Fix: Galactic Civilizations IV Crashing/ Shuttering/ Freezing or Not Launching Issue on PC

Galactic Civilizations IV is a 4X strategy game based on space developed and published by Stardock. The game builds on the success of all its predecessors, and the developers did not forget to add several new features to the game. But unfortunately, few players are unable to play the game due to crashing and freezing issues which keep them even from launching the game.

There might be a couple of reasons for the same issues, including antivirus intervention, malfunctioned drivers and many more. If you are also struggling with the same issues, then keep reading to the end of this article to get all the possible solutions. Then follow each of the solutions listed below to resolve your issue without any worries. Have a look

Some workarounds

  • Close unnecessary background running apps/services
  • Install the latest game patch
  • Temporarily disable Antivirus
  • Check internet connection
  • Check system requirements

Fix 1: Launch as Administrator

Launching the game with admin access is the first attempt to run the Galactic Civilizations IV without the crashing or shuttering issue. To do so,

  • Firstly, move to the Galactic Civilizations IV installation folder, right-click on the Galactic Civilizations IV.exe file and choose the Properties from the option list.
  • Inside the Properties window, select the Compatibility tab from the top horizontal menu and under the Settings category, tick the check box Run this program as an administrator option.
  • Finally, save the changes and relaunch the game without any issues.

Fix 2: Update Driver

Sometimes corrupted Graphics driver might be the main cause for the Galactic Civilizations IV crashing or not launching issue. The best effective solution for this issue is to update your driver. To do so,

  • Firstly type “device” in your search box, and from the search list, launch the Device Manager window.
  • On the next screen, expand the Display adapters section and choose your Graphics Driver.Update driver
  • Then right-click over the chosen driver and select the Update driver option.
  • Finally, restart the system and see the game’s improvement in your system.

Fix 3: Verify Game Files 

If any game files get damaged, then you will encounter a crash or freeze issue at the startup screen. In this case, you should verify the game files’ integrity to escape from these issues. To do so,

  • Firstly, open Epic Game Launcher and go to the Library menu.
  • Inside the Library, select Galactic Civilizations IV and click on the three horizontal dots.
  • From the drop-down menu, select the Verify option and you are done. 
  • Finally, restart the system, launch the game and play without any trouble.

Fix 4: Disable Overlays

In most cases, enabled overlays might be the main reason for the game’s crashing or black screen issue. Here you can quickly get rid of the same problem by disabling the overlay feature.

In GeForce Experience,

  • Launch GeForce Experience-> Settings icon->Turn off In-game overlay.

In Discord,

  • Launch Discord-> Settings icon->Overlay-> Turn off Enable in-game overlay.

Fix 5: Reinstall Visual C++ Redistributable

At times reinstalling the Visual C++ Redistributable latest package might help you to resolve the Galactic Civilizations IV crashing or lagging issue. To do so,

  • Firstly, launch the browser and go to the Visual C++ Redistributable download page.
  • On the new screen, click on the x64 and x86 files, and download and install them on your system.
  • Once done, relaunch the game and check the issue again irritating you.

Fix 6: Install DirectX

If you encounter a black screen issue in your Galactic Civilizations IV, you need to install the DirectX as soon as possible to resolve the same. To do so,

  • Firstly, launch the browser and go to the Microsoft DirectX download page.
  • Then click on the Download button and install it quickly on your system.
  • Finally, restart the system, launch the game and play without any trouble.

Fix 7: Update Windows

If you fail to update your Windows, it will affect the performance of the system and cause many problems. In this case, you need to update your Windows OS to the latest version for your system to run smoothly. To do so,

  • Firstly, open the Settings menu and click on the Windows Update option.check for updates
  • In the newly appeared screen, click on the Check for updates button.
  • Finally, relaunch the game and check you can run the game without any issues.

Fix 8: Lower Graphics Settings

Another solution to overcome the Galactic Civilizations IV crashing or not launching issue is lowering all the graphics settings. You can go to the Graphics settings page, lower all the settings in the list, as well as try to activate Windowed Mode.

Fix 9: Reinstall the Game

If all of the above solutions have been filed in your case, you need to uninstall the game completely. Once done, download and reinstall the game from a trusted source.

These are all about the Galactic Civilizations IV Crashing, Freezing, Shuttering or Not Launching issue on PC and its fixes. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this article, you can leave a comment in the comment box below.