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Fix: Age of Mythology Won’t Launch on Windows 10 & 11

7 min. read

Updated onApril 18, 2024

updated onApril 18, 2024

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Key notes

Age of Mythologyis certainly a hall of fame RTS classic, still very popular till this day. The only problem with this game is its outdated engine and lack of discontinued supporting software onWindows 10.

A lot of AoM aficionados have had a hard time running the game on the latest Windows platform, and there are various reasons for that.If you’re stuck with this error for some time, make sure to check our steps below.

How do I launch Age of Mythology on Windows 10?

1. Disable anti-malware protection

Antiviruses are programs designed to protect its users from viruses, spam, Trojans, zero-day attacks, adware, and more, without compromising system performance in the process. These software add a layer of protection, keeping your system safe and running at full capacity.

Most of them are easy to use, having an interactive and simple interface, making it really neat to have on any computer, never failing to deliver on its promises, protecting the data of pro and home users alike.

⇒Get ESET HOME Security Essential

2. Run the game in the compatibility mode

Let’s start by running the game in compatibility mode. It’s not a novelty forMicrosoft’sown games to have issues on newer iterations of the Windows platform.

This classic title is as old as 16 years, and it was developed forWindows XP. Thus, the issues occur onWindows 10, because it is missing certain, long ago discontinued, drivers that were used for piracy protection back in the days.

Some of you might’ve got the error informing you about that.

There’s only so much you can do if that’s the case, but we still gladly suggest running the game in the compatibility mode. It might help and it won’t cost, so give it a go.

3. Check GPU drivers with third-party software

We can say that these are rarely the problem, but need to be thorough with thetroubleshooting. The majority of users who experienced issues with Age of Mythology onWindows 10, had no issues with other games.

Nonetheless, we still encourage you todouble-checkyourGPU drivers. The generic driver, provided by Windows Update, won’t work occasionally with some games.

That’s why the best way to eliminate drivers from the list of possible culprits is acquiring them from the OEM’s support website.

In addition, you’ll get the latest version of the Control Panel, so you’ll be able to optimize your GPU better for individual games. And, with all we saw, Age of Mythology onWindows 10starts successfully in the lowest-graphics settings.

Check one of these to get the latest GPU drivers:

Sometimes your drivers are not up-to-date, causing your system not to run properly, and that is why you should try aprogram that automatically scans your PC drivers for newer versions and updates them.

With this software, you will no longer need to worry about outdated software. The software will update all of your drivers, not only the GPU ones.

4. Enable DirectPlay

Outdated games require certain Windows features a new game doesn’t need. That’s why a feature like DirectPlay is disabled by default, asMicrosoftswitched to Games for Windows Live.

This feature was part of theDirectXAPI and it was used to update games. However, for more than a decade it’s out of the picture.

Age of Mythology requires this feature enabled in order to work, so make sure to turn it on, by following the aforementioned steps.

5. Enforce the low resolution

The problem with the resolution is the most probable reason why Age of Mythology won’t start onWindows 10. Users who managed to start the game did that with the minimum resolution.

Later on, you can, of course,change the resolutionin the in-game settings menu, but the important thing is to get past that initial screen.

There are variations on how to do it, but it seems that the most successful one requires a multi-step approach. We made sure to find out the explanation for the whole procedure and are bringing it here for you.

6. Start the system without background programs

Some tech-savvy users suggested disabling all background programs and installing the legacy versions ofDirectXand redistributables.

These two usually won’t pose a problem, but since we’re already deep in the precaution troubleshooting steps, we encourage you to follow them through.

First, we suggest downloading and installing older versions of DirectX and Visual Studio C++ redistributable. The game installation should include the setup files for all you need. After that, we recommend giving the clean boot a try.

7. Start the game in a windowed mode

Besides the enforced 640×480 resolution, some users managed to start the game only in the windowed mode. Now, the procedure is similar to the one with the resolution downgrade.

You’ll need to navigate to the shortcut and change the target section entries by adding an additional command. Likewise, you’re able to restore to a Fullscreen mode later on in the in-game settings menu.

8. Reinstall the game and use a non-CD version

That’s how you reinstall Age of Mythology onWindows 10.

Note:Reinstalling the game might help as well. Also, since the game requires the installation CD in order to run, we suggest using a virtual drive emulator of some kind.

Or relying on some other ways we can’t mention here due to its connection with pirated software.

Give the Extended Edition a try

Finally, if you’re still unable to start the game, in spite of all troubleshooting steps, we recommend trying the revamped edition of the beloved classic.

This game is optimized to work onWindows 10, and it seems thatMicrosoftdoesn’t pay a lot of attention to the 16-years-old original game.

You can find and buy this game for cheap on Kinguin and it should bring the same experience as the classic game, with some improved graphics and a few new features.

⇒Buy Age of Mythology Extended Edition

These solutions should help you get your game working, so u can finaly start praising the ancient gods and conquering new lands with your awesome civilization.

If you have additional questions or suggestions regarding the subject, feel free to tell us in the comments section below.

Fix: Age of Mythology Won’t Launch on Windows 10 & 11#

How do I launch Age of Mythology on Windows 10?#

1. Disable anti-malware protection#

2. Run the game in the compatibility mode#

3. Check GPU drivers with third-party software#

4. Enable DirectPlay#

5. Enforce the low resolution#

6. Start the system without background programs#

7. Start the game in a windowed mode#

8. Reinstall the game and use a non-CD version#

Give the Extended Edition a try#