Delving into the Crusader Kings 3 gameplay is thrilling. However, players are complaining about the crashing issue. If you happened to be one of them, don’t worry. Here are some fixes for you.
Try these fixes:
You might not need to try them all; simply work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
- Launch the game from the installation folder
- Update your graphics driver
- Turn off Windows Defender
- Disable antivirus software
- Run the game as administrator
- Verify your game files
- Perform a clean boot
- Reinstall your game
Before getting started
Before you take any troubleshooting steps, make sure that you update Crusader Kings III. The latest game patch notes will fix the known bugs.
After updating your game, restart your computer. If this doesn’t do the trick, try the fixes below to see which one works for you.
Fix 1: Launch the game from the installation folder
If you experience crashes while playing your game, it might be an issue related to compatibility. Launching it from the installation folder may fix it. Here’s how you can do this:
1) Press Windows logo key + R at the same time to open File Explorer.
2) Click on This PC > Windows (C:).
3) Open the folder Program Files (×86) > Steam > steamapps > common > Crusader Kings III > binaries.
4) In the binaries folder, locate ck3.exe. Double-click it to launch the game.
Fix 2: Update your graphics driver
Your device drivers, the graphics driver, in particular, are very important because it directly impacts your game performance. If you’re using a faulty or outdated graphics driver, you’re more likely to encounter crashing and stuttering issues. In order to fix it, you need to update your graphics driver.
There are mainly two ways you can update your graphics driver: manually and automatically.
Option 1: Manually update your graphics driver
NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel release updates for their drivers regularly. All you need to do is go to the official website of your graphics card manufacturer. Then find the driver corresponding with your Windows version and download it manually. Once you’ve downloaded the correct driver for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the drivers. For Nvidia users, you can also use GeForce Experience to check for the driver.
Option 2: Automatically update your graphics driver (recommended)
Updating drivers manually can be time-consuming and risky. So if you don’t feel like doing it on your own, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy. It’s a useful tool that automatically detects, downloads, and installs the correct or missing drivers for your system. And you can also roll back to your previous driver version if you’re not satisfied with the updated one.
Here’s how it works:
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system.
(This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All. If you don’t want to upgrade to the Pro version, you can also update your drivers with the FREE version. All you need to do is to download them one at a time and manually install them.)
After you’ve updated your drivers, restart your computer for them to take effect. Then launch your game to check if the problem persists.
Fix 3: Turn off Windows Defender
Windows Defender can protect your computer from unknown attacks. But it might also fail to recognize and trust your game. So in this case, you should turn it off.
1) On the left end of the taskbar, click the Start icon and then click Settings.
2) Click Updates & Security.
3) On the left pane, click Windows Security. Then click Virus & threat protection.
4) Scroll to Virus & threat protection settings and click Manage settings.
5) In the Real-time protection section, click the toggle button and turn it Off.
Fix 4: Disable antivirus software
There will be conflicts between the antivirus scans and your game. So to avoid this, you’re supposed to try temporarily disabling your antivirus software. This method has proved to be working for many players.
To do this, simply click the links below and follow the instructions to disable the antivirus software you’re running:
Fix 5: Run the game as an administrator
If you’ve been experiencing constant crashes while playing the game, running it as an administrator may help. You can do this by simply following these steps:
1) Right-click on the Crusader Kings III shortcut on your desktop and select Properties.
2) Click the Compatibility tab and click Run this program as an administrator. Click Apply and OK.
After applying the changes, launch your game. If the issue persists, try the next fix.
Fix 6: Verify your game files
Sometimes when files might be damaged or missing, you would encounter the issue of crashing. To fix it, you need to verify your game files on Steam or Xbox Game Pass.
If you’re using Steam
1) Under the LIBRARY tab, right-click on Crusader Kings III.
2) Select Properties.
3) Click on the LOCAL FILES tab and click VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES….
This verification process would take a while to finish. After that, play your game to check if the issue is solved.
If you’re using Xbox Game Pass
1) Press the Windows logo key and search for the Crusader Kings III app.
2) Right-click on the app and select More > App settings.
3) Under the Reset section, click Repair.
Fix 7: Perform a clean boot
Some applications would use an overlay, which can cause Crusader Kings 3 to crash. You can manually stop them from running. But alternatively, you can perform a clean boot to ensure that no other applications are interfering with your game.
To do so, you can:
1) Press the Windows logo key and R together on your keyboard to open the Run box.
2) Type msconfig and hit Enter.
3) Select the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services. Then click Disable all.
4) On the same window, select Startup tab and then click Open Task Manager.
5) Under the Startup tab in Task Manager, right-click on each Enabled Startup item, then click Disable. After that, close the window.
6) Under the Startup tab of System Configuration, click OK.
7) Restart your computer and it’ll be in a clean boot environment. Till then, you can pinpoint which apps are in conflict with your game.
Fix 8: Reinstall your game
In many cases, uninstalling and reinstalling the game can resolve many issues including the crashing issue. So you can give it a shot on Crusader Kings 3.
Here are the steps you can take:
1) Press the Windows logo key on your keyboard and find the Crusader Kings III app.
2) Right-click on the app and select Uninstall.
3) When a window pops up, click Uninstall.
4) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and E at the same time.
5) Double-click on the folder Documents > Paradox Interactive.
6) Delete the Crusader Kings III folder.
7) Download and reinstall the game from your gaming platform.
9) Try launching the game.
If you’re playing mods…
For users who are playing a mod, your crashing issue may be due to a mismatch between saved game files. The older the mod, the more likely it will not work properly in the current version. To get rid of bugs and incompatibility with new files, go to the mod page and resubscribe. If your issue persists, reinstall your mod.
So these are the fixes for Crusader Kings 3 crashing issue. Hopefully, they work for you and you can play the game smoothly. If you have any ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to leave us a comment.
