GOG Galaxy Crash / Won't Launch Games
What is this error?
GOG Galaxy client crashes on startup or fails to launch games. Games may also fail to launch directly without the client.
Common causes
- corrupted GOG Galaxy installation
- game files corrupted
- antivirus interference
- missing runtime dependencies
- GOG Galaxy update bug
How to fix it
- Verify game files
- reinstall GOG Galaxy
- install Visual C++ runtimes
- add to antivirus exclusions
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
GOG Galaxy crashing or failing to launch games is usually fixable without losing your game saves or installations.
How to fix it:
- Verify game files: GOG Galaxy > your game > Manage Installation > Verify / Repair
- Try launching the game directly: navigate to the game's installation folder and run the .exe directly, bypassing GOG Galaxy
- Clear GOG Galaxy cache: delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\webcache and %PROGRAMDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\webcache
- Install all Visual C++ Redistributables (2005-2022, x86 + x64) and DirectX End-User Runtime
- Add the game folder and GOG Galaxy to your antivirus exclusions
- If GOG Galaxy itself crashes, rename %LOCALAPPDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\Configuration\ to force a fresh config
- Reinstall GOG Galaxy without uninstalling games — the new install will detect existing game folders
- Run the game as Administrator if it still won't launch
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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