(Some) games crashing to desktop during first loading

[Sybaris_Caesar]

I can't wrap my head around this problem. I downloaded Styx Master of Shadows but it keeps crashing when first loading. Windows report has this to say about it:

Faulting application name: StyxGame.exe, version: 1.0.10499.0, time stamp: 0x544e9da8
Faulting module name: d3d9.dll, version: 10.0.18362.387, time stamp: 0xc808fce5
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000005862
Faulting process id: 0x375c
Faulting application start time: 0x01d59524125fb76d
Faulting application path: H:\Games\Steam Library\steamapps\common\Styx\Binaries\Win64\StyxGame.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\d3d9.dll
Report Id: 7ceecc6c-c208-4d7b-87d9-f6409eb783ff
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

I also recently had this crash in Insurgency (2014). I hadn't played it for a few months so when I would keep crashing when joining any server I just gave up and uninstalled it.

Here's what I've sone so far:
1) Updated GPU driver (from 436.something to 441.02)
2) Updated BIOS from AGESA 1.0.0.3ab to abba (was gonna do it anyway)
3) Updated to latest AMD chipset driver
4) Updated MX500 ssd firmware (though the game is in the hard disk)
5) Updated DirectX June 2010 update or sth (since individual DX9c redist can't be installed on W10 it seems)
6) Verified file integrity of affected games
7) Individually went and installed redist files from the affected games folders

Somebody help. Only thing I haven't yet done is reinstall or reset Windows which is a pita tbh.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Are you missing Microsoft Visual Studio redistributables? I can’t find right now but W1z put together a combo pack. I usually install them as part of a fresh install, before installing games, because many games use them (different years, so that’s why W1z’s all in one is great), but I think W10 is a little deficient in installing them.

also, another easy possibility to check is if you have an AV, is it flagging the game?

you could also try taking a copy of the d3d9.dll and placing into the Styx main folder.

 

[Space Lynx]

Are you missing Microsoft Visual Studio redistributables? I can’t find right now but W1z put together a combo pack. I usually install them as part of a fresh install, before installing games, because many games use them (different years, so that’s why W1z’s all in one is great), but I think W10 is a little deficient in installing them.

also, another easy possibility to check is if you have an AV, is it flagging the game?

you could also try taking a copy of the d3d9.dll and placing into the Styx main folder.

I have it bookmarked, get skill son! jk haha

Latest Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One Mar 2025 Download

This archive contains the latest version (Mar 2025) of all VCRedist Visual Studio C++ runtimes, installable with a single click by running the includ

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Are you missing Microsoft Visual Studio redistributables? I can’t find right now but W1z put together a combo pack. I usually install them as part of a fresh install, before installing games, because many games use them (different years, so that’s why W1z’s all in one is great), but I think W10 is a little deficient in installing them.

also, another easy possibility to check is if you have an AV, is it flagging the game?

you could also try taking a copy of the d3d9.dll and placing into the Styx main folder.

Just done it now and re-installed the game. No bueno :'(

 

[NightOfChrist]

1) Updated GPU driver (from 436.something to 441.02)

This may sound like too much a work to do, but please clean uninstall the driver you've installed recently and try older drivers. Styx is an old game. Chances are newer/recent NVIDIA driver crashes the game, assuming the newer driver is the culprit.

Some games work with old drivers, even drivers released prior to the game's release. There are cases like The Surge 2 with its FLR/Vulkan crash, with 441.12 crashes the game when changing/moving from one location to another, but 436.48 doesn't according to people using 436.48. Although to be fair, I think it may be Deck13's fault too. Previous patch didn't cause any crash when travelling between locations. The recent patch does it.

Since you already tried 436 branch (436.48/30) you may want to try 440.97 and 441.08. Some people in NVIDIA forums also consider 431.60 to be stable and go back to it whenever they find the newer version causing problems for them. so you may want to give it a try.

 

[John Naylor]

Several possible options here:

Fix 0xc0000005, Access is denied or Access Violation error

Fix The application was unable to start correctly or Access violation Exception Error 0xc0000005 on your Windows 11/10 by following these working suggestions.

www.thewindowsclub.com

 

[Vayra86]

I can't wrap my head around this problem. I downloaded Styx Master of Shadows but it keeps crashing when first loading. Windows report has this to say about it:



I also recently had this crash in Insurgency (2014). I hadn't played it for a few months so when I would keep crashing when joining any server I just gave up and uninstalled it.

Here's what I've sone so far:
1) Updated GPU driver (from 436.something to 441.02)
2) Updated BIOS from AGESA 1.0.0.3ab to abba (was gonna do it anyway)
3) Updated to latest AMD chipset driver
4) Updated MX500 ssd firmware (though the game is in the hard disk)
5) Updated DirectX June 2010 update or sth (since individual DX9c redist can't be installed on W10 it seems)
6) Verified file integrity of affected games
7) Individually went and installed redist files from the affected games folders

Somebody help. Only thing I haven't yet done is reinstall or reset Windows which is a pita tbh.

Reinstall the game(s), and you may want to check your storage SMART values before doing so. This reeks of file corruption or an access problem; if it wasn't vcredist repair actions (you should repair ALL libraries both x86 and x64, that the game uses, but looks like you did). If game file integrity was good, access is more likely and it can be the drive, but can also be as simple as a bad SATA cable. Its an easy thing to switch and try out.

One other thing comes to mind. W10 didn't tell you DirectX was already installed when you tried to update DX 2010? Because I reckon it should. That might be the issue... Maybe try yanking that out again and then repairing the OS.

When that fails and you're sure its not hardware.... Clean install the OS and start fresh.

This may sound like too much a work to do, but please clean uninstall the driver you've installed recently and try older drivers. Styx is an old game. Chances are newer/recent NVIDIA driver crashes the game, assuming the newer driver is the culprit.

Some games work with old drivers, even drivers released prior to the game's release. There are cases like The Surge 2 with its FLR/Vulkan crash, with 441.12 crashes the game when changing/moving from one location to another, but 436.48 doesn't according to people using 436.48. Although to be fair, I think it may be Deck13's fault too. Previous patch didn't cause any crash when travelling between locations. The recent patch does it.

Since you already tried 436 branch (436.48/30) you may want to try 440.97 and 441.08. Some people in NVIDIA forums also consider 431.60 to be stable and go back to it whenever they find the newer version causing problems for them. so you may want to give it a try.

I can tell you right now this is unlikely to be a driver problem. The error message doesn't match at all. But yes, for games that simply close to desktop or go weird graphically, this is a good option. On top of that, driver work for these old APIs and games is long gone so its the same code as it was over the past years for these games - same compatibility bits, etc. Its still possible but highly unlikely to be drivers. Driver fixes mostly apply to new games, especially on Nvidia since they've been doing their Game Ready drivers.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Could be your RAM thats out of whack and causing a lot of problems.

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Well

Several possible options here:

Fix 0xc0000005, Access is denied or Access Violation error

Fix The application was unable to start correctly or Access violation Exception Error 0xc0000005 on your Windows 11/10 by following these working suggestions.

www.thewindowsclub.com

Well sfc found some corrupt files but couldn't fix it. Looks like a reinstall is in order. tbh I'll put it in a backburner for now.

 

[c2DDragon]

Well sfc found some corrupt files but couldn't fix it. Looks like a reinstall is in order. tbh I'll put it in a backburner for now.

When SFC cannot fix the files you can use the DISM command with administrative privileges :
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
You then reboot and run SFC /scannow again in an admin command prompt.

By the way, is the graphic card overclocked ? If so, try with the original default clocks.
If the CPU is overclocked try again at default clocks too.
You last post is from friday, if you did reset windows and it crashes again try with the 436.15 drivers.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

d3d9.dll

pretty sure this gets install with DX9 drivers(dx11.2 end user runtime install should install this too), if you install the game thru steam it should install all the correct files, or steam used to do that for older games.

 

[rtwjunkie]

pretty sure this gets install with DX9 drivers(dx11.2 end user runtime install should install this too), if you install the game thru steam it should install all the correct files, or steam used to do that for older games.

I’m pretty sure it mostly does too, but because there have been a few times I have needed to do that, I included it as an option.

 

[c2DDragon]

pretty sure this gets install with DX9 drivers(dx11.2 end user runtime install should install this too), if you install the game thru steam it should install all the correct files, or steam used to do that for older games.

Indeed but if he reinstalled the game and did update DirectX already it seems. For me, there is something preventing the execution of the DLLs. We don't know if OP did disable his Antivirus/Windows Defender before testing, rtwjunkie talked about this but OP didn't tell about it.
I bet it's an overclocking issue. I remember I had some games random crashing with my GPU boost at 1740Mhz and when I lowered it at 1730Mhz it fixed everything. Even if 1740Mhz was heavy tested and perfectly fine in my books. Drivers or windows updates doing black magic maybe ahah.

 

[trog100]

you could buy a cheap ssd and do a fresh windows and game install on that just to see what happens..

trog

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

When SFC cannot fix the files you can use the DISM command with administrative privileges :
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
You then reboot and run SFC /scannow again in an admin command prompt.

By the way, is the graphic card overclocked ? If so, try with the original default clocks.
If the CPU is overclocked try again at default clocks too.
You last post is from friday, if you did reset windows and it crashes again try with the 436.15 drivers.

I haven't reinstalled Windows yet so maybe I'll try your method.
Funny thing is I haven't felt the need to OC anything. I'm just too lazy to devote a day or two. Maybe after the finals.

 

[eidairaman1]

Well
Well sfc found some corrupt files but couldn't fix it. Looks like a reinstall is in order. tbh I'll put it in a backburner for now.

When that happens a windows update borked the os.

Go to www.askwoody.com and findout what updates are safe and which ones screw windows up

 

[c2DDragon]

When that happens a windows update borked the os.

Go to www.askwoody.com and findout what updates are safe and which ones screw windows up

Better try to repair with the DISM command first. The website you've linked is for full paranoïd mode users no offense heh
Every updates are supposed to be "safe". If you want more "safety", better delay the updates, wait the people "test" the updates, if the updates are somehow broken your windows won't download them because they would be removed from windows update the time you are supposed to download them.

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

When that happens a windows update borked the os.

Go to www.askwoody.com and findout what updates are safe and which ones screw windows up

But it's Windows 10. When I try to turn off my PC, windows already downloaded the updates and now just needs me shut up and update and shut down or update and restart.

 

[eidairaman1]

But it's Windows 10. When I try to turn off my PC, windows already downloaded the updates and now just needs me shut up and update and shut down or update and restart.

Im sure there is a way to turn it off

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Indeed but if he reinstalled the game and did update DirectX already it seems. For me, there is something preventing the execution of the DLLs. We don't know if OP did disable his Antivirus/Windows Defender before testing, rtwjunkie talked about this but OP didn't tell about it.
I bet it's an overclocking issue. I remember I had some games random crashing with my GPU boost at 1740Mhz and when I lowered it at 1730Mhz it fixed everything. Even if 1740Mhz was heavy tested and perfectly fine in my books. Drivers or windows updates doing black magic maybe ahah.

I turned off antivirus. I also reset the Firewall so I could give tje game permission to go online and download whatever it wants. Still no bueno.

 

[eidairaman1]

Windows 10 auto updates keep bugging you? Here's how to stop them.

In this guide, we'll show you three methods to stop automatic updates on Windows 10 and put you in charge again to decide when to download and install them.

www.google.com

@lexluthermiester show you how to remove it too

 

[c2DDragon]

But it's Windows 10. When I try to turn off my PC, windows already downloaded the updates and now just needs me shut up and update and shut down or update and restart.

I see you got enterprise edition, I got the pro edition and so you must be able to delay the features updates for 365 days and the security updates for 30 days, just check the windows update advanced settings.

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Im sure there is a way to turn it off

There's only delay option iirc. Lemme check later. I thought I would run Enterprise edition (unactivated) just so I could have finer controls over updates. Looks like MS is shitting their corporate customers too then.

 

[eidairaman1]

There's only delay option iirc. Lemme check later. I thought I would run Enterprise edition (unactivated) just so I could have finer controls over updates. Looks like MS is shitting their corporate customers too then.

I provided a link

 

[c2DDragon]

I turned off antivirus. I also reset the Firewall so I could give tje game permission to go online and download whatever it wants. Still no bueno.

Well, try to clean the drivers with DDU from (https://www.wagnardsoft.com) and try the 436.15 drivers from nvidia, without geforce experience to have less heavy useless things.