Fix Just Cause 2 Crash, Freeze & Install Issues

If you still haven’t tried Just Cause 2, I suggest you go and try it now. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously but of course you’ll have a lot of fun playing it (unless you hate action video games with a passion). Just Cause 2 was released to the public yesterday (23rd of March) and so far, it’s been well received by gamers. The game appears to be well polished and thankfully it’s not filled with bugs and glitches unlike some other titles released earlier this year. However, some of our readers do seem to have run into some problems with Just Cause 2. This is an attempt to help resolve common issues people seem to be having with this game. Note that the article is a work in progress and more content will be added later, as issues and fixes are discovered.

Can’t run the game in Windows XP

Unfortunately, this is a problem that cannot be solved. Just Cause 2 is a DX10/11 game and only supports Windows Vista and Windows 7. There is currently no way you can get the game to run under Windows XP (which only has DirectX 9). There are various hacks posted online but they simply do not work – do not waste your time on this if you have XP.

Cant find XINPUT1_3.dll  Error

This error and most other similar missing DLL errors are usually triggered due to a non updated version of DirectX. Please download and install the latest version of DirectX and the error would most likely be gone :)

Installer issues, crashes, freezes or hang at launch

Some of the most common issues people seem to be experiencing with this game seems to include the Just Cause 2 not launching after the main executable is clicked. Black, blank screens at launch or crashes to desktop have also been reported. One possible reason for such problems is a corrupted or incomplete installation. If you are experiencing such problems, we suggest you reinstall the game, this time running the installer as Administrator (Right click and choose ‘Run as administrator’).

On Windows Vista and Windows 7, when a non-admin privileged user tries to install something into Program Files, sometimes the OS directs the install location to the user’s VirtualHost folder. This is a safety feature but might cause issues with games such as Just Cause 2. Reinstalling and running the setup as administrator should fix this problem.

You can also try installing the game to a less restrictive folder than Program Files. If you are intending to play using a non administrator account, make sure to give the account full permission to the game’s install folder (Right click install dir -> Properties -> Security -> Edit -> Add -> Advanced -> Find now –> Choose your user account and press OK to all open windows to save and close). Additionally, right lick JustCause2.exe and choose ‘'Run as Admin’ when launching the game as well.

Disappearing civilians and vehicles

Some people have reported that all civilian vehicles and civilians disappear after you play several hours into the game. This seems to be an actual bug and has been acknowledged on Just Cause 2 support forums. If this happens, all you need to do this to start a race – this should reload all civilians and vehicles in the area.