NBA 2K24 Won’t Launch or Not Responding on PC, How to Fix?

NBA 2K24 is a recently released basketball simulation game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. The game is based on the 2023-24 NBA season and features all the official teams and players from the National Basketball Association and the WNBA. However, some players have reported issues with the game, such as the “Won’t Launch” problem during the initial days of its release.

Why Won’t NBA 2K24 Launch?

It appears that the NBA 2K24 game is encountering some common problems with launching or gameplay, similar to other PC games where players may face issues with startup crashing or not launching. This means that there may be various reasons why your NBA 2K24 game is not launching, such as an outdated graphics driver, outdated game version, missing or corrupt game files, or unnecessary background tasks.

If you’re experiencing startup problems with your game on Windows PC, it could be due to a variety of reasons such as an outdated Windows version, issues with the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, startup services, antivirus-related issues, incompatible PC hardware, overlay apps, overclocked CPU/GPU, DirectX-related issues, and more. To help you fix the problem, we have listed some workarounds below.

NBA 2K24 Won’t Launch; How to Fix?

Let’s get started right away and make sure to follow each step until the issue is resolved. If the problem persists, contact support for further assistance.

1. Check System Requirements

Before troubleshooting game launch issues, it is important to verify if your PC meets the system requirements for the game. Incompatible PC hardware can often cause problems with launching the game. Therefore, we recommend that you check the game requirements and compare them to your PC configuration to ensure compatibility.

2. Run the game as an Administrator

If you’re not running your video game using an administrator privilege, it may cause issues with the game launching or startup crashing or even the game not loading. So, it’s better to run the game exe file as an administrator on your Windows computer to check whether that fixes the problem. To do so:

• Right-click on the NBA 2K24 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.

3. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

If your game files are corrupted or missing, use the game launcher to verify and repair them.

• Launch Steam > Click on Library.
• Right-click on NBA 2K24 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, restart your computer.

4. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

• Head over to the following path on your PC:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\vcredist

• You should see the following folders:
  • 2012\vc_redist.x64.exe
  • 2013\vc_redist.x64.exe
  • 2019\vc_redist.x64.exe
• Just make sure to run all of these executable files that are present. (If you’ve different folders, then run the vc_redist.x64.exe file in those folders)
• Finally, restart your PC to fix the issue.

5. Update DirectX

• Go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX folder path.
• Next, run the DXSETUP.exe file to reinstall/update DirectX.
• Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

6. Update GPU Drivers

It seems that multiple affected players have reported the outdated graphics driver. If you’re also using the outdated graphics driver for a while, then make sure to check for updates by following the steps below:

• Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

• Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
• Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

This method should fix the NBA 2K24 Won’t Launch on PC issue. If not, you can head over to the next method.

7. Disable Overlay Apps

Some players who were experiencing issues with the game not launching have reported that disabling the Steam overlay on their Windows computer resolved the problem. The in-game overlay app runs in the background whenever you launch the game client, which can sometimes cause issues with system resources and processes.

For Steam Overlay:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Now, right-click on NBA 2K24 > Select Properties.
• Head to the General section > Here, uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
• Return to Library > Re-open Squad to check for the not launching issue.

8. Install All Pending Windows Updates

If you are facing issues running a game on Windows, it is possible that there could be conflicts between the game and the system files. This could be due to Windows bugs or incompatibility issues that arise when you don’t update the software for a while. To avoid such issues, you should ensure that you install all the pending Windows updates and keep your OS up to date. Here’s how you can do that:

• Press the 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.
• Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.

9. Disable Antivirus and Firewall Program

• Click on the Start menu > Type Control Panel and click on it.
• Now, type firewall in the search box > Click on Windows Firewall.
• From the left pane, click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
• Select Turn off Windows Firewall for the Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings.
• Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes and try checking the issue.

Now, you’ll have to disable the anti-virus protection (Windows Defender) as well by following the steps below:

• Head over to the Windows Settings > Privacy and Security.
• Now, go to Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.
• Click on Manage settings >Then turn off the Real-time Protection option.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

If in case, you’re using any third-party antivirus program, then make sure to turn it off manually.

10. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode (Steam)

Try launching the game in Windowed display mode to check if that helps you. Sometimes, a computer with an average hardware specification can cause several issues with the fullscreen display mode while running the game.

• Open the Steam client and go to the Library.
• Right-click on NBA 2K24 > Select Properties.
• In the General section, click on Set Launch Options.
• Next, copy & paste the following command-line argument:

 -windowed -noborder

• Make sure to save changes and try rerunning the game to check if NBA 2K24 is launching properly.

11. Perform a Clean Boot

• Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
• 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, click on the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
• Under the Startup tab from the Task Manager interface, click on the particular tasks that are enabled for startup boot > Click on Disable.
• Select the high-impact startup programs and disable them one by one.
• Once all is done, restart your PC to apply changes.
• Finally, check whether the NBA 2K24 Won’t Launch on PC issue has been fixed.

12. Close Background Processes

• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.

• Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
• Once done, restart your computer to change effects immediately.

13. Reset NBA 2K24

• Press the Windows (Start) + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Select Apps and Features > Click on NBA 2K24 from the list of installed programs to select it.
• Now, click on Advanced options > Select Reset.
• Once done, reboot your computer and try to launch the game.

14. Reinstall NBA 2K24

If none of the methods worked for you, try reinstalling the NBA 2K24 game to check if that helps you fix the game not launching issue. To do so:

• Launch the Steam client on your computer.
• Now, go to Library > Right-click on the NBA 2K24 game.
• Head over to Manage > Select Uninstall.
• If prompted, click Uninstall again and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to apply changes immediately.
• Open the Steam client and install the game using the existing Steam account.
• You’re done. Enjoy! This can resolve the NBA 2K24 Won’t Launch on PC issue.

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