7 Ways You Can Fix Fallout 4 Not Launching on a Windows PC

Fallout 4 is rated among the best games of its series. Yet, players often report Fallout 4 doesn’t start when they try to launch that game. One F4 player said this on Steam’s forum, “Launcher for Fallout 4 opens fine, but upon clicking ‘play’ the launcher disappears, and nothing happens.” Some players have also said they see a black screen when the F4 game fails to start. This is how you can fix Fallout 4 not launching on a Windows PC.

Verify Fallout 4’s Files

Start your troubleshooting by verifying Fallout 4’s files. Doing this will check if there are any missing or corrupted game files and apply repairs. These Epic Games and Steam help pages have instructions for verifying games’ files.

The Verify option in Epic Games

Select Three Compatibility Options for Fallout 4

The Compatibility tab for files includes a triumvirate of settings that can kick-start games that aren’t starting when selected. Those options are for running the game as an administrator, in compatibility mode, and with fullscreen optimization disabled. This is how you can select those options.

1. Press the Windows logo + E hotkey and go to the Fallout 4 installation directory.
2. Right-click the Fallout4.exe file that starts the game and select Properties on the menu.
3. Click Compatibility to view the required options.
4. Select the Run this program in compatibility mode option and Windows 8.
5. Click Run this program as an administrator to give the game elevated rights.
6. Finally, select Disable fullscreen optimizations.
   
   

   The Compatibility tab

7. Click Apply to set the three selected settings.
8. Select OK to close the Compatibility tab and its window.

Select the Windowed Mode and Borderless Options

Players confirm selecting the Windowed Mode and Borderless options can fix Fallout 4 not launching. This potential solution is particularly recommended if the game shows a black screen when it fails to launch. These are the steps for selecting the Windowed Mode and Borderless settings.

1. Open Steam or Epic Games to bring up the Fallout 4 launcher from there.
2. Click the Options button in the Fallout 4 launcher.
3. Select the Windowed Mode checkbox.
4. Click the box for the Borderless option.
   
   

   The Fallout 4 Options window

5. Select a native resolution your graphics card supports on the Resolution drop-down menu.
6. Click OK in the Fallout 4 Options window.
7. Select Play to see if the game starts.

Lower Your Monitor’s Refresh Rate

Another troubleshooting method players confirm can fix Fallout 4 not launching is to lower the refresh rate on a monitor. Those players reduced the refresh rate on their monitors from 300Hz to 60Hz. This is how you can lower your monitor’s fresh rate in Windows 11/10.

1. Activate the tool for finding files and apps by clicking the taskbar search box or button.
2. Enter advanced display settings inside the search tool.
3. Click View advanced display info to access the Setting window shown directly below.
4. Next, click Display adapter properties for Display 1.
   
   

   The Display adapter properties for Display 1 navigation option

5. Select the Monitor tab.
6. Click on the Screen refresh rate drop-down menu to select 60 Hertz or the lowest option available.
   

   The Monitor tab

7. To set the new refresh rate, press the Apply > OK buttons.

Turn Off Third-Party Antivirus Shields

Some players have confirmed on forums that third-party antivirus apps like Avast and McAffee were to blame for Fallout 4 not launching on their PCs. For example, one player reported that McAffee quarantined the fallout4.exe file on their PC, which he had to restore from quarantined items. This shows how third-party antivirus utilities can cause Fallout 4 startup issues.

The Avast shields control options

So, I recommend you temporarily turn off the real-time scanning of any third-party antivirus software installed on your PC before starting Fallout 4. The usual way you can do this is to right-click an antivirus system tray icon and select an option for disabling the shield. Try starting Fallout 4 after disabling the antivirus.

However, the best way to ensure an antivirus app doesn’t interfere with Fallout 4 is to uninstall it. Other security features beyond an antivirus app’s real-time antivirus scanning can also cause gaming issues. So, consider uninstalling any third-party tool installed if disabling its shield doesn’t do the trick.

Update the Graphical Driver for Your GPU

Bethesda support recommends players update graphics drivers on their PC to fix Fallout 4 not launching. If you’ve never updated the graphics driver on your PC, the currently installed one could be somewhat outmoded. This is how you can install a new NVIDIA/AMD graphical driver.

1. To see what your PC’s graphics card model is, press the Windows logo + S hotkey, input dxdiag, and select the matching search result. Select Display to view graphics card model details in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
2. Next, open the NVIDIA or AMD driver download webpage in browser software.
   
   

   The NVIDIA driver download option

3. Select the graphics card model and Windows platform shown in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and click Submit/Search.
4. Click the option for downloading the compatible driver for your PC’s GPU.
   
   

   The Download option for a NVIDIA graphics driver

5. Activate the Explorer folder navigator with the Windows logo + E key shortcut to open the folder that includes the downloaded driver package file.
6. Double-click the NVIDIA/AMD driver file to open an installer window for it. Select to install the driver from there.
7. Always restart your PC after updating a graphics driver.

Reinstall Fallout 4

Reinstalling the game is probably one of the last things you should try to fix Fallout 4 not launching. Doing this will refresh the game’s files and update it to the latest version. You can reinstall Fallout 4 like this.

Steam

1. Run Steam and select Library on its tab bar.
2. Right-click the Fallout 4 game in the sidebar to select Manage > Uninstall.
   
   

   The Uninstall option in Steam

3. To reinstall Fallout 4, select it in the Library tab and click Install.

Epic Games

1. Start the Epic gaming client and click Library on its left tab bar.
2. Click the three-dot button under Fallout 4 to select Uninstall.
3. Select Uninstall a second time to provide confirmation.
   
   

   The Uninstall option in Epic Games

4. Click the Fallout 4 thumbnail image in the Library tab and select Install to reinstall the game.

Other Possible Ways to Fix Fallout 4 Not Launching

There are more possible ways to fix Fallout 4 not launching beyond those troubleshooting methods outlined above. If the game still doesn’t start, try applying these extra resolutions:

• Delete all Fallout 4 mods if you’ve added any.
• Set the Steam or Epic Games client to run with administrator rights.
• Disable (deselect) the Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization option for Fallout 4 if selected.
• Select to end all Steam-related processes shown in the Task Manager and restart the gaming client.
• Remove any launch option parameters set for Fallout 4 in Steam or Epic Games.

I hope one of those possible resolutions kick-starts Fallout 4 on your Windows PC. They’re worth trying since F4 players have confirmed they can fix Fallout 4 not launching. If you need more potential fixes for that game not starting, try sending a support ticket to Bethesda as instructed on this help page.