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Why Won't The Precinct Launch on Your PC? (Shocking Fixes That Actually Work)

Is The Precinct Crashing Your Gaming Experience? (Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide)

The Precinct is a highly anticipated action-adventure game that launched in May 2025, but many players are experiencing frustrating launch issues and crashes on their PC systems. These problems can completely prevent you from enjoying this exciting police procedural game set in 1983 Averno.

Understanding The Precinct Launch Problems

When The Precinct fails to launch, you might see a busy cursor appear briefly before nothing happens, or the game may crash immediately during startup. These issues stem from various causes including corrupted game files, outdated drivers, antivirus interference, or system compatibility problems.

Essential Fixes for The Precinct Launch Issues

Solution 1: Run The Precinct as Administrator

The most common solution involves giving the game proper system permissions. Right-click on The Precinct's desktop shortcut and select "Run as Administrator." If you don't have a desktop shortcut, navigate to the game's installation folder, find the main executable file, right-click it, and choose "Run as Administrator."

For a permanent fix, right-click the game executable, select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and check "Run this program as administrator".

Solution 2: Verify Game File Integrity

Corrupted or missing game files frequently cause launch failures. Steam's built-in verification tool can detect and repair these issues:

  1. Open Steam Library and locate The Precinct
  2. Right-click the game and select Properties
  3. Navigate to Installed Files
  4. Click "Verify integrity of game files"
  5. Wait for the process to complete before attempting to launch again

Solution 3: Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers are a primary cause of game crashes and launch failures. Update your drivers through these methods:

Automatic Update:

  1. Open Device Manager (search for it in Windows)
  2. Expand Display Adapters
  3. Right-click your graphics card
  4. Select "Update driver" and choose automatic search

Manual Update:

  1. Visit your graphics card manufacturer's website directly
  2. Download the latest driver for your specific model
  3. Install the driver and restart your computer

Solution 4: Configure Windows Graphics Settings

Windows 10 and 11 have built-in graphics performance settings that can resolve launch issues:

  1. Search for "Graphics settings" in Windows
  2. Click "Browse" to add The Precinct executable
  3. Select the game and click "Options"
  4. Choose "High performance" mode
  5. Save the settings and restart the game

Solution 5: Adjust Compatibility Settings

Compatibility mode can resolve issues with newer Windows versions:

  1. Right-click The Precinct executable
  2. Select Properties and go to Compatibility tab
  3. Enable "Run this program in compatibility mode"
  4. Try Windows 7 or Windows 8 mode
  5. Check "Disable fullscreen optimizations"
  6. Apply changes and test the game

Solution 6: Install Required System Components

Missing system files can prevent The Precinct from launching properly:

DirectX Installation:

  1. Download the latest DirectX from Microsoft's official website
  2. Install and restart your computer

Visual C++ Redistributables:

  1. Download all available Visual C++ Redistributable packages
  2. Install each package (some may fail on incompatible systems - this is normal)
  3. Restart your computer after installation

Solution 7: Configure Antivirus and Firewall Settings

Security software can block game execution:

Windows Security:

  1. Open Windows Security
  2. Go to Virus & threat protection
  3. Click "Manage settings" under Real-time protection
  4. Add The Precinct folder to exclusions

Windows Firewall:

  1. Search for "Windows Firewall"
  2. Click "Allow an app through Windows firewall"
  3. Add The Precinct executable
  4. Enable both private and public network access

Solution 8: Force Vulkan API Usage

If DirectX 11 causes issues, you can force The Precinct to use Vulkan instead:

  1. Download DXVK from its official GitHub page
  2. Extract the files and copy d3d11.dll and dxgi.dll from the 64-bit folder
  3. Paste these files into The Precinct's main installation directory
  4. Launch the game to use Vulkan rendering

Solution 9: System Maintenance Solutions

Clean Background Processes

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
  2. End unnecessary background applications
  3. Disable startup programs you don't need

System File Check

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Type "sfc /scannow" and press Enter
  3. Wait for the scan to complete and restart your computer

Windows Updates

  1. Check for and install all available Windows updates
  2. Restart your computer after updates complete

Solution 10: Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

If basic solutions don't work, try these additional fixes:

  • Restart your graphics driver by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Win + B simultaneously
  • Disable Smart Game Booster if installed, as it can modify DirectX files
  • For HP computers, disable the "Sound Research SECOMN Service" which causes crashes
  • Run a malware scan with Malwarebytes to check for corrupted system files

When All Else Fails

If The Precinct still won't launch after trying these solutions, the issue might be hardware-related. Intel 13th and 14th generation CPUs have known compatibility issues that cause frequent crashes. In such cases, you may need to contact the game's support team or wait for a patch that addresses these specific hardware conflicts.

Remember that game crashes can result from multiple factors working together. Try these solutions systematically, starting with the simplest fixes like running as administrator and verifying game files. Most players find success with driver updates and compatibility settings adjustments.