Baldur’s Gate III is an action role-playing video game that has been inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, developed and published by Larian Studios. This is the 3rd main title in the Baldur’s Gate 3 series and has received an overwhelming response on the Steam platform for the PC version. It’s also available for Mac, Google Stadia platforms. Although the PC version has received very positive reviews, plenty of the unfortunate players are encountering Baldur’s Gate 3 Not Launching issue which is a big disappointment. If you’re also one of the victims, make sure to follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it.

The Baldur’s Gate III game has been released in October 2020 and still, it’s running as an Early Access. It means there are plenty of unexpected bugs or errors that can be found in this game as of now until developers release a full-fledged stable version. For PC gamers, startup crashing or lagging or the game not launching issues are some of the most common problems which we can’t deny. But most PC gamers experience these kinds of issues due to some sort of hardware or software issues from their side. So, following and attempting all of the methods will come in handy.

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Fix: Baldur’s Gate 3 Not Launching

A large number of players are experiencing multiple issues with the Baldur’s Gate III launching on their PC/Laptop. Before heading over any methods, make sure that your hardware configuration is meeting the system requirements of this game.

1. Run the Program as an administrator

Make sure to run the game and Steam (exe) file as an administrator on your Windows system to give proper access. To do so:

  • Right-click on the game .exe file > Go to Properties.

  • Click on the Compatibility tab > Select Run this program as an administrator.

  • Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

  • Make sure to do the same for the Steam (.exe) also.

  • Once done, you should be able to run the Baldur’s Gate 3 game properly.

2. Verify Game Files

Verifying the game files will help to easily fix the corrupted or missing game files from the game launcher directly. To do that:

  • Launch the Steam client > Go to Steam Library

  • Right-click on Baldur’s Gate 3 > Click on Properties

  • Click on the Local Files tab

  • Select Verify Integrity of Game Files

  • Wait for the process to complete and then restart your game

3. Set Launch Option for Windowed Mode

  • Launch the Steam client > Go to Steam Library
  • Right-click on Baldur’s Gate 3 > Click on Properties
  • Click on the General tab > Click on SET LAUNCH OPTIONS
  • Type -windowed -noborder command-line argument in the field
  • Click on OK and restart your computer to apply changes
  • Once done, try running your Baldur’s Gate 3 game to check whether the Not Launching issue has been fixed or not.

4. Close Unnecessary Background Tasks

As we all know that plenty of programs or tasks are always running in the background on Windows system which may cause performance drops or conflict with the game launching. To do that:

  • Press Windows + R keys to open up the Run dialog box.
  • Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open up System Configuration.
  • Go to the Services tab > Click on Hide all Microsoft services.
  • Click on Disable all > Next, go to the Startup tab.
  • Click on Open Task Manager > Select and End Task one by one those are running unnecessarily.
  • Once all done, close all windows and restart your system to refresh it.
  • Finally, try running the Baldur’s Gate 3 again to check for the issue.

5. Disable Steam Overlay App

If in case the game crashes or not even launching issues are still bothering you then you should turn off the Steam Overlay option from the launcher. Though this feature is useful for professional gamers, it may eat up a lot of system resources and causes multiple issues with the game launching or gameplay. To turn it off:

  • Open the Steam client on your computer.
  • Go to Settings > Click on In-Game.
  • Uncheck the checkbox to disable ‘Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game‘.
  • Once done, click on OK.

6. Disable Shader Cache

If you’re using the Nvidia graphics card on your computer then you should turn off the Shader Cache from the Nvidia Control Panel which may also cause game crashes or not launching issues. To do that:

  • Right-click on the desktop screen and select Nvidia Control Panel.
  • Click to expand 3D Settings > Now, select Manage 3D Settings.
  • Go to Program Settings > Click on Add > Select Baldur’s Gate III.
  • Locate Shader Cache and turn it off from the Specify the settings for this program option.
  • Once done, try launching the Baldur’s Gate 3 game and check if it’s still Not Launching or what.

7. Try Removing Bad Sectors from Hard Drive Partition

Sometimes it may also possible that the hard drive partition is having bad sectors that may trigger multiple issues with the game if it’s installed in that same drive. So, we’ll recommend you to check for the bad sectors on the drive partition and try fixing them all. To do so:

  • Open the File Explorer (This PC) > Right-click on the drive where you’ve installed the Baldur’s Gate III game and the Steam client.
  • Select Properties > Click on Tools > Select Check.
  • Now, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
  • Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to refresh the drive partition and system.

8. Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience and MSI Afterburner

It’s recommended from some of the online forums that using the Nvidia GeForce Experience app or MSI Afterburner overclocking tool on the Windows system will decrease the performance. Additionally, it starts using a lot of system resources in the background that should be fixed by removing the app. Either you can simply uninstall these programs from your computer or disable the task from Task Manager. Once done, restart your computer, and check for the issue again.

9. Update Graphics Drivers

If you’re using the Nvidia graphics card then update the GeForce Experience app on your PC from the Nvidia official site here.

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But if you’re using the AMD graphics card on your system, then update the latest AMD Drivers from here.

10. Adjust Discord Settings

  • Launch Discord > Click on User Settings.
  • Select Voice & Video from the left sidebar.
  • Scroll down a bit and click on the Advanced.
  • Next, disable OpenH264 Video Codec provided by Cisco System, Inc.
  • Then disable Enable Quality of Service High Packet Priority.
  • Click on Overlay.
  • Disable in-game overlay.
  • Next, click on Appearance.
  • Scroll down to the bottom Advanced.
  • Disable Hardware Acceleration.
  • Once done, restart the Discord or restart the system.

11. Update Windows

Updating Windows OS build is always essential for PC users as well as PC gamers to reduce system glitches, compatibility issues, and crashes. Meanwhile, the latest version mostly includes additional features, improvements, security patches, and more. To do that:

  • Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.

  • Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.

  • If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.

  • It may take a while to complete the update.

  • Once done, restart your computer to install the update.

Must Read: Baldur’s Gate 3 Crashing at Startup, Won’t Launch, or Lags with FPS drops: Fix

12. Set High Priority in Task Manager

Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:

  • Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
  • Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the Baldur’s Gate 3 game task.
  • Select Set Priority to High.
  • Close Task Manager.

13. Disable Windows Firewall or Antivirus Program

The chances are high enough that maybe your default Windows Defender Firewall protection or any third-party antivirus program is preventing the ongoing connections or game files to run properly. So, make sure to temporarily disable or turn off the real-time protection and firewall protection. Then you should try running the game to check if Baldur’s Gate 3 Doesn’t Open / Not Launching or Crashing on PC issue has been fixed or not. To do this:

  • Click on the Start Menu > Type firewall.
  • Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
  • Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
  • A new page will open > Select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option for both the Private & Public Network Settings.
  • Once selected, click on OK to save changes.
  • Finally, restart your computer.

Similarly, you have to turn off the Windows Security protection too. Just follow the steps below:

  • Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.

  • Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.

  • Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.

  • Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.

  • Next, you’ll need to simply turn off the Real-time protection toggle.

  • If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.

  • Additionally, you can also turn off Cloud-delivered protection, Tamper protection if you want.

14. Close the game from Background Apps

If somehow the Baldur’s Gate 3 game is still going through issues, make sure to turn it off from the Background Apps feature on your PC. To do so,

  • Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
  • Click on Privacy > Scroll down from the left pane and select Background apps.
  • Scroll down and look for Baldur’s Gate 3 game title.
  • Just turn off the toggle next to the game title.
  • Once done, close the window and restart your computer.

15. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime

Make sure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to fix multiple gaming issues or errors completely. To do that:

  • Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.

  • Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.

  • Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.

  • Select each program and click on Uninstall.

  • Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.

  • Once done, install it on your computer, and restart the system to change effects.

16. Use CPU and GPU Clock Speed at Default Settings

If you’ve overclocked your GPU speed and experiencing the crashing or stuttering issue on the Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay or at the launching, make sure to use the MSI Afterburner tool or Zotac firestorm to underclock or set the default clock speed. Now, you can try again to run the game whether it’s working or not.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.