Studio Wildcard and Instinct Games did come with one of the stunning open-world survival craft video games called ‘Ark: Survival Evolved’ back in 2017 that has been released for Windows, Mac, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Android, iOS, Google Stadia, etc. platforms. Though the title has already received plenty of overwhelming response by the players and critics, some are facing the ARK Survival Evolved Keep Crashing issue on the Startup on PC.
The game is all about escape, survival, and dominating in the several maps were dinosaurs, fictional fantasy monsters, other prehistoric animals or natural hazards, etc. Due to its adventurous and multiplayer gaming feature, most PC gamers enjoy the game a lot. However, some unfortunate players are encountering the startup crashing or the game not launching issue which seems quite common among PC games these days.
Why Does ARK Survival Evolved Keep Crashing?
Well, it’s needless to say that PC games do come with several bugs or stability issues that may trigger the startup crashing issue or any kind of performance-related issues whatsoever. Meanwhile, the game-related issues mostly appear due to the conflict with your PC software and hardware department that can be fixed manually. Now, if you’re also facing the crashing issue then don’t worry because here we’ve shared the workarounds below.
If we take a brief look, sometimes outdated system software, an outdated game version, missing or corrupted game files, outdated or corrupted graphics drivers, background running tasks, startup apps issues, outdated game launcher, issues with the security software, etc may trigger conflicts with the game. While outdated DirectX version, Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables, overlay apps, an overclocked CPU/GPU, PC compatibility, etc can do the same.
Fix: ARK Survival Evolved Keep Crashing on Startup on PC
Here we’ve shared all the possible troubleshooting methods that you should follow one by one until the crashing issue at startup gets fixed for you. Sometimes a simple or minor trick can also help you a lot unless you try it out. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.
1. Check System Requirements
First of all, you should always try cross-checking the game’s system requirements and the PC configuration at your end manually to understand whether the PC build is compatible with the game or not. Sometimes a low specification PC or an outdated setup can trigger crashing issues a lot more than you’ve ever expected. So, it’s highly recommended to check the game’s requirements below. If it’s not compatible, you should upgrade your PC hardware/software.
Minimum System Requirements:
- OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 60 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Requires broadband internet connection for multiplayer
2. Update Graphics Drivers
It’s always required to update graphics drivers on your Windows system to run all the programs smoothly. To do this:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list.
- Now, double-click on the Display adapters category to expand the list.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name.
- Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
- Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change the effects.
Alternatively, you can manually download the latest version of the graphics driver and install it directly from the official website respective to your graphics card manufacturer. Nvidia graphics card users can update the GeForce Experience app via the Nvidia official site. Meanwhile, AMD graphics card users can visit the AMD website for the same.
3. Update Windows
Updating Windows OS build is always essential for PC users as well as PC gamers to reduce system glitches, compatibility issues, and crashes. Meanwhile, the latest version mostly includes additional features, improvements, security patches, and more. To do that:
- Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
- Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
- If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.
- It may take a while to complete the update.
- Once done, restart your computer to install the update.
4. Run the game as an administrator
Make sure to run the game exe file as an administrator to avoid user account control regarding privilege issues. You should also run the Steam or Epic Games Launcher as an administrator on your PC. To do this:
- Right-click on the ARK Survival Evolved exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
Make sure to do the same steps for the Steam or Epic Games Launcher too. It should help you to fix the ARK Survival Evolved issue on your PC.
5. Close Background Running Tasks
Unnecessary background running tasks or programs can eat up a lot of system resources like CPU or Memory usage literally reducing system performance. Hence, the startup crashing, lagging, and not loading issues appear quite often. Simply, close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open up the Task Manager.
- Now, click on the Processes tab > Click to select tasks that are unnecessarily running in the background and consuming enough system resources.
- Click on End Task to close it one by one.
- Once done, restart your system.
Now, you can check whether you’ve fixed the ARK Survival Evolved Crashing on your PC or not. If not, follow the next method.
6. Set High Priority in Task Manager
Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:
- Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the ARK Survival Evolved game task.
- Select Set Priority to High.
- Close Task Manager.
- Finally, run the ARK Survival Evolved game to check if it crashing on PC or not.
7. Reinstall DirectX (Latest)
You should try reinstalling the latest version of DirectX from the official Microsoft website on your PC/Laptop. You just need to download and install the DirectX installer package and run it. Keep in mind that you’ll require DirectX 10 or above to run the ARK Survival Evolved game properly.
8. Force Run the Game in DirectX 10
It’s recommended to run the game in the DirectX 10 version forcefully using the command option. If your PC is running on DirectX 9 or lower then make sure to forcefully try running the ARK Survival Evolved game. To do so:
For Steam:
- First, launch the Steam client > Go to LIBRARY.
- Locate and right-click on the ARK Survival Evolved game.
- Click on Properties > Select GENERAL from the left pane menu > Type -dx10 under the Launch Options.
- Now, simply go back and launch the game. If prompted, click on the radio button next to the Play option of ARK Survival Evolved.
For Epic Games Launcher:
- Launch Epic Games Launcher > Go to Settings from the bottom left corner.
- Head over to the bottom of the page > Find out the Manage Games section.
- Locate and click on ARK Survival Evolved under Manage Games.
- Now, check the Additional Command-Line Arguments checkbox.
- Type in -dx10 in the field > Go back and launch the game.
9. Disable Windows Firewall or Antivirus Program
The chances are high enough that maybe your default Windows Defender Firewall protection or any third-party antivirus program is preventing the ongoing connections or game files to run properly. So, make sure to temporarily disable or turn off the real-time protection and firewall protection. Then you should try running the game to check if the ARK Survival Evolved Crashing on PC issue has been fixed or not. To do this:
- Click on the Start Menu > Type firewall.
- Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
- Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
- A new page will open > Select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option for both the Private & Public Network Settings.
- Once selected, click on OK to save changes.
- Finally, restart your computer.
Similarly, you have to turn off the Windows Security protection too. Just follow the steps below:
- Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
- Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
- Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.
- Next, you’ll need to simply turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
- If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.
- Additionally, you can also turn off cloud-delivered protection, Tamper protection if you want.
If in case, your Windows system is running on the Balanced mode in Power Options, just set the High-Performance mode for better results. Although this option will take higher power usage or battery usage. To do this:
- Click on the Start Menu > Type Control Panel and click on it from the search result.
- Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
- Click on High Performance to select it.
- Make sure to close the window and fully shut down your computer. To do this, click on the Start Menu > Go to Power > Shut Down.
- Once your computer is fully turned off, you can power it on again.
This should fix the ARK Survival Evolved Crashing issue on your PC in most cases. However, if none of the methods worked for you, follow the next one.
11. Close the game from Background Apps
If somehow the ARK Survival Evolved game is still going through issues, make sure to turn it off from the Background Apps feature on your PC. To do so,
- Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Privacy > Scroll down from the left pane and select Background apps.
- Scroll down and look for the ARK Survival Evolved game title.
- Just turn off the toggle next to the game title.
- Once done, close the window and restart your computer.
This method should help you out. However, if this doesn’t fix the issue, you can follow the next method.
12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
Ensure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to completely fix multiple gaming issues or errors. To do that:
- Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.
- Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.
- Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.
- Select each program and click on Uninstall.
- Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- Once done, install it on your computer, and restart the system to change the effects.
Some of the apps and their services may start automatically while booting the system right away. In that case, those apps or services will definitely gonna use a lot of internet connection as well as system resources. If you’re also feeling the same, make sure to perform a clean boot on your computer to check for the issue. To do that:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
- Go to the Services tab > Enable 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.
- The Task Manager interface will open. Here go to the Startup tab.
- Then click on the particular task which has a higher startup impact.
- Once selected, click on Disable to turn them off from the startup process.
- Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact.
- Once done, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
14. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
A couple of popular apps do have their overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause issues with the gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:
Disable Discord Overlay:
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select ARK Survival Evolved.
- Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar:
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
If in case, you’re unable to find out the Game Bar option, then just search for it from the Windows Settings menu.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.
Also, keep in mind that you should disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that always run in the background.
15. Verify Integrity of Game Files
If in case, there is an issue with the game files and somehow it gets corrupted or missing then make sure to perform this method to easily check for the issue.
For Steam:
- Launch Steam > Click on Library.
- Right-click on ARK Survival Evolved from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, just restart your computer.
For Epic Games Launcher:
- Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Library.
- Click on the three-dots icon of ARK Survival Evolved.
- Click on Verify and it’ll start verifying the game files.
- Wait for the process to complete and restart the launcher.
16. Disable CPU or GPU Overclocking
It’s also worth mentioning not to enable CPU/GPU overclocking on your PC if your game is crashing or stuttering a lot. We can understand that overclocking CPU/GPU can make a huge impact in improving gameplay but sometimes it may also cause issues with the bottleneck or compatibility. Just set the frequency to default for optimal performance.
17. Update ARK Survival Evolved
If in case, you haven’t updated your ARK Survival Evolved game for a while then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:
For Steam:
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on ARK Survival Evolved from the left pane.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
- It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.
For Epic Games Launcher:
- Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over Library.
- Now, click on the three dots icon of ARK Survival Evolved.
- Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.
