DragonSword Awakening Graphics Settings Startup Crash Fix

#Quick answer

If DragonSword: Awakening stopped launching after certain graphics options were changed, Hound13's official workaround was to delete the saved settings file:

DS\Saved\Config\Windows\GameUserSettings.ini

Open the game installation through Steam, navigate to that path, delete only GameUserSettings.ini, and restart the game. The official notice is marked resolved, so current versions should not normally require this step; keep it for the specific saved-settings crash symptom.

This is separate from the D3D12 crash. If the error explicitly says D3D12, use the official -dx11 Steam launch option instead.

#Apply the official settings reset

The developer's published sequence was:

1. close DragonSword: Awakening;
2. in the Steam Library, right-click the game;
3. select Properties → Installed Files → Browse;
4. open DS, then Saved, then Config, then Windows;
5. delete GameUserSettings.ini;
6. restart the game.

Use Steam's Browse action instead of assuming a drive letter or library folder. Different Steam libraries can place the installation in different locations.

#What deleting GameUserSettings.ini changes

The filename and official context establish that this procedure resets saved game settings associated with the startup crash. Expect graphics or display preferences to return to defaults and require reconfiguration.

The notice does not instruct players to delete:

• the entire Saved directory;
• save-game files;
• every .ini file;
• Steam Cloud data;
• Windows Registry keys.

Delete only the named file unless a later official support instruction says otherwise.

#Check that this is the right crash guide

Use this page when:

• the game previously launched;
• the failure began after changing certain graphics options;
• the game now crashes during startup;
• you want the developer-published saved-settings reset.

Use the D3D12 crash guide when the startup failure explicitly identifies a D3D12 error on certain GPU or driver configurations.

Use the engine and graphics guide for current graphics facts and patch corrections that do not stop the game from opening.

#The issue is officially marked resolved

The original notice was later marked Resolved, and update 1.0.2 included several graphics-option fixes such as:

• excessively small resolution after verifying game files;
• a crash when enabling Frame Generation;
• FPS Limit changes not being saved.

That history matters because the file-deletion procedure should not be presented as routine maintenance. It was a recovery path for a known launch defect. On a current installation, first let Steam complete all updates and retry a normal launch.

#Reconfigure settings cautiously

After the game starts:

1. change one important graphics option at a time;
2. apply the change and confirm the game remains stable;
3. avoid copying an old configuration file back over the newly generated one;
4. note the exact setting if the symptom returns;
5. check current official patch notes before repeating the reset.

This sequence is conservative troubleshooting, not an official performance preset.

#Back up before broader troubleshooting

The official workaround deletes one settings file, not progress. If you plan to test mods, trainers or broader configuration changes, first use the save file and config backup guide.

Hound13's mod and save-editing notice warns that unsupported tools can lead to corrupted progress, crashes, unrecoverable states or patch failures. Do not attribute a mod-related startup problem to this resolved settings defect without testing a clean installation state.

#Common mistakes

• Deleting the wrong file. The published target is GameUserSettings.ini in DS\Saved\Config\Windows.
• Using this for a D3D12 error. That issue has a different official workaround.
• Restoring the broken file immediately. Let the game generate a clean settings file first.
• Calling the workaround a permanent performance fix. It resets a crash-causing settings state.
• Assuming the old bug is still active. The official post is marked resolved.

#Related guides

• D3D12 startup crash fix
• Engine and graphics facts
• Save and config backup
• Update and Steam status

#Sources

• Official resolved startup-crash notice — supplies the symptom, Steam navigation and exact GameUserSettings.ini deletion path.
• Official Update Notes 1.0.2 — records subsequent graphics-option fixes and provides release context.