Crash on new game when cutscene playing

[Kotagkol]

Game crashes when i start a new game when the cutscene plays. its wierd because when i start new game with expension only it doesnt crash, plz help

[cheshirm]

windows 7 8 10 11 linux mac steamdeck?

check whatever operating system you are running error logs.
an error msg would help narrow down the cause.

steam verify game files?

[Kotagkol]

i play on windows 11, how can i check error logs ?

[cheshirm]

windows event viewer and also windows reliability history

[Kotagkol]

I got this from event viewer and i have no idea what to do with it :

Faulting application name: REDlauncher.exe, version: 3.4.0.5, time stamp: 0x675bcca9
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000
Faulting process id: 0x0x5970
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DB5963138BE742
Faulting application path: C:\Users\kotag\AppData\Local\Programs\CD Projekt Red\REDlauncher\REDlauncher.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 199a09d9-d341-46ae-ae12-5f09dab0755b
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

[cheshirm]

if the redauncher does not appear try looking in folder
c:\users\yourWindowsLogin\appdata\local\programs\cd projekt red\redlauncher\logs
try REDlauncher.log but may be an error msg in the others

game needs to create folder
Documents\The Witcher 3
to store your graphics settings in .settings files and save files in the gamesaves folder

is the folder there? if not check windows security/controlled folder access.
if on add exceptions for the game launcher and game

also check your antivirus log. might be blocking game launcher/game

running Windows One Drive? one drive moves the .settings files out of your
Documents\The WItcher 3 folder so the game has nothing to input.
I do not use one drive so cannot not offer advice.
windows one drive was released in 2007. VERY many websites with
tutorials/manuals/movies/youtube videos written by experts devoted to
One Drive/synching files/using steam, etc.

if after trying all the above and the game still fails,
go to the steam game folder then the bin folder.

run x64/witcher3.exe for the dx11 version
run x64_dx12/witcher3.exe for the dx12 version
maybe the game works but just the launcher has issues.

game requires DirectX jun 2010, vc redist 2012, vcredist 2013, vcredist 2019
which "should" be installed by the game. you can manually download from MS and install/repair with admin permission.
or the files/libraries/installers should be in your steamworks shared folder.

[Grubbs008]

Originally posted by Kotagkol:

I got this from event viewer and i have no idea what to do with it :

Faulting application name: REDlauncher.exe, version: 3.4.0.5, time stamp: 0x675bcca9
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000
Faulting process id: 0x0x5970
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DB5963138BE742
Faulting application path: C:\Users\kotag\AppData\Local\Programs\CD Projekt Red\REDlauncher\REDlauncher.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 199a09d9-d341-46ae-ae12-5f09dab0755b
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Seems like the launcher is causing your game to crash whether it's mod related or something else. Try launching the game from the .exe in the bin folder. There's one for Dx11, another for Dx12.

[Kotagkol]

Also this from realibility history :

Description
Faulting Application Path: C:\Users\kotag\AppData\Local\Programs\CD Projekt Red\REDlauncher\REDlauncher.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: BEX
Application Name: REDlauncher.exe
Application Version: 3.4.0.5
Application Timestamp: 675bcca9
Fault Module Name: StackHash_2beb
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000
Exception Offset: PCH_03_FROM_ntdll+0x0007712C
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Data: 00000008
OS Version: 10.0.22631.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 2beb
Additional Information 2: 2beba6fb4680d73a8c78ca7c24ccdb46
Additional Information 3: 3aca
Additional Information 4: 3aca7a31d1aa9fb53f06b57351c43176

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 3a3298a4f20c43a75af6a78ad0d8fbc4 (1942924503908154308)

[Kotagkol]

found this in redlauncher logs :

2024-12-28 13:12:09.778 [Information][ (0)] [TID 18988][red-launcher]: Copying file 'C:/Users/kotag/AppData/Local/Programs/CD Projekt Red/REDlauncher/config' to 'C:/Users/kotag/AppData/Local/Programs/CD Projekt Red/REDlauncher/config.old'.
2024-12-28 13:12:09.791 [Error][ (0)] [TID 18988][red-launcher]: Failed to back-up storage before upgrade: Error Message: Failed performing an operation upon the file 'C:/Users/kotag/AppData/Local/Programs/CD Projekt Red/REDlauncher/config'.
Specific Reason: Could not copy to C:/Users/kotag/AppData/Local/Programs/CD Projekt Red/REDlauncher/config.old; Error code: 2
Stack Trace
10: UNK - 0x9777ec
9: UNK - 0x980d02
8: UNK - 0x976b14
7: UNK - 0xa3a27b
6: UNK - 0xa3a39b
5: UNK - 0x92982f
4: UNK - 0x92a6ea
3: UNK - 0xa7a720
2: BaseThreadInitThunk - 0x76127ba9
1: RtlInitializeExceptionChain - 0x7757c0cb
0: RtlClearBits - 0x7757c04f
-----

[Kotagkol]

I didn't find anything blocked in my antivirus or any files in onedrive, I do have the .settings file, i tried launching in dx11 and 12 and it crashes when the new game cutscene starts to play still. I installed the game on disk E because i dont have space in my disk C mayba thats the issue?

[cheshirm]

game has been on my D: drive on two desktops since 2016. still is.

error code 2 copying a file? go to that folder. is there already a config.old file?
do you own it?

running game directly does not use that appdata folder yet game is still crashing.

yet you say "start new game with expension only it doesnt crash". how?

checked my redlauncher.log ..... nowhere does it mention
Copying file 'REDlauncher/config' to 'REDlauncher/config.old'.

on my win 11 machine REDlauncher/config is a folder - not a file
and I have not config.old folder.

perhaps delete the file/folder called config (and config.old if it exists)

steam verify game files. then try the redlauncher again.

[Kotagkol]

Finally, verified game integrity and i'm finally in game, thank you very much.

[cheshirm]

great news. enjoy the game

[Snoo-Phi]

Experienced simular yesterday after buying the game (GOTY edition).

What helped for me was starting the game bypassing the launchers
(so execute SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\The Witcher 3\bin and then either x64 witcher3.exe (for DX11) or x64_dx12 witcher3.exe). Create a save game, exit and then launch the game as normal. Didn't have any further trouble after some 14-15 hours in (NB I went with DX12 on a nearly 10y/o rig with a 4670K and 1660S with NVidia settings)