Game crashing on launch - possible fix

[m0rq73]

I used to play Dirt 5 months ago for like 20 hours total, then it happened to me too: the infamous "crash on launch". I wasn't able to start Dirt 5 for a long time, always crashing on the splash screen with a "program exception" cmd-window telling to email a dump file to Codemasters.

I tried every fix found in the discussions on steam and elsewhere on the internet, nothing worked. Supposedly the bug has to do with Denuvo DRM but who knows.

But now.. I am playing Dirt 5 again without issues, reproducable after many reboots!

What I did is this (labels may differ in english, sorry for that, my system is non-english):

- In the Steam library, right click the game and choose Manage > Browse local installation files

- In the folder view, right click on dirt5.exe, choose properties.

- Go to the compatibility tab, check "Run program in compatibility mode for: Windows 8"

- Also check "Run program as administrator". Following say yes to all admin rights request windows. Close the properties window.

- DO NOT run the game in Steam. Double-click on the dirt5.exe in the folder view.

- You will notice that the game will crash again, as before.

- The windows troubleshooter assistant will pop up, asking "Did the program run correctly?" - choose "No."

- The troubleshooter will start to apply settings and display a button "Test the program". Click the Button, do not click on Next yet.

- After clicking the button, Dirt 5 launches correctly!

- Close the game again. The troubleshooter assistant will ask again "Did the program run correctly?" - choose "Yes."

- The troubleshooter will then say "Applying compatibitility mode". Now press Next and the assistant will exit.

After this, I can now launch Dirt 5 reproducable, BUT ONLY via double-clicking the dirt5.exe in Windows Explorer. It will still NOT launch from Steam!

This has been working now for some time and all my cloud saves are there too.

I hope this helps someone with the same issue. Let me know if it does!


System: Win11 pro, RTX3080ti, i9-12900k

[SecretAgentKiiN 特务健]

Maybe cause of win11, because testing on win 10 no problem

[m0rq73]

It did work on Win11 initially, and in the steam threads you see many other people getting this error also on Win10.

Could be Windows Updates, GPU Updates, Gaming Services, DRM, I don't know.

All I can confirm is that after this fix, it still throws the error (program exception) when launched from Steam, but will start successfully when launched from Windows Explorer with compatibility mode enabled.

And I'm happy about that, cause I still have a blast with this candy colored arcade racer.

[MikestreamVR]

It works!! Well DONE!

[LEMON]

delete it

[Paulindo]

It really worked, wow, after trying a thousand different ways this one finally worked, thank you!

[ConejoLuchador]

I, too, have Windows 11.

Windows 11 Home.

The above did not work for me, but thank you for taking the time to post and for providing a very clear "how to".

I was finally able to launch the game by removing the USB receiver for my wireless Logitech F710 gamepad prior to clicking the .exe file.

However, I cannot leave the USB receiver removed.

I have to insert the USB receiver then remove it then launch the game from the .exe file. After the tiny 'Dirt 5' splash graphic, I can re-insert the USB receiver to use my gamepad.

Like you, I can never launch the game from inside Steam or using a Steam generated shortcut.

I have to launch by clicking on the .exe file or the shortcut (not from Steam) that I created from the .exe.

[ConejoLuchador]

For the record...

Launching the game directly from the .exe (or the desktop shortcut that I made) still accrues gameplay time on Steam. (I don't know about achievements...haven't earned any yet.)

Also, I can re-insert my USB receiver as soon as the tiny 'Dirt 5' splash graphic shows up.

I just finished a Brasil 80's Classic Time Trial with my Logitech F710. Analog triggers are SO much better than the keyboard.

Still, very weird that I have to remove a USB receiver just as I launch the game to get it to run. In all my other Steam games, I have NEVER come across that problem.

I thought a 2020 game would be easy to get running on Windows 11. I had an easier time getting 'DiRT 2' to run with Games for Windows - LIVE than 'DiRT 5'. I would have never guessed...

USB receiver.

Huh...