Game crashes on startup

[PunishedMisty]

I've tried every online fix
i dont have RTSS installed
i've downloaded every fix
It just crashes at the activison loading screen. i dont understand how to game just stopped working overnight.
Any way i could fix this?

[Andrewgta3]

Try removing all the mods, and have steam verify the game files.

[Cesarty]

I haven't tried the game on Windows 11, but on Windows 10, the process is simple:

Go to your Library.

1. Right-click on Call of Duty 2.
Select Properties... or Settings.
Go to GENERAL, uncheck Steam Overlay.
Go to LOCAL FILES and click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.

2. Copy the Steam.dll and Steam2.dll files from the Steam folder into the Call of Duty 2 folder (located here: Steam --> steamapps --> common). Make sure to copy them, not move them, so that they are present in both the Steam and Call of Duty 2 folders.

3. Navigate to the Call of Duty 2 folder:
Right-click on COD2MP_S and COD2SP_S files.
Set both to Compatibility Mode with Windows XP SP3 and run them as administrator.

4. Plug in at least one microphone device (if you have a headset with a microphone port) into the PC's mic port. Ensure it's enabled in Control Panel --> Sound --> Recording Devices.

Typically, steps 1-3 will make the Single Player mode work, but Multiplayer may not start. If that happens, follow step 4. Once you're in the main menu, you can safely unplug the microphone from the PC without causing a crash. However, if you exit and try to restart the game from Steam, the issue may occur again.