If you are faced with the fact that Stronghold: Crusader Extreme slows down, crashes, Stronghold: Crusader Extreme does not start, Stronghold: Crusader Extreme does not install, controls do not work in Stronghold: Crusader Extreme, there is no sound, errors pop up, Stronghold: Crusader Extreme does not saves work - we offer you the most common ways to solve these problems.

First, check whether your PC's specifications meet the minimum system requirements:

  • OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
  • Processor: Pentium III 1 GHz
  • Memory: 256 MB
  • Video: 4 MB
  • Free hard disk space: 1.1 GB
  • DirectX 8.1;

Be sure to update your video card drivers and other software

Before you remember the worst words and express them towards the developers, do not forget to go to the official website of the manufacturer of your video card and download the latest drivers. Often, drivers specially optimized for them are prepared for the release of games. You can also try installing a later version of drivers if the problem is not solved by installing the current version.

It is important to remember that you should only download the final versions of video cards - try not to use beta versions, as they may have a large number of unfound and unfixed errors.

Do not forget that for stable operation of games, installation of the latest version of DirectX is often required, which can always be downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

Stronghold: Crusader Extreme won't launch

Many problems with launching games occur due to incorrect installation. Check if there were any errors during installation, try uninstalling the game and running the installer again, after disabling the antivirus - often files necessary for the game to work are deleted by mistake. It is also important to remember that the path to the folder with the installed game should not contain Cyrillic characters - use only Latin letters and numbers for directory names.

It also doesn’t hurt to check if there is enough space on the HDD for installation. You can try to run the game as Administrator in compatibility mode for different versions of Windows.

Stronghold: Crusader Extreme slows down. Low FPS. Lags. Friezes. Freezes

First, install the latest drivers for your video card; this can significantly increase the FPS in the game. Also check your computer's load in the task manager (opened by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESCAPE). If before starting the game you see that some process is consuming too many resources, turn off its program or simply end this process from the task manager.

Next, go to the graphics settings in the game. First of all, turn off anti-aliasing and try lowering the post-processing settings. Many of them consume a lot of resources and disabling them will significantly improve performance without significantly affecting the picture quality.

Stronghold: Crusader Extreme crashes to desktop

If Stronghold: Crusader Extreme often crashes to your desktop slot, try to start solving the problem by reducing the quality of the graphics. It is possible that your computer simply does not have enough performance and the game cannot run correctly. It's also worth checking for updates - most modern games have a system for automatically installing new patches. Check if this option is disabled in the settings.

Black screen in Stronghold: Crusader Extreme

More often than not, the problem with a black screen is an issue with the GPU. Check if your video card meets the minimum requirements and install the latest drivers. Sometimes a black screen is a result of insufficient CPU performance.

If everything is fine with the hardware and it meets the minimum requirements, try switching to another window (ALT+TAB), and then returning to the game window.

Stronghold: Crusader Extreme is not installed. Installation stuck

First of all, check if you have enough HDD space for installation. Remember that for the installation program to work correctly, the stated amount of space is required, plus 1-2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk. In general, remember the rule - there should always be at least 2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk for temporary files. Otherwise, both games and programs may not work correctly or may refuse to start at all.

Installation problems can also occur due to a lack of Internet connection or unstable operation. Also, do not forget to pause the antivirus while installing the game - sometimes it interferes with the correct copying of files or deletes them by mistake, considering them viruses.

Saves not working in Stronghold: Crusader Extreme

By analogy with the previous solution, check the availability of free space on the HDD - both on the one where the game is installed and on the system drive. Often save files are stored in a documents folder, which is located separately from the game itself.

Controls not working in Stronghold: Crusader Extreme

Sometimes game controls do not work due to multiple input devices being connected at the same time. Try disabling the gamepad or, if for some reason you have two keyboards or mice connected, leave only one pair of devices. If your gamepad does not work, then remember that games are officially supported only by controllers defined as Xbox joysticks. If your controller is detected differently, try using programs that emulate Xbox joysticks (for example, x360ce).

Sound does not work in Stronghold: Crusader Extreme

Check if the sound works in other programs. After this, check whether the sound is turned off in the game settings and whether the sound playback device to which your speakers or headset is connected is selected there. Next, while the game is running, open the mixer and check if the sound there is muted.

If you are using an external sound card, check for new drivers on the manufacturer's website.


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Sometimes errors appear during startup. It’s unpleasant, but the game you installed may not launch, crashing, freezing, showing a black screen and displaying errors in windows. Therefore, quite logical questions arise: “What to do?”, “Why is this happening?” and “How to solve the problem?” We tried to collect all the necessary information with instructions, tips, various programs and libraries that are designed to help solve the most common errors related to .

Required software for Stronghold Crusader 2

We strongly recommend checking out links to various useful programs. For what? A huge number of errors and problems in Stronghold Crusader 2 are associated with uninstalled/not updated drivers and the lack of necessary libraries.

Low FPS, Stronghold Crusader 2 slows down, freezes or lags

Modern games are extremely resource-intensive, so even if you have a modern computer, it is still better to disable unnecessary/unnecessary background processes (to increase processor power) and use the methods described below to help get rid of lags and slowdowns.

  • Launch the task manager and in processes find the line with the name of the game (Stronghold Crusader 2). Right-click on it and select from the menu "Priorities", then set the value "High". Now all that remains is to restart the game.

  • Remove everything unnecessary from startup. To do this, in the same task manager you need to go to the tab, where you need to disable unnecessary processes when the system starts. It’s better not to touch unfamiliar applications unless you know what they are responsible for, otherwise you risk ruining the system’s startup.
  • We also recommend that in the settings related to energy consumption, set "Maximum performance". The same applies to the video card: you need to set maximum performance in the GPU settings (this can be done in "Managing 3D Settings"), and in texture filtering select the parameter "Quality" .
  • If your Nvidia video card is no older than the GTX 10 series of GPUs, then it is quite possible to increase the frame rate by speeding up the work with the video card. To implement your plan, you again need to open "Control Panel" Video cards, go to the already familiar tab "Manage 3D Settings" and select the game in the list of programs, then find "Vertical sync pulse" and click on it to set the parameter in the menu "Fast" .
  • You should delete temporary folders, unnecessary files and cache. On the Internet you can find a bunch of different programs that help you do this. We recommend using BleachBit or CCleaner for this.
  • Defragment or optimize your hard drive. To do this, go to “Hard disk properties” tab “Tools” “Defragmentation” or “Optimization”. In addition, you can also check/clean the disk there, which helps in some cases.
  • Ultimately, go for a simple design so that your computer is not burdened with resource-intensive effects. For example, you can safely disable built-in debuggers, search indexing, and much more.
  • Stronghold Crusader 2 crashes at random or on startup


    Below are some simple ways to solve the problem, but you need to understand that crashes can be associated with both game errors and errors related to something specific on the computer. Therefore, some cases of crashes are individual, which means that if no solution to the problem has helped, you should write about it in the comments and, perhaps, we will help you solve the problem.

    • First of all, try the simplest option - restart Stronghold Crusader 2, but with administrator rights.

  • You should definitely check if Stronghold Crusader 2 has any conflicts with other applications on your computer. For example, many players often swear at a utility called MSI AfterBurner, therefore, if you use this or any other similar one, disable it and try to start the game again.
  • It is quite possible that the game refuses to work adequately due to Windows Defender(aka "Defender") or due to antivirus. So you should go to options and add .exe file running Stronghold Crusader 2 as an exception, or immediately disabling the antivirus along with Defender (they could also delete some vital file for the game that needs to be restored).
  • DLL file is missing or DLL error


    First, we should explain how errors related to DLL files occur in general: during startup, Stronghold Crusader 2 accesses certain DLL files, and if the game cannot find them, then it instantly crashes with an error. Moreover, the errors can be very different, depending on the lost file, but any of them will have the prefix "DLL" .

    To solve the problem, you need to find and return the missing DLL library to the folder. And the easiest way to do this is to use the DLL-fixer program specially created for such cases - it will scan your system and help you find the missing library. Of course, not every DLL error can be solved this way, so below we suggest that you familiarize yourself with more specific cases.

    Error d3dx9_43.dll, xinput1_2.dll, x3daudio1_7.dll, xrsound.dll, etc.

    All errors whose names can be seen "d3dx" , "xinput" , "dxgi" , "d3dcompiler" And "x3daudio" are treated in the same way - use the web installer for DirectX executable libraries.


    Error MSVCR120.dll, VCRUNTIME140.dll, runtime-x32.dll, etc.

    Errors with the title "MSVCR" or "RUNTIME" are treated by installing Microsoft Visual C++ libraries (you can find out which library is needed in the system requirements).


    Getting rid of the error MSVCR140.dll / msvcr120.dll / MSVCR110.dll and other DLLs once and for all

    Very often I began to notice that people cry about errors “the program cannot be started because MSVCR120.dll is missing on the computer.” This occurs...

    Common network errors

    Can't see friends / friends not showing up in Stronghold Crusader 2

    An unpleasant misunderstanding, and in some cases even a bug or error (in such cases, none of the methods below will help, since the problem is related to the servers). It is curious that many players encounter this, and it does not matter which launcher they play in. We noted for a reason that this is a “misunderstanding”, since, as a rule, the problem is solved in the simple ways described below:

    • Make sure that you and your friends are going to play in the same game region, and that the launcher is set to the same loading region.

  • If the method described above did not help, then it’s time to clear the cache and run a file integrity check.
  • The most radical way to solve the problem is to completely reinstall the launcher. At the same time, be sure to delete all files associated with the launcher so that nothing remains on the computer.
  • Specifically for Steam, there is another extremely simple way to solve the problem: choose any section you like "Library" or "Community", then go to the open tab in "Steam" "View" "Friends" "Games" "Help". And then in the section with friends, in the drop-down menu, check the box next to the item "Online"(or rearrange the status, but return to where you are online).
  • The server creator needs to open ports in the firewall

    Many problems in online games are due to the fact that the ports are closed. There's not a single living soul, your friend can't see the game (or vice versa) and you're having connection problems? Now is the time to open ports in the firewall, but before doing so, you should understand how “it” works. The fact is that programs and computer games that use the Internet require not only trouble-free access to the network to work, but also open ports. This is especially important if you want to play some online games.

    Often the ports on the computer are closed, so they should be opened. In addition, before setting up, you need to find out the port numbers, and to do this, you first need to find out the IP address of the router.

    • Open a command line window (open with the command "cmd" in Start).
    • Register the command "ipconfig"(without quotes).
    • The IP address will appear in the line "Main gate" .


    • Open the command line using the command "cmd" in Pusk.
    • Re-enter the command "ipconfig" without quotes.
    • Run the command "netstat -a", after which a complete list with port numbers will be displayed.


    • Be sure to make sure that you have Windows Administrator rights.
    • You need to go to the firewall settings: Start Control Panel Firewall. You can also use the keyboard shortcut "Win+R", then enter the command in the window "firewall.cpl"(this method is better in that it is relevant for any version of Windows OS, so if there is no button "Start", use it).
    • Go to the tab “Additional parameters” In the left column, select “Rules for eligible connections” In the right column, select “Create a rule” .
    • In the window that opens, you should select the rule where it says "For the port", press "Further" .
    • In the next window you need to decide on the protocol: 1 – "TCP" , 2 – "UPD". Select an item in the field below "Specific local ports" and enter your ports. If suddenly there are several ports, then you need to list them either using a comma, or indicating the range of these ports using a dash. Press "Further" .
    • Now the little things: select “Allow connection” “Next” select connection profiles, “Next” specify a name for the newly created rule and if you want, you can add a description. All you have to do is save all the changes and you're done.

    DirectX error in Stronghold Crusader 2


    Errors related to DirectX can occur specifically when launching Stronghold Crusader 2. Don't be surprised if one game works fine, while another throws an error. There are usually quite a lot of such errors, so we have collected the most common ones among users. So if you suddenly have a message "DirectX Runtime Error" , "DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_RESET" , "DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG" or "DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED", use the instructions below to resolve these errors.

    • The first thing you need to do is install a “clean” version of your video card driver (that is, don’t immediately rush to install the same GeForce Experience, nothing extra from AMD and audio).

  • If you have a second monitor, try turning it off, and also turn off G-Sync and any other types of additional/auxiliary devices.
  • Use System File Checker to repair damaged or missing system files.
  • If you are using a video card from Nvidia, then try turning on "Debug mode" in the video card control panel.
  • Often the cause of the error is an overheated video card, so we recommend using the FurMark program to check its functionality. If this turns out to be true, then you should lower the frequency of the video card.
  • If you suddenly encounter other errors, then we recommend reinstalling DirectX, but before that it’s better to delete the old version just in case (be sure to delete all files in the folder before reinstalling, starting with "d3dx9_24.dll" and ending "d3dx9_43.dll").
  • Error 0xc000007b in Stronghold Crusader 2


    At worst error 0xc000007b or "This application was unable to start correctly" is associated with damaged OS system files, or, at best, with Nvidia video card drivers.

    Common ways to solve the problem:

    • The most obvious and easiest way to deal with the error is to reinstall the drivers for the video card, and then run the game as an administrator.

  • Next, try updating or installing .Net Framework, DirectX and Visual C++.
  • Alternatively, use the command line (“Start” “Run”), where you need to enter the command “sfc /scannow” (the system will scan everything and, if possible, try to replace damaged files if cached copies exist).
  • And finally, you should try to remove software that conflicts with the video driver. Typically, such unnecessary software includes programs that improve graphics.
  • The second method is the free Dependency Walker 64bit program:

    • After installing Dependency Walker 64bit, run the utility and go to the following address: “View” “Full Patch” “.exe file of the problematic game”(in some cases, after this a window with errors appears, but you should not pay attention to it, just close the window). Switch to section "Module", scroll to the end of the error, look at the values ​​in the columns.

  • The CPU column includes all DLLs, all of which must be 64-bit for the video game. Therefore, if you notice a DLL file with x86 architecture in the red column of the CPU column, then this means that it is because of this file that error 0xc000007b occurs.
  • Once the problematic file is found, all that remains is to go to the official website dll-files.com and download the 64-bit version of the DLL file there. Find, download, place it in a folder "C:\Windows\system32" and to the root folder of Stronghold Crusader 2, after which you check the functionality.
  • "Out of memory" error

    An error occurs due to insufficient memory for almost a dozen reasons. Of course, the most common are either a lack of hardware RAM or a small page file size. In the latter case, even if you configured nothing, everything could easily be ruined by third-party software or by simply disabling the paging file.

    • You need to try increasing the swap file ( “Start” “System Settings” in the line at the top enter “Performance” select “Customize presentation and system performance” “Advanced” “Change” uncheck the “Automatically select...” function select the size).

  • It is possible that a certain program, or even several, causes a memory leak or a virus. To check and possibly solve the problem, open the task manager, after which you need to sort everything by memory consumption.
  • Sound in Stronghold Crusader 2 is missing or disappears in cutscenes

    Most often, the problem is related to the high sound resolution in the Windows settings, namely, the bit rate and sampling rate. Therefore, there is only one way to get rid of the problem - lower this resolution.


    • In the tray, right-click on the speaker icon;
    • In the menu that opens, select the item "Sounds" ;
    • Next you need to select a device (it can be either speakers or headphones) and click on "Properties" ;
    • Go to next tab "Additionally" ;
    • Find the menu called "Default Format" to set a value, but it must be lower than the current one;
    • Click "Apply", open Stronghold Crusader 2 and check the result of the work done.

    The problem associated with the lack of sound in screensavers cannot be solved using the first method, so do the following:

    • Again in the tray RMB on the speaker icon;
    • In the menu, find a function called "Spatial Sound" to disable;
    • All that remains is to restart Stronghold Crusader 2 and check the result.

    And most importantly, do not forget to determine where exactly the sound is missing - everywhere on the computer or only in the game. There are other unlikely, but quite possible reasons for the lack of sound: the sound card is too old and therefore does not support DirectX; incorrect settings; incorrectly installed drivers for the sound card or some specific error in the operating system. In such cases, be sure to write in the comments, and we will try to help correct the errors!

    Black screen appears in Stronghold Crusader 2

    The appearance of a black screen is often associated with a conflict between video drivers and software. And least of all with certain files of Stronghold Crusader 2. However, there are quite a few other reasons associated with the appearance of the “black screen of death”.

    The first step when a problem occurs is to update the video driver. Many people neglect this completely, but we strongly recommend doing this, because for many modern games important updates are released that help launch a particular game.

    • Are the drivers installed/updated, but Stronghold Crusader 2 still refuses to work properly? Then you need to check the software to see if the necessary libraries are installed at all? First of all, check the availability of libraries Microsoft Visual C++ And .Net Framework, as well as the presence of “fresh” DirectX .

  • If none of the above has given the desired result, then it’s time to resort to a radical way to solve the problem: launch Stronghold Crusader 2 and when a black screen appears, press the “Alt+Enter” key combination so that the game switches to windowed mode. This way, perhaps, the main menu of the game will open and it will be possible to determine whether the problem is in the game or not. If you managed to switch to windowed mode, then go to the game settings of Stronghold Crusader 2 and change the resolution (often it turns out that a mismatch between the resolution of the game and the desktop leads to a conflict, which causes a black screen to appear).
  • This error can also be caused by various video capture programs and other applications related to video effects. And the reason is simple - conflicts arise.
  • And finally, the problem most likely can be related to the technical component of the hardware. The video adapter can overheat, as well as the bridges on the motherboard, which entails reduced power consumption of the video card. We will not go into detailed technical details, so we simply recommend that you clean your machine of dust and also change the thermal paste!
  • Color screen appears

    The appearance of a colorful screen is often due to the fact that two video cards are used at once. If the motherboard has a built-in graphics processor, but you play on a discrete one, the game will run on the built-in one anyway. This is why “color” problems arise, since the monitor is connected by default to a discrete video card.

    No less often, a color screen appears if there are problems with image output. This can be caused by a variety of reasons, but there are two most common: 1 – the drivers are outdated; 2 – your video card is not supported. Therefore, we recommend updating the drivers first.

    Image flickering in Stronghold Crusader 2

    Typically, the problem is associated with an overheated video card. The first thing you should do is check the wires, in case they blocked the cooling system fans, but if they are in perfect order, then it’s time to reset the overclocking of the video card: you need to enter the application MSI Afterburner(or similar) and click on "Reset" .

    Mouse, keyboard or controller doesn't work

    Most often, if such problems arise, it is strictly on the player’s side. When connecting a new device, the OS immediately tries to install the necessary driver package, but the problem is that it is standard, which means it will not be compatible with every device, so check the availability of the necessary drivers. Additionally, viruses may affect the controls, so be sure to check your system.


    And finally, as an option, you should try to remove all USB devices registered by the computer. You cannot touch only the software that is associated with the main devices (gamepad, keyboard, mouse, wireless adapter), then be sure to restart the computer. It is quite possible that a conflict has occurred and because of this the control does not work.

    Unfortunately, games have flaws: stutters, low FPS, crashes, freezes, bugs and other minor and not so minor errors. Often problems begin even before the game starts, when it does not install, does not load, or does not even download. And the computer itself sometimes acts strange, and then in Stronghold Crusader 2 there is a black screen instead of a picture, the controls don’t work, you can’t hear the sound or anything else.

    What to do first

    1. Download and run the world famous CCleaner(download via direct link) - this is a program that will clean your computer of unnecessary garbage, as a result of which the system will work faster after the first reboot;
    2. Update all drivers on the system using the program Driver Updater(download via direct link) - it will scan your computer and update all drivers to the latest version in 5 minutes;
    3. Install Advanced System Optimizer(download via direct link) and enable game mode in it, which will end useless background processes while launching games and improve performance in the game.

    The second thing to do if you encounter any problems with Stronghold Crusader 2 is to check the system requirements. In a good way, you need to do this before purchasing, so as not to regret the money spent.

    Minimum system requirements for Stronghold Crusader 2:

    Windows XP, Processor: Intel Core2 Duo 2 GHz, 2 Gb RAM, 4 GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT Video memory: 512 Mb

    Every gamer should have at least a little understanding of components, know why a video card, processor and other things are needed in the system unit.

    Files, drivers and libraries

    Almost every device in a computer requires a set of special software. These are drivers, libraries and other files that ensure the correct operation of the computer.

    You should start with the drivers for your video card. Modern graphics cards are manufactured by only two large companies - Nvidia and AMD. Having found out which product drives the coolers in the system unit, we go to the official website and download the latest driver package:

    A prerequisite for the successful operation of Stronghold Crusader 2 is the availability of the latest drivers for all devices in the system. Download the utility Driver Updater to easily and quickly download the latest drivers and install them with one click:

    If Stronghold Crusader 2 does not start, we recommend that you try to disable your antivirus or put the game in antivirus exceptions, and also check again for compliance with the system requirements and if something from your build does not comply, then, if possible, improve your PC by purchasing more powerful ones components.


    Stronghold Crusader 2 has black screen, white screen, color screen. Solution

    Problems with screens of different colors can be divided into 2 categories.

    Firstly, they often involve using two video cards at once. For example, if your motherboard has a built-in video card, but you play on a discrete one, then Stronghold Crusader 2 may launch for the first time on the built-in one, but you will not see the game itself, because the monitor is connected to a discrete video card.

    Secondly, color screens occur when there are problems with displaying images on the screen. This can happen for various reasons. For example, Stronghold Crusader 2 cannot work through an outdated driver or does not support the video card. Also, a black/white screen may appear when working at resolutions that are not supported by the game.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 crashes. At a specific or random moment. Solution

    You play for yourself, play and then - bam! - everything goes out, and now you have a desktop in front of you without any hint of a game. Why is this happening? To solve the problem, you should try to figure out what the nature of the problem is.

    If a crash occurs at a random moment in time without any pattern, then with a 99% probability we can say that this is a bug of the game itself. In this case, it is very difficult to fix something, and the best thing to do is just put Stronghold Crusader 2 aside and wait for the patch.

    However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash.

    However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash. In addition, you can download the Stronghold Crusader 2 save and bypass the departure location.


    Stronghold Crusader 2 freezes. The picture freezes. Solution

    The situation is approximately the same as with crashes: many freezes are directly related to the game itself, or rather to the developer’s mistake when creating it. However, often a frozen picture can become a starting point for investigating the deplorable state of a video card or processor.

    So if the picture in Stronghold Crusader 2 freezes, then use programs to display statistics on component loading. Perhaps your video card has long exhausted its working life or the processor is heating up to dangerous temperatures?

    The easiest way to check the load and temperatures for the video card and processors is in the MSI Afterburner program. If you wish, you can even display these and many other parameters on top of the Stronghold Crusader 2 picture.

    What temperatures are dangerous? Processors and video cards have different operating temperatures. For video cards they are usually 60-80 degrees Celsius. For processors it is slightly lower - 40-70 degrees. If the processor temperature is higher, then you should check the condition of the thermal paste. It may have already dried out and needs to be replaced.

    If the video card is heating up, then you should use a driver or an official utility from the manufacturer. It is necessary to increase the number of revolutions of the coolers and check whether the operating temperature decreases.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 is slow. Low FPS. Frame rate drops. Solution

    If there are slowdowns and low frame rates in Stronghold Crusader 2, the first thing to do is lower the graphics settings. Of course, there are many of them, so before reducing everything, it’s worth finding out exactly how certain settings affect performance.

    Screen resolution. In short, this is the number of points that make up the game picture. The higher the resolution, the higher the load on the video card. However, the increase in load is insignificant, so you should reduce the screen resolution only as a last resort, when everything else no longer helps.

    Texture quality. Typically, this setting determines the resolution of texture files. The texture quality should be reduced if the video card has a small amount of video memory (less than 4 GB) or if you are using a very old hard drive with a spindle speed of less than 7200.

    Model quality(sometimes just detailing). This setting determines which set of 3D models will be used in the game. The higher the quality, the more polygons. Accordingly, high-poly models require more processing power from the video card (not to be confused with the amount of video memory!), which means this parameter should be reduced on video cards with low core or memory frequencies.

    Shadows. They are implemented in different ways. In some games, shadows are created dynamically, that is, they are calculated in real time at every second of the game. Such dynamic shadows load both the processor and the video card. For optimization purposes, developers often abandon full rendering and add pre-rendered shadows to the game. They are static, because essentially they are just textures overlaid on top of the main textures, which means they load memory, and not the video card core.

    Often developers add additional settings related to shadows:

    • Shadow Resolution - Determines how detailed the shadow cast by an object will be. If the game has dynamic shadows, it loads the video card core, and if a pre-created render is used, then it “eats” the video memory.
    • Soft shadows - smoothing out unevenness in the shadows themselves, usually this option is given along with dynamic shadows. Regardless of the type of shadows, it loads the video card in real time.

    Smoothing. Allows you to get rid of ugly corners on the edges of objects through the use of a special algorithm, the essence of which usually comes down to generating several images at once and comparing them, calculating the most “smooth” picture. There are many different anti-aliasing algorithms that differ in their level of impact on the performance of Stronghold Crusader 2.

    For example, MSAA works head-on, creating 2, 4 or 8 renders at once, so the frame rate is reduced by 2, 4 or 8 times, respectively. Algorithms like FXAA and TAA work a little differently, achieving a smooth image by calculating only the edges and using some other tricks. Thanks to this, they do not reduce performance as much.

    Lighting. As with anti-aliasing, there are different algorithms for lighting effects: SSAO, HBAO, HDAO. They all use video card resources, but they do it differently depending on the video card itself. The fact is that the HBAO algorithm was promoted mainly on video cards from Nvidia (GeForce line), so it works best on “green” ones. HDAO, on the contrary, is optimized for video cards from AMD. SSAO is the simplest type of lighting, it consumes the least resources, so in case of brakes in Stronghold Crusader 2 it is worth switching to it.

    What to reduce first? Shadows, anti-aliasing and lighting effects tend to take the most work, so these are the best places to start.

    Gamers often have to optimize Stronghold Crusader 2 themselves. Almost all major releases have various relevant forums where users share their ways to improve performance.

    One of them is a special program called Advanced System Optimizer. It is made specifically for those who do not want to manually clean their computer of various temporary files, delete unnecessary registry entries and edit the startup list. Advanced System Optimizer does this for you and also analyzes your computer to find ways to improve performance in apps and games.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 lags. Large delay when playing. Solution

    Many people confuse “brakes” with “lags,” but these problems have completely different causes. Stronghold Crusader 2 slows down when the frame rate at which the image is displayed on the monitor decreases, and lags when the delay when accessing the server or any other host is too high.

    This is why lags can only occur in online games. The reasons are different: bad network code, physical distance from servers, network congestion, incorrectly configured router, low Internet connection speed.

    However, the latter happens least often. In online games, communication between client and server occurs through the exchange of relatively short messages, so even 10 MB per second should be enough.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 has no sound. Can not hear anything. Solution

    Stronghold Crusader 2 works, but for some reason does not sound - this is another problem that gamers face. Of course, you can play like this, but it’s still better to figure out what’s going on.

    First you need to determine the scale of the problem. Where exactly is there no sound - only in the game or even on the computer? If only in a game, then perhaps this is due to the fact that the sound card is very old and does not support DirectX.

    If there is no sound at all, then the problem is definitely in the computer settings. Perhaps the sound card drivers are installed incorrectly, or maybe there is no sound due to some specific error in our beloved Windows OS.

    Controls do not work in Stronghold Crusader 2. Stronghold Crusader 2 does not recognize the mouse, keyboard or gamepad. Solution

    How to play if it is impossible to control the process? Problems with supporting specific devices are inappropriate here, because we are talking about familiar devices - a keyboard, mouse and controller.

    Thus, errors in the game itself are practically excluded; the problem is almost always on the user's side. You can solve it in different ways, but, one way or another, you will have to contact the driver. Usually, when you connect a new device, the operating system immediately tries to use one of the standard drivers, but some models of keyboards, mice and gamepads are incompatible with them.

    Thus, you need to find out the exact model of the device and try to find its driver. Devices from well-known gaming brands often come with their own software packages, since the standard Windows driver simply cannot ensure the correct operation of all functions of a particular device.

    If you don’t want to search for drivers for all devices separately, you can use the program Driver Updater. It is designed to automatically search for drivers, so you only need to wait for the scan results and download the necessary drivers in the program interface.

    Often Stronghold Crusader 2 brakes can be caused by viruses. In this case, it makes no difference how powerful the video card is in the system unit. You can scan your computer and clean it of viruses and other unwanted software using special programs. For example NOD32. The antivirus has proven itself to be the best and has been approved by millions of users around the world.

    ZoneAlarm is suitable for both personal use and small businesses, capable of protecting a computer running Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP from any attacks: phishing, viruses, malware, spyware and other cyber threats . New users are given a 30-day free trial.

    Nod32 is an antivirus from ESET, which has received many awards for its contribution to security development. Versions of anti-virus programs are available on the developer’s website for both PCs and mobile devices; a 30-day trial version is provided. There are special conditions for business.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 downloaded from a torrent does not work. Solution

    If the game distribution was downloaded via torrent, then in principle there can be no guarantees of operation. Torrents and repacks are almost never updated through official applications and do not work over the network, because in the process of hacking, hackers cut out all network functions from games, which are often used to verify the license.

    Using such versions of games is not only inconvenient, but even dangerous, because very often many files in them have been changed. For example, to bypass protection, pirates modify the EXE file. At the same time, no one knows what else they do with it. Perhaps they embed self-executing software. For example, when the game is first launched, it will integrate into the system and use its resources to ensure the well-being of hackers. Or, giving access to the computer to third parties. There are no guarantees here and cannot be.

    In addition, the use of pirated versions is, in the opinion of our publication, theft. The developers spent a lot of time creating the game, investing their own money in the hope that their brainchild would pay off. And every work must be paid.

    Therefore, if any problems arise with games downloaded from torrents or hacked using one or another means, you should immediately remove the pirated version, clean your computer with an antivirus and a licensed copy of the game. This will not only protect you from dubious software, but will also allow you to download updates for the game and receive official support from its creators.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 gives an error about a missing DLL file. Solution

    As a rule, problems associated with missing DLLs arise when launching Stronghold Crusader 2, but sometimes the game can access certain DLLs during the process and, not finding them, crash in the most blatant manner.

    To fix this error, you need to find the required DLL and install it on the system. The easiest way to do this is using the program DLL-fixer, which scans the system and helps quickly find missing libraries.

    If your problem turns out to be more specific or the method outlined in this article did not help, then you can ask other users in our “” section. They will help you quickly!

    Thank you for your attention!

    If you are faced with the fact that Stronghold: Crusader slows down, crashes, Stronghold: Crusader will not start, Stronghold: Crusader will not install, controls do not work in Stronghold: Crusader, there is no sound, errors pop up, saves do not work in Stronghold: Crusader - we offer you the most common ways to solve these problems.

    First, check whether your PC's specifications meet the minimum system requirements:

    • OS: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
    • Processor: Pentium II 300 MHz
    • Memory: 64 MB
    • Video: 4MB video card compatible with DirectX 7.0 or later
    • Free hard disk space: 850 MB

    Be sure to update your video card drivers and other software

    Before you remember the worst words and express them towards the developers, do not forget to go to the official website of the manufacturer of your video card and download the latest drivers. Often, drivers specially optimized for them are prepared for the release of games. You can also try installing a later version of drivers if the problem is not solved by installing the current version.

    It is important to remember that you should only download the final versions of video cards - try not to use beta versions, as they may have a large number of unfound and unfixed errors.

    Do not forget that for stable operation of games, installation of the latest version of DirectX is often required, which can always be downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

    Stronghold: Crusader won't start

    Many problems with launching games occur due to incorrect installation. Check if there were any errors during installation, try uninstalling the game and running the installer again, after disabling the antivirus - often files necessary for the game to work are deleted by mistake. It is also important to remember that the path to the folder with the installed game should not contain Cyrillic characters - use only Latin letters and numbers for directory names.

    It also doesn’t hurt to check if there is enough space on the HDD for installation. You can try to run the game as Administrator in compatibility mode for different versions of Windows.

    Stronghold: Crusader slows down. Low FPS. Lags. Friezes. Freezes

    First, install the latest drivers for your video card; this can significantly increase the FPS in the game. Also check your computer's load in the task manager (opened by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESCAPE). If before starting the game you see that some process is consuming too many resources, turn off its program or simply end this process from the task manager.

    Next, go to the graphics settings in the game. First of all, turn off anti-aliasing and try lowering the post-processing settings. Many of them consume a lot of resources and disabling them will significantly improve performance without significantly affecting the picture quality.

    Stronghold: Crusader crashes to desktop

    If Stronghold: Crusader often crashes to your desktop slot, try to start solving the problem by reducing the quality of the graphics. It is possible that your computer simply does not have enough performance and the game cannot run correctly. It's also worth checking for updates - most modern games have a system for automatically installing new patches. Check if this option is disabled in the settings.

    Black screen in Stronghold: Crusader

    More often than not, the problem with a black screen is an issue with the GPU. Check if your video card meets the minimum requirements and install the latest drivers. Sometimes a black screen is a result of insufficient CPU performance.

    If everything is fine with the hardware and it meets the minimum requirements, try switching to another window (ALT+TAB), and then returning to the game window.

    Stronghold: Crusader is not installed. Installation stuck

    First of all, check if you have enough HDD space for installation. Remember that for the installation program to work correctly, the stated amount of space is required, plus 1-2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk. In general, remember the rule - there should always be at least 2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk for temporary files. Otherwise, both games and programs may not work correctly or may refuse to start at all.

    Installation problems can also occur due to a lack of Internet connection or unstable operation. Also, do not forget to pause the antivirus while installing the game - sometimes it interferes with the correct copying of files or deletes them by mistake, considering them viruses.

    Saves not working in Stronghold: Crusader

    By analogy with the previous solution, check the availability of free space on the HDD - both on the one where the game is installed and on the system drive. Often save files are stored in a documents folder, which is located separately from the game itself.

    Controls don't work in Stronghold: Crusader

    Sometimes game controls do not work due to multiple input devices being connected at the same time. Try disabling the gamepad or, if for some reason you have two keyboards or mice connected, leave only one pair of devices. If your gamepad does not work, then remember that games are officially supported only by controllers defined as Xbox joysticks. If your controller is detected differently, try using programs that emulate Xbox joysticks (for example, x360ce).

    Sound does not work in Stronghold: Crusader

    Check if the sound works in other programs. After this, check whether the sound is turned off in the game settings and whether the sound playback device to which your speakers or headset is connected is selected there. Next, while the game is running, open the mixer and check if the sound there is muted.

    If you are using an external sound card, check for new drivers on the manufacturer's website.


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    If you are faced with the fact that Stronghold Crusader 2 slows down, crashes, Stronghold Crusader 2 does not start, Stronghold Crusader 2 does not install, controls do not work in Stronghold Crusader 2, there is no sound, errors pop up, saves do not work in Stronghold Crusader 2 - we offer you the most common ways to solve these problems.

    First, check whether your PC's specifications meet the minimum system requirements:

    • OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8 (latest Service Pack)
    • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GHz or equivalent
    • Memory: 2 GB
    • Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT 512 MB or AMD Radeon HD 2900XT 512 MB, or better
    • HDD: 4 GB free space
    • DirectX 9.0c

    Be sure to update your video card drivers and other software

    Before you remember the worst words and express them towards the developers, do not forget to go to the official website of the manufacturer of your video card and download the latest drivers. Often, drivers specially optimized for them are prepared for the release of games. You can also try installing a later version of drivers if the problem is not solved by installing the current version.

    It is important to remember that you should only download the final versions of video cards - try not to use beta versions, as they may have a large number of unfound and unfixed errors.

    Do not forget that for stable operation of games, installation of the latest version of DirectX is often required, which can always be downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 won't launch

    Many problems with launching games occur due to incorrect installation. Check if there were any errors during installation, try uninstalling the game and running the installer again, after disabling the antivirus - often files necessary for the game to work are deleted by mistake. It is also important to remember that the path to the folder with the installed game should not contain Cyrillic characters - use only Latin letters and numbers for directory names.

    It also doesn’t hurt to check if there is enough space on the HDD for installation. You can try to run the game as Administrator in compatibility mode for different versions of Windows.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 is slow. Low FPS. Lags. Friezes. Freezes

    First, install the latest drivers for your video card; this can significantly increase the FPS in the game. Also check your computer's load in the task manager (opened by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESCAPE). If before starting the game you see that some process is consuming too many resources, turn off its program or simply end this process from the task manager.

    Next, go to the graphics settings in the game. First of all, turn off anti-aliasing and try lowering the post-processing settings. Many of them consume a lot of resources and disabling them will significantly improve performance without significantly affecting the picture quality.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 crashes to desktop

    If Stronghold Crusader 2 often crashes on your desktop slot, try to start solving the problem by reducing the quality of the graphics. It is possible that your computer simply does not have enough performance and the game cannot run correctly. It's also worth checking for updates - most modern games have a system for automatically installing new patches. Check if this option is disabled in the settings.

    Black screen in Stronghold Crusader 2

    More often than not, the problem with a black screen is an issue with the GPU. Check if your video card meets the minimum requirements and install the latest drivers. Sometimes a black screen is a result of insufficient CPU performance.

    If everything is fine with the hardware and it meets the minimum requirements, try switching to another window (ALT+TAB), and then returning to the game window.

    Stronghold Crusader 2 won't install. Installation stuck

    First of all, check if you have enough HDD space for installation. Remember that for the installation program to work correctly, the stated amount of space is required, plus 1-2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk. In general, remember the rule - there should always be at least 2 gigabytes of free space on the system disk for temporary files. Otherwise, both games and programs may not work correctly or may refuse to start at all.

    Installation problems can also occur due to a lack of Internet connection or unstable operation. Also, do not forget to pause the antivirus while installing the game - sometimes it interferes with the correct copying of files or deletes them by mistake, considering them viruses.

    Saves not working in Stronghold Crusader 2

    By analogy with the previous solution, check the availability of free space on the HDD - both on the one where the game is installed and on the system drive. Often save files are stored in a documents folder, which is located separately from the game itself.

    Controls not working in Stronghold Crusader 2

    Sometimes game controls do not work due to multiple input devices being connected at the same time. Try disabling the gamepad or, if for some reason you have two keyboards or mice connected, leave only one pair of devices. If your gamepad does not work, then remember that games are officially supported only by controllers defined as Xbox joysticks. If your controller is detected differently, try using programs that emulate Xbox joysticks (for example, x360ce).

    Sound does not work in Stronghold Crusader 2

    Check if the sound works in other programs. After this, check whether the sound is turned off in the game settings and whether the sound playback device to which your speakers or headset is connected is selected there. Next, while the game is running, open the mixer and check if the sound there is muted.

    If you are using an external sound card, check for new drivers on the manufacturer's website.


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