Skyrim Crashes on Startup and Skyrim CTD on Launch: Fixed

Skyrim is a really popular game that receives most of its grace due to the vast modding community that it has given birth to. However, there have been reports of the game crashing during the launch process. Therefore, in this article, we will fix the “Skyrim Crashes on Startup” issue and also tell you of the reasons which may trigger this error. If the game is crashing while saving a game, consult this article to help you in that regard.

What to do if your Skyrim is Crashing on Startup?

After a thorough investigation, we have concluded the reasons to be:

• Direct-X Failure: As was the case with most users, the issue is caused due to a corrupt installation of the Direct-X. It was found that the users were installing Direct-X from the games’ files and it wasn’t a stable version of the software due to which the error was being triggered.
• Mod Compilation: The majority of the games’ fanbase is based on modders and during modding, many users make the mistake of not configuring the load order for their mods or they usually miss an important file from one of the mods which might trigger this error.
• Connection Issue: Sometimes, Skyrim crashes on startup because of a connection with the internet which might trigger this error. This is because the developers always discourage third-party modding and the game can sometimes get glitched if the internet connection is being established.

Pre-Tips: 

1. Make sure that the Load Order of the Mods and their files are configured properly.
2. Try to remove any recent Mods that you have installed.
3. Disable any third-party Anti-Viruses that you may have installed.
4. Make sure that there isn’t a second instance of the game running in the background.

Solution 1: Installing Direct-X

First of all, we strongly recommend that you should download and install the latest version of Direct-X from here. Select the “Repair and Install” option if the software is present on the computer and make sure to update the Graphics Drivers as well.

Solution 2: Creating Firewall Rule

Sometimes, an internet connection can interrupt the launching process of the game. Therefore, in this step, we will create a Firewall rule to prohibit the game from being able to access the internet. For that:

1. Press the “Windows” + “I” buttons to open the settings.
2. Click on the “Update & Security” option and select the “Windows Security” button from the left tab.

   

3. Select “Firewall & Network Protection” and select the “Advanced Settings” button.

   

4. Click on the “Outbound Rule” option in the left pane and select “New Rule” from the right pane.

   

5. Check the “Program” option and click on “Next”.
6. After that, check the “This Program Path” option and click on “Browse”.

   

7. Select the main executable of Skyrim and click on “OK”.
8. Click on “Next” and check the “Block the Connection” option.
9. Again, click on “Next” and check all three options.

   

10. Once again, select “Next” and choose a name for the rule.
11. Then, click on “Apply” and then on “OK” to save the rule.
12. After that, launch Skyrim and check to see if the issue persists.