Duke Nukem Forever Troubleshooting Guide

How to fix errors, crashes and other related problems in Duke Nukem.

By Ali Asif

Duke Nukem Forever has finally been released, FINALLY. This means you can now play the game you first heard of in your childhood, at least I did. That is if you don’t run into the numerous crashes and issues plaguing the game. If you experience those problems, this Duke Nukem Forever troubleshooting guide will help.Duke Nukem Forever TroubleshootingNote. Don’t forget to try the recommendations by the Gearbox Tech Support team in the first section of this guide.What You Need

  • Reinstall your Microsoft C++ redistributable. You will need to install the C++ 2005, 2005 SP1, 2008, and 2008 SP1 versions to ensure compatibility.Install DirectX 9.0cVerify the game cache.Run the game with administrator privileges.
    • 1# Duke Nukem Forever Crashes on Start Up If your game crashes on running after you messed up the game’s config files, this workaround may help. You need to delete DNF Config folder in Steam UserData

    C:\[Steam Install Path]\userdata\10215801\ (10215801 could be a different number on your PC) and delete the Folder “57900”.

    57900 is the DNF Game ID under Steam.

    2# Textures Loading Problem Most of the people using ATI video cards may come across this issue in particular, just set your ‘SmoothVision HD Anti-Aliasing’ to Use Application Settings to resolve the issue.3# Black Screen, Rendering Problems, Messed Up Graphics Some users may experience graphics issues such as a “hall of mirrors” effect, a black screen, or other rendering problems.First, please update to the latest video drivers from your manufacturer’s website. You can find NVIDIA drivers here and ATI drivers here.If you are using a NVIDIA video card, try the following:

  • Close Duke Nukem ForeverOpen the NVIDIA Control PanelUnder the ‘3D Settings’ category, select ‘Manage 3D Settings’ from the menu bar on the leftSelect the ‘Global Settings’ tab in the right-hand paneSet ‘Anisotropic filtering’ to ‘Application-controlled’Set ‘Antialiasing – Mode’ to ‘Application-controlled’Set ‘Vertical Sync’ to ‘Use the 3D application setting’Click ‘Apply’Re-launch the gameIf the problem persists, close the game, then try resetting to default settings by clicking the ‘Restore’ button near the bottom-right of the ‘Manage 3D Settings’ window and click Apply.
    • If you are using an ATI video card, please try the following:
  • Close Duke Nukem ForeverOpen the ATI Catalyst Control CenterSelect ‘Gaming’ from the menu bar on the leftSelect ‘3D Application Settings’Under the ‘SMOOTHVISION HD:Anti-Aliasing’ section, make sure ‘Use application settings’ is CHECKED.Click ‘Apply’Re-launch the gameIf the problem persists, close the game, then try resetting to default settings in the Catalyst Control Center and click ‘Apply’.
    • If you still experience trouble:

    • Close all other applications before launching the game, it may just be the case of application conflict.Verify your game data through Steam to ensure you do not have any corrupted files, or uninstall and reinstall the game. To verify your game data, open the Steam game library, right-click Duke Nukem Forever, select Properties, select the Local Files tab, then click Verify Integrity of Game Cache.Try uninstalling your graphics driver, then install a previous driver version from the manufacturer’s website.
      • 4# Slow Loading Times, Low Performance Turn off V-sync and Set AA to medium/low, Post special effects and Film Grain off, and the game will run much smoother.5# Low FPS Uninstall all your video card drivers and re-install them. Try the previous version of the drivers and keep trying till you find a suitable driver version which works fine with the game. It’s a hassle but something to consider. Refer to #4.6# Crash at Start Up – ATI Issue Force Anisotropic Filtering on in Catalyst Control Panel to resolve these issues.NoteFor those of you, who can’t resolve the random crashes, it seems the crashes occur when you have settings set to ultra or high but the game runs fine at medium or low settings. Also, you can try disabling V-sync to resolve some of these issues.7# Duke Nukem Forever Constant Freezes8# Problem Activating DLC Instead of following the instructions on the DLC key card, activate it the same way as you do with Steam Games.

    9# Can’t Change The Controls10# Game Doesn’t Run When you try to run the game, splash screen pops up but the game doesn’t run. Try disabling the Anti-Aliasing in your nVidia or ATI control panel.10# Steam must be running to play this game Log-out of the Steam and then log back in to resolve this issue.11# Weird Graphics – Bugs, Error Make sure you don’t have any anti aliasing settings forced on in Catalyst Control Center.If you face any other issue, let me know in comments, and I will try to help you out.

    About the Author
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    Ali Asif

    Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...