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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf ULTRAKILL crashes, will not start, or opens to a black screen on PC, work through low-risk checks first: restart, close background apps, update Windows and graphics drivers, verify the game files, and check the published system requirements. Then investigate recent changes or a possibly interrupted save only when the symptoms point that way. These are troubleshooting checks, not guaranteed fixes: Steam says launch failures have multiple causes, and developer Hakita noted that players reporting the same crash message had different solutions.
Choose checks based on when ULTRAKILL crashes
Start by noting the failure point: before the game opens, after the splash screens, while loading a level, or after an interrupted save. Also record your operating system, hardware, recent updates or configuration changes, and any error text. Similar symptoms do not necessarily mean the same cause. Hakita wrote in a February 24, 2021 Steam Community support reply, “There’s been a couple reports of crashes with the same message, but unfortunately they’ve all had different solutions.”
Try the checks below in order where they apply. The first several are reversible general diagnostics; save-file steps are only for a failure that plausibly began during saving. The cited sources do not establish comparative success rates for these steps.
Eight checks for ULTRAKILL crashes and launch failures
1. Restart the PC and close nonessential applications
Restart Windows, then try launching ULTRAKILL before reopening nonessential programs. Steam’s general launch guidance notes that background software can interfere with Steam or a game. As a diagnostic, temporarily close overlays, screen-capture utilities, mod tools, and other optional apps; if the game then works, reopen them one at a time to see whether the behavior returns. This is a way to isolate a conflict, not evidence that any particular overlay is a confirmed ULTRAKILL cause.
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2. Update the operating system and graphics drivers
Install available operating-system updates and graphics drivers using the official support channel for your PC or graphics hardware. Steam includes OS and driver updates among its general launch checks. If the problem began immediately after a driver or system change, note that timing; it can help distinguish a new configuration issue from a persistent one.
3. Verify ULTRAKILL’s installed files in Steam
Verification checks whether the game’s installation files are intact. Hakita recommended verifying the installation in a Steam support reply. In the Steam client:
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- Open Library and right-click ULTRAKILL.
- Select Properties, then Installed Files.
- Choose Verify integrity of game files and let Steam finish before launching again.
Steam may reacquire files it identifies as missing or damaged. If the game still crashes, record whether verification changed the behavior.
4. Compare your PC with the published system requirements
Steam’s listing gives these requirements. Meeting the minimum is not a guarantee that every hardware and software configuration will run without trouble.
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| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
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| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| Processor | 2.4 GHz dual-core CPU or higher | 3.1 GHz quad-core CPU or higher |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 560 or equivalent | GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 3 GB available | 3 GB available |
These are the Windows requirements shown on Steam’s listing; they do not establish requirements for Linux/Proton. If your system is below a listed minimum, include its exact CPU, graphics hardware, memory, and OS version when seeking help.
5. Test without mods or custom files, if you use them
If you installed mods or changed game files, temporarily return the game to an unmodified state and verify files again. This is a cautious way to test whether a custom change is involved, not a confirmed fix or proof that mods caused the crash. Do not delete unfamiliar folders or files; if you are unsure what was changed, get advice before removing anything.
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6. Investigate a save only if the crash followed a save interruption
Consider a save-file test only if the game began failing after it crashed, lost power, or was interrupted while saving. First make a separate backup of the game’s Saves folder. Hakita’s advice for a suspected corrupt save was to disable Steam Cloud so it would not restore the suspect file, move the suspected save aside, and test the game. Prefer moving or renaming a file over permanently deleting it.
- Back up the Saves folder before changing anything.
- Temporarily disable Steam Cloud for ULTRAKILL so it does not immediately restore the file being tested.
- Move or rename only the suspected save, then launch the game to see whether the symptom changes.
- Decide which save is usable before re-enabling Steam Cloud, so you do not unintentionally sync the wrong version.
Developer advice mentions generalprogress and difficulty-specific save files, but that is not a reason to delete them indiscriminately. If you cannot identify the suspect file confidently, stop and ask for help with your backup intact.
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7. Lower process priority only as a targeted memory test
If you have reason to suspect memory exhaustion, Hakita suggested trying a lower priority for ULTRAKILL.exe in Task Manager. Treat this as a possible workaround to test, not routine optimization or a proven general fix. To try it, start the game, open Task Manager, find ULTRAKILL.exe under the process list, and use its priority option to select a lower setting. If it does not help or makes the experience worse, restore the usual priority.
8. Send the crash dump through the official support route
If the game still crashes, the developer’s support reply says crash dumps should be under AppData/Local/Temp/Hakita/ULTRAKILL/Crashes. Share the dump through the official support route identified on the Steam listing, not in a public post where it could expose private information. Include your OS and hardware, the exact point at which the crash occurs, any error text, recent changes, and which check last changed the behavior. Those details make the dump more useful to diagnose.
If ULTRAKILL shows a black screen on Linux/Proton
A February 2025 Steam Community discussion includes a Linux/Proton user’s workaround for a black-screen problem: PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 %command%. This is dated, user-generated advice—not an official or universal fix—and it does not apply to Windows. If you have the matching Linux/Proton symptom and choose to test it, add it as a Steam launch option; remove the option if it worsens behavior. The discussion does not establish that this works with every current Proton setup.
Quick Recap
What to include when asking for help
- Your operating system and version, CPU, graphics hardware, and RAM.
- When the failure occurs: before launch, after the splash screens, during level loading, or after saving.
- The exact error text, if any, and whether the game closes, freezes, or stays on a black screen.
- Recent updates, configuration changes, installed mods, or interruptions while saving.
- Which checks you tried and what changed, plus the crash dump if one is available.
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