Game crashes to desktop when I start a new game in Win 11

[leDudeoftheSouth]

Not getting responses on the bu reports section so hoping to get help here.

Ever since I upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11, my game crashes when I try and start a new game. I can get into the main menu, the species selection screen and the game details screen but as soon as I hit play, the game crashes when it hits 100%. This has now happened on two different PCs. Both worked fine on Win 10 but started giving me this exact same issue once I upgraded them to Win11. Crash reports have been sent to Paradox but no fix forthcoming.

Solutions I have tried:

1. Update GPU drivers
2. Update windows
3. Try windowed mode
4. Verify game files on Steam
5. Run game in -OpenGL
6. Add exception for Stellaris in Windows Defender

Nothing has helped.

 

[AndrewT]

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless. THEN go here:

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages.

support.microsoft.com

And run the x86 and x64 installers there.

IF that doesn't help, Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere, and user_empire_designs.txt from /Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/ if you have made any custom empires or races.
- "uninstall" in Steam-Stellaris
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Stellaris AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam Stellaris or Documents Stellaris locations, before installing again.


Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.

If that doesn'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/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log , exceptions.log

 

[leDudeoftheSouth]

Tried all of the above. Still crashes as soon as I start a new game.

Files attached as requested. No exceptions.log file though in Logs folder.

 

[AndrewT]

No clear cause of this problem in those files I'm afraid. Does a Steam Verify operation against the game find anything to fix?

If you run stellaris.exe directly, what happens? Any error show?

What antivirus app do you use? Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

 

[leDudeoftheSouth]

No clear cause of this problem in those files I'm afraid. Does a Steam Verify operation against the game find anything to fix?

If you run stellaris.exe directly, what happens? Any error show?

What antivirus app do you use? Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

How do you add an exception for Ransomware? I have managed to do it in Defender but can't find the steps for adding an exception on the Randsomware list.

I assume you do not have access to the error reports which have been sent to Paradox every time the game crashes?

 

[AndrewT]

In the Windows search box enter Ransomware. Enable Controlled Folder Access if disabled, then go into Apps Allowed Through - you add exceptions in there.

I assume you do not have access to the error reports which have been sent to Paradox every time the game crashes?

Those are anonymised and collated, they are not traceable to any individual user (which is why we don't ask your permission to upload them). Their purpose is for the devs to see widespread issues current or developing, rather than to provide individual support to specific users.

 

[leDudeoftheSouth]

I went in to the crashes folder and found these. Are they of any help?

 

[AndrewT]

Not really, sorry. It's a real puzzle how you can be getting this identical issue on two machines, but other users with Win 11 are not.

There is a slightly newer nVidia driver out now, Feb 2022, so may as well try that:

Download The Latest Official NVIDIA Drivers

Download the latest official NVIDIA drivers to enhance your PC gaming experience and run apps faster.

www.nvidia.com

Then unload GeForce Experience before starting the game.

If that doesn't help, as a test let's try openGL instead of DirectX. In your Steam Library right-click on this game and choose Properties. Click on Set Launch Options, and paste this in there:

-openGL

It will be slower, but can you at least play like that?

 

[leDudeoftheSouth]

I am an idiot. I never use mods for Stellaris but recently subscribed to the Tiny Outliner mod and totally forgot about it. That is what has been making my game crash ‍ My apologies for wasting your time. It is fixed now.