How to Fix Terraria Not Launching on PC

Can’t figure out why Terraria is not launching on your PC?

Terraria is a sandbox action-adventure game developed by Re-Logic. In 2011, the game debuted for Windows, and it has since been ported to other platforms, including Android and iOS.

As the game received new updates, plenty of players were having issues launching Terraria on their computers. 

If you are facing the same issue, you’re in luck!

Most of the time, this issue is caused by outdated client versions or corrupted game resources. On the other hand, it can also be due to third-party apps, system restrictions, improper configurations, or corrupted drivers. 

In this guide, we will show you how you can fix Terraria if it’s not launching correctly on your PC. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your PC. 

One of the most effective ways to fix this issue on Terraria is restarting your computer. This allows your system to reload its resources and eliminate temporary bugs and glitches that may have occurred during use. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. On your computer, press the Windows key to open the Start Menu
  2. From there, access the Power Options tab. 
  3. Finally, click Restart to reboot your system. 
Restart your PC

Go back to the game and see if it will launch. 

2. Use tModLoader

tModLoader is a powerful tool for making Terraria mods. However, it can also be used to be compatible with some modes that require it. If you’ve updated Terraria and you are using a previous version of tModLoader, try doing this: 

  1. First, open Steam, right-click on Terraria and hover your cursor over the Manage tab. 
  2. Now, hit Browse Files.
  3. Select everything inside the folder and delete them. 
  4. Next, click Play, and you should see an error message. Re-download the game on your computer afterward. 

Once done, restart Steam and see if the problem is solved. 

3. Try Running the MSI File.

For players who are running the game through GOG, try running the MSI file inside the game’s folder. This is a proven solution for fixing Terraria not launching issue. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. Launch Steam on your computer and log in to your account. 
  2. Now, go to your Library and right-click on Terraria
  3. After that, click on Properties and access the Local Files tab. 
terraria not launching on pc
  1. Click on Browse Local Files and find the _redist folder. Open the XNA_40 folder afterward.
  2. Finally, find the MSI file inside and run it. Follow the prompts to continue. 

Once done, launch Terraria to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Update Your Graphics Drivers. 

Corrupted or outdated display drivers could also be the reason Terraria is not launching on your PC. To rule this out, we recommend updating your display drivers to the latest version to patch bugs and errors. 

See the steps below to update your drivers: 

  1. First, open the Device Manager on your computer. 
  2. After that, expand the Display Adapters tab. 
  3. Lastly, right-click on your graphics card and choose Update Driver
Update Drivers

Restart your system to apply the changes and see if the game will launch. 

5. Update Windows. 

The version of Windows you are using may not be compatible with Terraria, explaining why it is not launching. If this is the case, we suggest updating your operating system to rule out compatibility issues. 

Check out the guide below to update Windows: 

  1. On your computer, access the Start Menu and go to Windows Settings
  2. After that, click on Update & Security and click on Windows Update
  3. Finally, click on Check for Updates and follow the prompts. 
terraria not launching on pc

Reboot your system to apply the changes and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Verify the Integrity of Game Files. 

As mentioned, corrupted game resources could be the culprit, which is why Terraria is not launching. In this case, we recommend using Steam’s built-in tool to scan your storage for corrupted game files and automatically repair them. 

See the steps below to verify the integrity of Terraria’s game files: 

  1. Launch Steam on your computer. 
  2. Next, go to your Library and right-click on Terraria
  3. Choose Properties and head to the Local Files tab. 
  4. Finally, click on Verify Integrity of Game Files
terraria not launching on pc

Once done, try launching the game to check if the problem is solved. 

That ends our guide for fixing Terraria if it’s not launching on your PC. If you have questions or any other concerns, please voice them out in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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