Games won't start after upgrade to Windows 11

[★evelyne★]

After I've upgraded my pc from Windows 10 to Windows 11 I can't start up some games anymore.
When pressing the green Play button, the button becomes blue and after a couple of seconds the button turns green again and the game doesn't start.

Games that don't work anymore:
- Rocksmith 2014
- 100 hidden aliens
- 100 hidden birds
- 100 hidden cupcakes
- ... basically every "100 hidden..." game I own
- Borderlands 2 (Borderlands 3 does start)
- Pixel Puzzles (all versions)
- maybe more, I haven't tried them all yet
Other games do work, such as Life Is Strange 2, Don't Starve, Little Misfortune, Puyo Puyo Tetris

Solutions I've tried:
- Rebooting my computer (several times)
- Installing all new Windows updates
- Deinstalling and reinstalling the games
- Running as administrator both Steam & games
- Running in all available compability modes (Windows 7/8/Vista/XP)
- Checked file integrity of the games in Steam
- Update NVIDIA
- Reinstall DirectX
- Disabling all startup programs except the necessary Microsoft/Windows ones
- Check for registry problems with Ccleaner
- I can't turn back to Windows 10 because it's too long ago (couple of months). x_X

I think maybe some file is missing or changed with the upgrade that is needed to startup those games but I don't know which one. I have a feeling it might be DirectX related but not sure.

Anyone who encounters the same problem or has a solution please? :(

[Bad 💀 Motha]

You did an upgrade; WHY?

Do a clean install.

But really all you should have to do, like a Feature Update would cause such problems sometimes; is wipe GPU Drivers with DDU in Safe Mode. If you have Audio or LAN problems; fully uninstall those devices and reboot and install latest driver from the brand maker.

[potato]

Publicado originalmente por Bad 💀 Motha:

You did an upgrade; WHY?

Do a clean install.

i upgraded and everything works fine

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Publicado originalmente por potato:

Publicado originalmente por Bad 💀 Motha:

You did an upgrade; WHY?

Do a clean install.

i upgraded and everything works fine

Good for you.

[plat]

I would check the minimum requirements on the games' pages. Several games I have work in Windows 10 but not 11.

Right now, one of the compromises I do is run Windows 10 and 11 on separate drives. You can also run them on the same drive--just have to configure the boot manager to pick the proper drive. But I physically swap out the drive since I don't like Windows11 and don't run it very often.

If no other alternative, you might have to say "goodbye" to these games. Or see if they run in compatibility mode--you can look this up how to do it. May not always work, though.

[★evelyne★]

Publicado originalmente por plat:

I would check the minimum requirements on the games' pages. Several games I have work in Windows 10 but not 11.

Right now, one of the compromises I do is run Windows 10 and 11 on separate drives. You can also run them on the same drive--just have to configure the boot manager to pick the proper drive. But I physically swap out the drive since I don't like Windows11 and don't run it very often.

If no other alternative, you might have to say "goodbye" to these games. Or see if they run in compatibility mode--you can look this up how to do it. May not always work, though.

How do you install Windows 10 & 11 on seperate drives? - well I can figure that out with Google probably XD Only problem will be to find a Windows 10 install/ISO file. Do you have any good resource for that?

[★evelyne★]

Publicado originalmente por Bad 💀 Motha:

You did an upgrade; WHY?

Do a clean install.

But really all you should have to do, like a Feature Update would cause such problems sometimes; is wipe GPU Drivers with DDU in Safe Mode. If you have Audio or LAN problems; fully uninstall those devices and reboot and install latest driver from the brand maker.

I didn't want to install all programs again so yeah that's why.
I never heard of wiping GPU drivers but I'll look into it and see if it works, thanks!

[plat]

I found the download site for Windows 10 iso but it was blocked by one of my filters in uBlock Origin. Proceed at your own risk:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Source:

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3176529/understanding-windows-unified-update-platform.html

Another source I've used in the past:

https://uupdump.net/known.php?q=category:w10-22h2

How to do it:

https://gizpie.com/uup-dump-windows-iso/

I've used uupdump before, it's legit. Be careful to select x64 builds only.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

I would make two USB Flash Drive, just in-case.
One for Win10 22H2 and one for Win11 23H2
The ISO is on the official win10 and win11 websites from Microsoft

Use RUFUS to make your bootable USB w/ ISO.

When you go to install the OS via USB, unhook all secondary drives, except the one you wish to install to. If the drive already has a current or older WinOS, that will get pushed into a Windows_Old folder, along with all the files you had on C drive before.

[plat]

If you updated to 11 less than 10 days ago, you can roll back to 10 internally. It's in the Settings app or look it up how to do it.

Edit: uupdump takes its packages directly from the official Microsoft servers. Here is another tutorial how to do it. You need to "build" the iso but it's not hard. Then again, the Windows 10 iso is already available in my earlier post.

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/uup-dump-download-windows-insider-iso.344/

Acc. to this you can build any iso, not just an Insiders one. Have not tried this specific tutorial so can't vouch for it.

[★evelyne★]

So I tried wiping GPU Drivers with DDU and re-install Nvidia . Didn't work.

Then I wanted to install W10 on a different drive but I didn't have an USB with enough space for the ISO. So I did a total clean installation of W10. Because that was the only option in the installer. And now I am installing every. f-ing. program. and. game. again.

It's been taking me all day *yawn*, but as far as I can tell now, the games that weren't working are working fine now so that's great!! I'll see how long it takes before W11 will be shoved down my throat by Microsoft at every startup and try to ignore it XD.

So still no solution on how to play the games on Windows 11 but everything works again being back on Windows 10 so, thanks everyone for your help and suggestions :D

[Bad 💀 Motha]

If you going to go through all of that why not just do a clean install of Win11?

[Pocahawtness]

Publicado originalmente por plat:

I would check the minimum requirements on the games' pages. Several games I have work in Windows 10 but not 11.

Right now, one of the compromises I do is run Windows 10 and 11 on separate drives. You can also run them on the same drive--just have to configure the boot manager to pick the proper drive. But I physically swap out the drive since I don't like Windows11 and don't run it very often.

If no other alternative, you might have to say "goodbye" to these games. Or see if they run in compatibility mode--you can look this up how to do it. May not always work, though.

Which? I have not found one,yet, that doesn't run in 11.