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How to Fix Mafia 2 Crashing, Not Launching Issues

This guide will help you fix all Mafia 2 issues

9 min. read

Updated onOctober 10, 2024

updated onOctober 10, 2024

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Mafia 2 is a worthy successor to the originalgame, but according to users, it seems that certain issues are frequent onWindows10. Among these, many have mentioned game crashes or black screens, freezing, and low FPS. Sometimes, users can’t even launch the game.

How can I fix Mafia 2 problems on Windows 10?

How can I fix Mafia 2 problems on Windows 10?

Fix Mafia 2 crashes / not starting

  1. Make sure the drivers are up to date

Sometimes Mafia 2 cancrashif certain components are out of date. To avoid any potential issues, make sure your drivers, PhysX, andVisual C++ Redistributablesare up to date before running Mafia 2.

All your drivers need to be updated, but doing it manually is very annoying, so we recommend you downloadOutbyte Driver Updaterto do it automatically.

With Outbyte Driver Updater, you will surely get just the right drivers for your system, with only a few clicks. No need to worry about choosing or finding the right software. This tool does everything for you.

Plus, using the program you avoid any critical changes that may cause functional troubles on your PC while updating old drivers.

  1. Uninstall PhysX

Few users reported that reinstalling PhysX has fixed the issue for them, so if you want to use PhysX, try reinstalling it.

If you’re reluctant to completely uninstall this file, it’s advised that you at least disable it. To do this, just start thegame, go to Video options, and turn off PhysX from the menu.

  1. Run Mafia 2 in compatibility mode/use compatibility troubleshooter

To run compatibility troubleshooter, follow these steps:

  1. Remove overclock settings

Overclocking your hardware can improve your performance, but at the same time, it can cause certaingames, such as Mafia 2 to crash.

If any of your hardware is overclocked, make sure to remove any existing clock settings and try to run thegameagain.

  1. DisableSteamOverlay

After disablingSteamOverlay you won’t be able to see anySteamnotifications, such as messages and achievements, but crashing issues should be resolved.

IfSteamOverlay doesn’t work in othergames, check outthis articleto solve the issue easily.

  1. Turn off anti-aliasing

In some cases, the cause for Mafia 2crashescan be the anti-aliasing option.

So if Mafia 2 is crashing on your computer, make sure that you disable this option from the settings menu.

  1. Add Mafia 2 to the list of exceptions

Mafia 2 can sometimescrashif it’s not added to the list of exclusions in your firewall orantivirus software.

To check if your firewall is blocking the game, follow the simple stepsin this guide.

Additionally, before launching Mafia 2, make sure that the following folders are added to the list of exceptions in your antivirus software:

At the same time, it is recommended to switch to a better antivirus that can provide real help for your game. Hence, take action and choose one from thebest antivirus software for gaming PCs.

Users reported that Mafia 2crashescan be caused by third-party applications running in the background.

Certain applications, such asGigabyte OC Guru, Fraps, Mumble,andXfirecan cause Mafia 2 tocrash, so if you’re using any of these applications, make sure to disable them before running Mafia 2.

  1. Delete videoconfig.cfg

We have to point out that you’ll need to repeat this solution every time before you start thegameif the problem returns.

  1. Run thegameas administrator

Few users reported that their problem was resolved after launching the game like this, so make sure that you try that as well.

  1. Verify the game cache

  2. Reinstall thegame

If Mafia 2 won’t start one of the last options is to completely uninstall thegameand install it again.

In addition to reinstalling thegame, it’s also advised to update yourgraphics carddrivers to the latest version.

  1. Change videoconfig values

Fix Mafia 2 black screen

  1. Edit videoconfig file

If you want to create custom resolutions,this guidewill certainly help you do it with ease.

  1. Connect your PC to another monitor or TV

Sometimes you’ll experience black screen issues while starting Mafia 2 if your display doesn’t support the set resolution, so you’ll have to connect your PC to adifferent monitoror a TV.

After you’ve connected a different monitor or a TV, start Mafia 2, change the game resolution to 1024×768, or something similar.

Save changes and turn off your computer. Connect your old monitor once again, and try to start thegame.

Fix Mafia 2 low FPS

  1. Delete certain files from the Cloth folder

After you’ve deleted these files, the dynamic clothing effect will only work on your character thus increasing your fps.

  1. Delete the Effects directory

By removing this folder you’ll disable most of the particle effects in thegameand drastically improve performance.

Fix Mafia 2 freezing

  1. Run thegamein windowed mode

If Mafia 2 is freezing on your PC, try to run thegamein windowed mode. To do that just run thegame, go to the options menu, open graphics settings, and set thegameto run in windowed mode.

  1. Reinstall thegame

Also, it’s well-advised to reinstall thegameif the occurring issues keep reappearing, just like the freezing.

Reinstalling thegameincludes clearing all the remaining files and registry inputs, so it’s advised to runCCleaner. This ensures a complete uninstall process so that unnecessary files from the removed app don’t interfere later with the fresh install.

⇒Get CCleaner

Here’s how to reinstall Mafia 2 in a few simple steps:

  1. Meet the system requirements

Another thing worth paying attention to is the imposed system requirements. Thisgameis quite demanding, and, in order for it to work, you’ll need to have a capable configuration in order to run it. Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements:

Minimum Requirements

Recommended configuration

Fix Mafia 2 graphics problem

  1. Update 3D Vision drivers

Sometimes you might get unreadable text and black textures if you’re playing Mafia 2 using 3D vision. To fix this issue we strongly advise you to download and install the latest 3D vision drivers.

You can safely useOutbyte Driver Updater, the same tool we recommended in this article’s very first solution.

  1. Check yourgraphics cardtemperature

In certain cases, you might see black lines while playing Mafia 2, and if that’s the case, you should check yourgraphics cardtemperature.

If yourgraphics cardis overheating, you might want toinstall additional coolingor switch yourgraphics card.

These are some of the most common issues that many PC gamers had with Mafia 2. If you’re having any of these issues, feel free to try any of our solutions.

If you have any more questions, drop them in the comments sections below.

More about the topics:windows games

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.

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Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.