How to Fix inZOI Crashing on Startup or Not Launching on PC

inZOI is a brand-new life simulation game developed by inZOI Studio and published by Krafton. Released in early access for PC on March 28, 2025, with console versions planned for the near future, the game has quickly caught the attention of sim fans eager for a fresh experience in the genre.

However, as with many early access titles, some PC players have reported frustrating issues—most notably, crashes on startup or during gameplay. Even systems that meet or exceed the minimum requirements are not immune. If you’re one of the affected players, don’t worry. This guide walks you through a variety of proven fixes that can help resolve the crashing issues with inZOI on PC.

Why is inZOI Crashing?

There are multiple possible reasons why inZOI may crash on startup or mid-gameplay, including:

• Outdated GPU or audio drivers

• Corrupted or missing game files

• Outdated or missing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables

• Software conflicts with overlay apps or antivirus programs

• Lack of administrator privileges

• System incompatibilities or insufficient hardware

• Background apps consuming too many resources

Let’s dive into the step-by-step solutions to fix these problems.

inZOI Crashing on PC – Step-by-Step Solutions

1. Check System Requirements

Before anything else, make sure your PC meets the minimum or recommended system requirements for inZOI.

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

• Processor: Intel i5 10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600

• RAM: 12 GB

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5600 XT (6GB VRAM)

• DirectX: Version 12

• Storage: 40 GB

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

• Processor: Intel i7 12700k / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

• RAM: 16 GB

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6800 XT

• DirectX: Version 12

• Storage: 60 GB

If your hardware falls short, consider lowering in-game graphics settings or upgrading components.

2. Run the game as an Administrator

If you’re not running your video game using an administrator privilege, it may cause issues with the game launching, startup crashing, or even the game not loading. So, running the game exe file as an administrator on your Windows computer is better for checking whether that fixes the problem. To do so:

• Right-click on the inZOI exe shortcut file on your PC.
• Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
• Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

3. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Corrupted or missing files are a common cause of crashes.

• Launch Steam > Library

• Right-click on inZOI > Properties

• Go to Local Files > Verify integrity of game files

• Wait for the process to finish, then restart your PC.

4. Update inZOI

We also recommend that you manually check for the game update on your end via the respective game client to ensure no outdated game version conflicts with the game launch. An outdated game patch version can trigger several potential issues that might trigger crashes. To do this:

• Open Steam and go to the Library.
• Click on inZOI from the left pane.
• Steam will automatically search for the available update.
• If there is an update available, click on Update.
• Make sure to wait for some time until the update is completed.
• Once done, ensure to reboot the PC to apply changes.

5. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

Updating the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables on the PC is highly recommended, as shown by the steps below.

Note: If you’re using Steam or another Games Launcher, download the latest version by going to the official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables page.

• Head over to the following path on your PC:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\vcredist

• You should see the following folders:
  • 2012\vc_redist.x64.exe
  • 2013\vc_redist.x64.exe
  • 2019\vc_redist.x64.exe
• Just make sure to run all of these executable files that are present. (If you’ve different folders, then run the vc_redist.x64.exe file in those folders)
• Finally, restart your PC to fix the issue.

6. Update DirectX

Sometimes outdated DirectX versions can also trouble you with the PC games. It’s better to update the DirectX version manually to avoid crashing issues.

• Go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX folder path.
• Next, run the DXSETUP.exe file to reinstall/update DirectX.
• Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

7. Update GPU Drivers

It seems that multiple affected players have reported the outdated graphics driver. If you’ve also using the outdated graphics driver for a while, then make sure to check for updates by following the steps below:

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the active dedicated graphics card.

• Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
• Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

This method should fix the inZOI crashing issue on PC. If not, you can head over to the next method.

8. Disable Overlay Apps

According to some affected players, disabling the Steam overlay on the Windows computer has helped them fix the game not launching issue easily. As the in-game overlay app is always running in the background whenever you launch the game client, it’s quite possible to have issues with the processes or system resources.

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Now, right-click on inZOI > Select Properties.
• Head to the General section > Here, uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
• Return to Library > Re-open Squad to check for the not launching issue.

9. Install Pending Windows Updates

It may possible that somehow any of the Windows bugs or system files conflict with the game to run it properly. Sometimes an incompatibility issue can also take place when you didn’t update the software for a while. So, make sure to install all the pending Windows updates individually and keep it to the latest OS build. To do that:

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.

• If there is a feature update available, select Download and Install.
• Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.

10. Disable Antivirus and Firewall Program

• Click on the Start menu > Type Control Panel and click on it.
• Now, type firewall in the search box > Click on Windows Firewall.
• From the left pane, click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
• Select Turn off Windows Firewall for the Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings.
• Finally, reboot the PC to apply the changes and try to check the issue.

Now, you’ll have to disable the anti-virus protection (Windows Defender) as well by following the steps below:

• Head over to Windows Settings > Privacy and Security.
• Now, go to Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.
• Click on Manage settings >Then turn off the Real-time Protection option.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

If in case, you’re using any third-party antivirus program, then make sure to turn it off manually.

11. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode (Steam)

Try launching the game in Windowed display mode to see if that helps. Sometimes, a computer with an average hardware specification can cause several issues with the fullscreen display mode while running the game.

• Open the Steam client and go to the Library.
• Right-click on inZOI > Select Properties.
• In the General section, click on Set Launch Options.
• Next, copy & paste the following command-line argument:

 -windowed -noborder

• Make sure to save changes and try running the game again to check if inZOI is launching properly.

12. Perform a Clean Boot

• Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
• Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

• Click on Disable All.
• Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
• Now, click on the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
• Under the Startup tab from the Task Manager interface, click on the tasks enabled for startup boot > Click on Disable.
• Select the high-impact startup programs and disable them one by one.
• Once all is done, restart your PC to apply changes.
• Finally, check whether or not the inZOI crashing on the PC has been fixed.

13. Close Background Processes

• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.

• Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
• Once done, restart your computer to change effects immediately.

14. Reset inZOI

• Press the Windows (Start) + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Select Apps and Features > Click on inZOI from the list of installed programs to select it.
• Now, click on Advanced options > Select Reset.
• Once done, reboot your computer and try to launch the game.

15. Reinstall inZOI

If none of the methods worked for you, try reinstalling the inZOI game to check if that helps you fix the game not launching issue. To do so:

• Click on the Start menu and search for Control Panel.
• Open Control Panel > Click on Uninstall a Program.
• Locate and right-click on inZOI > Select Uninstall.
• If prompted, click on Uninstall again to confirm.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to complete. You can follow the on-screen instructions to do so.
• Once done, make sure to reboot the PC to apply changes.
• Finally, head over to the specific game launcher that you use (Steam Games Launcher) and reinstall inZOI.

Final Thoughts

Crashes during startup or gameplay can be incredibly frustrating—especially when you’re eager to explore a brand-new title like inZOI. Fortunately, most of these issues can be resolved with the proper troubleshooting steps. Whether it’s a missing file, outdated driver, or system-level conflict, this guide covers every major fix to help you get back into the simulation.

Be sure to keep your drivers, Windows OS, and the game itself updated regularly. If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Krafton support or visiting community forums where developers and other players might be sharing hotfixes.

Let us know in the comments which method worked for you—or if you found another solution! Happy simming!