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Most Don Bradman Cricket startup failures have a short list of likely causes: the wrong release requirements, the game being launched offline, damaged Steam files, an incompatible display path, or an old Windows configuration. Start by identifying whether you own Don Bradman Cricket 14 or Don Bradman Cricket 17, then work through the least destructive checks in order. Do not apply the newer game’s requirements or fixes blindly to the older release.
This guide covers crashes after the logos, a menu that never appears, a black screen while the process remains open, in-game crashes, and the startup SSL error 0x00000020. Compatibility mode and CPU-core changes are included because players have reported them, but neither is an official guaranteed fix.
First identify the exact game and symptom
Don Bradman Cricket 14 and Don Bradman Cricket 17 are separate Windows releases with materially different requirements. Open Steam, select the installed game, and read the title and release number shown in your Library and on the store page. If a desktop shortcut uses an abbreviated or custom name, use Steam’s Browse local files command to identify the installation rather than relying on the shortcut label.
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Next, note exactly where the failure occurs. A crash before any logo, a freeze after the opening logos, a missing main menu, an SSL message, and a crash only during play point to different tests. Record the wording of any message before closing it; that information is useful if you must escalate the problem.
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| Observed failure | Start with | Why this order makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing opens or the game closes before the logos | Release requirements, controller, Steam connectivity, and file verification | These checks address prerequisites and missing files without changing Windows boot settings. |
| Logos appear, then the screen stays black while the process is still running | Online first boot, display-driver and GPU selection checks, then windowed or compatibility tests | The process has launched, so the failure may be in menu rendering or display initialization. |
| Main menu never appears | Internet connection for Don Bradman Cricket 14, file verification, and display-path tests | DBC 14’s listing requires connectivity until the main menu is reached. |
| Crash during a match | Requirements, driver/GPU selection, file verification, and then compatibility testing | An in-game crash is less likely to be fixed by an SSL or boot-configuration change. |
| SSL error 0x00000020 | Windows and Steam updates, system date/time, and an online retry | The community report associates this message with Windows or connection state, but does not prove one definitive cause. |
Check the requirements for the correct release
Use the matching Steam listing as the authority for your edition. The figures below are minimums, not performance guarantees. A computer that meets them can still have a driver, file, controller, or compatibility problem.
| Requirement | Don Bradman Cricket 14 | Don Bradman Cricket 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8-era support as stated on the listing | Windows 7 x64 or higher |
| Processor and platform | Windows PC requirements on the release listing; no 64-bit requirement is stated in the supplied specifications | 64-bit processor and 64-bit operating system |
| Graphics API | DirectX 9.0c | DirectX 11 minimum |
| Memory | 2 GB minimum | 4 GB minimum |
| Storage | 2 GB | 11 GB |
| Controller | Controller required | Controller required |
| Internet at startup | Broadband internet; the listing says you must be connected until the main menu appears | The supplied listing does not state the same boot requirement |
| GPU | Use the specific minimum GPU models on the DBC 14 listing | Use the specific minimum GPU models on the DBC 17 listing |
Do not use DBC 17’s 64-bit, DirectX 11, 4 GB, or 11 GB figures as a reason to declare DBC 14 unsupported. Conversely, satisfying DBC 14’s older requirements does not establish that DBC 17 will run.
Connect a suitable controller
Both listings mark a controller as required. Connect a USB or XInput-compatible PC game controller before launching, and confirm that Windows detects it. A controller will not repair corrupted game files, an incompatible graphics driver, or a black-screen rendering fault, but launching without the required input device can make a prerequisite check fail.
Perform the safe checks before changing Windows settings
- Restart Steam and Windows. Exit Steam completely from its system-tray menu, restart Windows, and launch Steam again. This clears a stuck client process without modifying the installation.
- Go online. For DBC 14, connect to the internet before pressing Play and remain connected until the main menu is visible. Steam’s listing states: "Note: You must be connected to the internet to boot this game. You may disconnect from the internet once at the main menu."
- Check available storage. Make sure the drive containing the game has room for the installed files and Steam’s update or repair operations. Compare the free space with the release’s listed storage requirement.
- Close overlays and conflicting capture tools temporarily. Disable optional Steam, GPU, recording, or monitoring overlays for one test launch. Re-enable them one at a time after the game starts normally.
If the game still fails, continue with the repair procedure below rather than repeatedly reinstalling or changing several settings at once.
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Verify and repair the Steam installation
Steam’s installed-files check is the best first repair for a crash caused by a missing or corrupted file. It is a diagnostic test, not a promise that every Don Bradman Cricket crash will be fixed.
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click the installed Don Bradman Cricket release and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files. In older Steam clients this area may be labeled Local Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files and wait for Steam to complete the scan and reacquire any files it reports.
- Restart Steam, connect to the internet if you are using DBC 14, and test one launch before changing another setting.
Do not interrupt the verification or manually delete random files from the installation folder. If the check completes without replacing anything and the symptom is unchanged, move to the display-path tests.
Fix display initialization and laptop-GPU problems
A post-logo black screen can mean that the process launched but the menu did not render correctly. The following are general Windows diagnostics; no game-specific driver bulletin establishes one confirmed Don Bradman Cricket driver fix.
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Install the current driver offered for your exact GPU model by its manufacturer, reboot Windows, and test the game again. Avoid judging the result until after the reboot because the display stack may still be using the old driver in the current session.
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Force the dedicated GPU on a switchable-graphics laptop
If the computer has integrated and dedicated graphics, add the game executable to the vendor’s graphics settings and select the high-performance or dedicated adapter. Windows may also expose a per-app graphics preference under Settings → System → Display → Graphics; add the executable, choose Options, and select the high-performance GPU when that option is available. The exact labels vary by Windows version and driver package.
Test a windowed display path
Use a windowed or borderless launch option only if your Steam client and the game expose one. A windowed test can distinguish a full-screen mode negotiation problem from a general startup failure. If the game opens in a window, change resolution or display mode from inside the menu, close it normally, and then test full screen again.
Do not stack several launch options copied from unrelated games. Change one option, record the result, and remove it if the behavior worsens.
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Steam Community players have reported that Windows 7 compatibility mode helped some DBC 14 systems. This is an anecdotal workaround, not an official Big Ant Studios guarantee, and it should be reverted if it has no effect.
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- In Steam, open the game’s Properties, choose Installed Files, and select Browse to open the installation folder.
- Locate the game’s main executable. Right-click it and choose Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Enable Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows 7.
- Choose Apply, then OK, and launch from Steam while connected to the internet.
If the game becomes less stable, produces a different error, or stops starting, return to the same tab, clear the compatibility option, apply the change, and retest. Do not assume this DBC 14 report applies to DBC 17.
Treat CPU-core changes as a last-resort experiment
One community report suggests opening Windows System Configuration and checking the boot advanced options, then matching the physical-core count. The report also warns that logical processors are different from physical cores. This is not official game documentation, and changing boot options can limit how Windows starts, so it is lower priority than file verification, connectivity, and display checks.
- Create a restore point or write down the original boot configuration before changing anything.
- Press Windows key + R, type
msconfig, and press Enter. - Open the Boot tab, select the active Windows installation, and choose Advanced options.
- Review the Number of processors setting. If you test the community suggestion, use the physical-core count rather than the logical-processor count, and change only this setting.
- Apply the change, restart Windows, and test the game once.
- If there is no improvement, return to the same dialog and restore the original setting. Leaving the processor limit unchecked normally lets Windows use its default configuration.
Do not make this change merely because the game has a black screen; reserve it for persistent launch failures after the safer checks have produced no result.
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Resolve the startup SSL error 0x00000020
The reported message reads: "SSL Error Occured while communicating with server the server.Please ensure you have latest windows update.(0x00000020)" The spelling and punctuation are part of the reported text. A Steam Community discussion associates the message with an outdated Windows or connection state, but does not establish a single definitive cause.
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- Install pending Windows updates. Open Settings → Windows Update (or the equivalent update panel in older Windows versions), install applicable updates, and restart.
- Update Steam. Exit and reopen Steam so it can apply its client update, then sign in again.
- Check the clock. Open Windows date and time settings, enable automatic time and time-zone selection where available, and confirm that the displayed date is correct. Incorrect system time can interfere with secure connections.
- Retry while online. Disconnecting VPNs, captive-portal networks, or restrictive firewalls for one controlled test can show whether the connection path is involved. Restore any security setting after the test.
- Launch DBC 14 again. Keep the connection active until the main menu appears, as required by its Steam listing.
If the same code remains after updates, record the exact text, Windows version, and whether Steam itself can connect normally. Do not present the community association as proof that replacing a particular certificate or system file is required.
When the menu never loads after the logos
If you see the opening logos and the process remains in Task Manager but no menu appears, work through these branches in order:
- Confirm that DBC 14 is online through the first menu load and that a controller is connected.
- Verify the installed files in Steam and reboot before testing again.
- Update the GPU driver and select the dedicated adapter on a laptop.
- Try a supported windowed or borderless launch path.
- For DBC 14 only, test Windows 7 compatibility mode and revert it if the result is worse.
- Do not change CPU-core settings until all of the above have failed.
When the process is still running, allow one test launch to finish before force-closing it, but do not leave repeated hung processes open. Use Task Manager only to end a process that is clearly unresponsive, then restart Steam before the next controlled test.
For crashes that happen during play
A game that reaches the menu but crashes in a match has already passed some startup checks. Confirm the release-specific memory, DirectX, operating-system, GPU, storage, and controller requirements; then verify files and update the graphics driver. On a laptop, test the dedicated GPU. If the crash began after a display setting change, return to the last known working resolution or use a windowed mode for one session.
Keep a short test log: release number, Windows edition and architecture, GPU model, whether the controller was connected, the exact point in the match when the crash occurred, and any message shown. Change one variable per launch. This prevents an anecdotal compatibility workaround from being mistaken for a confirmed cause.
What not to do
- Do not apply DBC 17’s 64-bit, DirectX 11, 4 GB RAM, or 11 GB storage requirements to DBC 14 without checking the correct listing.
- Do not assume that reinstalling will fix a network, controller, driver, or boot-configuration problem; verify files first.
- Do not treat a Steam Community suggestion as an official fix or a guarantee for every PC.
- Do not leave an experimental compatibility toggle or processor limit enabled if it worsens stability.
- Do not delete system files, edit the registry, or replace SSL libraries based only on the 0x00000020 message.
Prepare a useful support report
If the ordered checks fail, contact Steam support or the publisher with evidence rather than a one-line report. Include:
- The exact release: Don Bradman Cricket 14 or Don Bradman Cricket 17.
- That it is the Windows Steam installation.
- Windows version and whether the operating system is 64-bit.
- CPU, GPU, installed RAM, free storage, and controller type.
- The exact failure point: before logos, after logos, missing menu, during a match, or SSL error.
- The complete error text and code, including 0x00000020 when applicable.
- Whether the game was online through the first menu, whether Steam file verification found replacements, and which reversible tests changed the behavior.
This record lets support distinguish a release mismatch from a corrupted installation, display initialization issue, connection problem, or an isolated compatibility case.
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