The article describes the causes of errors when starting the STALKER game and how to resolve them.
"Crashed"
The first part of the legendary STALKER trilogy was waited for many years, there was a lot of PR, rumors around it, and the lives of those who were already "hooked" on the Chernobyl theme were seriously upset by the constant postponements of the game's release date. That is why the "Stalker" was dubbed the "waiter", and later the "crashed". This was due to the fact that the game was released poorly optimized, and it constantly closed due to internal errors at the most inopportune moment.
This happens now, after many patches. But sometimes it can’t be launched! The system displays a window with the message "xr_3da.exe application error", and nothing else happens. The reasons for this and methods of elimination will be discussed below.
Error during installation
The xr_3da.exe file, to which the game shortcut leads from the desktop, is executable and is responsible for the direct launch of Stalker. One of the reasons the game does not want to work is because the file was damaged during installation. Or other system libraries. Most often, this happens with old disks, whose surface is covered with damage, and the computer can not read it correctly. Usually a warning is issued about this, but sometimes the installation goes fine, but starting up is no longer possible, and the user sees the message “xr_3da.exe application error”. You can fix this by trying to reinstall it.
Antivirus
Oddly enough, but the antivirus can also be the reason that the game does not start, especially when it is pirated.
The fact is that the "pirated" main executable file is modified so that you can play without checking the disk and license. Some security programs detect this and remove malicious pieces of program code, as a result of which the file gets corrupted, and when it starts, the notification “xr_3da.exe application error” appears. You can fix this by reinstalling and adding the application to the antivirus exception. Or purchase a license.
License
If you have a licensed version of the game, but it still does not start, you should check your computer and OS for compliance with the minimum system requirements, update the drivers, or again reinstall everything.
Another reason why a “Stalker” crashes with a subsequent notification “xr_3da.exe application error” is modifications. Some of them are compatible only with a specific version of the patch, you can check this in the description of the mod, usually its authors indicate all the technical information.
Conclusion
Above are the most common causes of this error and how to resolve it. However, there is another “take-off” that occurs after the launch of the Stalker, and its frequency is always different. This is accompanied by the system message "xr_3da.exe has stopped working." The reason for it most often lies in some kind of internal conflict between the files and libraries of the game. In this case, installing the patch helps, and in the “departure” log you can see detailed information.