Introduction

Crashing and other technical issues can be very frustrating, especially when they get in the way of enjoying a game. However, we would like to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.


Before contacting our Customer Support Team, we have prepared a few steps which cover the basics of technical troubleshooting and can often resolve many issues without the need for further assistance.


If you have got this far, and you are just looking for a refund, please refer to the Dovetail Games Refund Policy

Unsupported Mods & Third Party Content

If you choose to install unsupported content, such as unofficial third party content or mods, please be aware that they could negatively affect the functionality of your game. Unsupported content has been made without our permission or guidance, and the modding scene is so broad that we cannot ensure your game will work as intended if you choose to introduce unknown files to it. Therefore, we will require you to fully remove any unsupported content before we can provide further assistance, which is why a clean reinstallation of the game is a mandatory step in this guide.


If you wish to reintroduce unsupported content to your game after resolving the problem, we would recommend you do so one-by-one to find the problematic content, as a process of elimination.

The Guide

It's very important that you follow each step carefully. Read each point, then carry out the instructions provided, verifying whether you have been able to resolve the issue after each step. Some steps are quite technical, but we have done our best to write them in an easy-to-understand way.


If you find you’re unable to complete a step, we’d recommend that you contact your local computer repair shop or your hardware vendor (e.g. Dell) for further guidance.


You will need to restart your computer during this guide, so we would recommend that you view this guide on a separate device or print the relevant instructions, including linked pages below.

1. Restart Your Computer & Restore Overclocked Hardware To Default Settings

Restarting your computer will clear your computer's memory of any temporary files and to give you a fresh start next time you start the game. Leaving your computer on for an extended duration can degrade your computer's performance and lead to more problems.


An overclocked GPU or CPU can lead to system instability that may not be apparent until the system is adequately stressed. Therefore, as a process of elimination, please restore all overclocked hardware to their default settings.


2. Does Your Computer Meet the Minimum System Requirements?

The minimum system requirements have been chosen to provide all players meeting these requirements with a satisfactory experience. Any computer falling below these requirements may have a poor experience which is prone to technical issues. 


Instructions: Does My Computer Meet the Minimum System Requirements


If your computer fails this step, we will not be able to provide you with any further assistance, but please feel free to contact us regarding upgrade advice.


3. Update Your Device Drivers

Device drivers tell your operating system how to use the hardware in your computer. If these drivers are out of date or have become corrupted, then you may experience crashes or performance issues.


Instructions: How Do I Update My Computer's Device Drivers?


4. Update Your Windows Operating System

Keeping Windows up to date is not only important for the security of your computer, but will also ensure that your computer remains compatible with new hardware and software. 


Instructions: How Do I Update My Windows Operating System?


5. Ensure Your Anti-virus Software Is Not Interfering With the Game

When you install Anti-Virus software, it can automatically delete or quarantine files it believes are a threat. Often, it can interfere with games, causing errors or preventing them from running. Check the configuration of your software to ensure that it is not blocking your game. 


Instructions: Is My Anti-Virus Software Interfering with My Games?


6. Verify Your Game Files with Steam, Epic or the Microsoft Store

Verifying your game files can ensure that the game is up-to-date, and replace any missing or corrupt files, if necessary.


7. Ensure You Have Installed Any Additional Software Required by the Game 

Many games require software known as APIs (DirectX, PhysX, Visual C++ ) which allow the game to take advantage of the hardware in your computer. However, you may want to reinstall the required software for your game to ensure that you have the correct versions.


8. Ensure You Have Attempted a Clean Reinstallation of the Game. 

Reinstalling the game is the easiest way to restore the game to its original state. A "clean" reinstallation refers to the removal of any remaining files/folders in the game's installation directory after uninstalling the game. This removes the chance of any problematic files interfering with the game after a fresh installation.


9. Ensure You Have an Appropriate Page File Set Up for Use With Our Software. 

A Page File act as an overflow for your system memory (RAM) when you have too many applications running at one time. However, it will constantly be in use regardless of how much RAM you have installed. Having no Page File or mismanaging the size of the Page File can lead to performance issues and crashes.


Instructions: How to Manage Your Virtual Memory (Page File) In Windows


10. Ensure You Have Attempted a Clean Boot. 

If you are still experiencing problems, there is a chance that you have applications running in the background which are interfering with your game. A “clean boot” will start Windows with a minimal set of drivers and applications at startup, so that you can determine whether a background application is interfering with your game.


Instructions: How to Perform a Clean Boot of Windows


11. Ensure You Have Verified the Integrity of Your Windows System Files. 

Viruses, Malware, power outages and hardware issues are among the many ways in which Windows system files can become corrupt. If system files do become corrupt, they can lead to serious issues including system crashes, but may also affect games and applications.


Instructions: Verifying the Integrity of Windows System Files 


12. What Do I Need to Include With My Support Ticket?

If you have been unable to resolve the problem, it is essential that you complete this step before you contact Dovetail Support. When you submit a support ticket, we’ll need you to attach the following information:

  1. A DxDiag Report
  2. An Appmanifest (Steam Only)
  3. Crash Dump Files (zipped)
  4. A LogMate Report (Train Simulator Only)
  5. Screenshots of your in-game graphical settings.
  6. Screenshots/videos that will help us understand the nature of the issue you're experiencing.
  7. Step-by-step instructions that describe how the issue can be reproduced.

Before you contact Dovetail Support

If you have completed the above, you are ready to Submit a Support Ticket. Please complete all the relevant sections as shown on the form and provide as much detail as possible. The more detail you can provide, the better the chance of we will have in helping you resolve the issue. Please also confirm you have completed each step in the guide above and if you have skipped any steps, it's even more important that you tell us.


Please attach all the requested information from Step 12 in your support ticket.

Additional Troubleshooting