6 Ways to Fix Team Fortress 2 Not Launching on a Windows PC

Team Fortress 2 is an old title that’s still among the most popular Steam games. However, some players can’t play TF2 because of startup issues that crash the game at launch. One player described a TF2 startup issue on Reddit as follows, “I finally got my friend to try TF2, but when he tries to press play, the button on Steam turns to ‘stop’, then after a few seconds it would turn back to ‘play’; and nothing would show up on the taskbar or Task Manager.” Here are some ways you can fix Team Fortress 2 not launching on Windows PCs.

Verify Team Fortress 2’s Game Files

First, run a verification scan of Team Fortress 2 to check for and repair corrupted game files. This is something you can do by selecting Steam’s Verify troubleshooting option. Steam’s verify integrity of game files page includes instructions for how to apply this potential solution.

The Verify option in Steam

Remove the -nod3d9ex Launch Option for TF2

Some TF2 players have been able to fix Team Fortress 2 not launching by removing the -nod3d9ex launch parameter option. The -nod3d9ex launch parameter is one that disables Windows Aero DirectX extensions. Have you set that launch option? If so, try removing the -nod3d9ex launch parameter in Steam like this:

1. Start your Steam gaming client.
2. Click Library to view your Steam games.
3. Right-click Team Fortress 2 in the left sidebar and select Properties.
4. Click in the Launch Options box and delete the -nod3d9ex parameter.
   
   

   The -nod3d9ex launch parameter

5. If you see any other parameters in the Launch Options box, I recommend removing them as well.

Set Team Fortress 2 to Run in Windowed Mode

Team Fortress 2 is known to have some fullscreen issues that can sometimes prevent the game from starting. Setting Team Fortress 2 to run in windowed mode can resolve such issues. So, try setting a windowed launch parameter for TF2 as follows.

1. Go through steps one to three of the previous resolution to reach the launch options for Team Fortress 2.
2. Add -windowed in the Launch Options box.
3. Try starting Team Fortress 2 again.
4. If the -windowed parameter doesn’t do the trick, try extending it to -windowed -noborder.
   
   

   The -windowed launch parameter

A variation of this potential fix is to add a launch parameter that sets a specific resolution for Team Fortress 2. To do that, input -windowed -noborder -w [SCR-H] -h [SCR-W] within the Launch Options box for Team Fortress 2. Set the [SCR-H] and [SCR-W] in that parameter to the recommended height and width resolution for your monitor. For example, the parameter for a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution should look like: -windowed -noborder -w 1920 -h 1080.

Disable MSI Afterburner

Do you utilize the MSI Afterburner software on your PC? If so, try disabling that software to ensure it’s not running in the background when you start Team Fortress 2. Some players confirm doing that has fixed Team Fortress 2 black screen startup issues on their PCs. You can close the MSI Afterburner app by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination, selecting Afterburner in the Processes tab, and clicking End task.

The Processes tab in Task Manager

Temporarily Disable Antivirus Software

Disabling antivirus apps is another confirmed way to fix Team Fortress 2 not launching. If you have a third-party security utility, right-click its system tray icon and select to temporarily disable the antivirus shield for an hour or two. Then try playing TF2 with your antivirus shield turned off.

If you don’t have a third-party antivirus, try disabling Microsoft Defender instead. Microsoft Defender is the built-in Windows antivirus. You can disable that by turning off the Real-time protection setting in the Windows Security app, as covered on this Microsoft webpage.

The Real-time protection setting

Set High Performance Graphics for TF2

If you have two GPUs on your PC, make sure TF2 is set to a high-performance graphics setting. Doing this will set the game to utilize your PC’s better graphics card. This is how you can select the High Performance graphics setting for TF2.

1. Click the magnifying glass icon (or taskbar search box) to access a file finder tool.
2. Type graphic settings and select the search result that matches the keyword entered.
3. Click Browse and select to add the Team Fortress EXE game file (hl2) to the graphics setting list. You’ll find that file in the Steam > steamapps > common > Team Fortress 2 folder.
4. Press Add to select your file.
5. Click Options for the TF2 game added.
   
   

   The Options button

6. Select High performance and click Save to apply.
   
   

   The High performance radio button

Other Possible Ways to Fix Team Fortress 2 Not Launching on a Windows PC

There are other possible ways to fix Team Fortress 2 not launching beyond those covered above. Try applying these potential solutions for TF 2 not starting if you need more:

• Set Team Fortress 2 to run as an administrator in compatibility mode for Windows 8.
• Reinstall your Team Fortress 2 game.
• Configure Windows 11/10 to clean boot by going through the steps in this Microsoft help page.
• Install the latest driver for your desktop’s or laptop’s graphics card.

TF2 players confirm they’ve kick-started Team Fortress 2 by applying some of the potential resolutions above. So, who knows, maybe one of them will fix Team Fortress 2 not launching on your Windows PC. Then, you can get back in on all the blasting action in TF 2.