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If you’re one of the many users that can’t get Monster Hunter: World to load, this article is for you. Launch issues come in different forms, from crash at startup to black screens that won’t go away. Whatever the case is, we’ll be showing you how to fix the Monster Hunter: World not loading problem on Windows 10.

Does Your PC Meet the Game’s Requirements?

You might find it difficult to load Monster Hunter: World because your PC does not meet the game’s requirements. Even if you believe you have a powerful rig, you should check the official requirements of the game to confirm that nothing is amiss. Many players disregarded this basic undertaking and went ahead to install the game, only to encounter the loading issue.

Below, you’ll find the minimum and recommended requirements for the game. After that, we’ll be showing you steps to take to check your PC’s specs, if you don’t know how to. Once you’ve compared your computer’s specifications against the game’s requirements, be sure to make the necessary changes.

Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 7; Windows 8/8.1; Windows 10. Every operating system must be 64-bit
  • CPU: Intel Core2 i5-4460 @ 3.20 GHz; AMD FX-6300
  • System Memory (RAM): 8 GB
  • GPU: VIDIA® GeForce® GTX 760; AMD Radeon™ R7 260x. 2 GB Video RAM
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card with latest drivers
  • Storage: 30 GB free space
  • Operating System: Windows 7; Windows 8/8.1; Windows 10. Every operating system must be 64-bit
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 5 1500X; Intel® Core™ i3 8350 4GHz; Intel® Core™ i7 3770 3.4GHz (or better)
  • System Memory (RAM): 8 GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon 6870; NVIDIA GeForce GTX580; 1024MB VRAM with Shader Model 5.0 or higher
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Sound: DirectX Compatible Sound Card with latest drivers
  • Storage: 30 GB free space

Note that the specs provided above serve as a guide to what your computer’s make-up should look like. Your PC’s requirements, especially when it comes to CPU and GPU can be different, as long as they don’t go below what is specified.

How to Check Your Computer’s Specs

The guide below will walk you through the process of checking your PC’s configuration if you don’t know how to:

  1. Launch the Settings app by clicking on the Start button and selecting the gear icon above the power icon in the Start menu. You can also press Windows + I to launch the app faster.
  2. After the home screen of the application appears, click on the System icon.
  3. Once you get to the System interface, scroll down to the bottom of the left pane, and then click on About.
  4. Next, navigate to the right pane (the About tab) and find the details of your system under Device Specifications. The details you’ll find here include your CPU’s specs, your RAM size, and your CPU’s architecture (whether it’s 32-bit or 64-bit).
  5. To check the specs of your graphics card, follow these steps:
  • Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar or press Windows + S to summon the search function beside the Start button.
  • After the search utility shows up, type “dxdiag” (without the quotes) into the text bar and click on the first result that appears.
  • Once the DirectX Diagnostic Tool appears, switch to the Display tab to find all the information you need about your graphics card.
  • You can also check your DirectX version in the System tab, under System Information.

If you find out that your computer requires an upgrade, make the necessary changes where possible. We also recommend that you upgrade your PC to meet or surpass the recommended requirements of the game to enjoy smooth gameplay.

If your computer has what it takes to run Monster Hunter: World, move on to using the fixes that follow to get rid of the launching problem.

Prevent Your Antivirus Program from Blocking the Game

PC video games are common victims of antivirus interference. Due to the way these games consume system resources, security programs tend to perceive them as threats and block them as a result. When this happens, the result is usually the game’s failure to launch. Many users confirmed this to be true after disabling their antivirus programs. You can turn off your security suite and check if Monster Hunter: World launches correctly.

If the game loads without issues after you disable your antivirus program, we recommend that you add its installation folder as an exception in the program. Keep in mind that leaving the security application deactivated will open you up to risks. The Exceptions feature can be easily accessed in the Settings or Preferences environment of your antivirus program. It goes by different names, though, such as SafeList, Whitelist, Exclusions, and Exemptions.

You can go to the website of your app’s developers if you don’t know what to do. If you are comfortable with using Windows Security and don’t have a third-party antivirus program, you’ll have to add the game’s installation folder as an exclusion in the Virus & Threat Protection tool. The steps below will show you what to do:

  1. Launch the Settings app by clicking on the Start button and selecting the gear icon above the power icon in the Start menu. You can also press Windows + I to launch the app faster.
  2. Click on the Update & Security icon once you get to the home screen of the Settings application.
  3. Navigate to the Windows Security tab (go to the left pane and click on Windows Security) after the Update & Security interface opens.
  4. Under the Windows Security tab, click on Virus & Threat protection in the Protection Areas section.
  5. Once you see the Virus & Threat Protection interface, scroll down and click on Manage settings under the Virus & Threat Protection Settings section.
  6. Scroll down to the Exclusions section on the Virus & Threat Protection Settings interface, and then click on the “Add or remove exclusions” link.
  7. After the Exclusions screen shows up, click on the “Add an exclusion” icon, then click on Folder in the drop-down menu.
  8. In the Select Folder dialog, locate Monster Hunter: World’s installation folder. Once you find the folder, left-click it, and then click on the Select Folder button.
  9. Now, launch the game and check if the problem persists.

Reinstall Your Graphics Card Driver

You must know that your graphics card is one component that determines whether you can run the game. If your card isn’t powerful enough, you won’t be able to play the game without experiencing issues.

That said, you can still experience problems even if your graphics card is more sophisticated than the recommended cards for the game. One reason for such problems is the card’s driver. Display driver issues are the most common causes of game problems, especially startup challenges.

The first troubleshooting step to take in ensuring your graphics card driver isn’t responsible for the problem you’re facing is reinstalling it. To do this, you’ll have to go through the Device Manager and uninstall your graphics card. The steps below will show you what to do:

  1. Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar or press Windows + S to summon the search function beside the Start button.
  2. After the search utility shows up, type “device manager” (without the quotes) into the text bar and click on Device Manager.
  3. Once you see the Device Manager window, navigate to the Display Adapters drop-down and expand it.
  4. Right-click your graphics card under Display Adapters, then click on Uninstall Device in the context menu.
  5. Once the Uninstall Device confirmation dialog shows up, make sure the checkbox that reads, “Delete the driver software for this device” is left uncheck, then click on the Uninstall button.
  6. Wait for Windows to uninstall the device, then reboot your system.
  7. After your PC comes up, Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.
  8. If the operating system does not install the driver, you can force it to do so. Open the Device Manager and click on the magnifier icon at the top of the window.
  9. After that, try launching Monster Hunter: World and check if it loads without problems.

Move on to the next step if reinstalling the driver does not resolve the issue.

Update Your Graphics Card Driver

Updating your graphics card driver is the next step you should take. An obsolete and incompatible driver is bad news for your game, and could very well be the cause of the problem you’re facing. Reinstalling your driver will do nothing to fix the issue if it’s out of date.

Graphics card manufacturers release updates to make sure their cards are in compliance with modern gaming standards. Updates are also aimed at improving graphics cards performance. So, if you haven’t updated your game, try doing that. We will be showing you different methods on how you can update your card’s driver.

If you carried out an update recently and found out that the issue is still present, try following our guides to update the driver as it’s possible that you might have installed the wrong driver version.

Update Your Card via the Device Manager

The Device Manager, as the main hub for all the devices on your system, offers you a means to update your driver. If the program successfully updates your graphics card driver, this means you installed a driver that was specifically developed for your card. That said, the Device Manager is not all that reliable as it fails to find updated driver versions sometimes. Since some users were able to use it successfully, you can give it a try.

Follow the steps below if you don’t know how to use the program:

  1. Click on the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar or press Windows + S to summon the search function beside the Start button.
  2. After the search utility shows up, type “device manager” (without the quotes) into the text bar and click on Device Manager.
  3. Once you see the Device Manager window, navigate to the Display Adapters drop-down and expand it.
  4. Right-click your graphics card under Display Adapters, then click on Update Driver in the context menu.
  5. Click on the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option under “How do you want to search for drivers” once the Update Driver window shows up.
  6. Allow Windows to search for the driver online, and then download and install it.
  7. Once the update process completes, restart your System and check for the problem.

Using Auslogics Driver Updater

Built-in tools could easily disappoint you because Microsoft’s schedule of releasing driver updates might not work for you. You’re better off using a third-party program that not only makes sure you download and install updated driver software upon manufacturer release, but also automates the entire process for you.

One of the best options to go for is Auslogics Driver Updater. The tool is the product of a Microsoft Gold Certified developer and it’s trusted by industry experts and millions of global Windows users. It works by scanning your PC for drivers that are corrupt, out of date, and missing. Once it fishes out these drivers, it’ll help you download and install them automatically.

Since you need to be on the latest version of your graphics card driver to enjoy smooth gameplay, this program will help you achieve that without any stress on your part. If new updates become available in the future, it’ll notify you.

You don’t need to panic about the drivers that the tool downloads and installs on your PC. This is because it only fetches manufacturer-approved drivers. What’s more, it’ll always save a backup of your previous driver version before completing any update. This way, you get to roll back your driver easily whenever the need arises.

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

  1. Navigate to this webpage in a new tab if you’re using your system’s web browser to read this article.
  2. After the webpage opens, click on the Download button, then prompt your browser to download the setup file.
  3. Once the setup is downloaded, run it directly from your browser or navigate to the directory where you saved it, then double-click it.
  4. After the User Account Control dialog pops up, click on Yes.
  5. The Setup window will now appear.
  6. Choose your language, then make changes to the Installation Directory box if you wish to and know what you are doing (we recommend leaving it the way it is). Check or uncheck the “Launch automatically at Windows Startup” and “Create desktop icon” checkboxes, depending on what you’re comfortable with. After that, decide whether you want the program to send anonymous reports to its developers.
  7. Click on the button that reads, “Click to install” after you finish entering your choices.
  8. Once the installation completes, the program will launch automatically and commence the scanning process. If it doesn’t start on its own, you can launch it via the Start menu or by double-clicking its Desktop shortcut (if you created one). Once it opens, click on the Start Scan button.
  9. Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of problematic drivers. Check to see if your video card driver is on the list, then click on the Update button.
  10. After the tool finishes updating your driver, reboot your PC and launch the game to check if it starts

Download and Install the Updated Driver Manually

You can download the updated driver version manually. To do this, you’ll have to go to the website of your card’s manufacturer, search for the updated driver version for your card. You need to double-check to make sure the piece of software you’re downloading is the right one, then download and run the setup.

We recommend using Auslogics Driver Updater to avoid issues that will arise due to your installing the wrong driver. What’s more, you won’t have to always go through the manual process for future updates if you have the program.

Validate the Game’s Installation

Every PC game is made up of a collection of files that resides in its installation folder. These files are what make the game run. The audio, stratup video, and even game settings that you interact with are all files. If any of these files become corrupt, especially those that are requested when the game’s launch sequence is initiated, the game will fail to load.

There are many reasons that game files can go bad, and they include antivirus interference, problematic installation, malware infection, and abrupt system shutdown or game crash in the middle of gameplay.

To resolve the issue, you’ll have to validate the game’s files, using the Steam client. What happens during this validation process is that the client will scan the files on your system and compare them with those on its servers. Files that don’t check out will be redownloaded automatically. If you don’t know how to verify your game files, using Steam, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the search utility beside the Start button (Windows + S), search for Steam, then launch the client. If you have the app’s shortcut on your Desktop, simply click on it.
  2. After the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  3. If a context menu fades out, click on Games.
  4. After the list of games on your system (attached to your Steam account) shows up, locate Monster Hunter: World, right-click it, and then click on Properties.
  5. Navigate to the Properties page in the right pane of the window and click on Local Files.
  6. Once you see the options in the Local Files tab, click on the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
  7. The Steam client will now begin to compare the game’s files on your computer with the files on its server. If there are damaged or missing files, the program will automatically replace them.
  8. Once the validation process completes, restart the client, then launch the game and check for the problem.

Run the Game as an Administrator

Most games need access to advanced system resources to run properly. To gain access to these resources, they need advanced permissions. Without these permissions, Windows will deny them access. This lack of access could be the reason for the crashing problem you’re facing with Monster Hunter: World.

To resolve the issue here, run the game as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the game in the Start menu or right-click on its Desktop shortcut and click on Run as Administrator whenever you want to launch it.

You can avoid the constant right-clicking by granting the game permanent admin rights. Follow these steps:

  1. Click on the folder icon on your taskbar or double-click on any folder on your Desktop to launch a File Explorer window. You can also right-click on your Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu or press the Windows + E combo for the same effect.
  2. After the File Explorer window appears, click on This PC in the left pane.
  3. Next, go to the right pane and double-click on Local disk C under Devices and Drives.
  4. Once the contents of the Local Disk appear, navigate to the Program Files (x86) folder and double-click it.
  5. Go to the Steam folder and open it once the Program Files (x86) folder opens.
  6. Double-click the Steamapps directory once the Steam folder opens.
  7. Next, double-click on the Common folder under the Steamapps folder.
  8. Now, locate Monster Hunter: World and open its installation folder.
  9. If you don’t know where you installed the game, follow the steps below:
  • Open the search utility beside the Start button (Windows + S), search for Steam, then launch the client. If you have the app’s shortcut on your Desktop, simply click on it.
  • After the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  • If a context menu fades out, click on Games.
  • After the list of games on your system (attached to your Steam account) shows up, locate Monster Hunter: World, right-click it, and then click on Properties.
  • Navigate to the Properties page in the right pane of the window and click on Local Files.
  • Once you see the options in the Local Files tab, click on the “Browse Local Files” button.
  • The game’s folder will now show up.
  1. Now, locate the game’s EXE file, right-click on it, then click on Properties.
  2. After the Properties dialog box appears, switch to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box beside “Run this program as an administrator,” and then click the OK button to save your changes.
  4. Relaunch Monster Hunter: World and check if it runs without issues.

Allow the Game Through Your Firewall Program

You need a strong Internet connection to run most of the aspects of Monster Hunter: World. In many cases, if the game can’t connect to the internet, it will refuse to load. If you’re having troubles with your network connection, contact your ISP to resolve the issue or make sure all your Internet configurations are correct.

That said, if your PC’s Internet connection is stable, you should pay attention to your firewall program. Firewalls are known to cause issues with games. These security programs often block games from accessing PC networks, and this could be the reason for the launch issue you’re experiencing in Monster Hunter: World.

To resolve the problem, allow the game through your firewall program. Doing this is quite easy. All you have to do is navigate to the Settings environment of your third-party firewall program and go to the “Allow a program” section or something similar. If you don’t know what to do, you can find a guide on the website of the app’s developer that will guide you.

If you rely on Windows’ native firewall program for your network protection, you can follow the steps below:

First, try disabling the firewall to check if it’s responsible for the problem, then go ahead and allow the game through the program:

  1. Launch the Settings app by clicking on the Start button and selecting the gear icon above the power icon in the Start menu. You can also press Windows + I to launch the app faster.
  2. Click on the Update & Security icon once you get to the home screen of the Settings application.
  3. Navigate to the Windows Security tab (go to the left pane and click on Windows Security) after the Update & Security interface opens.
  4. Under the Windows Security tab, click on Firewall & Network Protection in the Protection Areas section.
  5. Once you see the Firewall & Network Protection interface, and click on Domain Network, then turn off Windows Defender Firewall in the Domain Network interface. Make sure you repeat this process for Private Network and Public Network.
  6. Now, launch Monster Hunter: World and check if it loads properly.
  7. If the game launches successfully, then Windows Defender Firewall has been responsible for the launch problem. You can now allow the game through it. Follow these steps:
  • Open the Firewall & Network Protection interface and click on the “Allow an app through firewall” link.
  • When you see the Allowed Apps dialog window, click on the Change Settings button.
  • Next, navigate to Monster Hunter: World’s entry under Allowed Apps and Features list.
  • Click on the “Allow another app” button in the bottom-right area of the dialog window if you can’t find the game on the Allowed Apps and Features list.
  • Once the “Add an app” dialog window shows up, click on the Browse button.
  • Now, find your way to Monster Hunter: World’s installation folder, and then double-click its EXE file.
  • After you see Monster Hunter: World in the “Add an app” dialog, go to the bottom of the window and click on the Add button.
  • You should now see the game on the Allowed Apps and Features list. Check on the boxes beside it under Private and Public, and then click on the OK button to save your changes.
  1. Relaunch the game and check if the problem persists.

Clear Your Temporary Files

Your Temp folder is home to temporary files that are saved by certain Windows services and third-party applications. Monster Hunter: World also creates some of these temporary files, and if they become corrupt for any reason, they will likely cause the game’s launch failure. Try emptying the Temp folder and check if the game will launch without problems. Follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run or use the Windows + R keyboard combo to open the Run dialog box.
  2. After Run opens, type “%TEMP%” (without the quotes) into the text box and hit the Enter key or click on the OK button.
  3. Once the Temp folder appears, press Ctrl + A to select all the contents of the folder.
  4. Now, press the Shift and Delete keys at the same time, then click on the Yes button in the confirmation dialog.
  5. Relaunch the game and check for the issue.

Disable Full-Screen Optimizations

Full-Screen Optimizations is a Windows feature designed to enhance the performance of video applications, such as video players and games. However, it tends to clash with some games. Some Monster Hunter: World players confirmed that disabling the feature helped them resolve the problem. To disable the feature, you’ll have to tweak the properties of the game’s EXE file.

The steps below will show you how to locate the file and make the necessary changes:

  1. Click on the folder icon on your taskbar or double-click on any folder on your Desktop to launch a File Explorer window. You can also right-click on your Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu or press the Windows + E combo for the same effect.
  2. After the File Explorer window appears, click on This PC in the left pane.
  3. Next, go to the right pane and double-click on Local disk C under Devices and Drives.
  4. Once the contents of the Local Disk appear, navigate to the Program Files (x86) folder and double-click it.
  5. Go to the Steam folder and open it once the Program Files (x86) folder opens.
  6. Double-click the Steamapps directory once the Steam folder opens.
  7. Next, double-click on the Common folder under the Steamapps folder.
  8. Now, locate Monster Hunter: World and open its installation folder.
  9. If you don’t know where you installed the game, follow the steps below:
  • Open the search utility beside the Start button (Windows + S), search for Steam, then launch the client. If you have the app’s shortcut on your Desktop, simply click on it.
  • After the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  • If a context menu fades out, click on Games.
  • After the list of games on your system (attached to your Steam account) shows up, locate Monster Hunter: World, right-click it, and then click on Properties.
  • Navigate to the Properties page in the right pane of the window and click on Local Files.
  • Once you see the options in the Local Files tab, click on the “Browse Local Files” button.
  • The game’s folder will now show up.
  1. Now, locate the game’s EXE file, right-click on it, then click on Properties.
  2. After the Properties dialog box appears, switch to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box beside “Disable Full-Screen Optimizations,” and then click the OK button to save your changes.
  4. Relaunch the Monster Hunter: World and check if it runs without issues.

Reinstall the Game Properly

If nothing works, consider reinstalling the game. Many gamers did this after many shots at other methods and were able to get the game to run. It could be that some critical software dependencies were skipped during the installation process, resulting in the launch failure. We’ll be showing you how to install the game the right way.

Follow these steps to start with removing the game:

  1. Open the search utility beside the Start button (Windows + S), search for Steam, then launch the client. If you have the app’s shortcut on your Desktop, simply click on it.
  2. After the Steam client opens, go to the top of the window and click on Library.
  3. If a context menu fades out, click on Games.
  4. After the list of games on your system (attached to your Steam account) shows up, locate Monster Hunter: World, right-click it, and then click on Uninstall.
  5. Once a confirmation dialog shows up, click on the Delete button.
  6. Restart Steam and go to the Library again.
  7. Monster Hunter: World’s entry will now be greyed out.
  8. Left-click on the game, then go to the middle of the window, and click the Install button under the game’s title.
  9. Click on the Next button in the dialog box that appears and shows you the approximate duration of the download process.
  10. Once the next screen appears, check and uncheck the checkboxes to select your preferences, then click on the Next button.
  11. Wait for the game to download.
  12. Once the installation completes, run Monster Hunter: World and check for the issue.

Conclusion

We’re confident that you can now launch Monster Hunter: World without problems. If you have further issues that you’d like to let us know about, use the comments section below.