Fix: Killing Floor 2 not Launching

Killing Floor 2 is developed by Tripwire interactive and is a first-shooter game. It has support for various platforms such as Windows, Xbox, PS4, etc. It is further due to launch in Linux as well in the future. This game gained quite the user base over a short time without much effort because of its unique gameplay and storyline.

Despite frequent development and maintenance by Tripwire, there are several reports which indicate that Killing Floor 2 goes into a not responsive state and doesn’t launch every now and then. The game is primarily hosted in the game engine of Steam. In this article, we go through the causes of why this behavior occurs and also look at the workarounds needed to solve the problem.

What causes Killing Floor 2 not to Launch?

We analyzed several user cases and replicated the conditions on our computers. After troubleshooting, we came to the conclusion that the game becomes unstable and doesn’t launch due to several different reasons; some of them are listed down below.

Before we move on to the solutions, make sure that you are logged in into your computer as an administrator. Furthermore, you should also have an active and open internet connection.

Solution 1: Waiting it Out

Usually, whenever you launch Killing Floor 2, it goes into a not responsive state (like all other games). This is the period where it is slowly loading all the required modules and libraries in your computer. It takes a while (around 10-15 seconds) for the game to completely load and then launch normally.

So if you are seeing the delay in launching or the game window going into a not responsive state, it is recommended that you wait for the issue out. You should wait up to 30 seconds and refrain from using the computer for any other activity. Don’t press any key etc. Just wait it out and see if it does the trick.

If you have waited for over a minute and the game still doesn’t launch, you can go ahead and check with the other solutions listed down below.

Solution 2: Running Killing Floor 2 as an Administrator

You should grant Steam access of an administrator by default for it to run properly without any issues with its games. However, if that doesn’t work, we can always go to the local directory of the game and launch it directly from there as an administrator. If this solution works, we can always create a shortcut of the game for you at an accessible location.

Note: Make sure that you are logged in as an administrator in this solution.

1. Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer. Now navigate to the following address:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\killingfloor2\Binaries

2. Here you will find the Killing Floor 2 application. Right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

3. Now check if the launches properly without any issues. If this worked successfully, navigate back to the executable which we launched, right-click on it and select Send to > Desktop (Create shortcut).

Now you can launch the game from your Desktop whenever you want.

Solution 3: Installing Different version of PhsyX

Another workaround to the solution is installing a different version of the module ‘PhsyX’. Usually, this is installed automatically by Steam or the game itself. Now either this installation goes well but the version is not supported or the installation failed itself. To target both cases, we will navigate to the directory of the module and install the correct version into the computer.

1. Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer and navigate to the following directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\killingfloor2/_commonredist/physx

2. Once in the mentioned directory, choose the correct version (choose 9.14.0702) and install it using elevated permissions (administrative).

Note: If there are newer updates of the module in the future, you can try to install that instead.

Solution 4: Checking Third-Party Applications and Recorders

There are numerous cases where third-party applications conflict with several games (especially of Steam). Here the applications can be of any category, ranging from video capture tools to live backgrounds. Check for anything which you think might be causing the issue and terminate it and launch the game again. If the issue vanishes, this means the application was causing the problem.

Note: It is also advised that you disable your Antivirus software and check to launch the game. These are also known to conflict.

1. Press + R, type “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the task manager, search for any processes which you think are conflicting. Right-click on them and select End Task.

   

3. You can also check your task bar’s right-corner. You can look for any notifications of any application running in the background.

If you detect the application causing the issue, prevent it from starting or update it to the latest version.

Solution 5: Adding Launch Option

Another thing we can try is setting the launch option of ‘dx10’ whenever Killing Floor 2 is launched on your computer. Launch options are a mechanism in Steam which allows you to launch the game with additional parameters than the ones defined by default. This helps troubleshoot an issue or enhance the gaming experience. You can always revert back the feature easily by removing the launch option the same way.

1. Open your Steam client as an administrator. Once in Steam, click on the Library tab present at the top.
2. Here, all your games will be listed accordingly. Locate Killing Floor 2 from the list, right-click on it and select Properties.

3. Once you are in the game’s properties, navigate to the General tab and click on Set launch options.

4. Now type the following in the dialogue box:

-dx10

5. Press OK to save changes and exit. Now launch the game through Steam and check if it launches properly without any issues.

If it does, keep the launch option as is and enjoy the game!

Solution 6: Deleting Temporary Files

Steam and the Killing Floor game, both have local configuration files saved in your computer. These configuration files are a type of storage for reading and recording configurations and preferences. If any of these files are corrupt or incomplete, the game will not launch or will launch with several issues.

If we delete these temporary files, the game engine will detect this and create new configuration files with default values. Follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows + R, type “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press Enter. Once in the task manager, look at the tab of processes and locate Steam. Right-click on it and select End Process.

   

2. Once you have ended the process, press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer. Now navigate to the directory where Steam is installed. Once you are in Steam’s directory, locate the following file and delete it.

ClientRegistry.blob

3. Now navigate to the KF2 folder and the common dist Here you will see a folder of phsyx. Delete the folder.
4. Now navigate to the following file path:

C:\Users\[your name]\Documents\My Games

Once in the said directory, delete the following folder:

KillingFloor2

5. Exit the Explorer and restart your computer. Now try launching Killing Floor 2 again and see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 7: Verifying Integrity of Game Files

If all the above methods don’t work, we can try verifying the integrity of your game files. There are several cases where the installation files of the game either become corrupt or incomplete. This will cause several problems to the game itself and you will not be able to launch it properly. Either it won’t launch or it will have crashing and gameplay issues.

Steam can verify the integrity of game files where it checks your file manifest against the manifest online. If some discrepancy is recorded, the file is replaced.

1. Open your Steam application and click on Library from the top bar. Now select A. Noire from the left column, right-click it and select Properties.
2. Once in Properties, click on Local Files category and select Verify Integrity of Game Files.

3. Now, wait until the process is complete. Restart your computer after the verification is complete and launch Killing Floor again. Check if the game starts as expected.

Solution 8: Reinstalling Microsoft Redistributable Libraries

As mentioned before, most games in Steam make use of Microsoft Redistributable libraries in order to run properly. These modules are used as external libraries for the game’s mechanics and coding. If any of these libraries is incomplete or corrupt, the game will not launch or cause other issues. In this solution, we will uninstall the current libraries from your computer and install them again after accessing the libraries folder in your game.

1. Press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the application manager, search for 2010 Microsoft C++ Redistribs/ 2012 Microsoft C++ Redistribs, right-click on each one of them and select Uninstall.

3. Press Windows + E to launch the Windows Explorer and navigate to the following address:

Steam\steamapps\common\killingfloor2\_CommonRedist\vcredist

Now you will see two folders i.e. 2010 and 2012 folders.

4. Now right-click on both the executables and select Run as administrator.

5. Restart your computer after both the installations are complete and launch the game. Check if you can start it properly.