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If Space Engineers crashes at startup, will not open, or fails while loading a world, start with Steam and Windows checks that are easy to undo. Then test for mod, configuration, display, or hardware causes. Back up settings and player data before deleting files or reinstalling; none of these steps is guaranteed to fix every PC.
1. Restart Steam and remove interfering launch options
Exit Steam completely, reopen it, and try launching Space Engineers again. If that does not help, restart the PC. Also check whether you have added a launch option such as skipintro: remove it temporarily and test again. Keen support has suggested this as a possible cause in a not-launching case, but it is not established as a general cause.
2. Verify the game files in Steam
Steam’s file check can help when files are missing or incorrectly installed. It may take several minutes, and Steam may reacquire files it finds damaged or absent. See Steam’s instructions for verifying game files.
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click Space Engineers and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files, then wait for the check to finish.
Try launching the game after verification completes.
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3. Compare a modded-world crash with a vanilla world
If you can reach the main menu but the game crashes while loading a world, create or load a new world with no active mods. If the vanilla world works while the modded one does not, mods or that world’s setup may be involved. This comparison narrows the problem; it does not identify a particular mod as the cause.
4. Reset the configuration or shader cache carefully
Keen support suggests removing SpaceEngineers.cfg or the ShaderCache folder from %AppData%SpaceEngineers as troubleshooting options. Removing the configuration resets game settings. Before deleting either item, close the game and make a copy of the relevant folder somewhere safe; it may also contain saves and blueprints. Restore the original file or folder if the change does not help.
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5. Update graphics drivers, Windows, and GPU selection
Check for a current graphics driver from your GPU manufacturer and install available Windows updates. A clean driver installation is an option if a normal update does not help, but it changes more than the game’s files, so follow the driver maker’s instructions. Keen support describes one case resolved after manually installing a newer driver; that individual outcome does not guarantee a driver update will fix other crashes.
If the PC has more than one graphics device, check that Space Engineers is using the intended GPU in the system’s graphics settings or the GPU vendor’s control panel. The exact controls vary by Windows version and hardware.
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6. Test display and graphics settings
If the game opens but becomes unstable, try a single display, switch between windowed and fullscreen modes, and lower graphics quality. Change one setting at a time so you can tell whether it affects the failure.
If the game cannot start and you need to change its window mode in the configuration file, first copy SpaceEngineers.cfg as a backup. Keen support outlines editing its WindowMode value as an advanced workaround. Do not edit other values speculatively; if the change makes things worse, restore your saved copy.
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7. Check for hardware instability before suspecting a failed GPU
A graphics-device crash message alone does not prove the GPU is overheating or needs replacement. Keen support recommends checking temperatures and voltages, ensuring fans are working and unobstructed if temperatures are high, and returning overclocked components to their stock settings for a test. Also consider whether the display setup or driver changed around the time the crashes began.
There is no universal temperature threshold established here: a 64°C GPU reading was judged acceptable by Keen QA in one support case, not offered as a rule for every graphics card or workload. Do not treat the error message by itself as a reason to buy replacement hardware.
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8. Back up data before reinstalling, then collect logs if needed
Back up your saves and blueprints
Before a clean reinstall, copy these folders from %AppData%SpaceEngineers to a safe location:
SavesBlueprints
Keen support’s clean-install instructions also identify the Steam steamappscommonSpaceEngineers folder when removing leftover game files. Reinstall only after the less disruptive checks have failed, and make sure your backup is outside any folder you plan to remove.
Send useful diagnostics if the crash persists
Gather the latest Space Engineers log and relevant details from Windows Event Viewer, then share them with Keen support. The event details can help distinguish a game-level failure from a driver or system problem. Avoid reinstalling Windows as a routine fix; the available support material mentions it only as an extreme suggestion in an old, case-specific thread.
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