XDefiant Won’t Launch? Here’s How to Fix it

XDefiant not launching is an issue that arises when the game files on your system are corrupted. There are instances where the game will fail to launch if the apps in the background are causing interference, in which case you will need to disable them to allow the game process to run properly.

In addition, there are various other causes of the issue in question that can vary depending on your scenario. However, in this article, we will go through a list of solutions that will help you mitigate the XDefiant not starting issue without much trouble. 

How to fix XDefiant won’t launch? 

The answer to this question depends highly on what actually is causing the issue for you. As we have mentioned, there are instances of third-party intervention, corruption in game files, and more such as even fullscreen optimizations applied to the game window. Nonetheless, you will be able to resolve the issue with the solutions below. 

1. Run XDefiant with Administrative Privileges: Running the game with administrative privileges is the first step you should take when troubleshooting the issue. This helps when the game process lacks the necessary permissions in your Windows environment, which allows other third-party programs, such as your security software, to intervene and prevent it from starting. To resolve this, you will need to run the game as an admin. 
2. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations: Windows has a feature that allows you to run a game in windowed mode while giving you the illusion of a fullscreen display mode. This is achieved via the fullscreen optimization feature. This can, sometimes, cause the game to crash on startup which is why you will need to disable the feature on your game executable to overcome the problem.  
3. Update your Windows: If you are running a Windows build that is not supported by XDefiant, the game will fail to launch. This happens when the game is utilizing specific features that are available in newer builds, thus limiting older versions to run the game. In this instance, simply installing any available Windows updates on your computer should resolve the issue.
4. Reinstall Graphics Drivers: The display drivers on your Windows machine can be another reason for the issue in question. Display drivers are regularly updated to push support for newer games and fix bugs that can prevent certain games from functioning properly. In addition, the display driver can also, sometimes, get damaged in which case it needs to be reinstalled to resolve any inconsistencies. 
5. Clean Boot Windows: The involvement of apps running in the background on Windows with the game process is another major cause of XDefiant failing to launch. Various applications interfere with the game files for different reasons, such as providing an in-game overlay, showing additional information about the system, or syncing your peripherals with the activities in the game. This often leads to startup issues with different games. Thus, you can perform a clean boot to launch the game in a standard Windows environment. If the problem goes away, you can identify the culprit by enabling the startup services one by one.
6. Reinstall XDefiant: Finally, corruption in the game files or missing dependencies of the game can also prevent the game from starting up. In this scenario, you will have to perform a clean install of the game on your system to ensure all of the dependencies are reinstalled and the game files are running into any anomalies. 

1. Run XDefiant with Administrative Privileges

1. Start by opening the File Explorer window.

   

2. Then, go to the installation folder of XDefiant on your drive.
3. There, right-click on the USF7.exe file and click Properties from the menu.

   

4. After that, switch to the Compatibility section.
5. Then, click the Run this program as administrator checkbox.

   

6. Finally, hit Apply and click OK. 
7. Run the game.

2. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

1. Open the File Explorer window and navigate to the installation directory of the game.
2. Then, right-click on the game executable (USF7.exe) and open Properties.

   

3. Click the Compatibility tab on the Properties window.
4. After that, tick the Disable fullscreen optimizations option.

   

5. Click Apply and hit OK.

3. Update your Windows

1. Start by opening the Windows Settings app. Use the Win key + I shortcut to do this.
2. Go to the Windows Update section on the Settings app.

   

3. Then, click the Check for updates option to install any available Windows updates.

   

4. Reinstall Graphics Drivers

1. Download the DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) utility from the official website by clicking here.
2. Then, extract the .zip file anywhere on your drive.
3. Inside the extracted directory, open the Display Driver Uninstaller.exe file.
4. After DDU opens, click Continue on the General Options screen.

   

5. Then, choose GPU as the device type via the Select device type menu.

   

6. Select the brand of your graphics card from the Select device menu.

   

7. After that, click Clean and uninstall.

   

8. Wait for the PC to restart. 
9. Then, navigate to your GPU manufacturer’s website, download the latest video drivers for your GPU.
10. Install the new video drivers on your system. 
11. Finally, run the game. 

5. Clean Boot Windows

1. Use the Win key + R shortcut to open Run.
2. In the Run box, type msconfig and press Enter.

   

3. Then, navigate to the Services tab and click the Hide all Microsoft services option.

   

4. After that, click Disable all to disable the third-party services on startup. Hit Apply.

   

5. Now, switch to the Startup tab.
6. There, click the Open Task Manager option.

   

7. Use the Task Manager window to select the startup apps one by one and click Disable.

   

8. Finally, restart your computer to Clean Boot Windows.
9. Run the game when your PC boots up. 

6. Reinstall XDefiant

1. First, open the Ubisoft Connect app on your PC.
2. In the Ubisoft Connect app, go to the Games tab and click XDefiant.
3. On the XDefiant page, switch to the Properties section.

   

4. Use the Uninstall option under Local files to uninstall the game.

   

5. After that, reinstall the game. 

That is all, you should be able to resolve the XDefinant not launching issue with these solutions. Running the game with the proper permissions in your Windows environment can often help prevent such issues. In addition, it is also important to keep your video drivers and Windows updated to ensure the game faces no compatibility issues.