Runtimes and DirectX

Loaders are built against Microsoft runtime libraries and assume they are present. On a fresh Windows install, or a heavily debloated one, they often are not.

The symptom is a loader that closes instantly with no window, or an error naming a missing .dll. Installing these three takes a couple of minutes and rules the whole category out.

Visual C++ Redistributables

The most common cause by far. Install the x64 package:

aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

If you are on a 32 bit system, which you should not be, you also need vc_redist.x86.exe.

DirectX End-User Runtime

Windows ships with DirectX, but not with the older D3DX and XInput libraries some overlays still link against. The web installer adds them without touching your current DirectX version:

microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=35

.NET Desktop Runtime

Needed by loaders with a graphical interface. Install the latest .NET Desktop Runtime x64, not the SDK and not the ASP.NET bundle:

dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet

After installing

Reboot. All three register system wide and a loader started before the reboot may still be looking at the old state.

Still failing

If a loader closes instantly with all three installed:

• Run it as administrator
• Check it is not being quarantined, see Antivirus and Windows Defender
• Run it from the drive the setup guide specifies rather than from Downloads
• Check the product is not marked Updating on the status page

If none of that helps, open a ticket in Discord with the exact error text or a screenshot.