Fixed an issue that prevented Forza Horizon 4 from launching on Windows 10.

Forza Horizon 4 is one of the best games for power, speed and cars! When you try to enjoy this game on your PC, you may encounter some issues such as Forza Horizon 4 launch issue. If this famous racing game is giving you difficulty in launching, you need to take the necessary steps to troubleshoot the game otherwise the game may crash on your PC. If you are facing the same problem on your PC, this guide will help you fix the error that Forza Horizon 4 won't open. So keep reading!

How to Fix Forza Horizon 4 Won't Launch on Windows 10

There is no specific reason why Forza Horizon 4 is not opening the issue. However, we have analyzed several online reports and discussion platforms and listed the possible factors causing the problem on your Windows 10 PC.

  • The system requirements for the game are not met.
  • Some background program is blocking the game.
  • You are not using administrator rights to run the game.
  • A corrupted Windows Store cache is preventing the game from opening.
  • Wrong date and time settings.
  • The game is not set too high a priority, and your computer has high performance in Power settings.
  • The graphics drivers on your computer are not compatible.
  • The antivirus or firewall on your PC is preventing the game from running normally.
  • The Microsoft Visual C++ packages are missing from the latest version.

Here are some effective troubleshooting methods to help you fix the problem that Forza Horizon 4 won't launch on your Windows 10 PC.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Follow the given basic methods to fix Forza Horizon 4 opening issue.

1A. Check system requirements

Several users reported that Forza Horizon 4 does not run Windows 10 on your PC when the game does not meet the system requirements. Before downloading any app/game to your device, make sure your PC meets the app's minimum requirements. To find out the minimum requirements of any app, you should visit its official website. There are three aspects of requirements you should check: graphics card, DirectX and system requirements.

Here are the PC requirements expected for Forza Horizon 4.

Minimum requirements:

  • CPU: Intel i3-4170 @ 3.7 GHz OR Intel i5 750 @ 2.67 GHz
  • CPU SPEED: Information
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
  • VIDEO CARD: NVidia 650TI OR NVidia GT 740 OR AMD R7 250x
  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
  • DEDICATED VIDEO MEMO: 2 GB

Recommended requirements:

  • Processor: Intel i7-3820 @ 3.6GHz
  • CPU SPEED: Information
  • RAM: 12 GB
  • OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
  • VIDEO CARD: NVidia GTX 970 OR NVidia GTX 1060 3 GB OR AMD R9 290x OR AMD RX 470
  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
  • DEDICATED VIDEO MEMO: 4 GB

Step I: Check the System Requirements

1. Press Windows Key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings.

2. Now click System.

3. Now, on the left pane, click "About", then you can check the specifications of the device as shown on the right screen.

Step II: Check the Graphics Requirements

1. Open "Settings" and click "System".

2. Then click "Display" in the left pane and then "Advanced display options" in the right pane as shown in the figure.

3. Now click Display adapter properties as shown in the picture.

4. Detailed information about your video card will now be requested.

Step III: Check DirectX Version

1. Press the Windows key + R and type dxdiag, then press Enter.

2. The following screen will be displayed on the screen if your system already contains DirectX 12.

After checking all of these requirements, make sure they match the requirements of the application you are installing.

1B. Close background processes

Several background processes running on your PC may be interfering with Forza Horizon 4 processes. These programs may be causing Forza Horizon 4 to not launch. Follow our guide How to end a task in Windows 10 to quit all background processes.

1C. Set high performance

You can also optimize your game by setting your high performance power plan options. These power plans are designed to manage power settings in portable devices. Follow the steps below to use the high performance power plan settings on your system to fix the problem that Forza Horizon 4 won't open.

1. Press Windows Key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings.

2. Now scroll down the list and click "System" as highlighted below.

3. Now select the Power and Sleep option and click on Advanced Power Options under Related Options. Refer to fig.

4. Now, select the High Performance option under High Optional Plans as shown in the image below.

Now you have optimized your system, check if you have fixed the problem with Forza Horizon 4 starting.

1D. Update Windows

If there are any errors on your computer that can cause Forza Horizon 4 not to start, you can simply fix it by updating your operating system. Follow the instructions in this How to download and install the latest Windows 10 update guide if you're new to updating your Windows 10 PC.

Check if the problem with loading Forza Horizon (FH4) on PC is fixed after a Windows update.

1E. Temporarily disable your antivirus (if applicable)

Any new latest game updates can sometimes be blocked by the antivirus package. Antivirus software like Avast and Norton will most likely prevent any latest Windows update and it is advised to temporarily disable any third party or built-in antivirus software to fix Forza Horizon 4 launch issue. Read our article on how to temporarily disable your antivirus on Windows 10 and follow the instructions in the guide to temporarily disable the antivirus program on your PC.

Once you are able to fix Forza Horizon 4 stuck not loading on your PC, be sure to re-enable your antivirus program as a system without a security pack is always a threat.

1 floor Disable Windows Firewall (not recommended)

Sometimes the Windows Defender Firewall on your PC can prevent the game from opening due to some security reasons. In this case, the game may not load due to the Windows Defender Firewall. If you don't know how to turn off Windows Defender Firewall, check out our How To Turn Off Windows 10 Firewall guide and follow the given instructions.

You can follow this guide Allow or block apps through Windows Firewall to allow an app.

Be sure to re-enable the firewall package after fixing the Forza Horizon 4 launch issue, as a computer without a firewall program is a threat.

Method 2: Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter

A set of corrupted system files on your PC can be contributing to Forza Horizon 4 not starting Windows 10 issue. In some cases, all these corrupted system files can be fixed by running the built-in Windows 10 troubleshooter. The Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter consists of strategies automatic fix to fix some common bugs that fix functional issues with the Windows Store.

Follow the steps below to run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter.

1. Press the Windows key, type Troubleshooting Options and click Open.

2. Now click "Windows Store Apps" and then "Run the troubleshooter" as shown in the picture.

3. If any issues are found after the troubleshooting process, click Apply this fix.

4. Finally, follow the instructions listed in the following prompts and restart your computer.

Method 3: Delete the Windows Store Cache

Over time, temporary files in the Microsoft Store will prevent Forza Horizon 4 from launching. You are advised to delete the Windows Store cache as mentioned below.

1. Launch the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R keys at the same time.

2. Now type wsreset.exe and press Enter.

Make sure you fix Forza Horizon (FH4) loading issue on Windows 10 PC.

Method 4: Set the correct date and time settings

Incorrect date and time settings on your computer can prevent Forza Horizon 4 from launching on your Windows PC. To sync your date, region, and time settings on your Windows 10 PC, follow the instructions below.

1. Press Windows Key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings.

2. Now select the time and language setting.

3. Then, on the Date and Time tab, make sure that the two options "Set time automatically" and "Set time zone automatically" are enabled.

4. Then click "Sync now" as above. Check if the problem with downloading Forza Horizon 4 is resolved or not.

Method 5: Change Process Priority

The preference of an application or process tells the computer its importance and whether it should be given priority over others when allocating resources. The priority of each application is normal, except for the default system processes. Forza Horizon (FH4) may fail to load on your PC if it does not have enough resources.

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time to open the Task Manager.

2. Now find the Forza Horizon (FH4) process.

3. Then change the priority to High priority and check if it works.

Note. Change the priority with great care, as inadvertently changing the priority of a process can make your system very slow or unstable.

4. Close the task manager, restart your computer and check if the problem of Forza Horizon (FH4) not loading on Windows 10 is resolved.

Method 6: Verify the integrity of the game files (on Steam)

We have seen many instances where game files are either missing, corrupted, or have incomplete installations. Users may also experience Forza Horizon 4 not launching if they are interrupted by the update process or if game files are moved. In this method, you will open Steam and use the built-in game integrity checker. It will be replaced if the application finds something. Read our guide on how to verify the integrity of game files on Steam.

Method 7: Update or Roll Back Graphics Drivers

If the above methods didn't work for you, your computer may not have the correct graphics drivers installed. Drivers facilitate the interaction between the hardware and the game and are essential components.

Option I: Update your graphics drivers

If the drivers are corrupted or outdated, this can cause Forza Horizon 4 to not open. If you don't know how to update your graphics drivers, follow the instructions in this guide 4 Ways to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 10.

Option II. Rollback graphics driver updates

It is useless to reinstall or update drivers if the current graphics drivers are not compatible with your game. Rolling back your drivers to a previous version is all you need to do, and to do so, follow the steps provided in this How to Roll Back Drivers in Windows 10 guide.

Once you have rolled back your drivers, check if you can fix the Forza Horizon 4 loading problem or not.

Method 8: Reinstall your graphics drivers

If updating your graphics drivers didn't fix your Forza Horizon 4 not starting Windows 10 issue, try reinstalling your graphics drivers. There are various ways to reinstall graphics drivers in Windows. If you're new to reinstalling graphics drivers, read this How to Uninstall and Reinstall Drivers in Windows 10 guide and follow the instructions there.

After reinstalling your graphics drivers, check if the problem with loading Forza Horizon 4 is resolved.

Method 9: Reset Microsoft Store

Clearing the app and cache associated with the Microsoft Store will help fix the problem that Forza Horizon 4 won't open. This process removes the Windows Store cache, login credentials, preferences and settings on your PC. However, apps installed from the Microsoft Store will remain on your Windows 10 PC.

1. Press the Windows key and type Microsoft Store, then select the App Settings option.

2. Now scroll down the Settings screen and tap on Reset as highlighted.

Note. Your app data will be deleted when you reset the Microsoft Store.

3. Now confirm the prompt by clicking Reset and restart your computer.

Method 10: Re-register the Microsoft Store

Most likely, resetting the Microsoft Store will fix the issue of Forza Horizon 4 not starting Windows 10, but if you encounter the same, consider re-registering the Microsoft Store as mentioned below.

1. Press the Windows key and type Windows PowerShell, then click Run as administrator.

2. Now type the following command and press the Enter key.

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + 'AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}

3. Wait for the commands to be executed and the problem will now be fixed.

Method 11: Repairing the C++ Redistributable

Alternatively, you can try repairing the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages to fix the problem that Forza Horizon 4 won't launch, as follows:

1. Press the Windows key and type Apps & features. Click Open.

2. In the search bar of this list row, type Microsoft Visual C++.

3. Click on the first one in the search results, then click "Edit" as shown in the picture below.

4. Then click Yes on the UAC dialog box.

5. In the pop-up window that appears, click Restore. Wait for the process to complete.

6. Be sure to do this for each C++ package by repeating steps 3 and 4.

7. Finally, restart your computer.

Open an app that you couldn't open before. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling the C++ Redistributable Package.

Method 12: Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++

If the previous repair method for Microsoft C++ Visual Redistributable did not fix the problem with running Forza Horizon 4, you will have to reinstall the redistributable. Follow the given steps to uninstall and then install them again.

1. Launch system settings for apps and features.

2. Click the first one in the search results, then click Delete as shown in the picture below. Be sure to do this for all C++ packages.

3. Open a command prompt using the "Run as administrator" option, as described earlier in this guide.

4. Type the following into the command prompt window and press the Enter key:

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

5. After the process is complete, restart your PC.

6. Next, visit the official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Webpage to download the latest C++ package as shown here.

7. Once downloaded, open the downloaded file by double-clicking it in My Downloads. Install the package following the instructions on the screen.

8. Once the installation is complete, restart your computer permanently.

Open Origin and see if you're still experiencing the download issue. If the issue persists, try the following alternatives.

Method 13: Reinstall DirectX

To enjoy smooth media playback in Forza Horizon (FH4), you must ensure that DirectX is installed and updated to the latest version. DirectX helps improve the visual experience of multimedia, especially in graphical games and applications. DirectX 12 is flexible for graphics-intensive applications on your Windows 10 PC. This lets the game know what to do and you can follow the steps below to check if your system already contains DirectX 12.

1. Open the Run dialog box and type dxdiag, then press the Enter key.

2. The following screen will be displayed on the screen when your Windows 10 PC already contains DirectX 12.

3. If your system does not have DirectX 12, download and install it from the official website following the on-screen instructions.

After installing DirectX, check if the problem occurs again.

Method 14: Reinstall Forza Horizon (FH4)

If none of the methods helped you, then try reinstalling the game if possible. All settings and config settings will be updated on reinstall and hence you are more likely to get a fix for Forza Horizon 4 not opening the issue.

1. Launch Windows Settings.

2. Now click "App Settings".

3. Now find and click the Forza Horizon (FH4) game and select the Uninstall option.

4. Now confirm the prompt if there is one and restart your computer after uninstalling Forza Horizon (FH4).

5. Then download the game from the Microsoft Store again .

Finally, you have reinstalled Forza Horizon on your computer. This would solve all problems related to the application.

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We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to resolve the issue with Forza Horizon 4 running on your Windows 10 PC. Let us know which method worked best for you. Also, if you have any questions/suggestions regarding this article, feel free to post them in the comments section below.

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