Experiencing crashes on launch when you’re about to play DOOM Eternal? Worry not – you’re not alone. There may be quite a few causes behind this issue, but it’s usually not that hard to resolve.
Check your computer specs first
If you’re unable to launch the game, please check your PC specs first; just make sure your computer is up for the task of running DOOM Eternal. In case you don’t know how to find your PC specs, here’s the guidance for you: How to find computer specs Windows 10 [Easily].
After finding out the information about your computer, compare it with the system requirements for DOOM Eternal shown below:
Minimum Requirements
| OS | 64-bit Windows 7 / 64-Bit Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 @ 3.3 GHz or better, or AMD Ryzen 3 @ 3.1 GHz or better |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti (4GB), GTX 1060 (3GB), GTX 1650 (4GB) or AMD Radeon R9 280(3GB), AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB), RX 470 (4GB) |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage | 50 GB available space |
| Additional Notes | (1080p / 60 FPS / Low Quality Settings) |
Recommended Requirements
| OS | 64-bit Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6700K or better, or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X or better |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), NVIDIA GeForce 970 (4GB), AMD RX 480 (8GB) |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage | 50 GB available space |
| Additional Notes | (1080p / 60 FPS / High Quality Settings) – *On NVIDIA GTX 970 cards Texture Quality should be set to Medium |
If unfortunately, your PC cannot handle this game, then you should replace the hardware components that are out of date; but if you’re pretty sure that your computer is up to scratch, read on and check out the fixes below.
9 Fixes for DOOM Eternal not launching
The following are 9 fixes that have proved useful to many players. You don’t have to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Fix 1: Update your device drivers
Fix 3: Plug your monitors into the primary GPU
Fix 4: Install DirectX End-User Runtimes
Fix 6: Disable unnecessary programs
Fix 7: Verify the integrity of game files
Fix 8: Run the game as administrator
Fix 9: Wait for new game patches
Fix 1: Update your device drivers
The crashing issue on launch may be triggered by an outdated device driver (especially the graphics card driver). Usually, you can get the latest graphics driver from its manufacturer’s website (such as NVIDIA, AMD, Intel); you just need to find exactly the right driver online, download it and install it step by step.
But if you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your device drivers manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy takes care of everything.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks:
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 the Update button next to a flagged driver (say your graphics card driver) to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or 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.)
If you have any problems using Driver Easy Pro to update your driver, please feel free to email us at support@drivereasy.com. We are always here to help.
Run DOOM Eternal and wait to see if it still fails to launch. If it does, give Fix 2 a try.
Fix 2: Use dedicated GPU
If you’re using an integrated GPU, then it’s probably the culprit for your problem. Perform the following actions to make sure you run DOOM Eternal with the NVIDIA dedicated GPU:
1) Right-click an empty area of your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel from the context menu.
2) In the left pane, click 3D Settings > Manage 3D Settings.
3) On the right panel, go to the Program Settings tab and select DOOM Eternal from the drop-down list.
4) If you have an alternative graphics card (say, the dedicated NVIDIA GPU), you’ll see another drop-down list below that enables you to choose your preferred graphics processor. Go on to select the High-performance NVIDIA processor option.
Note: If you’re using the AMD GPU, please refer to https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/dh-017.
Now try to launch DOOM Eternal and see whether your issue has been solved. If it hasn’t, then proceed to Fix 3.
Fix 3: Plug your monitors into the primary GPU
DOOM Eternal may fail to start if you have multiple monitors plugged into different GPUs, so make sure you plug both monitors into the primary GPU (also the dedicated one). After that, relaunch the game to see if it keeps crashing. If it doesn’t, then congrats – you’ve fixed the issue! If it does, please move on to the next fix, below.
Fix 4: Install DirectX End-User Runtimes
If you were presented with an error message reading “xinput1_3.dll not found” when launching DOOM Eternal, then you should try downloading and installing DirectX End-User Runtimes on your computer. After the software pack is downloaded, extract it somewhere on your PC and run DXSETUP to install that software. Once complete, check to see if DOOM Eternal is able to run normally.
Fix 5: Update your BIOS
There’s a chance that your crash issue is caused by the out-dated Basic Input Output System (BIOS). Since BIOS plays a crucial role in your computer’s normal functioning, you must know that the process of updating BIOS could be risky and error-prone due to various reasons. For example, if you install a wrong BIOS version or your computer loses power during the update, major problems will come along – you might need to spend much to get your PC repaired. In short, perform a BIOS update at your own risk.
For more in-depth information about how to update BIOS, here’s the post you may find useful: When Should I Update BIOS and How to Update it Safely.
Fix 6: Disable unnecessary programs
Shut down unnecessary programs (such as the Steam overlay) before launching DOOM Eternal in case it conflicts with other applications. To completely shut down a program:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and X at the same time, then click Task Manager.
2) In the Task Manager window, on the Processes tab, select the program you want to shut down and click End task. (If it’s a program you’re using, e.g. Microsoft Word, make sure you save any unsaved work first.)
Exercise caution with this step. If you mistakenly end the important system processes, your computer may fail to work properly.
Note that your trouble is sometimes caused by interference from antivirus software. To see if that’s the problem for you, temporarily disable your antivirus program and check if DOOM Eternal can run normally. (Consult your antivirus documentation for instructions on disabling it.)
Also, remember to check carefully in the blacklists (or quarantine) of your third-party antivirus and Windows Firewall for any files related to DOOM Eternal. Once you spot them, manually add the files into whitelists.
If the game works properly after you disable the antivirus, contact the vendor of your antivirus software and ask them for advice, or simply install a different antivirus solution.
Fix 7: Verify the integrity of game files
If you play DOOM Eternal on Steam, you can verify the integrity of your game files using the following procedure:
1) Log in Steam and click LIBRARY.
2) Right-click DOOM Eternal and select Properties.
3) Go to the LOCAL FILES tab and select VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES…. Then wait for the process to be complete.
4) Once complete, exit Steam and reopen it. Run DOOM Eternal again and wait to see if it still crashes on launch.
If this fix is to no avail, move on to Fix 8 below.
Fix 8: Run the game as administrator
This quick fix is more like a general solution for all the games that cannot be launched properly, and it’s very easy to apply. As long as you have the administrative privileges to run DOOM Eternal, you should give this fix a try.
1) Locate the executable file of DOOM Eternal on your PC. Right-click the file and select Properties.
2) In the Properties window, on the Compatibility tab, select Run this program as an administrator. Then click Apply > OK.
Now you should be able to run DOOM Eternal under administrator privileges permanently. Next up, check to see if you’re able to run DOOM Eternal.
Fix 9: Wait for new game patches
This method may seem rather passive, but if the root cause doesn’t really lie in your gaming machine, then you should probably just wait for some new updates to get the problem fixed. Of course, if you’d like to do something else rather than sit tight, you can also forward your problem to the developer or look for other solutions on related forums.
Hopefully, this post helped you resolve the not-launching problem with DOOM Eternal. If you have any follow-up questions or ideas, please feel free to leave a comment below. You’re also welcome to share more useful solutions with us. Thanks for reading!
