How to Fix Undecember Not Launching, Crashing, or Freezing

Having trouble getting Undecember to launch or play smoothly without crashes or freezes? This comprehensive troubleshooting guide will walk you through all the possible fixes to get the game running properly again. We‘ll cover everything from updating drivers to tweaking in-game settings to stop the crashes for good. Follow these steps and you‘ll be able to enjoy Undecember‘s fast-paced action RPG gameplay in no time.

An Overview of Common Undecember Launch Problems

Undecember is an innovative action RPG with engaging real-time combat, but some players have experienced issues getting the game to launch and run smoothly.

According to data gathered on Reddit and Steam discussions, the most frequently reported Undecember launch problems include:

The game not opening at all when clicked on – Usually indicates an issue with graphics drivers, Windows compatibility or corrupted files.
Crashing right after the developer splash screens – Typically caused by antivirus/firewall blocking the executable, or GPU driver problems.
Freezing on initial loading with black/white screen – Often fixed by updating graphics drivers, closing background apps or verifying game file integrity.
Frequent crashes and freezes during gameplay – Usually the result of overheating, outdated drivers, memory issues or game file glitches.

According to a 2021 survey by software analytics firm Newzoo, over 50% of PC gamers reported experiencing game crashes or freezes while playing. So if Undecember is crashing or freezing on your system, don‘t worry – with some targeted troubleshooting, you can get it running smoothly again.

Step 1: Update Your GPU Drivers

The first thing to try when Undecember won‘t launch or keeps crashing is updating your graphics card drivers. GPU drivers control how your graphics card communicates with the game, and outdated or corrupt drivers are the #1 cause of game crashes.

Here‘s how to update drivers for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs:

For NVIDIA cards:

Open the GeForce Experience app, or download the latest Game Ready drivers from Nvidia‘s website.
In GeForce Experience, click the Drivers tab and click Download if an update is available.
Follow the prompts to complete the driver installation, and restart your PC.

For AMD cards:

Open the Radeon Software app, or get the latest AMD drivers from their website.
In Radeon Software, go to the Updates tab and click Download if a new version is available.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the updated driver pack, and reboot.

I recommend doing a "clean install" when updating GPU drivers. This will fully replace old driver files to avoid conflicts. Also remember to reboot after installing new drivers to ensure they are properly initialized.

Step 2: Run the Game as Administrator

If Undecember is crashing on startup or not launching at all, try running it as an Administrator. This grants the game executable elevated privileges in case standard user permissions are blocking it from running correctly.

Here‘s how to run Undecember as an Admin:

Find the game executable, located in C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Undecember by default.
Right-click the Undecember.exe application.
Select Run as Administrator from the context menu.
Click Yes when prompted by the UAC permission dialog.

Now try launching the game again normally through Steam. Running as admin overrides the standard permissions and may fix crashing issues caused by restrictive user access settings.

Step 3: Add Undecember to Your Antivirus and Firewall Allow List

Overzealous antivirus suites and firewalls can sometimes detect games falsely as malware or block their executables from running. Adding Undecember as an exception prevents your security software from interfering with the game.

For Windows Security:

Open Windows Security settings (search Defender in Start)
Click Virus & Threat Protection > Manage Ransomware Protection
Click Allow an app through Controlled folder access
Click Add an allowed app, browse and select Undecember.exe

For Third-Party Antivirus:

Open your antivirus software settings
Find the option to allowlist or exclude programs from scans
Add the Undecember executable to excluded files

For Windows Firewall:

Go to Windows Firewall > Allow an app through firewall
Click Change Settings > Allow another app
Browse and add the Undecember executable

This whitelists Undecember so your security software ignores the game executable. Re-launch Undecember after adding these exclusions.

Step 4: Close All Background Apps and Disable Overlays

Too many apps and overlays running while gaming puts extra load on your CPU and GPU, which can cause stuttering, freezing and crashing in games. To optimize system resources for Undecember:

Close all non-essential background apps before playing via Task Manager
Disable the Steam in-game overlay (Steam > Settings > In-Game)
Disable apps like MSI Afterburner, Razer Synapse, Logitech Hub, etc
Disable the NVIDIA GeForce overlay if enabled
Disable Discord overlays if enabled
Close hardware monitoring apps like Speccy or HWiNFO

Reducing background load allows Undecember to run more smoothly and stably. Restart your PC after closing background apps for the optimal experience.

Step 5: Verify Integrity of Game Files

If Undecember is crashing randomly or won‘t launch properly, it could be due to corrupt or missing game files. Steam‘s file validation process scans for missing/corrupted data and automatically repairs any issues with the install.

To verify Undecember‘s files:

In Steam, right-click on Undecember and select Properties
Go to the Local Files tab > Verify Integrity of Game Files
Steam will automatically scan and replace any damaged files

File verification fixes the most common crashing and freezing issues caused by game file corruption.

Step 6: Perform a Clean Reinstall of the Game

If crashes persist after trying the above steps, you can attempt a clean reinstall of the game as a last resort. This will completely replace all game files with a fresh install, resolving any lingering issues.

To reinstall Undecember:

Back up your game settings and save files
Uninstall the game normally through Steam
Open Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & Features
Click Undecember and select Uninstall to remove leftover files
Reboot your PC and reinstall Undecember on Steam
Copy back your settings, saves, etc

This eliminates any corrupted files or registry issues and resets the game to a clean state. Only reinstall as a last resort after trying all other troubleshooting.

Resolving Specific Error Codes

If Undecember is crashing and showing a specific error, here are some common codes and their fixes:

ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT – Graphics API initialization error – update GPU drivers.

0xc0000142 – Corrupt game files – verify integrity of game files.

DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG – GPU driver crashed – lower graphics settings, update GPU drivers.

0xc000007b – Incompatible system files – repair/reinstall Visual C++ runtime libraries.

0xc000012f – Registry issue – boot into safe mode and rebuild registry hive.

Consult Undecember‘s support site and community forums for help diagnosing any other specific error codes not launching properly.

Game Launch Troubleshooting Recap

Follow this step-by-step guide if you‘re having issues getting Undecember to run:

Update your NVIDIA or AMD graphics drivers.
Run Undecember as Administrator.
Add the game to antivirus and firewall allow lists.
Close background apps and disable overlays.
Verify integrity of game files via Steam.
Try reinstalling the game as a last resort.
Search for solutions to any specific error codes.

With these fixes, you should be able to get Undecember launching and running smoothly again. The game offers a thrilling hack-and-slash RPG experience once you get it running properly. Don‘t hesitate to contact Undecember‘s technical support if any crashes or issues persist after trying these troubleshooting steps.