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If Child of Light crashes before the menu on a modern PC—especially one reporting more than 16 logical processors—the most consistently reported workaround is to use Microsoft’s Compatibility Administrator to make the game see 16. Set ProcessorCountLie to 16; on an Intel hybrid CPU, add ProcessorCountLieForHybridCPU at 16 as well. This is a community-reported compatibility workaround, not an official Ubisoft patch, and it will not fix every kind of crash.

First identify where the crash happens

The processor-count workaround is most relevant when the game closes at launch, during the intro, or before the title screen on a modern high-core-count PC. If you can reach the menu, or the crash happens only after loading a save or changing display settings, use the matching checks below instead of assuming the CPU workaround is the cause.

  • Before the menu: try the Compatibility Administrator fix below, particularly if Windows reports more than 16 logical processors.
  • At the title screen: test Ubisoft Connect offline mode after closing the game and launcher.
  • After an update or incomplete install: verify the Steam game files.
  • After changing graphics settings: back up and reset the configuration folder.
  • Randomly in-game or after alt-tabbing: isolate overlays and display-mode changes.

Why an older game may fail on a newer PC

Child of Light is a 32-bit Windows game using Direct3D 9, built for much older PC hardware. Steam’s published requirements date to the Windows Vista era; they do not establish official support for current Windows releases. PCGamingWiki and Steam players report startup failures on newer CPUs with more than 16 logical processors. The available documentation identifies a useful workaround, but does not provide an official Ubisoft engineering explanation for the failure. See PCGamingWiki’s technical notes and Steam’s game page and requirements.

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Apply the 16-processor compatibility workaround

This uses Microsoft’s Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), which includes Compatibility Administrator. The game does not require the ADK; it is needed only for this per-application workaround. It is a larger deployment toolkit than most players need, so obtain it only from Microsoft’s ADK page and select only the Application Compatibility Tools component if the installer allows component selection.

  1. Download and install the Windows ADK, selecting Application Compatibility Tools.
  2. Open Compatibility Administrator (32-bit). Microsoft specifies the 32-bit tool for 32-bit applications; see its compatibility-fix guidance.
  3. Create a new custom compatibility database. Microsoft describes the database workflow in its Compatibility Administrator guide.
  4. Add an application entry for ChildofLight.exe. To find it for Steam, open the game’s Library page, use the game’s local-files option, then select the executable in that folder. Do not assume every Steam library uses the same drive or path.
  5. Add the compatibility fix ProcessorCountLie and set its value to 16.
  6. If you have an Intel hybrid CPU, add ProcessorCountLieForHybridCPU too and set it to 16. Steam users report that hybrid systems may need both fixes.
  7. Save the database, then install or register it through Compatibility Administrator. Microsoft’s database installation instructions cover this step.
  8. Launch the game normally through Steam or Ubisoft Connect. If processor-count compatibility was the cause, it should get past the failure point and reach the title screen or gameplay.

The named fixes and value come from PCGamingWiki and Steam player reports, not from Microsoft or a Ubisoft patch. If the game still crashes, do not keep rebuilding the database: move to the symptom-specific checks below. Avoid changing Windows boot settings to limit processors globally as a first step; the compatibility database targets this game rather than every application.

If it crashes at the title screen

Some players report that starting the game or Ubisoft Connect offline avoids a title-screen crash. Treat this as a diagnostic workaround, not a confirmed Ubisoft fix: offline mode can affect account checks, cloud synchronization, and other online-dependent features.

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  1. Close the game and Ubisoft Connect completely.
  2. Set Ubisoft Connect to offline mode using the option available in your installed launcher version.
  3. Start the game and check whether it passes the title screen.

If offline mode changes the result, launcher or online initialization is a possibility; that alone does not prove the underlying cause. The report is documented in the Steam discussion.

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If the crash followed an update or installation problem

Verify the installation before reinstalling. In Steam, open Library, right-click Child of Light, choose Properties, then open Installed Files (or the equivalent installed-content section in your client) and run the game-file integrity check. Wait for Steam to finish any repairs before launching again. Steam’s technical-support page for the game is also available if the problem persists.

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If it crashes after changing settings

Resetting configuration may help after a display or settings change, but back up first. PCGamingWiki lists the configuration directory as:

%USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesChild of Light<user-id>

  1. Exit the game and Ubisoft Connect.
  2. In File Explorer, paste %USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesChild of Light into the address bar.
  3. Copy the user-ID folder somewhere safe.
  4. Rename the original folder, for example by adding .backup to its name.
  5. Start the game and let it create fresh configuration files. If the crash is unchanged, close the game and restore the backup.

Do not delete the folder as a first step. Save locations differ by distribution, and the exact arrangement can vary with the Ubisoft Connect installation and account. PCGamingWiki lists these paths:

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  • Steam save data: <Ubisoft-Connect-folder>savegames<user-id>611
  • Ubisoft Connect save data: <Ubisoft-Connect-folder>savegames<user-id>609

Copy relevant save folders manually before reinstalling, resetting configuration, switching launchers, or changing cloud-sync settings; do not assume cloud synchronization will restore every save. See PCGamingWiki’s save and configuration paths.

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If it crashes randomly, during rendering, or after alt-tabbing

These are isolation steps, not confirmed universal fixes for Child of Light:

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  • Temporarily disable the Steam and Ubisoft Connect overlays, plus Discord, GPU recording, performance-monitoring, and frame-rate overlays.
  • Close controller-remapping or input-injection utilities while testing.
  • If a launcher setting permits it, test windowed or borderless display. You can also disable fullscreen optimizations for ChildofLight.exe through its Windows file properties.
  • Back up and reset the configuration folder as described above if the crash began after a display-mode change.
  • Update or clean-install the GPU driver if other Direct3D games are also failing.

The game’s documented graphics API is Direct3D 9; the available sources do not establish a universal resolution or launch command for these crashes. Do not add unverified commands such as -dx11 or -dx9.

If none of these steps work

Contact Ubisoft support through Ubisoft Help with enough detail to distinguish a launcher issue from a game or system problem. Include your Windows version and build, CPU model and logical-processor count, GPU and driver version, whether you use Steam or Ubisoft Connect, the exact crash point, and the result of file verification, offline-mode testing, and any configuration reset. The 16-processor workaround does not address damaged files, save problems, driver failures, overlays, hardware instability, or every launcher-related crash.

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