If you are finding Oxygen not Included unplayable due to sudden crashes, this article has all the workarounds that will help you get rid of the problem.

Make Sure Your Computer Meets the Game’s Minimum System Requirements

You won’t be able to run Oxygen Not Included without issues if your computer does not meet the game’s minimum requirements at the very least. You’ll find the system requirements of the game and a simple guide on how to check your computer’s specifications below.

Minimum Requirements

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 7

CPU: Dual Core 2 GHz Processor

System Memory (RAM): 4 GB

GPU: Intel HD 4600 (NVIDIA or AMD equivalent)

Storage: 2 GB available space

DirectX: Version 11

The guide below will show you how to check your PC’s specs:

  1. Use the Windows + I shortcut to summon the Settings application.
  2. After the home page of Settings shows up, click on the System icon.
  3. Go to the left pane of the System interface, scroll down to the bottom, then click on About.
  4. You’ll find the details of your computer such as RAM size; CPU make, model, and speed; and CPU architecture.
  5. Next, go to the top of the left pane and click on Display.
  6. Click on the Advanced Display Settings link under the Display tab (in the main window).
  7. Once the Advanced Display Settings screen opens, click on “Display adapter properties for Display 1,” and then check your graphics card’s specifications under the Adapter tab of the Properties dialog that shows up.

How to Get Rid of Oxygen Not Included Crashes

If you’re one of those users asking, “Why is Oxygen Not Included Crashing on startup and during gameplay,” you’ll be finding your answers, alongside solutions to the problem in this article. Please make sure you follow the methods we’ve provided in the order that they’re arranged.

Change Branches for the Game

If you recently updated Oxygen Not Included, chances are, the update is responsible for the crashing problem. Go to the Steam client and change your beta option. The following steps will guide you:

  1. Launch the Steam client.
  2. Once Steam opens, click on Library at the top of the window, then click on Games in the context menu.
  3. After the list of games on your account shows up, locate Oxygen Not Included, right-click it, then click on Properties.
  4. Go to the Properties page in the right pane and switch to the Betas tab.
  5. Under the Betas tab, choose another beta version of the game in the drop-down menu under “Select a beta you would like to opt into.”
  6. Restart the Steam client, then launch the game and check if it crashes again.

If you still experience the crash problem, leave the beta you chose as it is, then move on to the next fix.

Remove the .DAT Files in the Game’s Save Directory

The game might be crashing because some files in its save directory might be corrupt. Try removing these files and check if the problem goes away. Once you delete the files and relaunch Oxygen Not Included, they will be automatically recreated. Follow the steps below:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu. You can also use the Windows + E shortcut to launch File Explorer.
  2. Once File Explorer shows up, go to the left pane and click on This PC.
  3. Navigate to the right pane under Drives and Devices and open Local Disk C.
  4. Once the drive opens, double-click on the Users folder.
  5. Locate the folder named after the user account that you’re on and open it.
  6. Open the Documents folder once you get to your user account directory.
  7. Locate the folder named Klei and double-click it.
  8. Now, open the OxygenNotIncluded folder, and then double-click “save_files.”
  9. Once the Save_files folder opens, locate the “WorldGenSimSave.dat” and “WoldGetDataSave.dat” files and delete them.
  10. Relaunch the game and it will automatically create new versions of these files.

If the crashing problem persists, go to the next solution.

Verify the Integrity of the Game Files

Your game is made up of many different files that are located in its installation folder. Sometimes, these files can become corrupt or go missing causing different in-game problems, including crashing. Causes of game file corruption include abrupt system shutdown in the middle of gameplay, improper or incomplete installation, malware infection, and antivirus interference among others.

To fix the problem in this case, you’ll have to use the Steam client to verify the integrity of the game’s files. The steps below will show you what to do:

  1. Launch the Steam client.
  2. Once Steam opens, click on Library at the top of the window, then click on Games in the context menu.
  3. After the list of games on your account shows up, locate Oxygen Not Included, right-click it, then click on Properties.
  4. Go to the Properties page in the right pane and switch to the Local Files tab.
  5. Under the Local Files tab, click on the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
  6. The Steam client will now check for missing and corrupted game files. It will compare the files in the game’s installation directory with those on its server and replace those that don’t check out.
  7. After the verification process completes, restart the client and relaunch the game, then check for the crashing problem.

Run the Game as an Administrator

In most situations, PC video games usually require advanced system resources to work properly. If they don’t have the required permissions to access these system resources, such as protected files and folders, Windows will block their access, which could result in the game crashing back to the desktop. This phenomenon could be the reason for the issue you are facing in Oxygen Not Included.

To resolve the problem here, you must launch the game as an administrator. Note that you have to be on an administrator account to apply this fix.

Whenever you want to run the game, right click on its shortcut or Start menu entry and select Run as Administrator from the context menu.

However, since the normal procedure of launching the game via the Steam client, you have to change its properties to make it run as an administrator by default. The following steps will guide you through the process:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu. You can also use the Windows + E shortcut to launch File Explorer.
  2. Once File Explorer shows up, go to the left pane and click on This PC.
  3. Navigate to the right pane under Drives and Devices and then open Local Disk C.
  4. Now, open the Program Files (x86) folder.
  5. Navigate to the Steam folder under Program Files (x86) and double-click it.
  6. Once the Steam folder shows up, open the Steamapps folder.
  7. Now, navigate to the Common folder and open it.
  8. Locate the OxygenNotIncluded folder and double-click it.
  9. Note that this is the path to the game’s installation folder if you did not change the default directory for Steam and the game during installation. If the game or Steam are not installed in their default directory, however, and you don’t know where to find the folder, the following steps will help:
  • Launch the Steam client.
  • Once Steam opens, click on Library at the top of the window, then click on Games in the context menu.
  • After the list of games on your account shows up, locate Oxygen Not Included, right-click it, then click on Properties.
  • Go to the Properties page in the right pane and switch to the Local Files tab.
  • Under the Local Files tab, click on the “Browse Local Files” button.
  • The game’s folder will now open.
  1. In the folder, locate OxygenNotIncluded.exe, right-click on it, then click on the Properties option in the context menu that appears.
  2. After the game’s Properties dialog box shows up, switch to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Go to the checkbox for “Run this game as an administrator” under the Compatibility tab and check it.
  4. Now, click on the OK button to save your changes, then run the game and check for the crashing problem.

Prevent Your Antivirus Program from Blocking the Game

Normally, PC video games consume high amounts of system resources from RAM and GPU to CPU and network bandwidth. Because of this, some antivirus programs flag them as malicious threats and block or quarantine their game files. Once this happens, it affects the game and makes it unplayable.

You have to check whether your antivirus program is the reason for the crashing problem you have been dealing with. Many users were able to figure out whether their antivirus programs were the culprits by temporarily disabling them and running the game. You can do this, but we don’t recommend leaving your antivirus disabled.

Once you confirm that your security application is the reason for the problem, you can make sure it doesn’t block your game files any longer. To do this, you will have to add the game’s installation folder as an exception in your antivirus program’s Settings environment. This option usually goes by different names in different antivirus programs. Examples of the names include Exemptions list, SafeList Whitelists and Exclusions.

It’s easy to find this option in your preferences or settings environment. However, if you don’t know what to do, you can go online and search for a guide on the website of your program’s developers.

If you don’t use third-party antivirus software and depend on Windows Security for your computer’s protection, the steps below will show you how to add the game’s folder to the exclusions list of the Virus & Threat Protection tool:

  1. Launch the Settings application by right-clicking on your Start button and selecting Settings in the Quick Access menu.
  2. Once the Settings app opens, click on the Update & Security icon.
  3. In the Update & Security interface, go to the left pane and click on Windows Security to open the Windows Security tab.
  4. Go to the right pane (the Windows Security tab) and click on Virus & Threat Protection under Protection Areas.
  5. Once the Windows Security application opens in the Virus & Threat Protection page, scroll down and click on Manage Settings under the Virus & Threat Protection Settings section.
  6. Now, navigate to the Exclusions section once the Virus & Threat Protection Settings screen opens, then click on the “Add or remove exclusions” list.
  7. After the Exclusions interface appears, click on the “Add an exclusion” option, then choose Folder.
  8. Once the Select Folder dialog box appears, navigate to the installation folder of Oxygen Not Included and left-click it.
  9. Now, click on the Select Folder button.
  10. Relaunch the game and check if it crashes again.

Reset the Game’s Preferences to Default

The game might be crashing incessantly as a result of some settings you recently applied. You can go to the settings option and revert everything to default and check if that resolves the problem. That said, if the crashing problem cannot allow you access the settings environment of the game, you can change all your preferences back to default settings by deleting the configuration file of the game.

You should note that deleting this file will not cause any further damage as the game will automatically create another one after you delete it. If you don’t know what to do, follow the steps below:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu. You can also use the Windows + E shortcut to launch File Explorer.
  2. Once File Explorer shows up, go to the left pane and click on This PC.
  3. Navigate to the right pane under Drives and Devices and open Local Disk C.
  4. Once the drive opens, double-click on the Users folder.
  5. Locate the folder named after the user account that you’re on and open it.
  6. Open the Documents folder once you get to your user account directory.
  7. Locate the folder named Klei and double-click it.
  8. Now, open the OxygenNotIncluded folder, and then double-click “save_files.”
  9. Once the Save_files folder opens, locate the kplayerprefs.yaml file and delete it.
  10. Now, relaunch Oxygen Not Included.
  11. The game will create another kplayerprefs.yaml file.
  12. If your preferences are the reason for the crashing problem, you won’t experience it again.

Reinstall Your Graphics Card Driver

If your display driver has any issues, your GPU will not be able to render the game properly. Display driver issues are one of the most common causes of many in-game problems, including sudden crashes. For many players, reinstalling the driver got rid of the problem. The following steps will show you how to remove and allow Windows to reinstall the driver automatically:

  1. Press and hold the Windows logo key, then tap the X key to open the Quick Access menu on the left edge of your screen.
  2. Once the Quick Access menu appears, click on Device Manager.
  3. After the Device Manager window opens, locate the Display Adapters listing and click on the arrow beside it to reveal your graphics adapter.
  4. Right-click on your graphics card and click on Uninstall Device in the context menu.
  5. Click on the Uninstall button once you see the Uninstall Device confirmation dialog. Don’t check the box that prompts the tool to delete the driver software.
  6. Wait for Windows to uninstall the device, then restart your PC.
  7. After your computer boots up, Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver automatically.

If the operating system fails to install the driver or you keep experiencing the annoying crash issue after it installs it, your next step involves updating your graphics card driver. The next method contains guides that will show you how to perform the update the right way.

Update Your Graphics Card Driver

Updating your graphics card driver is a must, especially when you run video games. Many issues are corrected in new releases, and graphics card manufacturers use updates to enhance the performance of their GPUs. If your graphics card driver does not support some new features of the game, you’ll experience many issues including the one you’re currently facing.

If the game is still crashing after you performed a recent update, chances are, you didn’t install the update the right way or you downloaded and installed the wrong driver software. The guides below will show you how to go about things the proper way.

Update Windows

Microsoft releases driver updates for different devices on your system, including your graphics card via Windows Update. You might not notice this because you allow the utility to carry out automatic updates. That said, there are times when Windows Update does not install available updates without your permission or involvement.

Although it might take some time before these updates go live due to Microsoft’s insistence on verifying drivers, whatever driver software you get via this channel is always deemed the best.

The steps below will walk you through the process of using the utility to update your display driver:

  1. Launch the Settings application by right-clicking on your Start button and selecting Settings in the Quick Access menu. You can also open the app by pressing the Windows and I keys simultaneously.
  2. Once you get to the homepage of the Settings app, click on the Update & Security icon.
  3. In the Update & Security interface, click on Check for Updates under the Windows Update tab.
  4. After Windows Update displays all the available updates for your PC, allow it to download them.
  5. Once the downloads complete, click on the Restart Now button to prompt the utility to reboot your computer and install the updates inside your working hours. If you have any unsaved work open, save it before clicking on the button.
  6. Windows will reboot your system several times as it installs the updates.
  7. After the update process completes, your computer will boot up to your Desktop or login environment.
  8. You can now run Oxygen Not Included and check for the problem.

Use Device Manager

You can use the Device Manager to update individual device drivers, including your graphics card’s. Some users were able to use the program to install the latest versions of their drivers and get rid of the crashing problem in Oxygen Not Included. If you don’t know how to use Device Manager to perform the updates, follow the steps below

  1. Press and hold the Windows logo key, then tap the X key to open the Quick Access menu on the left edge of your screen. You can also summon the menu by right-clicking on your Start button.
  2. Once the Quick Access menu appears, click on Device Manager.
  3. After the Device Manager window opens, locate the Display Adapters listing and click on the arrow beside it to reveal your graphics adapter.
  4. Right-click on your graphics card and click on Update Driver in the context menu.
  5. Click on the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option once the Update Driver window shows up.
  6. Windows will now perform an online search for the latest driver for your GPU. The driver will be automatically downloaded and installed once Windows finds it.
  7. Restart your computer and check Oxygen Not Included for the crashing problem.

Update Your Graphics Card Driver, Using a Dedicated Third-Party Program

If Windows Update and Device Manager fail to install the latest version of your graphics card driver, you can turn to a third-party program to carry out the update.

Generally, using dedicated third-party software is easier and more straightforward than using the Microsoft provided utilities. This is because Windows Update and Device Manager might not find the updated driver software because Microsoft has not yet published it, whereas third-party programs will help you fetch and install your updated driver once manufacturers issue a release.

Also, by using a dedicated third-party program, your computer will be scanned and you will be provided a list of faulty device drivers. The program will go on to automatically download and install their updated versions. Majority of Windows users depend on these kinds of programs to keep their device drivers up to date. The bulk of these users hardly experience game crashes that emanate from device driver problems.

You have to be careful to use a reliable program. One of the trusted names out there is Auslogics Driver Updater. The program has been around for a while and it is developed by a Microsoft Certified Gold partner. It only downloads and installs device drivers from a server that contains only manufacturer-approved driver software, and it’s used by millions of users globally.

We will be showing you how to use Auslogics Driver Updater in the guide below:

  1. Click onthis Link or open it in a new tab (if you’re on your system’s web browser) to open the download page of Auslogics Driver Updater.
  2. Once the page opens, click on the Download button and click on Save.
  3. The file should be on your system in a couple of seconds as it’s less than 20 megabytes.
  4. Once your browser notifies you that it has successfully downloaded the setup file, click on the Run button or navigate to the folder where you saved it and double-click the installer.
  5. Click on the Yes button once the User Account Control asks whether you want the file to make changes to your computer.
  6. Now, select your preferred language and choose an installation directory once the setup wizard appears.
  7. You can also use the checkboxes in the same page to allow the tool to create a desktop icon, launch during startup, and send anonymous reports to the developers.
  8. Click on the “Click to install” button after you’ve entered your preferences.
  9. After the program’s installation completes, it will begin to scan your PC for outdated, corrupt, and missing drivers.
  10. You can start the program manually via the Start menu if it doesn’t launch after its installation. Once you open it, click on the large button that kick starts the scan.
  11. Once the scanning process is complete, you’ll be shown a list of problematic drivers, and if your display driver has any issue, it’ll appear.
  12. Click on the Update button to prompt the program to download and install your driver’s latest version. You can use this opportunity to update other drivers on your PC.
  13. Once the update process completes, restart your computer and check for the problem.

Perform a Manual Update

Updating your driver manually is another way to go, albeit completely unnecessary since you have tools like Auslogics Driver Updater. The stress of going to the website of your card’s manufacturer, searching for your GPU’s driver, and double-checking before you download and install isn’t worth it.

With Driver Updater, you can get through things easily in just a few clicks and you don’t even have to worry about future updates, as the program will notify you once one becomes available.

Run the Game in Compatibility Mode

Chances are, your version of Windows 10 is clashing with Oxygen Not Included and causing to crash mig-game. You can get hours of uninterrupted gameplay by running the game in compatibility mode for a previous version of Windows such as Windows 8 or Windows 7.

The guide below will walk you through the process:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on File Explorer in the Quick Access menu or double-click on any folder on your Desktop to summon a File Explorer window. You can also use the Windows + E shortcut to launch File Explorer.
  2. Once File Explorer shows up, go to the left pane and click on This PC.
  3. Navigate to the right pane under Drives and Devices, and then open Local Disk C.
  4. Now, open the Program Files (x86) folder.
  5. Navigate to the Steam folder under Program Files (x86) and double-click it.
  6. Once the Steam folder shows up, open the Steamapps folder.
  7. Now, navigate to the Common folder and open it.
  8. Locate the OxygenNotIncluded folder and double-click it.
  9. Note that this is the path to the game’s installation folder if you did not change the default directory for Steam and the game during installation. If the game or Steam are not installed in their default directory, however, and you don’t know where to find the folder, the following steps will help:
  • Launch the Steam client.
  • Once Steam opens, click on Library at the top of the window, then click on Games in the context menu.
  • After the list of games on your account shows up, locate Oxygen Not Included, right-click it, then click on Properties.
  • Go to the Properties page in the right pane and switch to the Local Files tab.
  • Under the Local Files tab, click on the “Browse Local Files” button.
  1. The game’s folder will now open.
  2. In the folder, locate OxygenNotIncluded.exe, right-click on it, then click on the Properties option in the context menu that appears.
  3. After the game’s Properties dialog box shows up, switch to the Compatibility tab.
  4. Check the box beside “Run this program in compatibility mode for,” then select Windows 8 or Windows 7 in the drop-down menu.
  5. Click on the OK button, then launch the game and check for the crashing issue.

If the game still crashes after choosing a previous Windows version, open its properties again and choose another Windows version.

Clear Steam’s Download Cache

The Steam download cache contains download preferences that you’ve made overtime. The cache might become too large or corrupt and cause issues with games, especially startup crashes. You’ll have to clear the cache to get rid of the problem.

None of your installed games will be affected after you clear the download cache, but note that you must log in again after clearing the cache. Follow the steps below:

  1. Launch the Steam client.
  2. Go to the top of the window and click on Steam, then select Settings.
  3. Once the Settings interface opens, go to the left pane and click on Downloads.
  4. Go to the right pane and click on the Clear Download Cache button.
  5. Click on the OK button, then relaunch the game and check for the problem.

Install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package

Virtually every game relies on the Visual C++ Redistributable to run properly. This is why the package is installed alongside the game. It might have gone corrupt or its part of the installation process didn’t work out correctly. You’ll have to repair it to make sure this isn’t the reason you’re experiencing the crashing issue.

Go to the Microsoft website and download the latest version of the package. You can find an installation package in the game’s folder, but using the Microsoft package is recommended.

Change Your Power Option

Your PC might be reducing your CPU speed because it wants to conserve power. This will significantly reduce the resources required by the game to run properly, causing it to crash. To resolve the issue, in this case, change your PC’s power option to High Performance.

Follow the steps below:

  1. Press the Windows and R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialog box.
  2. After Run opens, type “control panel” (without the quotes) into the text field and hit the Enter key or click on the OK button.
  3. Once the home page of Control Panel opens, click on System and Security, then click on Change Battery Settings under Power Options.
  4. Go to the left pane of the Power Options window and click on the Create a Power Plan link.
  5. Once the Create a Power Plan window opens, select the high-performance radio button, then type the name for the power plan into the text box under Plan Name.
  6. Click on the Next button, then change the settings for “Turn off display” and “Put the computer to sleep” in Edit Plan Settings window.
  7. Click on the Save Changes button.
  8. Relaunch the game and check for the problem.

Conclusion

We’re sure that you can now run Oxygen Not Included without problems. Use the comments section below to let us know if you want further assistance.