Alone in the Dark Crashing, Not Launching, or Not Responding on PC (Solved)

An outdated game version
Corrupted game files
Outdated graphics drivers
Temporary system glitches
Background running tasks
Issues with the startup programs
Issues with the overlay apps
Lack of system admin permission
An outdated or missing DirectX version
An outdated or missing Visual C++ Redistributables version
Incompatible system requirements
Conflicts with the Windows compatibility mode
Antivirus blocking
Game installation issues
And more…

As you know the possible reasons for this issue, you can follow this troubleshooting guide to resolve it. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Power Cycle the PC

Before jumping into any other workarounds, you should power cycle the PC to refresh system glitches most of the time. It’s a better way to clear temporary cache from the system instead of rebooting the PC to some extent. To do so, check the steps below:

Go to the Start menu > Click on Power.
Click on Shut Down to power off the system.
Unplug the power cable from the source.
Now, wait for at least a minute.
Reconnect the power cable to the source.
Power On the PC and run the game.

2. Check for the System Requirements

You can also try checking out the minimum system requirements to ensure that your PC configuration is compatible enough. In case, your PC specs aren’t compatible then you should upgrade the required software or hardware at your end.

OS: Windows 10 (64 Bit)
Processor: Ryzen 3 3100 / Core i3-8300
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / Radeon RX 570
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD recommended

3. Update Alone in the Dark

The chances are high that you’re using an outdated game patch version for a while and developers have already released a new patch to bring more stability. In that case, you should check for the game updates and install the same at your end. To do so, check the steps below:

Open your Steam client.
Go to the Library.
Right-click on Alone in the Dark.
Click on Properties.
Go to the Updates tab.
Enable the automatic updates option.
If a new update is available, Steam will automatically install it.

4. Scan and Repair the Game Files

Missing or corrupted game files installed on the PC might also trouble you a lot during startup. You should scan and repair the installed game files on your PC by following the steps below. Steam offers an easy way to verify the integrity of the game files which fixes potential issues with the game launching.

Open your Steam client.
Go to the Library > Right-click on Alone in the Dark.
Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files.
Now, click on Verify integrity of game files.
Wait for the process to complete.

5. Run the Game with Admin Permissions

Another thing you can do is run the game program with admin permissions on your Windows PC by following the steps below. Without having the system admin privilege, your game application may not run properly and lead to not responding issues.

Open the Steam client.
Go to the Library.
Right-click on Alone in the Dark.
Click on Manage.
Click on Browse local files.
It’ll open the game installation directory.
Right-click on the AloneintheDark.exe app.
Go to Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

Enable the Run this program as an administrator option.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

6. Update GPU Drivers

An outdated or corrupted graphics driver version can cause multiple conflicts with the game running or not launching issues by following the steps below. It’s suggested to check for the graphics driver updates as follows.

Recommended Method:

Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list.
Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If the latest update is available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

Manual Method:

You can also try manually downloading the latest version of the graphics driver and installing it on the PC via the respective official website of the graphics card. Ensure to download the graphics driver file respective to your graphics card model and manufacturer.

7. Install DirectX End-User Runtime

You might need to install the DirectX End-User Runtime on your PC to allow the game to run properly without issues with the DirectX version. Head over to the official Microsoft website and download the latest DirectX End-User Runtime on your PC. Make sure to install it properly and restart the computer.

8. Install Visual C++ Redistributables

Ensure to install the latest Visual C++ Redistributables on your PC by following the steps below. This will allow the game program to run properly for some systems.

Open Windows Settings by pressing the Win+I keys.
Click on Apps > Search for existing VCRedist and uninstall it.
Once done, reboot the PC.
Go to the official MS website link.
Download the X86/X64 versions of Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
Install the respective program and reboot the system.

9. Kill Resource Hungry Applications

You may also try killing the resource-hungry applications on your PC by following the steps below. This specific workaround will help in freeing up the system resources quite easily and your heavy games will be able to run smoothly.

Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open Task Manager.
Go to the Processes tab.
Click to select the third-party unnecessary tasks.
Now, click on End Task to close it.
Close tasks individually. (don’t close system processes)
Once done, reboot the system to apply changes.

10. Disable Antivirus Scanning

Sometimes issues with the antivirus protection blocking can also trouble you a lot. We recommend you disable the antivirus program temporarily to ensure there is no issue with the game launching.

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Go to Privacy and Security.
Click on Windows Security.
Click on Virus and Threat Protection.
Now, click on Manage Settings.
Turn Off the Real-time Protection toggle.
Turn Off the Dev Drive Protection toggle.
Also, turn off the Cloud-delivered Protection toggle.
Next, turn off the Tamper Protection feature.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

11. Update Windows

An outdated Windows system version on the PC can also trigger multiple conflicts that we can’t deny. Issues with the system version might also appear due to some instability. You can check the steps below to update Windows.

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Windows Update.
Now, click on the Check for updates button.

If a new version is available, click on Download and Install.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

12. Disable Startup Programs

Issues with the startup program running on the system after boot might cause pressure on the system resources. Most of the startup applications consume a lot of resources and they aren’t necessary all the time. So, it’s better to disable startup programs manually whatever you don’t use. Check the steps below to do so:

Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
Type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
Go to the Services tab.
Select the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

Click on Disable all > Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Now, go to the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
Go to the Startup tab in the Task Manager.
Next, click on the specific task that has a higher startup impact.
Once selected, click Disable to turn off the startup program.
Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

13. Turn Off Overlay Apps

You can turn off third-party overlay applications on the PC by following the steps below. This method will help in reducing the extra burden from the system resources during gaming sessions. It looks like overlay apps mostly cause issues with the game startup or launching on the PC unexpectedly.

Game Mode:

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Mode.

Turn Off the Game Mode toggle.
Once done, restart the PC to apply changes.

Steam In-Game Overlay:

Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
Right-click on Alone in the Dark.
Click on Properties.
Go to General.
Turn OFF the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game option.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

Xbox Game Bar:

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar.
Turn Off the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.

Discord Overlay:

Launch the Discord app.
Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Select Overlay under App Settings.
Turn On the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab.
Select Alone in the Dark.
Turn Off the Enable in-game overlay option.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

Nvidia GeForce Experience:

Open the Nvidia GeForce Experience app.
Click on Options (gear icon) from the top right side.
Turn Off the In-Game Overlay option.
Run the Alone in the Dark to check for the issue.

14. Reinstall Alone in the Dark

If none of the workarounds help, ensure to uninstall and reinstall the game on your Windows computer by following the steps below. Whenever the game installation is corrupted for some unexpected reason, you may end up with startup crashes.

Open the Steam client on your PC.
Go to the Library.
Right-click on Alone in the Dark.
Go to Manage > Click on Uninstall.
If prompted, click on Uninstall.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete it.
Once done, restart the PC to apply changes.
Launch Steam > Reinstall Alone in the Dark on another drive.
Finally, run the game to check if crashing persists.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For additional queries, you can comment below.