Setup Problems and Fixes

Last updated: 29 October 2026 · Windows 10 / 11

If Windows showed a warning while you were installing or first opening Kuzark, or the game won't start, pick the heading below that best matches the text on your screen. Each step has a picture of the window you will see; click the spot with the orange frame.

Why do these warnings appear? Kuzark's installer is not yet signed with a digital signature certificate. Windows does not recognise new, unsigned files, so it says "Unknown publisher" and asks you first. The file contains no virus or anything harmful.

Only run the file you downloaded from kuzark.com. Do not open installers from other sites, ones passed around on Discord, or ones with a different name.

1"Windows protected your PC"

When you open the installer (Kuzark-Kurulum.exe) a blue window appears. This is Windows' SmartScreen protection and it only shows on the first run.

  1. Click the More info link below the text. Do not press "Don't run"; that cancels the installation.
  2. The window now shows App: Kuzark-Kurulum.exe and a new button appears at the bottom right: press Run anyway.
  3. The setup wizard opens. Press Next on the welcome and folder pages and I Agree on the licence page; setup finishes in a minute and the launcher opens.
The Windows protected your PC window with the More info link highlighted
Step 1: click "More info"
The window after More info, with the Run anyway button highlighted
Step 2: press "Run anyway"

If the "Run anyway" button never appears and the window title says Smart App Control, go to the next heading.

2Smart App Control blocked it (Windows 11)

The text on your screenSmart App Control blocked an app that may be unsafe

If Windows 11's Smart App Control is on, it never allows unsigned apps; the window only has an OK button and no "Run anyway" option. This feature is usually on by default on PCs where Windows 11 was freshly installed. To install and play the game you need to turn it off:

The Smart App Control block window
If this window appears there is no "Run anyway"; follow the steps below
  1. Open the Start menu, type Windows Security and open the app.
  2. In the menu on the left click App & browser control, then Smart App Control settings.
  3. Choose Off. If Windows asks for confirmation, say Yes.
  4. Open the installer again. If the blue SmartScreen window appears this time, get past it as in heading 1.
Windows Security, App & browser control page, with the Smart App Control settings link highlighted
App & browser control → Smart App Control settings
Smart App Control settings with the Off option highlighted
Choose "Off"

Will my PC be unprotected? No. With Smart App Control off, Microsoft Defender virus protection, the firewall and SmartScreen stay on; only the blanket blocking of unsigned apps is removed.

On current Windows 11 versions you can turn it back on from the same page whenever you like. On older versions it cannot be turned back on without resetting Windows, so keeping Windows up to date is recommended.

3The browser blocked the download: "not commonly downloaded"

Edge or Chrome may hold the file after the download finishes because they don't recognise new files. The file cannot be opened until you allow it.

Microsoft Edge

  1. In the Downloads panel at the top right, click the three dots (⋯) next to Kuzark-Kurulum.exe and choose Keep.
  2. In the window that opens click Show more, then press Keep anyway.
  3. The file can now be opened from the downloads list; click it to start setup.
Edge downloads panel with Keep in the three-dots menu
Three dots → Keep
Edge confirmation window with the Keep anyway link highlighted
Show more → Keep anyway

Google Chrome

In the download bubble, or on the downloads page opened with Ctrl + J, press Keep / Download anyway next to the file. If Chrome asks once more, choose Keep again.

4The antivirus deleted or quarantined the file

If the Kuzark shortcut doesn't work after installing, the launcher closes by itself, or files disappear after an update, your antivirus may have mistaken a file for a threat. This is common with new, unsigned games (a false positive).

Microsoft Defender (Windows Security)

  1. Open Windows Security and go to Protection history on the left.
  2. Open the entry whose affected item mentions Kuzark and choose Actions → Restore.
  3. To stop it happening again, add the game folder to the exclusions: Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → further down Add or remove exclusions → Add an exclusion → Folder.
  4. Choose the folder where the game is installed. The default location is C:\Users\(your name)\AppData\Local\Programs\Kuzark (you can also get there by typing %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Kuzark in the address bar).
  5. Reopen the launcher; it downloads any missing files by itself.
Protection history, Restore in the Actions menu for the quarantined Kuzark file
Protection history → Actions → Restore
Exclusions page with Folder in the Add an exclusion menu
Add an exclusion → Folder → Kuzark folder

If you use another antivirus program (paid or free), restore the Kuzark files from its quarantine section and add the same folder to its exceptions / exclusions list.

5Launcher: "Cannot reach the server"

Text in the launcher's bottom barCannot reach the server. Check your internet connection; the server may be under maintenance.

When it opens, the launcher connects to the update server. If it can't, Status shows No connection, Server shows Unreachable and the PLAY button turns into Try Again. The launcher retries by itself every 20 seconds.

Kuzark launcher with the cannot reach the server message and the Try Again button
This is how the launcher looks when it cannot connect
  1. Make sure your internet works: open kuzark.com in your browser. If the site doesn't open, the problem is your connection; restart your modem.
  2. If the site opens but the launcher can't connect, the server may be under maintenance or updating. Check the announcements on Discord; maintenance usually takes a few minutes.
  3. A firewall or antivirus may be stopping Kuzark from going online. If Windows asked whether to allow Kuzark on the network, choose Allow; if you have another security program, give Kuzark internet access.
  4. If you use a VPN, a proxy or a school / work network, turn it off or try another network (for example your phone's hotspot).
  5. Press Try Again.

6Launcher: disk full (ENOSPC)

Text in the launcher's bottom barUpdate failed: ENOSPC: no space left on device, write. Check your connection and try again.

ENOSPC means the disk the game is installed on has run out of space; it has nothing to do with your connection. The installer only installs the launcher; the launcher downloads the game itself on first start, and the game takes about 7 GB. Updates are downloaded to a side folder first and then moved into place, so extra temporary space is needed during an update.

Kuzark launcher with the ENOSPC disk full error
When the disk is full the update stops halfway
  1. Free up at least 10 GB on the disk the game is installed on: Settings → System → Storage → clean up Temporary files, uninstall programs you don't use and empty the Recycle Bin.
  2. If your C: drive is very full, uninstall the game, reinstall it and choose a folder on another drive during setup (for example D:\Games\Kuzark).
  3. Reopen the launcher. The download continues where it left off; files already downloaded are not downloaded again.

7Launcher: file permission error (EPERM / EBUSY) and "game is running"

Text in the launcher's bottom barUpdate failed: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename. Check your connection and try again.

Errors starting with EPERM, EBUSY or EACCES mean the launcher couldn't move a file into place. Almost always another program is holding the file at that moment: usually an antivirus scan or a game left running in the background.

Kuzark launcher with the EPERM file permission error
When a file is held by another program
  1. If the game is open, close it. If you can't see it, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the processes named Kuzark and choose End task.
  2. Add the game folder to your antivirus exclusions (heading 4).
  3. If you installed the game in a protected folder such as C:\Program Files, uninstall it and install it in the default folder.
  4. Reopen the launcher.
Similar textUpdate failed: the game is running; close it and reopen the launcher. Check your connection and try again.

This appears when a new game patch arrives while the game is still running. Close the game (from Task Manager if needed) and reopen the launcher.

Kuzark launcher with the game is running message
A patch can't be applied while the game is running

8Setup: "This folder is not writable"

Warning in the setup wizardThis folder is not writable. Kuzark updates itself when it starts, so it needs a folder you can write to (for example the default folder or D:\Games). Please choose another folder.
Setup wizard with the this folder is not writable warning
When a protected folder is chosen

Kuzark updates itself every time it starts, so it must be installed in a folder it can write to. Protected folders such as Program Files or Windows, or drives without write permission, can't be chosen.

9"Game files are missing or the update did not finish"

The game files are missing or the update did not finish warning
If this window appears when you press PLAY

This appears when the game's main file can't be found. It happens if the first download was interrupted or the antivirus deleted a game file. Press OK; the launcher closes. First check the antivirus quarantine, then reopen the launcher: the missing files are downloaded again.

10"VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found"

VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found system error
When a system library is missing from Windows

This error (or MSVCP140.dll, VCRUNTIME140_1.dll) appears when the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime libraries are missing from Windows. Download and install the X64 version of the Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft's official page and restart your PC: learn.microsoft.com → latest supported VC++ redistributable. Do not download individual DLL files from other sites.

11The game won't start, black screen or graphics error

If the game doesn't open after you press PLAY in the launcher, stays on a black screen or shows a graphics / DirectX error, the problem is most likely your graphics card driver.

  1. Update your graphics card driver. Download the latest driver from your card maker's site (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel). The "basic" driver Windows installs by itself is usually not enough.
  2. Run Windows Update: Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. DirectX updates come from here.
  3. On a laptop, make the game use the powerful graphics card: Settings → System → Display → Graphics → add Kuzark (game\Kuzark.exe in the game folder) → High performance.
  4. Your card must support DirectX 11 / 12 (every card released in the last ten years does). At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended) and 64-bit Windows 10 / 11 are required.
  5. If the game opens but stutters, lower the preset one step in the game's Settings → Graphics.

12Still not solved

Write to us and we'll sort it out together. Including the following in your message helps us help you much faster:

Discord support channel · My Account → Support

See also: System requirements · Wiki · Game Rules