CSGO Won’t Start? Here’s How to Resolve CSGO Not Launching Issue | 10 Fixes

We all know the frustration of dealing with a game that keeps crashing or just won’t start when you’re all hyped up to play. Well, guess what game has been giving players a hard time recently? Yep, it’s our beloved Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO). Thousands of us are facing this annoying issue where the game crashes right on startup while we’re eager to dive into the action.

We can’t really point fingers at the exact cause of this “CSGO Crashing on Startup Error,” but it seems like our hardware and software settings might be playing tricks on us.

For instance, having a high ping can affect your game performance and cause lagging or stuttering issues. If you want to know how to fix the high ping error in CSGO, you can check out this helpful article that offers 15 steps to resolve it.

So, fellow gamers, let’s roll up our sleeves and tackle this challenge together! We won’t let some crash errors keep us away from our favorite first-person shooter. Let’s dive into some troubleshooting and get CSGO back on track!

What Causes CSGO Won’t Launch Issues?

A few potential causes for CSGO not launching are listed below:

• Outdated or incompatible graphics driver.
• Corrupted or missing game files.
• Software conflicts or interference with other programs.
• Issues with Steam client or its configurations.
• Antivirus or firewall blocking the game’s execution
• Hardware-related issues, such as overheating or faulty components.
• Lack of administrative privileges for the game or Steam.
• Windows updates or system-related problems.
• User account permissions or restrictions.
• Insufficient system resources, such as RAM or disk space.
• Problems with the game server or network connection.
• The presence of malware or unwanted software affects the game’s execution.

Top Fixes for Counter-Strike Go Won’t Launch Problem (2024)

No need to try them all. Just follow the list step-by-step to find your perfect solution!

Workaround 1 – Restart Your Computer

Sometimes, turning off & on can help you get back on track – Yes seriously! A quick reboot refreshes your PC & cleans away the current state of the software which might be triggering the “CSGO Crashing On Startup Error” on Windows PC.

Workaround 2 – Run CSGO As Administrator

Here’s another simple way to solve the problem of CS: GO not launching on Windows 10. Try running the game as an administrator. This often helps people avoid using complicated solutions and fixes the issue quickly. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Close Steam if it’s open.
2. Right-click on the Steam icon on your desktop.
3. Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
   
4. Go to the “Compatibility” tab in the Properties window.
5. Check the box that says “Run this program as an administrator.”
6. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
   
7. Now, you can double-click on the Steam icon to launch it with administrator privileges.
8. Finally, open CSGO and it should work normally!

Workaround 3 – Reset CSGO Configuration Settings

Here’s another solution that might help fix the issue of CS: GO not responding when you try to launch it on your PC. You can try resetting the game’s configuration settings to their default values. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open File Explorer on your computer.
2. In the address bar, type or copy-paste the following: ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\YOUR STEAM ID\730\local\cfg’ and then press Enter or click OK.

3. Once you’re in the “cfg” folder, look for a file named ‘autoexec.cfg’.
4. Right-click on ‘autoexec.cfg’ and choose “Delete” to remove the file.
5. After deleting the file, launch CS: GO again to see if the issue has been resolved.

By following these steps, you’re resetting the game’s settings, which can often fix the problem and make CS: GO launch normally again.

Workaround 4 – Update Graphics Drivers (Recommended Way)

Well for several users, having a corrupted or faulty graphic card driver could also be responsible for facing CSGO Crashing On Startup Error. So, please update your drivers regularly. To ensure, you never miss a new driver update version from official manufacturers, use Smart Driver Care. A one-stop solution to fix driver-related issues in a few clicks. You can schedule automatic scanning so that it finds & installs the most compatible drivers for your devices as and when required. To know more about Smart Drive Care, click here!

Workaround 5 – Uninstall The Latest Windows Update

It appears that several players started experiencing the ‘CSGO Stops Responding After Launch’ issue after updating the Windows to a recent version. Though new Windows updates are supposed to bring bug fixes & performance improvements, it can also mess up with certain in-game settings. So, try uninstalling the latest Windows update to see if it fixes the issue while playing Counter-Strike.

Workaround 6 – Verify The Integrity Of Game Files

Sometimes, game files can get messed up or broken, causing the game to crash often. This might be why your CS: GO is having trouble launching. To fix this, you can check the game files to see if any of them are corrupted or missing. Here’s what you should do:

1. Open Steam on your computer.
2. Go to the Library section.
3. Find Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in your list of games.
4. Right-click on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
5. Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
6. In the Properties window, click on the “Local Files” tab.
7. Click on the “Verify Integrity of Game Files” option.
8. Steam will then check the game files and fix any issues it finds.
9. After the process is complete, try launching the game again to see if it works properly.

By doing this, you’re making sure that the game files are in good condition, which should help CS: GO launch without any problems.

Workaround 7 – Disable The Compatibility Mode

Some players have found that having Compatibility Mode enabled can cause problems when trying to launch CS: GO on a Windows PC. To fix this, we suggest temporarily disabling Compatibility Mode. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to the directory where CS: GO is installed on your computer.
2. Look for the file named “csgo.exe.”
3. Right-click on “csgo.exe” and select “Properties.”
4. In the Properties window, go to the “Compatibility” tab.
5. Uncheck the options that say “Run this program in compatibility mode for”.
6. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
7. Now, launch Counter-Strike and check if the startup issues are resolved.

By following these steps, you’re turning off Compatibility Mode, which might be causing the game to crash on startup. After making these changes, see if CS: GO launches without any problems.

Workaround 8 – End Unnecessary Processes

If your system is running plenty of processes, it might be consuming lots of memory & CPU resources. This might be triggering the CSGO crashing on the Startup issue. So, ensure all the unwanted programs and processes are stopped from the background to avoid such issues. You can end the process by following the path: Launch Task Manager > Right-click on processes that are running unnecessary > click on the End Process option. Now start the Counter-Strike game to see if it resolves the launch issues.

Workaround 9 – Stop Overclocking Your CPU

Well, overclocking your CPU is undoubtedly a great way to make your system run faster. But at the same time, it is essential to set your CPU clock speed rate to the default, to make sure it doesn’t hamper other resources. Here’s the list of Best Overclocking Software that you can try for running heavy-software without any hassles, enjoy faster performance & more. This would undoubtedly help you to resolve the CSGO crashing on Startup problem on Windows PC.

Workaround 10 – Reinstall The Game

If none of the solutions mentioned earlier have worked to fix the issue of CS: GO not launching on your PC, the last thing you can try is to reinstall the game. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Steam on your computer.
2. Go to your Library where all your games are listed.
3. Right-click on the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game > Manage.
4. Choose “Uninstall” from the menu.
5. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
6. Once the game is uninstalled, make sure to delete any leftover files associated with CS: GO. You can use dedicated Windows Uninstallers for this purpose.
7. Exit Steam completely.
8. Now, reopen Steam and go to your Library again.
9. Find Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and click on it to download and install the game once more.

By reinstalling the game, you are starting fresh and giving CS: GO a clean installation, which may resolve any issues that were preventing it from launching.

FIXED: CSGO Won’t Start Up | Ultimate Solutions For Gamers (2024)

By following these methods, you should be able to launch CSGO smoothly and have a blast playing with your friends. Updating your graphics driver was particularly helpful for me in fixing the issue. But you can try any of the aforementioned solutions to overcome any obstacle that comes your way. So, don’t let technical hiccups hold you back from the adrenaline-pumping action you love.

Thank you for reading this article and happy gaming! 😊

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. How to clear cache in CSGO?

You can use the Steam client to clear the download cache, which can solve problems with games that won’t download or start. To do this, open Steam and go to Settings > Downloads > Clear Download Cache. You will need to log into Steam again after this process.

Q2. Why is my CSGO screen black when I launch it?

The CSGO black screen on startup problems is usually caused by corrupted or outdated data. There are several factors that can contribute to this issue, such as an outdated graphics driver, a corrupted game file, or an incompatible setting.

Q3. Why does CSGO take so long to launch in Windows 11?

Multiple factors add to delaying a program to launch on Windows. Majorly it can be an incompatible graphics driver and too many background processes running at the same time.