Visual C++ installer didn’t work, then you need to install or repair all Visual C++ Components to fix the crash at startup issue in Doom 2016. Here is how you can do it:

  • Go to the Steam Library and type “Steamworks” in the search bar.
  • Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > click “Browse local files”.
  • Open _CommonRedist\vcredist in the explorer window that opens on your screen.
  • You will get a list of folders with names in years starting from 2010.
  • Open each folder one by one and run the VC_redis for both x64 and x86 versions.
  • Repair or install Visual C++ Redistributables.
  • Restart your PC, launch the game, and it won’t crash on startup.
Type “Steamworks” in the Steam search bar. Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse Local Files.
Install or repair the Visual C++ Redistributable.

Run SFC and DISM Scans to Repair System Files

SFC and DISM as Windows’ built-in tools that scan for missing or corrupt system files and recover them. Run these scans to fix system files, and the crash at startup issue will be fixed with the game.

  • Open Command Prompt (CMD) and run it as an administrator.
  • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Let the scan complete.
  • Once it is complete, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.
  • Let the scan complete.
  • Launch Doom 2016, and the crash at startup issue is now fixed.
How to run the DISM scan to repair corrupt or missing system files?
Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.

Fix #3 – Ensure Doom is Running on Dedicated Graphics Hardware

Gaming laptops with dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics hardware don’t always use the dedicated GPU. Windows alternates between the integrated GPU (iGPU) and the dedicated GPU depending on the load.

Doom crashes at startup on your system because Windows isn’t switching to the dedicated graphics hardware. You can fix this issue by ensuring the game always runs on the dedicated GPU, and here is how you can do it:

  • Open Windows 11/10 Settings.
  • Navigate to System > Display > Graphics.
  • Select “DOOM” from the list.
  • Click on Options.
  • Check the “High Performance” option and save the changes.
  • Launch the game, and the startup crashes are now fixed.
How to switch default graphics card to dedicated GPU on Windows 11.
Open Windows Settings and go to System > Display > Graphics. Select the game from the list and click on Options.
How to switch default graphics card to dedicated GPU on Windows 11.
Check the “High Performance” options and click the Save button.

Fix #4 – Run Doom 2016 as an Administrator

The game is crashing at startup due to not having administrative rights. You can fix the issue by running Doom as an administrator.

  • Open your Steam Library and right-click Doom.
  • Hover the cursor over “Manage” and click the “Browse Local Files” option.
  • In the new explorer window, right-click DOOMx64.exe and select Properties.
  • Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the “Run this program as an administrator” option, and click the “Apply” button.
  • After that, right-click DOOMx64VK.exe and select properties. Go to the “Compatibility” tab in the new window, check the “Run this program as an administrator” option, and click the “Apply” button.
  • Launch the game, and it won’t crash on startup again.
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Right-click the game in your Steam library > Manage > Browse local files.
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Right-click the game executable and select “properties.”
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Go to the “Compatibility” tab > check “Run this program as an administrator” and apply the changes.

Fix #5 – Run Doom in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 or 8

Compatibility issues with the current Windows build are crashing the game on startup or causing the Doom not launching issue. You can fix this by running Doom 2016 in compatibility mode for Windows 7 or 8. Here is how you run the game in compatibility mode:

  • Open your Steam Library and right-click Doom 2016.
  • Hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” option and click “Browse local files”.
  • It will open a new Explorer window containing game files.
  • Right-click DOOMx64.exe and click properties.
  • Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option.
  • Select Windows 7 or 8 from the drop-down menu, and apply the changes.
  • Now, right-click DOOMx64VK.exe and select properties. Open the “Compatibility” tab and check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option.
  • Select Windows 7 or 8 from the drop-down menu, and apply the changes.
  • Launch Doom, and the startup crash issue is now fixed.
How to browse game files for Steam?
Right-click the game > Hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” option > Click “Browse local files”.
How to run games in Compatibility mode on Windows 10 and 11?
Right-click the executable > Properties > Compatibility tab > check “Run this program in compatibility mode” > Select “Windows 7”.

Fix #6 – Disable Anti-Virus

Some PC users tend to use third-party anti-virus software, like DeepGuard, to protect their systems from malware or viruses. However, these anti-virus software often falsely detect game executables as malware.

If you have installed a third-party anti-virus on your PC, it is the reason Doom 2016 is not launching, as the anti-virus is blocking the game’s executable. You can fix the issue by either disabling the real-time protection or excluding the game’s folder from the antivirus. I recommend the latter. After that, verify the game files, launch Doom 2016, and it won’t crash at startup again.

Fix #7 – Update DirectX

DirectX is an API that is essential to run games on Windows. Doom is crashing on startup on your PC due to missing or damaged DirectX files. You can fix the issue by updating DirectX, and here is how you can do it:

  • Navigate to the Steam Library and type “Steamworks” in the search bar.
  • Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse local files.
  • It will open a new Explorer window.
  • In this window, go to the “_CommonRedist” folder > DirectX > Jun2010.
  • Run the “DXSETUP” and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
  • Launch Doom, and the startup crashes are now fixed.
Type “Steamworks” in the Steam search bar. Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse Local Files.
Go to the “_CommonRedist” folder > DirectX > Jun2010. Run the “DXSETUP.”
Agree to the agreement and click the “Next” button.

Alternatively, you can download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer and update or install DirectX to fix the crashes.

Fix #8 – Clear DirectX Shader Cache

The DirectX shader cache on your PC is causing Doom to crash at launch. Microsoft rolls out frequent Windows updates, which sometimes damage the DirectX shader cache. You can fix the Doom’s crash at startup issue by deleting the cache, and Windows will create a new one. Here is how to delete the cache:

  • Open Windows Settings and navigate to System > Storage > Temporary Files.
  • Click “DirectX Shader Cache” and click “Remove Files”.
  • Play Doom, and it will not crash at launch.

There you have it, our fixes for the crash on startup or game not launching issue with Doom 2016. If you are experiencing errors and crashes in games, also see our fixes hub for commonly occurring errors for PC and handhelds.