[2022] CK3 keeps crashing

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fawnek 1 said: AVX hot fix beta opt in

Please opt out of that so you get on the new 1.7.0.1 patch, that has other crash fixes in it.

Does that help?  

Lots of errors in that log, I'm not sure if they are cosmetic or not. Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-CK3
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/CK3 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3 folders
In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam CK3 or Documents CK3 locations, before installing again.

- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add CK3.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- Right click on ck3.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
- Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, refresh rate 60.
- start the game with no mods active and test with a new campaign, NOT any existing one.

Is that any better? If not can I get new copies of all those files please.  

No real clues in there.

Is this crash on starting the game, or on loading a particular save, or on starting a new campaign?  

When it happens can you load that same save and carry on? Or does it crash at the same point on reload?  

Looking at that log I'm pretty sure you are seeing a game bug, although not apparently a very widely spread one. Rather odd I have to say.

So I'll direct you to the Bug Reports forum now:

Crusader Kings III - Bug Report

forum.paradoxplaza.com
Please make a new thread there and attach all those files - the logs, problem save game, and video.

Sorry for this problem!  

Right click on ck3.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, cap refresh rate at 60.


If those don't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , exceptions.log  

There's no mention of this game in that dxdiag, which tends to point to a cause outside the game.

Unload GeForce Experience if running, then run ck3.exe directly from File explorer. What happens then, any error show?

If nothing, make a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that. Does the game work there?  

Amel12 said: I tried to run ck3.exe from the file explorer, but it still crashed.

Was any error shown at that point?

Amel12 said: Making a new Windows user also didn't work unfortunately.
Is there perhaps something else I can try?

In that new Windows user go into the Windows Startup settings and disable everything, and reboot. If the problem still happens then,
install and run the free utility Speccy. Send its output to a text file and attach that here please.

Speccy - Free Download

Download Speccy - the System Information tool www.ccleaner.com  

Amel12 said: When starting as administrator, the game just crashes without a message afterwards.

You should not be starting ck3.exe as the Windows Admin user, that causes problems all by itself. What happens if you run it without doing that? Any error show?

I see you use Norton AV. While not known to be a problem per se, make sure ck3.exe is in all its exceptions lists, AND that it is not doing realtime scans of the Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3 folders

Then, I see Windows 10 was installed more than two years ago but no further updates seem to have been applied - can that be right? Because our games are only developed and tested on the latest Windows builds. If I'm right about that, is there something stopping you from patching Windows up?  

Amel12 said: As for the Windows updates, that is very odd. Upon checking, the system tells me that I have the latest version of Windows 10 installed. I did check for updates, it says everything is good. Could there perhaps be any additional updates that I am unaware of? I downloaded some optional updates, non of which had anything to do with Windows however.

I said that because Speccy normally lists all Windows updates that have been applied since installation in a separate section in its output - there was no such section in the file you uploaded. I don't recall ever seeing that before. Running the Windows Update utility doesn't find anything to do?

Amel12 said: Also, do I need to use the Paradox Launcher v2?

The launcher allows you to choose mods, game settings, and disable DLCs. If you don't want to do any of those things you don't need it, not ... BUT Steam will decide at some point that your DLC ownership needs authenticating and will disable all DLCs until you next run the game via Steam rather than from CK3.exe

Amel12 said: I just started the game it it seemed to work for 10 minutes until it crashed again.

You mean from CK3.exe ? Or via the launcher?

But this is quite a change from crashing while starting up ... !  

Amel12 said: it still says I have the latest version of Windows 10.

We're not looking for a new Windows version; we're looking for updates, patches, to your current version. Nothing like that? I had a major Windows 10 patch just in the last week or so.


If the game now runs , that is you can play it for 10 minutes okay before crashing, that seems a different problem than you have here originally. Let's get new copies of all those .log and .txt files please.

And run this Windows Repair tool please

Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files - Microsoft Support

Describes how to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista. support.microsoft.com