Fix Modern Warfare 3 (2023) Wont Launch

MW3 won’t Launch Fix – Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter game developed by the SledgeHammer Games and published by Activision. This is the third installment for the new Modern Warfare Series Reboot and a sequel to Modern Warfare 2.

Since the game launched, many gamers have been complaining about the game not launching at all. This has nothing to do with your PC because most games nowadays fail to launch during startup, and COD MW3 is no exception. This is the sole reason for us to research the issue and provide you with all the necessary tips and tricks to get the game to run. So, this article will guide you on how to fix COD MW3 won’t Launch issues.

Fix COD MW3 won’t Launch

PC System Requirements

First and foremost, you need to see whether you meet the minimum and the recommended system requirements for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.

Download the Nvidia Driver v537.58 for Modern Warfare 3

The devs have recommended driver version 537.58 as the perfect driver for Modern Warfare 3. So, if you are having problems with the latest driver released for MW3, which is 546.01. Then, you can roll back to 537.58. Use DDU to remove the previous driver and then install the next one.

• Link to Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver v537.58

Note: There are two drivers for MW3, at the moment. The v537.58 driver is the earlier one, and the v546.01 is the latest one.

Download AMD v23.11.1 driver for Modern Warfare 3

According to the devs, the recommended driver version that is best suited for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, is 23.10.2. But that is quite outdated now, and you will have a tough time finding that driver if you are already updated to a newer one. The latest AMD Adrenalin Driver is Adrenalin 23.11.1, which also supports Modern Warfare 3. If you are having issues with your current driver, I would recommend trying out both. Here are the links:

• Adrenalin 23.11.1
• Adrenalin 23.10.2

Update your OS

The devs have clearly mentioned that you must use the latest version of Windows 10/Windows 11 to avoid any technical issues with Modern Warfare 3. Here is what they had to say:

We recommend players keep up to date with the latest Windows 10 or Windows 11 version. Use the standard Windows updating process to apply this Windows version to your PC.

So, if you are sitting on an OS version that is somewhat dated, then I would recommend that you update your windows.

Always use a dedicated GPU when playing MW3

All the modern Call of Duty Games require a dedicated Graphics Card to have a smooth experience while playing the game. Remember that the integrated GPUs on the Non-Gaming Laptops are not supported. So, it would be best to ensure that your OS is completely up-to-date, and you are using your dedicated GPU on your laptop, not the integrated one.

As we also own a Lenovo Gaming Laptop, we tested the COD MW3, and it failed to launch every time we tried running it. After brainstorming ideas, we finally launched the game after switching from the integrated GPU to the dedicated GPU present on that laptop.

Verify the Integrity of Files

You can follow the steps to verify COD MW3 on Steam.

1. Open the Steam Library.
2. Locate Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.
3. Right-click on it and select the Properties.
4. Select Local Files from the left panel and click ‘Verify integrity of game files.’
5. The verification process will start, but it will take some time.
6. After the process completes, restart Steam and try rebooting the game.

Follow the Steps to verify the game if you have the Battlenet Client.

1. Select COD MW3 inside the Battlenet client
2. Click on Settings Icon
3. Choose the option Scan and Repair
4. Wait for the process to complete and restart the game again.

This particular method worked for many people, but not for me. This is because of the Anti-Cheat programs that are implemented in this game. The anti-cheat software is the culprit when it comes to Game-launching issues. Try this method, and if it doesn’t work, wait for the devs to fix it.

Program Conflicts

It might happen that the background software is conflicting with the COD MW3, so to fix that, you can try disabling some of the apps running in the background by simply opening the Services Tab.

Antivirus Software Conflict

If you think your pre-installed Antivirus is the culprit, you can temporarily disable the Real-Time Scanning or Protection. You can also try adding the whole game to the Exceptions List. We use the default Windows Defender, and this is what you can do.

1. Open the Windows 11 Settings menu and click ‘Privacy & Security.’
2. Select Windows Security, click Virus & Threat Protection, scroll down, and select ‘Manage settings’
3. Scroll down again to find the ‘Exclusion’ sections, and you can find the ‘Add or remove exclusions.’
4. Then select ‘Add an exclusion’ and choose a ‘Folder’.
5. Go to SteamLibrary > steam apps > common, and select the entire ‘COD MW3’ folder.
6. Open the ‘Firewall & network protection’ settings and select the ‘Allow an app through firewall.’
7. Once these steps are completed, the game successfully launched without any issues.

We also have Kaspersky Internet Security installed on one of our Gaming Systems, and if you are running the same Security software, right-click on the Kaspersky Icon and select “Pause Protection”.

Run the Game directly as an admin

Don’t launch the game directly from either Battle.net or Steam. Instead, you can try running it as an Admin, and this is what you can do.

1. Find COD MW3 on Steam, click on it, and select Manage > Browse Local Files.
2. Select the MW3.exe file and right-click on it.
3. Select the Compatibility Tab
4. And check the option “Run this Program as an Admin”.

Update the Visual C++ Redistributables

We always recommend updating the Visual C++ Redistributable because it may not have been installed correctly. This will fix various .dll issues like the “vcruntime140_1.dll missing” or “MSVCP140.dll was not found”.

Right now, these are the legit fixes that we have come across, and it does solve the Call of Duty MW3 Not Launching issues for a lot of the gamers in the Community. But if we encounter more of these, we will update them in this article.

Remember that none of these methods are advanced and are pretty basic. There is no guarantee that these steps will fix your problem 100%. If your issue is severe, the best option would be to contact Activision support.

If you think this guide has helped, then let us know in the comment section below. And for more COD MW3 Guides, keep an eye on Frondtech. We will be covering every single technical issue and bug of the game. Good luck!

That’s all, folks!

Last Updated on November 9, 2023

Shoaib

Shoaib, 30, is a simple guy who loves to play video games, and enjoys new cuisines sporadically. He has been gaming since he was 7 years old, and with an experience of 22 years, under his belt, there is not a single AAA game in this world, that he hasn’t played. Despite being a MBA Graduate he decided to follow his passion. And because of his love for gaming, Frondtech came into existence.