Fix: Stray Won’t Launch or Not Starting on PC

BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive have recently released Stray as a cat adventure third-person cyberpunk kind of video game in July 2022 for PlayStation & Windows platforms. As the title suggests, a lost stray cat is alone and separated from the family who have to unveil an ancient mystery to find the real home. As the game is just launched, plenty of players are having issues with the game launching or getting into it properly.

If you are experiencing issues with Stray not launching or crashing at startup, don’t worry, you are not alone. Many PC games encounter bugs or errors, and Stray is no exception. To help you resolve the issue, we have prepared a troubleshooting guide that you can follow. By identifying the root cause of the problem and applying the recommended solutions, you can fix the issue and start playing the game smoothly.

Why Won’t Stray Launch?

The Stray game didn’t go well with the launch because there were a bunch of bugs and connectivity errors appearing to the players no matter which gaming platform they were using. So, it’s worth mentioning that Stray is full of issues that we can’t deny, but sometimes, the problems at your end or even with your PC (directly or indirectly) can trigger multiple games launching or crashing issues. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Your Stray game may not launch due to an outdated game patch, an outdated graphics driver version or Windows build, missing or corrupted game files, issues with the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, unnecessary background running tasks, etc. Some players can encounter issues launching the game issues due to incompatible PC hardware, unnecessary background running tasks, overlay apps, and more.

Fix: Stray Not Starting on the PC

It seems you’re unable to launch the Stray game on your Windows computer, or somehow, the game refuses to load further, and it seems to crash after some time. In that scenario, you can follow all the provided workarounds individually to check whether your problem has been fixed.

1. Check System Requirements

First, you’ll need to check whether your PC configuration meets the game’s system requirements. Sometimes incompatible PC hardware can trigger multiple issues with the game launching.

Minimum Requirements:

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 or startup crashing, or even the game not loading, etc. So, it’s better to simply run the game exe file as an administrator on your Windows computer to check if that fixes the problem or not. To do so:

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

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

3. Verify Integrity of Game Files

If, in case, your game files become corrupted or missing for some unexpected reasons, then verifying and repairing the game files using the game launcher can help you a lot. To do this:

• Launch Steam > Click on Library.
• Right-click on Stray from the list of installed games.
• Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
• Once done, just restart your computer.

4. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

• 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.

5. Update DirectX

• 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.

6. Update GPU Drivers

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

• Press Windows + 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 dedicated graphics card that’s active.

• 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 Stray Won’t Launch on PC issue. If not, you can head over to the next method.

7. Disable Overlay Apps

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

8. Install All Pending Windows Updates

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

• Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
• 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.

9. 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 changes and try checking the issue.

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

• Head over to the 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, make sure to turn it off manually.

10. Launch the Game in Windowed Mode (Steam)

Try launching the game in Windowed display mode to check 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 Stray > 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 Stray is launching properly.

11. Perform a Clean Boot

• Press 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 particular 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 the Stray Won’t Launch on PC issue has been fixed.

12. 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, just restart your computer to change effects immediately.

13. Reset Stray

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

14. Reinstall Stray

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

• Launch the Steam client on your computer.
• Now, go to Library > Right-click on the Stray game.
• Head over to Manage > Select Uninstall.
• If prompted, click Uninstall again and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to apply changes immediately.
• Open the Steam client again and install the game using the existing Steam account.
• You’re done. Enjoy! This can resolve the Stray Won’t Launch on PC issue.

That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.