Satisfactory Won't Start? Here's the Fix
When Satisfactory refuses to launch — black screen, instant crash to desktop, or the process just dies — it's usually a stale GPU driver/shader cache, a corrupted install after an update, or a third-party overlay hooking the game. Fastest fix in 2026: update your GPU driver clean, verify game files, then delete the shader cache so the engine rebuilds it on next boot.
Exact details for Satisfactory
- Ports to forward
7777 UDP + 7777 TCP (game) + 8888 TCP (reliable messaging)- Gotcha (Patch 1.1+)
Port redirection NOT supported — the router port must EXACTLY match the server port (don't map 7777→7778)- Persisted settings file
ServerSettings.<port>.sav (edit only while server stopped)- Common cause of 'can't connect'
Missing the 8888 TCP reliable-messaging port added in 1.1.0.0
Error codes
Black screen on launch / crash to desktop
The Unreal engine started but failed during GPU/shader initialisation.
Cause: Outdated or corrupt GPU driver, or a stale DirectX/Vulkan shader cache.
- Update the GPU driver with a clean install (NVIDIA custom > clean install / AMD factory reset).
- Delete the shader cache: %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\ (clear the shader/cache folders).
- Verify game files: Steam/Epic > Satisfactory > Verify integrity of files.
- Try the DirectX 11 launch option if you're on DX12/Vulkan (or vice-versa).
Game doesn't open at all (no window)
The executable is being blocked or killed before a window is created.
Cause: Antivirus quarantine, a broken overlay hook, or a bad Easy Anti-Cheat/prereq install.
- Whitelist FactoryGame.exe in antivirus and Windows Defender.
- Disable in-game overlays (Steam, Discord, GeForce Experience, MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner).
- Reinstall the bundled prerequisites (DirectX, VC++ redistributables) from the install folder.
- Run the launcher as administrator once so it can write its config.
Fixes that work for most Satisfactory errors
- Do a clean GPU driver install — the #1 cause of Satisfactory launch failures.
- Verify game files to repair a corrupt build after an experimental/stable update.
- Delete the shader cache under %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame so the engine rebuilds it.
- Disable all overlays (Steam/Discord/GeForce/RivaTuner) — they hook the renderer and crash it.
- Whitelist FactoryGame.exe in antivirus; run once as administrator.
- Switch the render backend (DX11/DX12/Vulkan) via launch options to isolate a driver bug.
FAQ
Why does Satisfactory crash immediately on startup?
Almost always a GPU driver or shader cache issue. Clean-install your driver, verify files, and delete the shader cache under %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame.
Satisfactory shows a black screen then closes — how do I fix it?
Disable overlays, switch render backend (DX11/DX12/Vulkan) in launch options, and update the GPU driver with a clean install.
Satisfactory won't open at all after an update — what now?
Verify the game files, whitelist FactoryGame.exe in antivirus, and reinstall the bundled DirectX/VC++ prerequisites.
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