The gaming industry today produces a huge number of computer games, which are very popular among the public. But Watch Dogs is a special project that they have been waiting for a very long time and with bated breath. It became incredibly popular even before the release, and the excitement only intensified when the release date arrived.
This game tells about the future, in which a separate city is completely controlled by a supercomputer, and you, as an advanced hacker, have to fulfill your tasks, intruding into this computer network, hacking its elements in order to achieve your goal. You can create a traffic jam by turning off the traffic light, eavesdrop on a conversation on a mobile phone and much more. However, it should be borne in mind that this game was released recently, and it was originally announced that it would require a lot from the computers on which it is planned to be used. Gamers are faced with the problem that Watch Dogs does not start. This is a very topical issue that requires detailed consideration.
System Compliance
The first reason why this game may not work for you has already been mentioned earlier - it is also the most common. These are system requirements that developers reported long before the release of their brainchild.
If you understand that the Watch Dogs game does not start on the computer, then you should check its configuration and compare with what is indicated in the system requirements. The fact is that this project is incredibly advanced in terms of game mechanics, engine, physics and, of course, graphics. Therefore, the computer must be very powerful in order to maintain the normal functioning of this game.
You will not be able to launch a novelty if your processor has two cores. A game requires four. Accordingly, the frequency of the processor should be high. You also need at least 6 gigabytes of RAM and one gigabyte of video memory, and these are just the minimum requirements. If you want the most out of the game, you will need an even more powerful computer. Also pay attention to the operating system. You need to install at least Windows Vista, while the system must be 64-bit. So if Watch Dogs does not start, then you should check the compatibility of your computer with this game. If everything is in order with the available hardware, then you will have to look for problems deeper.
Video Card Drivers
Very often in computer games there are problems with the transfer of images, even if your video card is one of the most modern. And here it may be in drivers that have become outdated. If you are faced with the problem that Watch Dogs does not start, then you must first update these same drivers to the new version, available on the official website of the manufacturer. This can solve the problem. However, this action does not always help, and you can continue to guess why Watch Dogs does not start.
Setting the time on the computer
Another reason for the problems with launching this game is quite unusual. It may lie in the time that is installed on the computer. If it is incorrect, then it is quite possible that you have found the answer to the question of why Watch Dogs does not start. The fact is that this project, like most modern developments, partly depends on the Internet and is tied to it as a means of protection against piracy. And if your clock goes wrong (to be more precise, the month and year are set incorrectly), then the game may not start. Naturally, this is far from the most common problem, but if the Watch Dogs game does not want to start in any way, then you better check this indicator.
Lack of necessary libraries
One of the main components of the game are special library files that catalog certain data. Very often, these files can refer to a third-party distribution, such as DirectX or Microsoft Visual C ++. So if your game Watch Dogs does not start and gives an error that a certain dll file is missing, then you need to try reinstalling the above distribution. If this does not help, then it is recommended to try using the "wooden" method, but you should be very careful with it.
Copy the name of the file that your game lacks and find it on the Internet through any search engine. Download and unzip to the folder that contains the game. If this is a dll file that is not specific to the Watch Dogs game, but rather to the distribution libraries, then this method may work. Naturally, there is a greater likelihood of success if you use a licensed version of the game, and not a repack from someone, for example, from Freeboot.
Watch Dogs not starting? Try the licensed version, there is much less likelihood that there will be any problems with the activation of the game.
Run as administrator
Many computer games require advanced access rights. These include Watch Dogs. In this case, you will have to run the project as administrator, that is, it will not be enough to simply click on the shortcut. You will need to right-click on it and select "Run as administrator". This gives the game more power, and it is likely to work. In order not to bother with a right-click each time, you can go to "Properties" and there, on the corresponding tab, check the box next to the launch point as administrator. In this case, the game will automatically start as you need it.
Missing important files
There is one problem that is common to both licensed product owners and pirates. Often, because of her, Watch Dogs does not start. Steam version or repack may not be included in some files. If you purchased the official version, all you have to do is go to the Watch Dogs settings in the Steam library and run a cache check there. If any file is missing, it will automatically recover. But in the case of the pirated version, the procedure will be a little more complicated, because you have to do everything manually.
Most often, the “crack” disappears, which allows you to play Watch Dogs, bypassing copy protection. Many antiviruses recognize the crack as a malicious file, after which they quarantine it or delete it altogether. Naturally, as a result, the game does not start. To avoid this situation, you need to add the crack file to the exclusion list of the installed antivirus. Only then can you launch the game from any of the repackers without any problems, whether it be Freeboot or Uplay.
Watch Dogs not starting anyway? Then try other solutions that will be described later.
DirectX Validation
One of the most important types of distribution kit for launching computer games is DirectX. These files are directly connected to the video card. They affect not only the display, but also the functioning of the game. If your version of Watch Dogs does not start, an error appears on the screen, then you should try updating the distribution package. This can be done very simply by downloading a special file. When it starts, an automatic search for updates for DirectX starts, and if they are found, the program downloads them and installs them on the computer. After that, you can try to play, but if Watch Dogs still does not start, DirectX has nothing to do with it. Although you can check another problem related to this distribution.
DirectX View
This distribution has been around for quite some time, so many versions have been released. For a long time, DirectX 9 was the most used. But recently, everything has changed significantly. If your Watch Dogs game does not start, then this may be the problem. So, the DirectX 10 version appeared relatively recently, but it turned out to be intermediate, therefore many games supported both the ninth and tenth. But then the DirectX 11 version came out. It was she who became the new word in game support. This development is unprecedentedly popular. Now all video cards come with DirectX 11 support, and most modern games no longer run on DirectX 9. Therefore, check that your card is compatible with the eleventh version, because the novelty in question will only run on it.
Application closure
Many players make a serious mistake and try to turn on Watch Dogs when other applications are running on the computer. You should remember that this game is very demanding on computer resources, so the fewer running programs, the better. Moreover, some utilities may not be compatible with the game, which causes an error.
Watch Dogs is a game whose launch should be taken as seriously as possible. Perhaps in a few years the development will become average, but now it is one of the best, respectively, and very demanding.
Repack change
If you play pirated Watch Dogs, then one of the solutions to this problem may be to download another version. Refusing to pay for the purchase of licensed development, the gamer himself subscribes to all the problems associated with piracy. No one guarantees you that the downloaded game will work at all. So you can download several versions of this news before you find a working one. Naturally, you should check each of the versions according to the points outlined above so as not to waste your time downloading the next repack. But if nothing works, then head over to the tracker and download the next torrent. Or go to the store and buy a license.
Problem with AMD cards
One of the most popular graphics cards for modern computers are AMD models. They have a special feature Dual Graphics, which can significantly improve the graphic display. However, it turns out that Watch Dogs does not need to improve graphics at all. Even more: when you turn on the game, it begins to conflict with this service, which leads to the display of errors and shutdown. Thus, you will have to look at the settings of the video card and disable the above function there. Then the game should work without any problems if there are no conflicts already described above.
Way to the game
Very often there are unpleasant problems with the path to the folder in which the game lies. The same thing can happen with Watch Dogs. You installed the game, run it, it starts to load, and then crashes without giving any error messages. And you simply don’t know what to do with it. If this situation arises, be sure to check the full path to the game. The fact is that some designs absolutely do not perceive the Cyrillic font, trying to transcode it. Naturally, this already leads to a completely different directory, which does not exist. Hence the problem, which is solved quite simply. One needs only to type those elements of the path that are written in Cyrillic, Latin. After that, everything should work, and this error will no longer occur while you follow the rule of Latin letters.
Other problems
Naturally, it is impossible in one article to describe all the problems that arise with this game. It describes the most common situations, as well as ways to solve them. That is, if you have a problem with the launch of Watch Dogs, then first of all you need to go through in order all the items described above, following the instructions. As soon as any of this helps, rejoice. Now you can play.
But if you get to the last point, try all the methods, but there is still no progress, the situation can be much more complicated. In this case, you should contact the technical support service, which will help solve any problems that arise associated with the described game. But the problem here is that the specialists of this service will only help you if you own a licensed copy of the game. Pirates will naturally not be served. However, this is not a dead end. You have a way out.
The fact is that the forums dedicated to this game are most likely to help if you can accurately formulate your problem and provide the necessary information. However, the help of the World Wide Web is unlikely to be needed, since this article contains all the most common errors and problems that you may encounter. So carefully study it, try all the proposed methods. And only if they do not help at all, make other attempts, such as contacting tech support or a forum.