It’s frustrating when you experience the launching problem when playing Age of Empires 2 on your Windows 10 device. But don’t worry, here is a general guide that can help rule out common causes of this issue. Check it out.
Fixes to try:
You may not have to try them all, just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
- Run the game as an administrator
- Update your graphics driver
- Verify the integrity of your game files
- Reinstall the game
- Check for Windows updates
Fix 1: Run the game as an administrator
In some cases, Windows may not give your game the necessary permissions to work as it should. This might result in the game not starting or running properly. Enabling the option to run AoE 2 as an administrator may help:
1) Right-click the game icon and select Properties.
2) Click the Compatibility tab, then check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.
3) Click OK.
*If you’re playing the game on Steam, also run Steam as an administrator.
4) Right-click Steam icon and select Properties.
5) Click the Compatibility tab, then check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.
6) Click OK.
7) Restart your game to test your issue.
If AoE still won’t launch, move on and try the fix below.
Fix 2: Update your graphics driver
Often times when a game fails, the main culprit behind this is your graphics card driver. You may be using a faulty graphics driver or it’s outdated, which causes the game to crash.
So, when something goes wrong with Age of Empires 2, updating your graphics driver should always be your go-to option. There are two ways you can do this:
Manual driver update – You can update your drivers manually by going to your hardware manufacturer’s website, and searching for the most recent correct driver. Be sure to choose only driver that is compatible with your Windows version.
Automatic driver update – If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your drivers manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct driver for your hardware, and your Windows version, and it will download and install them correctly:
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
Or click the Update button next to the graphics driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
4) Restart your game to see if updating your graphics driver fixed the issue for you. If no, then go ahead with the next fix below.
Fix 3: Verify the integrity of your game files
Corrupt or missing game files can also cause your game to fail. If you’re playing the game on Steam, you can verify the integrity of your game files. Follow the instructions below:
1) Run Steam.
2) Click LIBRARY.
3) Right-click Age of Empires II and select Properties.
4) Click the LOCAL FILES tab, then click VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES.
5) Relaunch AoE2 to test your issue.
If your game still won’t run correctly, then go ahead with the next fix, below.
Fix 4: Reinstall your game
This issue might happen if your game isn’t properly installed on your PC. Try reinstalling it to see if that’s the issue for you. Follow the instructions below:
For Steam users
1) Run Steam.
2) Right-click Age of Empires, then click Uninstall.
3) Click Uninstall.
4) Restart your computer.
5) Reinstall the game on your PC, then restart the game.
If the issue continues to occur, go to the next solution.
For Microsoft Store users
1) Right-click the Windows icon on the bottom left corner and select Apps and Features.
2) Click Age of Empires, then Advanced options.
3) Click Reset.
4) Go back to App& features, select Age of Empires and click Uninstall.
5) Download Age of empires from Microsoft Store, and reinstall it.
6) Try launching AoE 2 to see if this helped.
If your game still won’t load, then move on to the next fix below.
Fix 5: Check for Windows updates
If your game won’t launch at all, it’s not likely that out-of-date Windows components are the core issue, but you should rule out the possibility. Follow the instructions below:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key. Then, type windows update and select Windows Update settings.
2) Click Check for updates, and then wait for Windows to download and install the updates automatically.
3) Restart your computer and your game.
Hopefully, one of the fixes here worked for you. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, or if you resolved this issue in some other ways. I would love your thoughts.