PC Troubleshooting Terraria Issues

Marcus101RR

Master of Ravens
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Troubleshooting Terraria Issues
Supports 1.3.5.3 - 1.4.0.3

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Table of Contents
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About

In this thread information is posted to help identify errors, problems, and launching crashes to proceed in fixing them. It is highly recommended to double check the System Requirements as well the Dependency Requirements to launch Terraria™ before posting any questions. The thread may contain solutions that are not fully guaranteed successes and may cause other damages to the Operating System while attempting these solutions. It is recommended to create a System Restore Point or a Backup of the current system before proceeding. Re-Logic nor Terraria™ (TCF) take no responsibility in attempting these solutions and their damages.

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System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10
  • Processor: Dual Core 3.0 Ghz
  • Memory: 4GB
  • Hard Disk Space: 200MB
  • Video Card: 256mb Video Memory, capable of Shader Model 2.0+
  • DirectX®: 9.0c or Greater
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Dependency Requirements


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Identify The Problem

In order to find out what the error is, TerrariaServer.exe is the best console output option to copy and paste errors from it. When using Terraria.exe alone, the user may encounter no actions from the system, simply put, as if the user didn't click anything at all. It is recommended to launch TerrariaServer.exe first and gain the error message from it, by doing so, the information provided can help distinguish what needs to be fixed.

To check what the current system has installed on the machine, use Uninstall a Program feature provided from Windows. Windows Search from the Start Menu will normally pop up the selection once enough has been typed out, or it can be viewed from the Control Panel.

Once in Control Panel, depending on what settings are used to view the options available, there is an option known as Programs. Below this is the Uninstall a Program option. From there the system will collect data from the registry and install files to determine all applications that have successfully installed. Locate and confirm that the Prerequisite Required Programs are successfully installed and readily available. For more information, check Dependency Requirements.

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Up-To-Date Graphic Drivers
In some cases it is important to use the latest drivers for the system, if available. Though, it is not recommended to use Beta Drivers provided by the manufacture of the specified Graphic Card, it is imperative to use the latest stable release provided.​
WARNING: NVidia users should avoid using the Latest Beta Drivers, some games have poor performance issues, while others do not. This is important if you experience this issue to keep a backup of your last working driver before updating!
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Terraria Launch Failures
If Terraria fails to launch successfully during Steam, there are a few steps that should be taken into consideration in order to avoid repetitive responses and questions about the current setup of the system it is running on. Be absolutely sure that Microsoft .NET Framework (4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, or 4.5.2), Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0, and Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86 or x64) are installed on the system.​
TIP: It is highly recommended to use the latest version of software available from Microsoft, however, only if you are experiencing problems or feel that the latest update will work on your system.
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Using TerrariaServer.exe
TerrariaServer.exe is the only available option that will report any errors through the Console Prompt. This gives off enough information to see what the problem is, in most cases it will display errors stating a missing dependency that is required to run the game.
Terraria Server Client is designed to show errors that normal client may not show when starting, once it launches it will proceed to show text form of errors if any apply. If you experience any errors and are unable to solve them using this guide, you are able to post and send these errors into the PC Technical Support.
Should there be any errors from the program itself, use the command prompt and copy the error to display it on TCF.
  1. Start TerrariaServer.exe
  2. Right click within the Command Prompt.
  3. In the drop-down menu, select Mark.
  4. Once you made a selection, Right Click or Press Enter to copy.
  5. Paste your results in your thread.
By following these steps, the information from the Console Prompt should be successfully copied to the clipboard and ready for public consumption.​
Types of Errors
  • System.DivideByZeroException: Attempted to divide by zero.
    • An error caused by XNA, re-installation of software is required.
    • You must enable Admin Rights, or disable the Admin Prompts. You can start Steam in Admin Mode in order to avoid this.
  • System.IO.IOException: The file directory is corrupted and unreadable
    • Open Explorer, and right click on your drive, choose Properties, go to the Tools tab, and click on the Check Now button under Error-checking (should be on top). This will scan the drive and attempt to repair errors.

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The Common Errors
Terraria may not be the brightest of telling what the issue really is, but given enough from the error message it provides and any error codes can make things simpler. The most common provided errors are listed below which have a few solutions depending on certain factors. So as always, check the above Dependencies before proceeding to confirm that the system has them installed correctly. Failure to do so, may result in frustration for both parties in order to resolve the issue effectively. It is vital that all information is provided to make problem solving a breeze.

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No Suitable Graphics Card Found​
This is one of the most vague and problematic errors encounter, the system will report that it cannot find a viable graphics card to run the game. However, in most cases this issue only comes from Terraria itself while most other applications that are run on the system do not show any signs of problems. So why is Terraria showing it? In most cases, drivers need to be updated to the latest stable version.​
Driver Updates
This is the first thing that should be checked out, making sure that the system has the latest available drivers to run most games. Terraria can be a bit picky on some graphic cards and what driver to use. Consider updating the drivers for the graphic card installed, and, try using the Beta Drivers only if on a rare occasion the game will not launch with stable drivers as well.​
Switchable Graphics (Integrated Feature)
The most common laptops are equipped with Switchable Graphics as of late and are running a typical on-board graphics unit along side of a dedicated card. This combination can range from Intel On-Boards with NVidia or AMD GPUs. The most common issue with this is the system isn't giving Terraria much access to which graphic card to use and results in failure to launch. The solution to this problem would be best by accessing the control panel of the Graphic Card installed on the system (NVidia Graphics Panel or AMD Catalyst™ for AMD GPUs). For more information check the system control panel on which graphic card units are installed.​
In the control panel of said device, changing the application's preferred graphics unit will result in the system to forcefully use that specified device rather than leaving the system to figure out which one to initiate. In most cases, it is best to use the dedicated card of the both (AMD or NVidia). If still failure occurs, check the other solutions or feel free to post a thread regarding the issue.​
The Solutions
The first thing you should consider doing is deleting the config.json (Originally known as config.dat file before 1.3) file located in My Documents/My Games/Terraria directory. This will reset your game's default settings, which include: Key bindings, graphic settings, and cache data that terraria gathers for launching.​
  1. Locate My Documents Folder.
  2. Open My Games Folder.
  3. Open Terraria Folder.
  4. Delete Config.json file from this location.

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NVidia Graphic Settings & Terraria
You will want to make sure to use these settings for Terraria when using NVidia Graphic Devices. These settings below have guaranteed a 60 Frame per Second Rate.

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Diagnosing The Issues
There will be some issues where Terraria refuses to run properly due to poor installations of the System, corrupted installation of Terraria, or even corrupted installation of .NET

NOTE: We recommended that if you upgrade to Windows 10 that you install it clean, do not upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10 using the free upgrade feature!

There are a few steps you can take before requesting for technical assistance so we can avoid having to recommend these steps first. Depending on where you have purchased your copy of Terraria choose the appropriate option below:

Steam Version Solutions
The steam copy of the game is automatic and will install XNA and .NET prerequisite, you can cancel this by removing a file located within Terraria installation folder under the root directory (steam/steamapps/common/terraria) and deleting installscript.vdf.

  • Check and Install Latest Version of .NET Framework (4.6.1 Currently).
    • Uninstall, and Re-install after Restarting your PC.
    • This option may not work for Windows 10 Users!
  • Check and Install XNA Framework 4.0.
    • Uninstall, and Re-install after Restarting your PC.
  • Check the file integrity of Terraria via Steam.
    • Simply goto Steam Window.
    • Click the Library Tab.
    • Right Click Terraria in your Library.
    • Select Properties via Menu to open a new window.
    • Navigate to Local Files Tab.
    • Click Verify Integrity of Game Cache...
    • Wait for process to finish, then Restart Steam.
    • Proceed to run Steam and check if it runs.
  • Delete the Config.json file located in My Documents/My Games/Terraria
GoG Version Solutions
The GoG copy of the game is not automatic and will not install XNA and .NET prerequisite you must obtain them from Microsoft Website. You must also download the installation file again when an Update is released by Re-Logic!

  • Check and Install Latest Version of .NET Framework (4.6.1 Currently).
    • Uninstall, and Re-install after Restarting your PC.
    • This option may not work for Windows 10 Users!
  • Check and Install XNA Framework 4.0.
    • Uninstall, and Re-install after Restarting your PC.
  • Uninstall Terraria from Uninstall a Program.
  • Download & Install Terraria from GoG again.
  • Delete the Config.json file located in My Documents/My Games/Terraria

Troubleshooting Your Problem with TerrariaServer.exe
In order to figure out what your problem is with the game, we require that you run the Terraria Server Client (TerrariaServer.exe). This will display any errors or successes on launch. Should there be any errors from the program itself, use the command prompt and copy the error to display it here.
  1. Right click within the Command Prompt.
  2. In the drop-down menu, select Mark.
  3. Once you made a selection, Right Click or Press Enter to copy.
  4. Paste your results in your thread.
If you have trouble with the above instructions, your system might be showing "Not Responding" or your System may need to be rebooted to start clean.

Deleting the JSON files to clear Terraria Settings
Before proceeding any further, please delete the config.json file located in your Terraria Folder under My Documents/My Games. Then start Terraria again, this may fix some unexplained issues, but we wish to make sure you are running a nice and clean installation:
  1. Locate My Documents Folder.
  2. Open My Games Folder.
  3. Open Terraria Folder.
  4. Delete Config.jsonfile from this location.
    • You can also delete the Favorites/Profile files as well, just in case.
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Installing / Re-Installing XNA and .NET Framework 4.5.2 or Better
You may be experiencing these issues with a faulty installation, and even worst your system might the be problem to this. Attempt to uninstall both XNA and .NET Framework from your machine, be advised, do not uninstall the pre-installed versions of .NET Framework that came with your system! Once you have successfully re-installed your XNA and .NET Framework you may attempt to try Terraria again.
Verify Terraria's Steam Cache
If your game is unresponsive at times it is recommended you do a Verify Steam Cache with the game provided for Steam (This does not include GOG Version).
  1. Goto My Library on Steam.
  2. Right-Click Terraria and Select Properties.
  3. Goto Local Files Tab.
  4. Now Select Verify Integrity of Game Cache.
If you have trouble with the above instructions, you may be using a different provider or retailer.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My world has corrupted somehow and will not load properly, what can I do?
A: You may have corrupted the world by using modded clients, computer shutdown before the world could complete the save, or system failure within Terraria that caused the problem. You can try attempting to load your world using TEdit (Download).

Q: My game is not launching, or I get errors regarding XNA/.NET Framework!
A: You can attempt to make sure you have all Game Dependencies first, then try attempting this solution:

If you don't feel like sifting through all that, it's basically to do with the framework permissions.

This is how you change the right to use Framework/XNA:
  1. Right-Click the specific directory (Listed Below).
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Select the Security Tab
  4. Click on Advanced Option
  5. Select the Owner Tab
  6. Click on the bottom button to Edit.
  7. On this window select the Administrator in the row and make sure to select the Checkboxes below.
  8. Hit Apply and close all the windows.
  9. Try running the game again.
Do the above for all of the following FOLDERS:

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_32:
Microsoft.Xna.Framework\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Xact\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL:
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Avatar\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input.Touch\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Net\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Storage\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Video\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553

Q: Steam has reported that one (1) file has failed verification and was downloaded?
A: This file is known as the serverconfig.txt file. Originally this file shouldn't be packed with the game as Terraria should create this file automatically on launch if it is missing or out of date. Due to it being changed and updated by server owners, the file will constantly fail the verification process. This has no effect on playing the game, and can be ignored.

Q: I am experiencing low frame rate for Terraria, but the machine passes as recommended?
A: If you are using nVidia Control Panel, you can select Terraria.exe process and change the specifications on how your graphic card handles the game. Follow these instructions:
  1. Open nVidia Control Panel.
  2. Select Manage 3D Settings.
  3. Choose Program Settings Tab.
  4. Select Terraria as current program.
  5. Turn Triple buffering and Vertical sync to On.
  6. Run Terraria and turn Frame Skip to Off.
  7. The application should be running better than your current setup.
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Alternate Solution (The Aero Mode Bug)
  1. Goto your Desktop.
  2. Right Click and Select Personalize.
  3. Enable Aero Mode by selecting an Aero Background Option.
  4. You can also go Fullscreen Mode while Disabled Aero Mode.
Q: Experiencing an XAudio Driver Issue?
A: Check this out about the error: Resolved - Terraria crashing out due to xaudio2_6.dll on Windows 10

Q: Missing XInput Driver for the game?
A: You can download Microsoft DirectX Web Installer and fix this issue properly. We do not recommend searching for the driver (DLL) manually. Download it here.

Q: Where can I find my world and player files?
A: You can find your world and character files based on your system here:
  • Windows: <home folder>\Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players
  • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Terraria/Players
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/Terraria/Players
However, if you're using Steam Cloud Sync, the files will be in a different location.
  • <Steam directory>/userdata/<Steam3 ID>/105600/remote/players
Q: Users with Windows 10 and Terraria Crashing (The Encryption Fix)
A: Apparently Terraria uses a specific encryption method, some OS types do not allow this like Windows 10. This can be fixed!


Terraria uses the RijndaelManaged class for player encryption, which isn't FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) compliant. There's a flag in the registry that tells Windows whether it should allow non-compliant encryption methods to be used. The registry key is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

If the value fipsalgorithmpolicy is present and set to 1, non-compliant algorithms will be blocked and will throw exceptions if you try to use them (like you got). Setting it to 0 should fix the error.

You might also want to check: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\FipsAlgorithmPolicy


In case you don't understand the above text, I'll explain it by step:
  • Press the Windows Key (Button) and search for REGEDIT.
  • Browse to the location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
  • Locate the fipsalgorithmpolicy key and edit it by set its value to 0, or find the map with that name and disable it.
If done, I think the error wouldn't appear anymore.

Q: Framerate dips down to 20 FPS or lower, and then comes back?
A: This sounds like an issue with the CPU Affinity, you can set your affinity and see if the issue resolves.

  • Start Terraria.exe
  • Start Task Manager from Windows Start Menu or CTRL+ALT+DEL.
  • Locate the Process Terraria.exe.
  • Right-Click and choose Set Affinity...
  • Remove CPU 0 from the selection.
  • Terraria.exe should not be causing any issues now.

Q: How can I force Terraria to dump log files?
A: You can force Terraria to dump log files in the Documents Folder where all other data is stored for the game. Simple add "-logerrors -logfile" to the end of the shortcut of Terraria, this may depend on your operating system you are using. If you are using steam version, simply place these parameters in Terraria via the Properties and select Set Launch Options.

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Additional Trouble Shooting Guides
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This particular cause can actually boil down to a few different errors and crash reports, but after deleting config.json which many troubleshooting steps have you do you'll finally get this one. This simply means that Terraria does not have the permissions or access required to create and modify the config.json file.
1. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender
  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Adjust Windows File Permissions and Ownership: We need to make sure all users have Full Control over Terraria's default save directory to see if this will solve the error. There's two different ways to do this. If one doesn't work out for you, maybe the other one will. The Ownership part of this tutorial was written up by the Quality Assurance Director for Relogic, Thanks Arkhayla!

Method 1: Changing Permissions
  • Go to your Documents and find you "My Games" Folder, right click it and select properties.
  • In the new window that will pop up there should be bunch of tabs, click on the security tab.
  • You'll need to select each of the users on there and give them full control. So click on a user/group from the list then select edit.
  • A new window will pop up, in this new window click on a user/group and make sure the full control checkbox is checked.
  • Do this for all users and groups, afterwards see if that fixed it and you can launch the game.
  • Below you will find an example image that may clarify some of the previous steps
3UJorJf.png
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Method 2: Changing Ownership
  • Open My Documents\My Games\ and right click the Terraria folder Or wherever your directory is
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the Security tab
  • Click the "Advanced" button.
  • Click "Change" next to Owner.
  • Type your username, click the "Check Names" button, then click OK.
  • Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" under the owner's name.
  • Click OK again. If you get a message saying "Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you full control?", click "Yes" and you're done.
  • Click the "Edit" button.
  • Click on your username from the list.
  • Check "Full control" underneath it.
  • Click OK.
  • Click OK again.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Run Terraria as an Administrator: Browse to you installation directory, by default for steam it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria then right click the application and select run administrator.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Erase All Previous Terraria Data and Installations on your Computer: This method was found by a user on our forums in a thread that I helped troubleshoot with them. Thanks TheWolfLike101! First uninstall Terraria, then back up any save data you might want to keep located in either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds and \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players. Now delete the Terraria folder in \Documents\My Games. Finally do a file search for anything that might be Terraria related. Afterwards reinstall Terraria and launch it, if no error is thrown you can copy back over your world and player files that I mentioned you should back up.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 6


6. Changing the Default Save Directory: It's possible to manipulate and change the default save directory in the event all previous steps have failed to help you. This method was found by a user on our forum, Thanks TorZar! It was originally used by TorVar to change the directory for mod purposes, but I believe the same method can be used to help solve this problem.

Method 1: Using a Shortcut - The Install Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory saves at the end, it should now look something like below, and save it's files to the install directory in a folder called saves
T5cTqDB.png


Method 2: Using a Shortcut - Any Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like this -savedirectory C:\Terraria Save Data. Any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there. You can use a file path for a folder on your desktop, your local app data, or even an external drive. (so long as that drive is mounted)
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Terraria is once again being denied access, this time though, the config.json file is already present but Terraria is having issues modifying either it or one of the files located in its default save directory. Symptoms will include not being able to create world and players or not being able to change settings.
1. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender

  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Adjust Windows File Permissions and Ownership: We need to make sure all users have Full Control over Terraria's default save directory to see if this will solve the error. There's two different ways to do this. If one doesn't work out for you, maybe the other one will. The Ownership part of this tutorial was written up by the Quality Assurance Director for Relogic, Thanks Arkhayla!


Method 1: Changing Permissions
  • Go to your Documents and find you "My Games" Folder, right click it and select properties.
  • In the new window that will pop up there should be bunch of tabs, click on the security tab.
  • You'll need to select each of the users on there and give them full control. So click on a user/group from the list then select edit.
  • A new window will pop up, in this new window click on a user/group and make sure the full control checkbox is checked.
  • Do this for all users and groups, afterwards see if that fixed it and you can launch the game.
  • Below you will find an example image that may clarify some of the previous steps
3UJorJf.png
moLX64W.png


Method 2: Changing Ownership
  • Open My Documents\My Games\ and right click the Terraria folder Or wherever your directory is
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the Security tab
  • Click the "Advanced" button.
  • Click "Change" next to Owner.
  • Type your username, click the "Check Names" button, then click OK.
  • Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" under the owner's name.
  • Click OK again. If you get a message saying "Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you full control?", click "Yes" and you're done.
  • Click the "Edit" button.
  • Click on your username from the list.
  • Check "Full control" underneath it.
  • Click OK.
  • Click OK again.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Run Terraria as an Administrator: Browse to you installation directory, by default for steam it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria then right click the application and select run administrator.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Erase All Previous Terraria Data and Installations on your Computer: This method was found by a user on our forums in a thread that I helped troubleshoot with them. Thanks TheWolfLike101! First uninstall Terraria, then back up any save data you might want to keep located in either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds and \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players. Now delete the Terraria folder in \Documents\My Games. Finally do a file search for anything that might be Terraria related. Afterwards reinstall Terraria and launch it, if no error is thrown you can copy back over your world and player files that I mentioned you should back up.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 6


6. Changing the Default Save Directory: It's possible to manipulate and change the default save directory in the event all previous steps have failed to help you. This method was found by a user on our forum, Thanks TorZar! It was originally used by TorVar to change the directory for mod purposes, but I believe the same method can be used to help solve this problem.

Method 1: Using a Shortcut - The Install Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory saves at the end, it should now look something like below, and save it's files to the install directory in a folder called saves
T5cTqDB.png


Method 2: Using a Shortcut - Any Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like this -savedirectory C:\Terraria Save Data. Any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there. You can use a file path for a folder on your desktop, your local app data, or even an external drive. (so long as that drive is mounted)
ns6ahII.png
This error is thrown when the application or dependency is expecting a file with a 32 bit format but receives a 64 bit format and vice versa.
tfeaJl8.png
Manually replace each and every dll listed below, this covers the most frequent DLL's that will cause the exception to be thrown. Read carefully and do not get any of these mixed up, your hexcode for the file path for the framwork dll may be different, browse to the folders through the file explorer, it will be the only subfolder. Do not paste any file paths. Yes the 32 bit files go in SysWow64 and the 64 bit files go in System32. No, I did not get them mixed up. Yes it's weird, long story on why that is.

Microsoft.XNA.Framework.dll goes in C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_32\Microsoft.Xna.Framework\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553

32 Bit MSVCR100.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit MSVCR100.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

32 Bit MSVCP100.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit MSVCP100.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

32 Bit X3DAudio_7.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit X3DAudio_7.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

If it doesn't work, first double check to make sure you put the proper versions in their proper places. Watch those P's and R's and the 32's and 64's.

Link to the DLL package.
Either a necessary DLL file to run the game is not present, or is having its access restricted by the system.
index.php
1. Verify the Integrity of your Steam Game Cache: This is to scan for any missing files that was meant to be included in the initial download, when it sees files are missing it will re-acquire them.

How to Verify the Integrity of your Steam Game Cache
  • Open your steam Library
  • Right click Terraria
  • Select Properties
  • Click on the Local Files Tab
  • Click Verify the Integrity of Game Files
  • Wait for the Scan to complete
  • Hit close on both windows
If this does not solve your problem or does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender

  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.
There are a plethora of reasons files of missing or get corrupted, it could have been a hardware issue, an operating system issue, a user error, a software confliction or some other software issue. Sometimes it's just plain unavoidable. That's why it's highly recommended to keep manual backups of your files after each play session for Terraria. You can copy the World and Characters folders to other location or an external drive. The default location is \Documents\My Games\Terraria.
1. Check the recycling bin: sometimes files or folders will get placed into the recycling bin despite not anything being wrong with them. This is the first place to check.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Check the Steam Data Folder: While sometimes the steam cloud can be the very thing to cause the issue, it might also be the very thing that ends up saving you. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\STEAM ACCOUNT NUMBER\105600\remote (the steam account number is going to be a collection of random numbers and it will be different for each person. Most likely you will only see one folder so click whichever one shows up.) and see if your files are there.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Recover your files from the .bak files: Located in Terraria's default save location which is \Documents\My Games\Terraria you should see a worlds and player folder. Click on whichever folder that applies to you and see if there are any .bak files of your old or missing characters. Simply rename the file extension to .plr if it is a player file or .wld if it is a world file.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Revert to a previous version: Sometimes when your character or world gets corrupted the file remains in it's respective default save folder but is simply unusable by the game. You can revert to an earlier version of the file so that you don't lose ALL your progress. Using this method some of your progress will still be lost. First navigate to either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds or \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players depending on what kind of file was corrupted. Right click the file and select properties. Now select the "Previous Versions" tab and see if anything is there. If so select the version you wish to revert to, click it, and then click restore.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Recreate your character using a Save Editor: Please keep in mind Relogic does not officially support or condone Save Editors and other 3rd Party software. In the event all else has failed you can use an inventory editor to help remake your character so that not all your progress is lost. The one that I like to point people to is TerraSVR because it is all web based and pretty simple to use. If you're having trouble figuring out how to use it there's a help button in the top right to help explain it's various features.

There can be a couple different causes from what I've seen. The first cause is not having Terraria's dependencies properly installed. The second recent cause I have seen is a Windows Update was either improperly applied, or a system file was corrupted. This is usually going to cause a System Format Exception for KernalBase.dll in the event viewer.
1. Reinstalling Terraria's Dependencies: Terraria needs 3 different frameworks to function properly. You'll need to have them installed, up to date, and non corrupted. They are .Net Framework 4.7.2, XNA 4.0 Redist, and DirectX. Reinstall them, or if they are not installed in the first place install them.

How to Repair .Net Framework in Windows 10/8

Windows 10 and Windows 8 makes it a bit harder and non-intuitive to repair the .Net Framework for Windows 10 because it's baked directly into the OS. So I'll go over the necessary instruction on how to repair it, to do so I'll be borrowing an online tutorial from the Intuit KB:

1eyEJ0i.png


2. Scanning for, and repairing, Windows System Files: We can use an elevated command prompt to automatically find and repair core system files. It's pretty simple, but unfortunately not the end all solution. In the event this command fails to repair or find the corruption we'll have to use other methods.

How to Scan and Repair Windows System Files
  • Press Start.
  • Type CMD.
  • Right click the result that pops up, and select "Run as Administrator"
  • In the black box that appears type sfc /scannow
  • Wait until the process completes, it may take some time.

3. Using a System Restore Point: If you have a System Restore point created, either automatically or manually, you should be able to use this to revert to a previous version of Windows. We'll be borrowing a tutorial from Microsofts Support site to go over how to accomplish this.

How to use a System Restore Point

zTBB5KB.png


4. Roll back a Windows Update: If it's been within 10 days of your last Windows Update you should be able to roll back the update and restore a previous build of Windows. Use this method to roll back and test to see if the game launches. If not re-update Windows and test once more. We'll once again be borrowing a tutorial from Microsofts Support site to go over how to accomplish this.

How to rollback a Windows Update

N2TCJe0.png


5. Create a new user profile as an Administrator: In the event your user profile has been corrupted and is contributing to the problem you can create a new user profile as an administrator and see if your game launches. If it does you'll want to then transfer all your data and installs to the new user profile and delete the old one.

How to create a new User Profile

5R98utW.png


How to transfer all data and settings to the new User Profile

TsFzZK7.png


6. Run Terraria in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 and run it as an Administrator: Self explanatory really, not normally how I would expect to see the problem resolved but a user has been successful with this in the past so I might as well go over it.

How to run Terraria in Compatibility Mode
  • Browse to Terraria's install directory. By default for steam it should be C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria.
  • Right click Terraria's executable. (Terraria.exe)
  • Select Properties.
  • Click on the Compatibility tab in the window that pops up.
  • Click the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:"
  • In the drop down box select Windows 7. (You may also want to try windows XP if this doesn't work)
  • Under "Privilege Level" at the bottom of the window select "Run as an Administrator"
7. Correct the Assembly's for .Net and XNA: It's possible it isn't an issue with your KernelBase at all, but rather, one of the core assembly's necessary for .Net and XNA got corrupted or changed. To fix this perform the following:

  • Uninstall ALL versions of .Net everything needs to be gone.
  • Uninstall ANY AND ALL versions of XNA framework.
  • Navigate to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET.
  • Rename the "assembly" folder to "assemblybackup".
  • Install .Net 4.7.2. (This will take awhile since we soft removed the assembly folder. Do not be alarmed and be patient.)
  • Install XNA Framework 4.0.
  • Restart your computer.
  • Navigate to C:\Windows.
  • Right click the Microsoft.Net folder and select properties.
  • Click on the "Security" tab.
  • Click "Advanced".
  • Click on the "Owner" tab.
  • Click "Edit".
  • Click on your user account for the PC you are using.
  • Click the checkbox that says "Replace owner on subcontainer and objects".
  • Try to launch the game again.

8. Reinstall Windows: When all else fails, sometimes your only option for fixing this error is getting a clean install of Windows. Below is a broad tutorial on how you might accomplish this. You may also want to look up video tutorials on Youtube. This is for advanced users, be careful and make sure you know what you're getting into.

How to perform a Clean Install of Windows 10

  • This will erase ALL OF YOUR FILES ON YOUR COMPUTER. You NEED to make sure you copy any files you want to keep to a USB Flash drive. If you're looking to backup Terraria's save data it is location in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.
  • Grab a flash drive with at least 8GB of free space and insert it into the Computer.
  • Download Windows Media Creation Tool.
  • Run the program and allow it to guide you through the process.
  • Now that you have the Windows Installer on the flash drive you need to make sure you download all the necessary drivers that you'll need to make the computer function. If you don't know how to do this make a post in the Technical Support section and I will grab you the files you need.
  • Restart your computer, you'll need to get to either the UEFI setup or the Boot Menu to boot from the Flash Drive. If you are not sure what key you need to hit to get to this menu make a post in the Technical Support section and I will guide you through it.
  • Once you boot from the flash drive into the installer you'll want to select the custom or advanced installation, not the upgrade one.
  • It should show you a picture of all your drives/partitions and some options at the bottom. Click on each partition and select "Delete" until you are left with one Partition of "Unallocated Space".
  • Click the partition and select "New" at the bottom, then click "Apply".
  • Windows will then create all the partitions it needs to function, click on the partition with largest file size and select next.
  • Finish the installation.
  • Install the drivers you downloaded.
  • Reboot the computer.
  • Install the programs you want.
  • Reboot the computer.
  • Copy over the data you wanted to keep.

Star.png
How To Use Resource Packs
If you wish to create or use a resource pack you can either use a plain folder structure or WinZip file with a valid compression (WinRAR compressions too high may cause issues). The structure of your resource pack or texture pack must follow this example below.
baEZlfr.png
wmtq1FJ.png

The JSON file structure is as follows posted below.
Code:
{
    "Name": "Project Name",
    "Author": "Author Name",
    "Description": "Description of Project.",
    "Version": {
        "major": 1,
        "minor": 0
    }
}
Star.png
EMPTY PLACEHOLDER[/SPOILER]

Additional Credits to Grumpy Squid
 
Last edited:
I deleted my config.dat but the same pop up keeps on occurring that says "no suitable graphics card found. unable to create the graphics device ".
 
Help i dont know what to do , i download all the XNA , microsoft , etc. But still when i click to open it nothing happends.
 
For anyone getting these issues in the future:

Help i dont know what to do , i download all the XNA , microsoft , etc. But still when i click to open it nothing happends.

Make sure you update your XNA/.NET properly. Restarting after installation and un-installation is highly recommended.

I am trying to play with my one friend but when i click host and play and create the server it says "Found Server" and it just sits there

You will need to consult with your Router settings and make sure you have Port Forwarded.

To fix the graphics card problem should I delete the config.json file?

You may delete the config file, however, make sure you are running a proper valid driver for your graphics card.
 
Hello there. I'm new here and have a problem, so sorry if I'm breaking any rules here - my computer can't run Terraria at all, it shows an error around Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.dll , as in the screenshot below.

err1.png
[/url]image hosting over 2mb[/IMG]
[img=https://s31.postimg.org/52i2cbwa3/err1.png]image hosting sites

Also, it should be noted that both Terraria.exe and TerrariaServer.exe crashes when I run them ("Program has stopped working" dialogue box)

TerrariaServer.exe

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
Problem Signature 01: TerrariaServer.exe
Problem Signature 02: 1.3.1.1
Problem Signature 03: 574b345f
Problem Signature 04: TerrariaServer
Problem Signature 05: 1.3.1.1
Problem Signature 06: 574b345f
Problem Signature 07: 59f
Problem Signature 08: 13
Problem Signature 09: System.BadImageFormatException
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1086
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Terraria.exe

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
Problem Signature 01: Terraria.exe
Problem Signature 02: 1.3.1.1
Problem Signature 03: 574b33f2
Problem Signature 04: Terraria
Problem Signature 05: 1.3.1.1
Problem Signature 06: 574b33f2
Problem Signature 07: 529
Problem Signature 08: 13
Problem Signature 09: System.BadImageFormatException
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1086
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

And here are my system specs.

CPU
AMD A6-6400K
Richland 32nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 798MHz (10-10-10-30)
Motherboard
MSI A68HM GRENADE (MS-7891) (P0)
Graphics
Acer V193HQV (1366x768@60Hz)
768MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 8470D (MSI)

So far, I've tried:
- Downloading and installing both Microsoft Framework 4.0 and XNA Framework, I have multiple versions of Microsoft Frameowrk (from 4.5 to 4.6.1) - will this cause a problem? Should I uninstall the higher versions?
- Deleting and reinstalling Terraria
- Enable full folder permissions for all users, and running it in administrator
- Using various compatibility modes, such as Win 95,Xp and such, and 640x480 etc.
- Restarting during uninstalling and reinstalling XNA Framework

I also have never successfully ran Terraria on my computer so there isn't any config file that I can delete on MyDocuments.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!
 
Last edited:
Update Information
  • Update to System Requirements have been increased.
  • Added Troubleshooting Steps for Steam and GoG Copy
  • Fixed some minor edits.

I'll be doing more updates to this thread to keep it up-to date, I also want it to support Linux and MAC people, if anyone owns these copies. Please help me, I would need step by step instructions on how to obtain certain things, such as System Specs and how to get that information for people that use those system. In addition, the locations of My Documents folder where Terraria originally saves Player and World files on both systems. Also the step on how to delete the config.json file, and the installation of prerequisites. Send me a personal message if you have this information and I will add you here as a credit to trouble shooting!

Regards,
Marcus
 
I'm having trouble fixing Terraria, I've tried all the things listed here to solve the issue of the game not starting at all, and so far nothing has worked, I'm running off of Windows 8.1 and when I try to run Terraria Server, I get this error message before it crashes:

Unhandled Exception: System.BadImageFormatException: Could not load file or asse
mbly 'System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'
or one of its dependencies. The module was expected to contain an assembly mani
fest.
at Terraria.Main..ctor()
at Terraria.Program.LaunchGame(String[] args)
at Terraria.WindowsLaunch.Main(String[] args)

If anyone can help me solve this issue, please let me know.
 
Hey, good job!

I have sometimes "No Suitable Graphics Card Found" error (as i have VAIO laptop).
So, my solution was always to restart my Steam app. Then it was ok..everytime :)
 
I have a quick question tho are those minimum or recommended system requirments...reason i ask is i just ordered and orange pi+ 2e. i will probably be overclocking but the cpu is only 1.6ghz quadcore. google states different stats for minimum specs..but we've had a few updates recently, things might have changed, im not sure. its already in the mail so if it ends up not working...ohh well. but i just wanted to ask n see what everyone thinks
 
Hey I was wondering if we could get this thread stickied in the Tech Support section. In addition I wanted to let you know some of the images used in your original post do not seem to be displaying correctly.

I'd like to add to the list of common crashes and errors if I may. I've included the list of error I troubleshoot most often in that forum, what it's caused by, and how to solve them.

index.php
This particular cause can actually boil down to a few different errors and crash reports, but after deleting config.json which many troubleshooting steps have you do you'll finally get this one. This simply means that Terraria does not have the permissions or access required to create and modify the config.json file.
1. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender
  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Adjust Windows File Permissions and Ownership: We need to make sure all users have Full Control over Terraria's default save directory to see if this will solve the error. There's two different ways to do this. If one doesn't work out for you, maybe the other one will. The Ownership part of this tutorial was written up by the Quality Assurance Director for Relogic, Thanks Arkhayla!

Method 1: Changing Permissions
  • Go to your Documents and find you "My Games" Folder, right click it and select properties.
  • In the new window that will pop up there should be bunch of tabs, click on the security tab.
  • You'll need to select each of the users on there and give them full control. So click on a user/group from the list then select edit.
  • A new window will pop up, in this new window click on a user/group and make sure the full control checkbox is checked.
  • Do this for all users and groups, afterwards see if that fixed it and you can launch the game.
  • Below you will find an example image that may clarify some of the previous steps
3UJorJf.png
moLX64W.png


Method 2: Changing Ownership
  • Open My Documents\My Games\ and right click the Terraria folder Or wherever your directory is
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the Security tab
  • Click the "Advanced" button.
  • Click "Change" next to Owner.
  • Type your username, click the "Check Names" button, then click OK.
  • Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" under the owner's name.
  • Click OK again. If you get a message saying "Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you full control?", click "Yes" and you're done.
  • Click the "Edit" button.
  • Click on your username from the list.
  • Check "Full control" underneath it.
  • Click OK.
  • Click OK again.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Run Terraria as an Administrator: Browse to you installation directory, by default for steam it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria then right click the application and select run administrator.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Erase All Previous Terraria Data and Installations on your Computer: This method was found by a user on our forums in a thread that I helped troubleshoot with them. Thanks TheWolfLike101! First uninstall Terraria, then back up any save data you might want to keep located in either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds and \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players. Now delete the Terraria folder in \Documents\My Games. Finally do a file search for anything that might be Terraria related. Afterwards reinstall Terraria and launch it, if no error is thrown you can copy back over your world and player files that I mentioned you should back up.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 6


6. Changing the Default Save Directory: It's possible to manipulate and change the default save directory in the event all previous steps have failed to help you. This method was found by a user on our forum, Thanks TorZar! It was originally used by TorVar to change the directory for mod purposes, but I believe the same method can be used to help solve this problem.

Method 1: Using a Shortcut - The Install Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory saves at the end, it should now look something like below, and save it's files to the install directory in a folder called saves
T5cTqDB.png


Method 2: Using a Shortcut - Any Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like this -savedirectory C:\Terraria Save Data. Any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there. You can use a file path for a folder on your desktop, your local app data, or even an external drive. (so long as that drive is mounted)
ns6ahII.png


Method 3: Using Steam Launch Options
  • Right click Terraria in steam.
  • Select "Properties".
  • Under the "General" tab find the "Set Launch Options" buttons
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like below Replace the black bar with the name of your user account for windows Though technically any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there.
2takvd9.png

yaEQOtK.png
Terraria is once again being denied access, this time though, the config.json file is already present but Terraria is having issues modifying either it or one of the files located in its default save directory. Symptoms will include not being able to create world and players or not being able to change settings.
1. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender

  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Adjust Windows File Permissions and Ownership: We need to make sure all users have Full Control over Terraria's default save directory to see if this will solve the error. There's two different ways to do this. If one doesn't work out for you, maybe the other one will. The Ownership part of this tutorial was written up by the Quality Assurance Director for Relogic, Thanks Arkhayla!


Method 1: Changing Permissions
  • Go to your Documents and find you "My Games" Folder, right click it and select properties.
  • In the new window that will pop up there should be bunch of tabs, click on the security tab.
  • You'll need to select each of the users on there and give them full control. So click on a user/group from the list then select edit.
  • A new window will pop up, in this new window click on a user/group and make sure the full control checkbox is checked.
  • Do this for all users and groups, afterwards see if that fixed it and you can launch the game.
  • Below you will find an example image that may clarify some of the previous steps
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Method 2: Changing Ownership
  • Open My Documents\My Games\ and right click the Terraria folder Or wherever your directory is
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the Security tab
  • Click the "Advanced" button.
  • Click "Change" next to Owner.
  • Type your username, click the "Check Names" button, then click OK.
  • Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" under the owner's name.
  • Click OK again. If you get a message saying "Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you full control?", click "Yes" and you're done.
  • Click the "Edit" button.
  • Click on your username from the list.
  • Check "Full control" underneath it.
  • Click OK.
  • Click OK again.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Run Terraria as an Administrator: Browse to you installation directory, by default for steam it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria then right click the application and select run administrator.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Erase All Previous Terraria Data and Installations on your Computer: This method was found by a user on our forums in a thread that I helped troubleshoot with them. Thanks TheWolfLike101! First uninstall Terraria, then back up any save data you might want to keep located in either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds and \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players. Now delete the Terraria folder in \Documents\My Games. Finally do a file search for anything that might be Terraria related. Afterwards reinstall Terraria and launch it, if no error is thrown you can copy back over your world and player files that I mentioned you should back up.

If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 6


6. Changing the Default Save Directory: It's possible to manipulate and change the default save directory in the event all previous steps have failed to help you. This method was found by a user on our forum, Thanks TorZar! It was originally used by TorVar to change the directory for mod purposes, but I believe the same method can be used to help solve this problem.

Method 1: Using a Shortcut - The Install Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory saves at the end, it should now look something like below, and save it's files to the install directory in a folder called saves
T5cTqDB.png


Method 2: Using a Shortcut - Any Directory
  • Navigate to your install directory of Terraria, by default for steam it should be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria
  • Right click Terraria.exe and select "Create Shortcut".
  • Right click the newly created shortcut and select properties.
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like this -savedirectory C:\Terraria Save Data. Any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there. You can use a file path for a folder on your desktop, your local app data, or even an external drive. (so long as that drive is mounted)
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Method 3: Using Steam Launch Options
  • Right click Terraria in steam.
  • Select "Properties".
  • Under the "General" tab find the "Set Launch Options" buttons
  • In the target field add -savedirectory and then add the file path so that it looks something like this -savedirectory C:\Terraria Save Data. Any file path can be used so long as you have the proper permissions on that user to modify files there.
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This error is thrown when the application or dependency is expecting a file with a 32 bit format but receives a 64 bit format and vice versa.
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Manually replace each and every dll listed below, this covers the most frequent DLL's that will cause the exception to be thrown. Read carefully and do not get any of these mixed up, your hexcode for the file path for the framwork dll may be different, browse to the folders through the file explorer, it will be the only subfolder. Do not paste any file paths. Yes the 32 bit files go in SysWow64 and the 64 bit files go in System32. No, I did not get them mixed up. Yes it's weird, long story on why that is.

Microsoft.XNA.Framework.dll goes in C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_32\Microsoft.Xna.Framework\v4.0_4.0.0.0__842cf8be1de50553

32 Bit MSVCR100.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit MSVCR100.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

32 Bit MSVCP100.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit MSVCP100.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

32 Bit X3DAudio_7.dll goes in C:\Windows\SysWOW64

64 Bit X3DAudio_7.dll goes in C:\Windows\System32

If it doesn't work, first double check to make sure you put the proper versions in their proper places. Watch those P's and R's and the 32's and 64's.

Link to DLL Files.

Either a necessary DLL file to run the game is not present, or is having its access restricted by the system.
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1. Verify the Integrity of your Steam Game Cache: This is to scan for any missing files that was meant to be included in the initial download, when it sees files are missing it will re-acquire them.

How to Verify the Integrity of your Steam Game Cache
  • Open your steam Library
  • Right click Terraria
  • Select Properties
  • Click on the Local Files Tab
  • Click Verify the Integrity of Game Files
  • Wait for the Scan to complete
  • Hit close on both windows
If this does not solve your problem or does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Disabling, or adding an exception to, Windows Defender: I have users start with disabling windows defender to see if that's what causing the issue, if it is, I have them re-enable it and then add an exception to Terraria.exe located in the install directory and Terraria's default save location which is located in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.

How to disable Windows Defender

  • Open the Settings Page for Windows, this can be done by clicking the start button and then clicking the gear icon towards the bottom left hand side of the screen. Alternatively you can also type in settings and click the gear icon that pops up if you're having trouble locating it.
  • Click on "Update and Security".
  • Make sure the shield icon is selected on the left hand side.
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection".
  • Click on "Virus and Threat Protection Settings".
  • Click the toggle switch on under "Real Time Protection" so that it says off.
  • You should now be prompted by the UAC, select yes.
  • Windows Defender should now be disabled, if you had problems following this short tutorial, click here to visit a section of the Ten Forums that covers this topic complete with pictures.
If this did not solve your problem or this does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Add an Exception to your Anti-Virus Program: You can also just temporarily turn off your Anti-Virus program to see if this is causing the issue. Once it's determined if it is causing the problem you'll want to turn it back on and just add an exception to the program, as keeping it off is not recommended as it can expose your system to malware and viruses. Make sure that both Terraria's install directory, it's application file (.exe), and the default save location \Documents\My Games\Terraria are added. The steps on how to add an exception, and what you can add as an exception are going to differ from program to program. If you're not sure you can always google it or ask the Tech Support Section for help. Programs known to cause issues with Terraria include: BitDefender, MalwareBytes, and McAfee.

There are a plethora of reasons files of missing or get corrupted, it could have been a hardware issue, an operating system issue, a user error, a software confliction or some other software issue. Sometimes it's just plain unavoidable. That's why it's highly recommended to keep manual backups of your files after each play session for Terraria. You can copy the World and Characters folders to other location or an external drive. The default location is \Documents\My Games\Terraria.
1. Check the recycling bin: sometimes files or folders will get placed into the recycling bin despite not anything being wrong with them. This is the first place to check.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 2

2. Check the Steam Data Folder: While sometimes the steam cloud can be the very thing to cause the issue, it might also be the very thing that ends up saving you. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\STEAM ACCOUNT NUMBER\105600\remote (the steam account number is going to be a collection of random numbers and it will be different for each person. Most likely you will only see one folder so click whichever one shows up.) and see if your files are there.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 3

3. Recover your files from the .bak files: Located in Terraria's default save location which is \Documents\My Games\Terraria you should see a worlds and player folder. Click on whichever folder that applies to you and see if there are any .bak files of your old or missing characters. Simply rename the file extension to .plr if it is a player file or .wld if it is a world file.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 4

4. Revert to a previous version: Sometimes when your character or world gets corrupted the file remains in it's respective default save folder but is simply unusable by the game. You can revert to an earlier version of the file so that you don't lose ALL your progress. Using this method some of your progress will still be lost. First navigate to either \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds or \Documents\My Games\Terraria\Players depending on what kind of file was corrupted. Right click the file and select properties. Now select the "Previous Versions" tab and see if anything is there. If so select the version you wish to revert to, click it, and then click restore.

If this did not solve your problem, or it does not apply to you move to step 5

5. Recreate your character using a Save Editor: Please keep in mind Relogic does not officially support or condone Save Editors and other 3rd Party software. In the event all else has failed you can use an inventory editor to help remake your character so that not all your progress is lost. The one that I like to point people to is TerraSVR because it is all web based and pretty simple to use. If you're having trouble figuring out how to use it there's a help button in the top right to help explain it's various features.

There can be a couple different causes from what I've seen. The first cause is not having Terraria's dependencies properly installed. The second recent cause I have seen is a Windows Update was either improperly applied, or a system file was corrupted. This is usually going to cause a System Format Exception for KernalBase.dll in the event viewer.
PLEASE ATTEMPT THE SOLUTION UNDER BAD FORMAT EXCEPTION BEFORE TRYING THE FIXES HERE.

1. Reinstalling Terraria's Dependencies: Terraria needs 3 different frameworks to function properly. You'll need to have them installed, up to date, and non corrupted. They are .Net Framework 4.7.2, XNA 4.0 Redist, and DirectX. Reinstall them, or if they are not installed in the first place install them.

How to Repair .Net Framework in Windows 10/8

Windows 10 and Windows 8 makes it a bit harder and non-intuitive to repair the .Net Framework for Windows 10 because it's baked directly into the OS. So I'll go over the necessary instruction on how to repair it, to do so I'll be borrowing an online tutorial from the Intuit KB:

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2. Scanning for, and repairing, Windows System Files: We can use an elevated command prompt to automatically find and repair core system files. It's pretty simple, but unfortunately not the end all solution. In the event this command fails to repair or find the corruption we'll have to use other methods.

How to Scan and Repair Windows System Files
  • Press Start.
  • Type CMD.
  • Right click the result that pops up, and select "Run as Administrator"
  • In the black box that appears type sfc /scannow
  • Wait until the process completes, it may take some time.

3. Using a System Restore Point: If you have a System Restore point created, either automatically or manually, you should be able to use this to revert to a previous version of Windows. We'll be borrowing a tutorial from Microsofts Support site to go over how to accomplish this.

How to use a System Restore Point

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4. Roll back a Windows Update: If it's been within 10 days of your last Windows Update you should be able to roll back the update and restore a previous build of Windows. Use this method to roll back and test to see if the game launches. If not re-update Windows and test once more. We'll once again be borrowing a tutorial from Microsofts Support site to go over how to accomplish this.

How to rollback a Windows Update

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5. Create a new user profile as an Administrator: In the event your user profile has been corrupted and is contributing to the problem you can create a new user profile as an administrator and see if your game launches. If it does you'll want to then transfer all your data and installs to the new user profile and delete the old one.

How to create a new User Profile

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How to transfer all data and settings to the new User Profile

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6. Run Terraria in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 and run it as an Administrator: Self explanatory really, not normally how I would expect to see the problem resolved but a user has been successful with this in the past so I might as well go over it.

How to run Terraria in Compatibility Mode
  • Browse to Terraria's install directory. By default for steam it should be C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Terraria.
  • Right click Terraria's executable. (Terraria.exe)
  • Select Properties.
  • Click on the Compatibility tab in the window that pops up.
  • Click the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:"
  • In the drop down box select Windows 7. (You may also want to try windows XP if this doesn't work)
  • Under "Privilege Level" at the bottom of the window select "Run as an Administrator"
7. Correct the Assembly's for .Net and XNA: It's possible it isn't an issue with your KernelBase at all, but rather, one of the core assembly's necessary for .Net and XNA got corrupted or changed. To fix this perform the following:

  • Uninstall ALL versions of .Net everything needs to be gone.
  • Uninstall ANY AND ALL versions of XNA framework.
  • Navigate to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET.
  • Rename the "assembly" folder to "assemblybackup".
  • Install .Net 4.7.2. (This will take awhile since we soft removed the assembly folder. Do not be alarmed and be patient.)
  • Install XNA Framework 4.0.
  • Restart your computer.
  • Navigate to C:\Windows.
  • Right click the Microsoft.Net folder and select properties.
  • Click on the "Security" tab.
  • Click "Advanced".
  • Click on the "Owner" tab.
  • Click "Edit".
  • Click on your user account for the PC you are using.
  • Click the checkbox that says "Replace owner on subcontainer and objects".
  • Try to launch the game again.

8. Reinstall Windows: When all else fails, sometimes your only option for fixing this error is getting a clean install of Windows. Below is a broad tutorial on how you might accomplish this. You may also want to look up video tutorials on Youtube. This is for advanced users, be careful and make sure you know what you're getting into.

How to perform a Clean Install of Windows 10

  • This will erase ALL OF YOUR FILES ON YOUR COMPUTER. You NEED to make sure you copy any files you want to keep to a USB Flash drive. If you're looking to backup Terraria's save data it is location in \Documents\My Games\Terraria.
  • Grab a flash drive with at least 8GB of free space and insert it into the Computer.
  • Download Windows Media Creation Tool.
  • Run the program and allow it to guide you through the process.
  • Now that you have the Windows Installer on the flash drive you need to make sure you download all the necessary drivers that you'll need to make the computer function. If you don't know how to do this make a post in the Technical Support section and I will grab you the files you need.
  • Restart your computer, you'll need to get to either the UEFI setup or the Boot Menu to boot from the Flash Drive. If you are not sure what key you need to hit to get to this menu make a post in the Technical Support section and I will guide you through it.
  • Once you boot from the flash drive into the installer you'll want to select the custom or advanced installation, not the upgrade one.
  • It should show you a picture of all your drives/partitions and some options at the bottom. Click on each partition and select "Delete" until you are left with one Partition of "Unallocated Space".
  • Click the partition and select "New" at the bottom, then click "Apply".
  • Windows will then create all the partitions it needs to function, click on the partition with largest file size and select next.
  • Finish the installation.
  • Install the drivers you downloaded.
  • Reboot the computer.
  • Install the programs you want.
  • Reboot the computer.
  • Copy over the data you wanted to keep.

I'll add on any solutions and other common errors that I find as time goes on.
 
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Thanks a lot! I really hope this helps additional users, and it gives me a reference I can go back and copy paste from. Thanks for all your help creating, managing, and updating this thread. You're awesome! :D
 
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