Battlefield 4 does not start - it may be because of it

If the Battlefield 4 shooter does not start, this can have various causes. Fortunately, you can fix most of them yourself. We show you what to do in this practical tip.

Battlefield 4 does not start: general information

• Check whether your computer meets the minimum requirements for Battlefield 4: Windows Vista SP2 32-bit (with update KB 971512), AMD Athlon X2 (2.8 GHz) or Intel Core 2 Duo (2.8 GHz), 4 GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 3870 (512 MByte) or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (512 MByte), 3 GByte free hard disk space.
• Install the latest drivers for your graphics card. The latest drivers from Nvidia (32-bit, 64-bit) and AMD (32-bit, 64-bit) can be downloaded from CHIP.
• Download the latest version of the Origin client and install the tool on your PC.
• Download all updates available for Battlefield 4. To do this, right-click on the game in Origin and select "Check for update" from the context menu.
• Try turning off your virus scanner and software firewall. If the game then starts, you must create an exception rule.
• Quit applications that are running in the background and are not required as they can use up memory and prevent the game from starting. Especially the software "MSI Afterburner" is known to cause conflicts with Battlefield 4.

Repair broken Battlefield 4 installation

• If the game data has been damaged by Battlefield 4, you do not have to download the whole game again. Instead, use Origin's repair function.
• To do this, right-click Battlefield 4 in Origin and select "Fix Game" from the context menu.

Black screen in Battlefield 4: Disable Windows Aero Theme

• If you use the Windows Aero Theme with a DPI resolution of 150 or 200 percent, Battlefield 4 may only show a black screen after starting.
• You then have to switch to a different theme.

Battlefield 4 does not start: switch off "Origin in the game"

• The "Origin in the game" function can also prevent Battlefield 4 from starting correctly. Therefore, switch it off at least for a test.
• In Origin, right-click Battlefield 4. Select Game Properties. Place a checkmark next to "Deactivate Origin in the game for this game" and confirm the change with the OK button.

Reinstall PunkBuster if you have trouble starting

If an error message from the anti-cheat software PunkBuster appears when you start the game, you must repair or reinstall it.

• Run the Punkbuster installation file (pbsvc.exe) to repair the program. The file can be found in the installation directory of Battlefield 4, i.e. by default under "C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Origin Games \ Battlefield 4 \ _Installer \".
• Alternatively, download PunkBuster from CHIP.
• In another guide, we explain in detail how to install and set up PunkBuster.

Battlelog: Reinstall the plug-in

Battlefield 4 requires the Battlelog browser plug-in. If this is not configured correctly, the game will not start.

1. Uninstall the "Battlelog Web Plugins" using the Windows Control Panel.
2. Visit the battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4 website and log in with your username and password. Then download the browser plug-in by clicking on the arrow in the top menu bar.
3. Install the plug-in and restart the browser.

Activate Battlelog in the browser

If your web browser blocks the Battlelog plugin for security reasons, perform the following steps.

• Firefox: Click on the menu button. Select "Add-ons" Switch to the "Plugins" area. Look for "ESN Sonar API" and "Battlelog Game Launcher" and set both (if available) to "Always activate". Then restart Firefox.
• Chrome: Enter "chrome: // plugins" in the address bar. Check the "Always allow execution" checkbox for the "ESN Sonar API" and "Battlelog Game Launcher" plug-ins. Restart Chrome.
• Internet Explorer 11: Click on the gear in the menu bar. Select "Internet Options" In the "General" tab, click "Clear" to clear your browsing history. Switch to the "Security" tab. Set the slider for the "Internet" zone to "Medium". In the "Trusted sites" zone, add the entries ".battlefield.com", "battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/" and "battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/" (both without quotes). Apply the changes and restart your PC.

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Reinstall Visual C ++

Incorrect installation of Visual C ++ also prevents Battlefield 4 from starting.

1. Open the Battlefield 4 installation directory. By default, this is "C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Origin Games \ Battlefield 4".
2. Look for the directory "_Installer" and open it. Then open the "VC", "vc2012Update3" and "redist" folders one after the other.
3. Both an x86 and an x64 version of vcredist.exe is located in the directory. Install both files.

Fix problems with DirectX

To fix DirectX issues related to Battlefield 4, use the following steps.

1. Download the DirectX End-User Runtimes.
2. Start the file. The installer asks you where to unzip the files. Enter the path "... \ Origin Games \ Battlefield 4 \ Installer \ directx \ redist". Replace the beginning of the path with the exact details of your installation directory.
3. Open the folder "C \ Users \ * Username * \ Documents \ Battlefield 4 \ settings". There you open the file "PROFSAVE_profile" with a text editor.
4. Look for the entry "GstRender.OverallGraphicsQuality". Change its value from "0" to "1". Then save the file.

Starting problems with multiple Battlefield IDs on one account

If the message "An Error was Reported by EA Online" or "EA Online has reported an error" appears at the start, then several Battlefield IDs are used with one account. Use the following steps to fix this error.

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1. Click your profile in the top right corner of the Battlelog.
2. Select "Change Soldiers". There you set another soldier as active. This is then marked in green.
3. Start the game again. If this still does not work, repeat the process and select another soldier.

In the next practical tip we will tell you what you can do if jerks in Battlefield 4 spoil the fun.