If FAR: Lone Sails is refusing to launch, there are certain tweaks that you can apply to get the game to load properly. We’ve compiled all the working solutions in this article that have helped my players fix the problem.

Why Is FAR: Lone Sails not Loading on Windows 10?

The problem might be occurring for a number of different reasons. It’s possible that you installed the game on a system that doesn’t meet its requirements, your graphics card driver might be out of date or corrupt, or your antivirus program is interfering. It could also be that some of the game’s files have gone missing or are corrupted, and Windows might be blocking it from accessing certain system resources.

How to Fix FAR: Lone Sails not Loading

We’ll be showing you the different fixes that you can apply to get rid of the launching problem. Make sure you follow the solutions in the order that we’ve arranged them.

Making Sure Your System Meets the Game’s Requirements

Whenever a game refuses to load, it’s an indication that your computer might be lacking one or more software or hardware components required to run it. So, before you start applying changes, make sure your PC meets, at least, the game’s minimum system requirements.

You’ll find the minimum and recommended system requirements of the game below and a short guide on how to check if your computer meets them.

Minimum Requirements

Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit)

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 2.4 GHz; AMD FX 8120, 3.1 GHz

System Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 460/650m; AMD Radeon HD6570

Storage: 3 GB available space

DirectX: Version 11

Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit)

CPU: Intel i7 920, 2.7 GHz! AMD Phenom II 945, 3.0 GHz

System Memory: 8 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 680, AMD Radeon R9-280X

Storage: 3 GB available space

DirectX: Version 11

Follow these steps to check your system’s specs:

  1. Summon Settings by right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Settings in the Quick Access menu. Pressing the Windows and I keys together will launch the app faster.
  2. After Settings shows up, click on the System icon.
  3. Go to the left sidebar of the System interface, scroll down, and then click on About.
  4. Now, move over to the right pane and check your system’s RAM size and CPU details under Device Specifications.
  5. Follow these steps to check your GPU’s specs:
  • Go to the left pane of the System interface, scroll to the top, and then click on Display.
  • Under the Display tab (in the right pane), click on Advanced Display Settings.
  • On the Advanced Display Settings screen, click on “Display adapter properties for Display 1.”
  • Once the dialog box shows up, you can find details of your graphics card under the Adapter tab.

If your system lacks any of the components outlined above, then you should make the necessary upgrades before you continue.

However, you can continue with the tweaks that follow if you’ve confirmed that your PC meets the game’s requirements.

Verify the Integrity of the Game Files

Game files are common causes of startup problems. Some files that are related to the startup process might be corrupt or missing. You can scan and replace them, using your gaming client. There are different ways to do this, depending on the launcher you’re using.

We’ll be showing you how to repair the game, using GOG Galaxy and the Steam client.

Using GOG Galaxy

  1. Start GOG Galaxy.
  2. Once the client shows up, navigate to the Library.
  3. Go to FAR: Lone Sails.
  4. Click on More under the game’s title.
  5. Once the drop-down menu appears, place your mouse pointer over Manage Installation, then click on Repair/Verify.
  6. The client will now check for problematic game files and automatically replace them.

Using the Steam Client

  1. Launch Steam.
  2. Click on Library at the top of the window.
  3. After you see your list of games, navigate to FAR: Lone Sails, right-click it, and then select Properties.
  4. Go to the right side of the window and navigate to the Local Files tab.
  5. Next, click on the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
  6. Steam will now begin to check the files on your system for irregularities. Once it finds missing or corrupt files, it will replace them.
  7. Once the process is complete, restart the client and launch the game to check for the launching issue.

Repairing the game via the Settings application

If you bought FAR: Lone Sails on the Microsoft Store, you can try repairing it, using the Settings app. The following steps will show you what to do:

  1. Summon Settings by right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Settings in the Quick Access menu. Pressing the Windows and I keys together will launch the app faster.
  2. Once Settings opens, click on the Apps icon.
  3. Use the search box to summon the game.
  4. Once the game’s icon appears, click on it, then click on Advanced Options.
  5. After you see the Advanced Options screen, scroll down to Reset, and then click on the Repair button.
  6. Allow Windows to check your files.

Update Your Graphics Card Driver

Your graphics card driver is one of the most important software components on your system when it comes to gaming. It’s responsible for telling your GPU how to render your game’s graphics. If the driver fails to do that, you’ll experience issues.

Your graphics card driver might be failing to perform its duties because it’s out of date, corrupt, or missing. In any of these cases, there’s always a fix. We recommend that you uninstall the driver completely, and then install its latest version.

The steps below will show you how to use the Device Manager to remove your GPU’s driver:

  1. Open the search function beside the Start button by clicking on the magnifying glass in the taskbar.
  2. Type “device manager” (without the quotes) into the text box, and then click on the first result.
  3. After the Device Manager opens, click on the arrow beside Display Adapters to reveal your graphics card.
  4. Right-click on your graphics card and select Uninstall Device from the context menu.
  5. After the Uninstall Device confirmation dialog box appears, tick the checkbox beside “Delete the driver software for this device,” then click on the Uninstall button.
  6. After Windows removes the driver, restart your system.

Now, the next step involves updating the driver. There are different ways to do that, and we’ll be walking you through each process.

Use Windows Update

The Windows Update utility does not just download and install updates for system apps and Microsoft programs, but also updates certain device drivers including your GPU driver.

The program is configured to install updates that are available on Microsoft’s servers. This means that you’ll be getting a driver update that has been verified and signed by Microsoft.

Also, the Windows Update utility will help you download updates for software components that are integral to gaming, such as the .NET Framework and the Visual C++ Redistributable. This is why it’s advisable that you start with it.

The steps below will show you how to use the tool:

  1. Summon Settings by right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Settings in the Quick Access menu. Pressing the Windows and I keys together will launch the app faster.
  2. After the Settings app shows up, click on the Update & Security icon.
  3. Next, click on the Check for Updates button once the Update & Security interface opens.
  4. Windows Update will now check if your PC has available updates. If your computer is up to date, you can move on to the next guide.
  5. The utility will begin to download the available updates once it detects them. In certain cases, though, you’ll have to click on the Download button to give it the go-ahead.
  6. After the utility downloads the updates, click on the Restart Now button to allow it to reboot your PC and install them.
  7. Once the updates have been installed, your computer will boot up normally; you can now check if FAR: Lone Sails can load without problems.

Using the Device Manager

You can either prompt the Device Manager to search for your driver’s latest version and automatically install it or you can point it to an already existing driver on your system. The former method is the best way to go about things as downloading the driver yourself is risky.

The guide below will walk you through the process of using the Device Manager to automatically Install your graphics card driver:

  1. Press the Windows + R keyboard combination to summon the Run dialog box.
  2. After Run opens, type “devmgmt.msc” (no quotes) into the text box and hit the Enter key.
  3. Once the Device Manager opens, expand the Display Adapters menu by clicking on the arrow beside it.
  4. Right-click on your graphics card and click on Update Driver.
  5. After the Update Driver dialog window shows up, click on “Search automatically for updated driver software,” then allow Windows to perform the online search and install your driver’s latest update.
  6. Reboot your PC once the process is complete, then check for the problem.

Using Auslogics Driver Updater

If you want to keep your display adapter’s driver – and other device drivers – up to date without having to install their updates individually, you’re better off using Auslogics Driver Updater.

The tool works by carrying out regular scans to fish out outdated, missing or corrupted device drivers. These drivers will be automatically updated once they’re found.

With Auslogics Driver Updater, you won’t have to wait until Microsoft releases driver updates; the tool fetches signed driver updates once they’re released by manufacturers. Also, you don’t have to panic or surf the net for previous drivers as the program will always keep a backup before updating any driver.

Follow these steps to download and install Auslogics Driver Updater:

  1. Click on this link to access the download page of Auslogics Driver Updater.
  2. Once the page opens, click on the Download button, then allow your browser to save the setup file.
  3. The file should be downloaded within a couple of seconds, as it’s not larger than 20 megabytes.
  4. Once the download completes, click on the Run/Open button or go to the folder where you saved the file and double-click it.
  5. Click on the Yes button once the User Account Control dialog box prompts for permission.
  6. The setup wizard will now appear.
  7. Choose your preferred language in the drop-down menu and select the folder where you’d like the app to be installed under Installation Directory.
  8. Use the checkboxes that follow to decide whether you want the tool to load automatically whenever your PC starts, whether you want the setup to create a desktop icon, and whether you want the program to send anonymous reports from time to time to its developers.
  9. After you’ve entered your preferences, click on the “Click to install” button.
  10. The setup will now run the installation.
  11. Once the installation is complete, the tool will launch automatically and start to scan for problematic drivers. If it doesn’t start on its own, open the Start menu, search for it, then click on it on the results list. Click on the Start Scan button after it opens.
  12. You’ll see a list of missing, outdated, and damaged device drivers that the program finds during the scan. If your video card driver is problematic, it’ll appear on the list.
  13. Click on the Update button, then wait for the tool to download and install the updated driver software.
  14. Restart your system and launch FAR: Lone Sails to check for the problem.

Run the Game as an Administrator

Granting the game admin privileges will allow it to access all your system’s resources. In certain cases, games refuse to load because Windows prevents them from using these resources. Many players solved the problem by running the game as an administrator.

Make sure your user account has admin privileges before you apply this fix. Whenever you want to launch the game, you have to right-click its Start menu listing of desktop shortcut and select Run as Administrator from the context menu.

Changing the game’s launch settings is an easier method as you won’t have to always right-click on it whenever you want to open it. If you don’t know how to do that, the following steps should help:

  1. Right-click on FAR: Lone Sails’ desktop shortcut and click on Properties.
  2. After the Properties dialog box shows up, go to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box beside “Run this program as an administrator,” then click on Apply.
  4. Click on the OK button.
  5. Launch the game and check for the problem.

Run the Game in Compatibility Mode

Try running the game in compatibility mode for a previous Windows version and check if that solves the problem. It’s possible that your current Windows 10 build isn’t agreeing with the game. The steps below will show you what to do:

  1. Right-click on the game’s shortcut and select Properties.
  2. Go to the Compatibility tab and check the box beside “Run this program in compatibility mode for.”
  3. After that, choose Windows 7 in the drop-down menu.
  4. Click on the OK button, then try running the game.

Prevent Your Antivirus Program from Blocking the Game

Disable your antivirus program and check if the game loads without issues. Many players realized that turning off their antivirus programs resolved the problem. System protection suites are in the habit of blocking game files due to the way games consume system resources. Make sure this isn’t the case by turning off your antivirus program.

Once you’ve confirmed that your security program is the cause of the issue, you can turn it on, then add the game as an exception to prevent it from blocking your game’s files.

Note that the “Exceptions” feature goes by different names in different antivirus programs. That said, you’ll be able to identify it without issues in the Settings environment of the program. If you don’t know your way around your third-party antivirus program, you can check for a guide on the website of the program’s developers.

The steps below will show you how to add the installation folder of FAR: Lone Sails as an exclusion in the Virus & Threat Protection tool of Windows’ built-in security application:

  1. Press the Windows and I keys simultaneously to summon the Settings application.
  2. After Settings shows up, click on the Update & Security label at the bottom of the window.
  3. Next, click on Windows Security in the left pane of the Update & Security interface.
  4. Go to the Windows Security tab and click on Virus & Threat Protection under the Protection Areas section.
  5. Once the Virus & Threat Protection interface opens, click on Manage Settings under Virus & Threat Protection settings.
  6. On the Virus & Threat Protection Settings screen, scroll down to Exclusions and click on “Add or remove exclusions.”
  7. Click on the “Add an exclusion” icon once the Exclusions screen appears, then click on Folder in the context menu.
  8. After the Select Folder dialog box shows up, navigate to the installation folder of FAR: Lone Sails and select it.

Reinstall the Game

If none of the methods above resolves the issue, try reinstalling the game. It could be that its installation is corrupt.

If you bought the game on the Microsoft Store, follow these steps to reset the game:

  1. Launch the Settings app, using the Windows + I keyboard combo.
  2. After Settings shows up, go to Apps.
  3. Enter “FAR: Lone Sails” (no quotes) into the search box under Apps and Features.
  4. Once you see the game, click on it, then click on Advanced Options.
  5. On the next screen, scroll down to Reset and click on the Reset button.
  6. Accept any confirmation dialog that pops up, then allow Windows to reset the game.

If you use the Steam client, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Steam.
  2. Click on Library at the top of the Window.
  3. After the games on your Steam account opens, right-click on FAR: Lone Sails and click on “Uninstall.”
  4. Click the Delete button once the confirmation dialog box appears.
  5. Now, restart the client and go to your Library, then click on the game and install it properly.

Uninstalling your game in GOG Galaxy:

  1. Open the application.
  2. Go to the Library section and select FAR: Lone Sails.
  3. Click on the More drop-down menu.
  4. Go to Manage Installation, then click on Uninstall.
  5. Accept the confirmation dialog, then allow the client to remove the game.
  6. You can now search for the game and reinstall it.

Conclusion

We believe that one of the solutions above will help you get the game to start running normally. Note that reinstalling it should be your last resort. So, make sure you go over other settings before you do that.

Feel free to use the comments section below to let us know what you think about FAR: Lone Sails and how you resolved the problem.