[2023] Game freezes after launch

Right click on eu4.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.

Edit that settings.txt to say:

graphics={
size={
x=1920
y=1080
}

fullScreen=yes

vsync=no

No need for any other changes in it.

Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode.

Is that any better?  

Can I get new copies of all those files please, plus error.log  

Pinho said: I tried running other paradox games and they work perfectly, this issue only occurs with eu4

Specifically CK2 and HOI4? Those are the ones you have which are most like EU4, especially CK2. I see some hangs in hoi4.exe in that dxdiag.

Running eu4.exe uses the settings, in that settings.txt file; do the ones in the new pdx_settings.txt match those?

Check for an update to that AMD video driver, it is over 2 years old now:
http://support.amd.com/en-us/download

And what if you make a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that? Any different?