I cannot run the launcher

[ZoCurious]

Information​

I have verifed my game files (Steam only)​

Yes

I have disabled all mods​

Yes

I am running the latest game update​

Yes

Required​

Summary​

I cannot run the launcher

Description​

When I try to run the Crusader Kings 3 launcher, the action just peters out. When I click on the green "Play" in the Steam app, it goes blue and says "Cancel", then "Stop", as if it were running, but then just reverts to the green "Play". This effectively means that I cannot play the game. Crusader Kings 2, the only other game I have on Steam, is not affected. Things ran just fine when I last played in November.

Steps to reproduce​

I try to run the launcher and nothing happens. See above.

Game Version​

I do not get far enough to play the game.

Platform​

Windows

Additional Information​

Affected Feature​

• Crashes
• Interface

Save Game​

Other Attachments​

 

[AndrewT]

That sounds more like a game problem than a launcher issue. When did this last work for you?

What happens if you run ck3.exe directly from File Explorer? that bypasses Steam and the launcher.

 

[ZoCurious]

That sounds more like a game problem than a launcher issue. When did this last work for you?

What happens if you run ck3.exe directly from File Explorer? that bypasses Steam and the launcher.

It starts up just fine if I run ck3.exe directly, bypassing Steam and the launcher.

 

[AndrewT]

Perhaps I've misread your OP then. Does the launcher appear to be okay util you hit PLAY in it? What launcher version do you see? Latest is 2025.2

in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

 

[ZoCurious]

Perhaps I've misread your OP then. Does the launcher appear to be okay util you hit PLAY in it? What launcher version do you see? Latest is 2025.2

in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

Sorry for the delay. I got my rush from starting the game via ck3.exe, but I do need a solution. I cannot go on without a launcher.

I do not get to see the launcher at all so I cannot tell you which version it is. I press the green Play on Steam's app to open up the launcher. It goes blue, saying Cancel, then Stop (as it normally does), but then reverts back to the green Play button. The launcher never shows up.

I am getting a security error when I try to post the log files.

 

[AndrewT]

I am getting a security error when I try to post the log files.

That's weird, we get those files attached here all the time. Could it be a browser extension getting in the way perhaps? Try an Incognito/Private browser page.

Or zip them up and attach that.

 

[ZoCurious]

That's weird, we get those files attached here all the time. Could it be a browser extension getting in the way perhaps? Try an Incognito/Private browser page.

Or zip them up and attach that.

Things are getting weirder. I could not get past the forum's security error when uploading the files, so I just went ahead and tried (for a 100th time) to start the launcher - and it worked. It started up just fine. I can now tell you that the launcher version is indeed 2025.2. The game version is 1.14.3 (Traverse). The game now crashes, however; I can neither start my previous save game (which was run with mods) nor start a new game (without any mods). When I try to start a new game (with no mods), I get to character selection and the game crashes after I try to play the character. Normally it does not give any explanation for the crash, but in one instance (when trying to load that previous save game) it said that "the application was unable to start correctly".

 

[AndrewT]

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.


IF dxdiag.txt fails to attach here, rename it to dxdiag.log , or zip it up.





Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/pdx_settings.txt .


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