Borderlands 3 has had rave reviews since 2019. Yet, some players take also reported technical bug with that game. Some Epic Games and Stream users accept said Borderlands 3 doesn't launch or crashes at the startup when they try to play information technology.

Borderlands 3 can throw up various mistake messages when it doesn't start. Sometimes it might not launch without displaying whatever kind of error message. These are some general potential fixes that can feasibly fix a diverseness of Borderlands iii launch bug in Windows 11/10.

1. Configure Borderlands 3 to Run With Admin Permissions

Windows games tin can sometimes neglect to get-go because they don't take access to more restricted system areas. So, make certain Borderlands 3 has full system access.

To do then, you'll need to set Borderlands iii to e'er first with authoritative rights like this:

  1. To bring upwards Windows' binder management app, right-click your Outset push button and select File Explorer.
  2. Open up your Borderlands 3 installation binder inside Explorer.
  3. Right-click the Borderlands 3.exe (application) file and select a Properties option from the game'due south context carte.
  4. Click Compatibility at the acme of Borderlands iii's properties window.
    The Run this program as an administrator checkbox
  5. Make certain you've got the Run this program as administrator checkbox selected for Borderlands iii.
  6. Click Apply to save the newly selected compatibility settings and then select OK.

Echo those steps to set your Epic Games or Steam game customer software for launching Borderlands three to e'er run with admin rights. If yous accept a desktop shortcut for your gaming client software, you tin can select Properties from the shortcut's context menu.

two. Update Your Game Launcher Software

Some players have said that updating their game launchers can gear up Borderlands three not starting. You don't have to reinstall your gaming client to update it. Both Ballsy Games Launcher and Steam include options y'all can select to manually update them to their latest versions. These are the 3 steps for updating Ballsy Games Launcher:

  1. Run your Epic Games Launcher client software.
  2. Click your user profile icon in Epic Games Launcher.
  3. Then select Settings on the user menu.
    The Settings option
  4. Select the Restart and Update pick if at that place'south a new version bachelor.
    The Restart and Update option

You lot can similarly update Steam. To exercise so, click the Settings bill of fare push on Steam. And then select Check for Steam customer updates from the carte du jour.

3. Set the Preferred Graphics API Setting to DirectX 11

DirectX 12 might be powerful, but it'due south too widely reported to generate launch issues for Borderlands 3. Players have confirmed that setting Borderlands three to kickoff with DirectX 11 instead of 12 can set up the game not starting.

If Borderlands three doesn't showtime, yous can't change any settings via in-game options. However, you tin gear up the graphics API via a settings file for that game every bit follows:

  1. Press your taskbar'southward File Explorer button (which has a binder library icon).
  2. Click This PC on Explorer's navigation sidebar.
  3. Then open the Documents\My Games\Borderlands three\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor folder from there.
    The WindowsNoEditor folder
  4. Next, click the GameUserSettings file with the correct mouse push and select Open up with.
  5. Choose to open up the GameUserSettings file with Notepad.
  6. Curl downward the configuration file to the PreferredGraphicsAPI setting.
    The PreferredGraphicsAPI setting
  7. Erase DX12, and and then input DX11 for the PreferredGraphicsAPI setting.
  8. Don't forget to click File > Save before closing Notepad.

4. Verify the Integrity of Borderlands 3'due south Files

Verifying is one of the nearly regular troubleshooting steps for fixing games that don't kickoff, be it Borderlands iii or anything else. Virtually gaming clients include options to verify (or repair) games. When you select to verify a game, yous're initiating a scan check for it that will repair corrupted or missing files. This is how y'all can verify Borderlands three within Epic Games Launcher:

  1. Launch Epic Games.
  2. Select Library on the navigation bar in Epic Games Launcher.
  3. Click the ellipses button that'south merely beneath Borderlands 3.
    The ... button
  4. Select Verify to initiate the verification.
    The Verify option

The steps for verifying Borderlands three in Steam are a lilliputian different. Open up your gaming library in Steam, but and so right-click Borderlands 3 from in that location to select Properties. Then you tin can select the Verify integrity of game files choice on the Local Files tab.

5. Browse and Repair Your System Files

Corrupted system files can also cause game launch issues. As such, information technology's a proficient thought to perform a verification check for Windows' system files.

To do this, yous should run a System File Checker scan to fix Borderlands 3 not launching. This is how to run an SFC scan from the Command Prompt in Windows 11/10:

  1. Bring up an elevated Command Prompt window with a method included in our "Open the Control Prompt" guide.
  2. To ensure the SFC scan works, it's recommended to input this control start and press Return:
                  DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth                          
  3. And then type in this command:
                  sfc /scannow            
  4. Printing Return to execute the SFC control.
    The SFC scannow command
  5. At present, await for the Organization File Checker scan to reach 100 percent and evidence an outcome message.

6. Update Your PC's Graphics Carte Driver

When was the terminal time you updated your PC's graphics bill of fare driver? If the answer is never (or at least a few months back), your PC's graphics driver is probably outdated, which might be why your Borderlands iii game isn't launching. In this case, updating your graphics carte'southward driver could exist a potential solution.

There are at to the lowest degree iii unlike means you can update a PC'south graphics card driver. You tin update it manually by downloading the latest driver package from NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD websites. Third-party driver updater tools also include options for automatically updating drivers. Or y'all can utilize AMD or NVIDIA software tools, such as GeForce Experience.

Bank check out our guide on how to update your graphics card drivers for further details.

vii. Update Visual C++ Runtime Components

If yous see an error message that mentions Visual C++ runtime components when trying to launch Borderlands three, updating runtime components is a probable resolution. Even if you lot don't, it's recommended that yous try updating those components. You can practice so by post-obit these steps:

  1. Open the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistribute package webpage within your browser.
  2. Click the X64 (64-flake) download link for the Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 runtime updater.
    The X64 download link
  3. Open upwards whatever folder the VC_redist.x64.exe file downloaded in Explorer. So double-click VC_redist.x64.exe to bring up the Microsoft C++ 2015-2022 window.
  4. Select the I agree checkbox then click Install. If you meet a Repair selection in the Microsoft Visual C++ window, click that push button instead.
    The Microsoft Visual C++ window
  5. Click Restart if that tool updates runtime components.

8. Disable Third-Political party Startup Programs and Services

You lot tin disable third-political party startup software and services by setting a make clean boot. Configuring a clean kicking will both gratuitous upward system resources for the game and might too disable a few programs or services that were conflicting with Borderlands 3. Follow these steps to perform a clean kicking:

  1. Open System Configuration (MSConfig) with a method in our guide on ways to open up MSConfig.
  2. Uncheck the selected Load startup items checkbox on the System Configuration tool's General tab.
    The Load startup items checkbox
  3. Click Services to access that System Configuration tab's options.
  4. Make sure to select Hide all Microsoft services to filter out the more essential ones.
    The Hide all Microsoft services checkbox
  5. And then select the Disable all option to uncheck the checkboxes for non-essential services.
  6. Press the MSConfig utility's Utilize push to relieve the reconfigured settings.
  7. Click OK and Restart (on the dialog box prompt that appears).
  8. Endeavour playing the Borderlands 3 game over again after the make clean kicking.

9. Reinstall Borderlands 3

Finally, reinstall Borderlands 3 if none of the above work for yous. Downloading and installing a 75 GB game will likely accept a few hours at least, which makes this resolution less preferable than quicker alternatives. However, reinstalling Borderlands 3 might gear up a corrupted installation. You tin reinstall Borderlands 3 in Epic Games Launcher like this:

  1. Run your Epic game customer software.
  2. Select the Library tab to view your Epic games drove.
  3. Press the ellipsis card button for Borderlands 3 to view further options.
  4. Click Uninstall to remove Borderlands 3.
    The Uninstall option
  5. Then, reinstall Borderlands 3 past clicking it in the Library tab and selecting the Install option.

Steam users can also uninstall and reinstall Borderlands 3 in that client software. To do so, correct-click Borderlands three in your Steam library to select Manage > Uninstall. Then you can click an Install option for the game to reinstall it.

Enjoy Borderlands 3's Blasting Activity Again

When you can't launch Borderlands 3, you're missing out on its pulsating blasting activeness. The potential Windows fixes above for Borderlands 3 not launching will probably kick-starting time that game for many (simply not necessarily all) players. In add-on, nosotros also recommend players try manually disabling firewalls, antivirus, and overlay software and update Windows 11.