KSA refuses to launch, not even showing up in the task manager

[DestinyPlayer]

Whenever I try to launch KSA.exe, the game doesn't even show up in the task manager as a process, it's as if it flat out refuses to launch period.

Spoiler: PC Stats

Game is installed on Drive E:, no special characters or cyrillics anywhere in the paths.

Windows 10 Pro 21H1

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
GIGABYTE X570 GAMING X (Probably unimportant but for completeness)
64 GB of DDR4 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super
NVIDIA Game Ready Drivers version 581.80

Microsoft .NET SDK 9.0.304

 

[DestinyPlayer]

Tried to go "bugger it all" and see if maybe the damn thing will launch on Linux. Installed Proton, installed Protontricks, set up .NET 9.0.0, and managed to get as far as the bloody main menu.

Still crashed to desktop on trying to load into the game but progress lmfao.

 

[selden]

Same symptom (flash of white screen) on a slightly newer computer:

Description
Faulting application name: KSA.exe, version: 2025.11.4.2791, time stamp: 0x67200000
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.26100.7171, time stamp: 0xb1a43a46
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x00000000000c80da
Faulting process id: 0x2B14
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC557C0D4215AC
Faulting application path: C:\MyPrograms\Kitten Space Agency\KSA.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: b777206b-288f-435e-a6db-de4e331d488f
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

-----------------------

Computer info:

Model: Lenovo YhinkStation P330 Tiny

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8700T CPU @ 2.40GHz (2.40 GHz)
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable)

Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 24H2
Installed on ‎8/‎26/‎2025
OS build 26100.7171

GPUs:
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Nvidia Quadro P620 (2GB) driver 453.56

Display:
32" Vizio D3214-J01 TV, 1920x1080 (FHD) @ 60 fps
via
Marantz NR1501 AVR

 

[Kastuk]

Not really an option when the game doesn't even launch far enough to be able to even access the settings, and I can't find a configuration file that'd allow me to change it by hand

I find settings.toml file in Documents/My Games/Kitten Space Agency
Welp, lowering all numbers not give a chance for hopeless GT520MX, as it not support Vulkan.

 

[Ken]

Fixed!

In Event viewer I got the .net error below. I updated my nVidia drivers and now the game launches.

Application: KSA.exe
CoreCLR Version: 9.0.1125.51716
.NET Version: 9.0.11
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: Brutal.VulkanApi.VkResultError: Vulkan call to vkCreateInstance failed with error: VK_ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_DRIVER
at Brutal.VulkanApi.Instance..ctor(CreateInfo createInfo)
at Brutal.VulkanApi.Vulkan.CreateInstance(CreateInfo createInfo)
at Core.KSADeviceContextEx..ctor(Api inApiVersion)
at Core.Renderer..ctor(GlfwWindow window, VkFormat depthFormat, VkPresentModeKHR presentMode, Api vulkanApiVersion)
at KSA.Program..ctor(IReadOnlyList`1 inArgs)
at KSA.Program.Main(String[] inArgs)

Same here. Runs after I updated the Nvidia drivers.

 

[LucasPlay_Games13]

Same error! specs below:
Windows 11
Ryzen 5 5600
GeForce RTX 3060
32 GB DDR4
500GB+ storage

If devs can fix this issue fast, I'd be glad.

 

[chris]

so i launched ksa clicked full solar system and clicked not to show settings and now my game will not fully load and only crashes wat do i do

 

[Ryan_pelo]

Same crash to desktop symptoms as everyone else. Running an RTX3060 16GB on Win 11. I initially thought my drivers were already current because Device Manager said my GPU drivers were up to date. But in the NVIDIA app, it informed me there was a new GeForce game ready driver. Installing this solved my problem.


Event log viewer output in case it matters:

Faulting application name: KSA.exe, version: 2025.11.4.2791, time stamp: 0x67200000
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.26100.7171, time stamp: 0xb1a43a46
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x00000000000c80da
Faulting process id: 0x774C
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC55F4AEB2C494
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Kitten Space Agency\KSA.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: a8315378-e1e0-43f4-b6af-172ba21a3003

 

[Jabbawaky]

Still Having the same problem. Updated drivers, updated .NET, still not working. Its not showing up in the KSA logs (thank you for fixing that by the way), though the logs do show that the settings have been loaded.

-----------------------------------
BRUTAL VERSION: 25.11.0
loaded settings from C:\Users\jared\Documents\My Games\Kitten Space Agency\settings.toml
-----------------------------------

On the plus side I've figured out how Event Viewer works and can see that its a problem with one of the .NET dlls.

-----------------------------------
Faulting application name: KSA.exe, version: 2025.11.5.2819, time stamp: 0x67200000
Faulting module name: coreclr.dll, version: 9.0.1125.51716, time stamp: 0x68f2d06e
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000002e4f72
Faulting process id: 0x517C
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC57A4DB285431
Faulting application path: C:\Users\jared\Documents\Games\Kitten Space Agency\KSA.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App\9.0.11\coreclr.dll
Report Id: 3e4a01fc-97b0-471c-8546-bd18f5873972
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
-----------------------------------

 

[DestinyPlayer]

Unfortunately the 2819 update hadn't fixed my issue, still dropping the same Kernelbase error in the Event Viewer.

-------------------------------------
Faulting application name: KSA.exe, version: 2025.11.5.2819, time stamp: 0x67200000
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.1200, time stamp: 0xc9db1934
Exception code: 0xc0000602
Fault offset: 0x000000000010be3e
Faulting process id: 0x46b4
Faulting application start time: 0x01dc57b33462fb3d
Faulting application path: E:\Games\Kitten Space Agency\KSA.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: d52c4cc2-ce1a-4f4c-971d-2efd8bf6a74f
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
-------------------------------------

 

[Jabbawaky]

UPDATE:

I have managed to get KSA working on my computer. It turns out, I forgot to update my AMD drivers when I updated my NVIDIA drivers (yes I have both, integrated AMD, dedicated NVIDIA).

 

[TheRealJay]

You can try updating your .Net installation:

Thread 'KSA application not starting up at all' https://forums.ahwoo.com/threads/ksa-application-not-starting-up-at-all.215/

 

[WarmMuffinPants]

I am having the KERNELBASE issue. Anybody have a workaround for that? I have re-installed .Net, and my graphics drivers.

 

[Allie_Gat0r :3]

I am having the KERNELBASE issue. Anybody have a workaround for that? I have re-installed .Net, and my graphics drivers.

Still no resolution or way to figure out why it crashes at launch for some of us.

What Windows version do you have atm? Like, type 'winver' into you start menu search and press enter

Also, what GPU driver version are you on currently? I linked a GPU Testing thread, where it would be good for you to post your full info

I'm having the KERNELBASE 0x605 w/e no-load problem on Windows 10 20H2 + NV 551 on an RTX 3080ti but 100% have .Net 9.0.11 installed and detected

 

[displayname001]

I had issues with it failing to launch too, same issue as another user above has already posted.
EDIT: I know it's not the solution for whatever problem others are having.
Check here:


Then look at latest entries.
You will probably see one similar to the following:


Give it the access it needs, then relaunch the game.