FTL: How to Check Windows Startup Failures and Collect Support Logs

Try the Windows launch-option and overlay checks

For a Windows installation that fails to start from Steam, the developer’s historical support advice is to add -directx to FTL’s launch options. Open FTL’s Steam Properties and locate the General launch-options setting. If the GeForce Experience overlay is being used, the same reply suggests disabling it as an alternative check. These are targeted startup troubleshooting suggestions from the developer, rather than a guarantee that a launch failure is a renderer problem. This -directx check is for Windows; the developer says the flag does nothing for macOS. [1] [2]

Steps

1. In Steam’s FTL launch-options setting, try -directx; if using the GeForce Experience overlay, test with that overlay disabled. [1]

Compare startup outside Steam before drawing a conclusion

The next developer-suggested comparison is opening FTL’s installation folder and running FTLGame.exe directly. Record whether this behaves differently from the Steam launch. That comparison can give a support report a precise symptom; the source does not establish that direct launching repairs the underlying cause. Where a controller is connected and Steam-only startup remains affected, the developer also asked whether removing the controller changes the result. The controller check is conditional and diagnostic. [1]

Steps

1. Open the FTL installation folder, run FTLGame.exe directly, and compare that result with starting through Steam. [1]

Save a dxdiag report with the system and driver information

For an unresolved Windows report, Matthew requested a dxdiag report. Press Windows+R, enter dxdiag, and press Enter. Use Save All Information to create a text file containing the system specifications and driver information. This produces the diagnostic file requested by support; it is not an instruction to change system settings. [1]

Collect the FTL-specific files for the unresolved case

The developer also requested FTL.log, settings.ini and any crash logs from FTL’s installation directory, alongside the dxdiag report, for [email protected]. Keep these files available if choosing to contact support and describe which launch checks changed the behavior. This Windows collection step does not adopt the different macOS settings-file deletion advice found earlier in that thread. [2]