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If Moon Sweepers keeps crashing, showing a black screen, or refusing to start, update the Steam client to version 1.0.5 or newer before trying launch-option tricks. On Windows, version 1.0.4 changed the default renderer to DirectX 11 specifically to reduce AMD GPU crashes, so remove -force-d3d12 while diagnosing an AMD system. Then verify the game files, update the graphics driver, and restart Steam completely. Version 1.0.5 also fixes a repeatable “Not Responding” freeze about 30 seconds after loading some worlds and fixes memory leaks.
The steps below separate official fixes from player workarounds. They cover blackscreen or freeze failures, UnityPlayer.dll and AMD Driver Timeout reports, “Moon Sweepers requires Steam to run” and “请从steam启动游戏,” error 0x10B, post-load freezes, mid-session crashes, and save recovery.
What should I do first when Moon Sweepers will not launch?
Use this order on the native Windows Steam version (app ID 5335510). It avoids applying launch flags that were relevant before the 1.0.4 graphics change.
- Finish the Steam update. Open Steam, select Library, and let Moon Sweepers reach version 1.0.5 or later. The public 1.0.5 patch was dated 28 October 2026; 1.0.4 was dated 25 October and 1.0.3 was dated 24 October.
- Remove experimental launch options. In Library, right-click Moon Sweepers, choose Properties, and clear the Launch Options box while troubleshooting. In particular, delete
-force-d3d12on an AMD PC. DirectX 11 is already the Windows default from 1.0.4 onward; there is no need to add-force-d3d11or-dx11. - Verify the installation. Choose Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Wait for Steam to finish and repair or reacquire anything it reports.
- Restart Steam and Windows. Exit the game, choose Steam → Exit rather than only closing the window, start Steam again, and launch from the Library page. A full Windows restart is useful after a driver timeout or a crash that affected the desktop.
- Update the GPU driver from the GPU manufacturer. The patch notes do not name a particular driver branch, so install the current driver offered for your exact AMD or NVIDIA model.
- Try the game again before changing graphics settings. If the failure is unchanged, match the wording on screen to the symptom sections below instead of stacking several unverified workarounds.
Reinstalling is not the first step. In documented “requires Steam” reports, reinstalling did not clear the message, while file verification and a clean Steam restart are less disruptive.
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Which Moon Sweepers patches changed crash behavior?
The launch-week patches are important because advice written for 1.0.3 can be wrong for a current client.
| Version and date | Crash, startup, or save change | What it means for troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.3 — 24 October 2026 | Heavily cleaned bases that appeared corrupted could load again; saves were checked before replacing the previous copy. DragDrop Games reported up to about 20% higher frame rates on large bases in its tests. | Do not assume a world that looked damaged was permanently lost. All co-op players had to be on 1.0.3 to play together. |
| 1.0.4 — 25 October 2026 | DirectX 11 became the Windows/AMD default; DirectX 12 became an opt-in with -force-d3d12. It added crash recovery, five local backups per slot, older-Proton startup fixes, faster saving, and fixes for falling through the Moon and tool-switch freezes. |
Leave AMD systems on the default DirectX 11 while diagnosing crashes. A save written by 1.0.4 cannot be opened by an older build. |
| 1.0.5 — 28 October 2026 | Fixed a repeatable “Not Responding” freeze about half a minute after loading some worlds on both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, fixed memory leaks after leaving worlds or removing structures, and reduced garbage-collection stutters in large bases. | Update before investigating that specific post-load freeze. The notes do not claim that every black screen, UnityPlayer.dll fault, or Steam-runtime dialog is fixed. |
DragDrop Games said on 24 October that it is a two-person team and that remaining crashes and performance problems were still a priority. No official crash-rate percentage, AMD-affected-GPU count, or hardware-upgrade recommendation has been published.
What PC specifications and renderer does Moon Sweepers require?
The Steam store lists Windows 10 as the minimum operating system and Windows 11 as recommended. A 64-bit CPU and operating system are required.
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| CPU | Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 570 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT |
| Graphics API in the store specification | DirectX 11 | DirectX 12 |
| Storage | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Other | Broadband internet connection | |
The recommended row still lists DirectX 12, but the running Windows default is DirectX 11 after 1.0.4. Meeting the minimum specification does not guarantee stable frame rates on a heavily automated base. The store lists single-player, online co-op for up to 16 players, Steam Cloud, controller support, and Family Sharing; Steam Deck compatibility remains Unknown, not Verified.
How do I fix AMD Driver Timeout, UnityPlayer.dll, or a GPU-at-100% crash?
Install 1.0.4 or newer and run the default DirectX 11 path first. The official 1.0.4 line is: “Windows / AMD: DirectX 11 is now the default to prevent AMD GPU crashes. To use DirectX 12, add -force-d3d12 to your Steam launch options.”
- Open Steam → Library → Moon Sweepers → Properties → General.
- Delete
-force-d3d12and any older-force-d3d11or-dx11entries. - Verify the files from Installed Files.
- Install the current driver for the exact Radeon model, reboot Windows, and retry without forcing an API.
A launch-day Steam discussion from a player using a Radeon RX 7600 described GPU usage pegging at 100%, crashes while selling dust or opening the upgrade/supply menu, and one crash that took down the rest of the PC. That player reported that Bilinear upscaling lasted about 15 minutes instead of a previous five minutes, but it was not a complete cure. Other players reported different results from STP or upscaling changes, so neither setting is an official AMD fix.
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If the event log names UnityPlayer.dll, treat it as a symptom of the game or graphics path. Verify files and update the driver; never download a replacement DLL from a third-party site. Older guides that tell you to “force DirectX 11” are stale because 1.0.4 already made DirectX 11 the default.
How do I fix a black screen or “blackscreen or freeze” before the menu?
Black screen is not named as a resolved item in the official 1.0.5 notes, so use the general startup path rather than assuming a particular flag will cure it.
- Confirm the client is 1.0.5 or newer.
- Remove all launch options, especially
-force-d3d12on AMD hardware. - Run Verify integrity of game files.
- Update the GPU driver and reboot.
- Launch from the Steam Library while Steam is online.
On Steam Deck or another Linux installation, select a current Proton version. Version 1.0.4 fixed startup issues associated with older Proton versions, but the store still marks Deck compatibility as Unknown. Linux and macOS are not listed as native platforms.
One player reported that pressing Alt+Tab away from the frozen window and back allowed the launch to continue. That is an anecdotal recovery attempt, not an official fix. If it works, still verify the files and report the failure if it returns.
What should I do when Moon Sweepers requires Steam to run or shows 请从steam启动游戏?
These dialogs have appeared even for people who started the game from the Steam Library. No official note through 1.0.5 names either message, and there is no confirmed universal fix.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →- Close Moon Sweepers.
- Choose Steam → Exit and confirm Steam is no longer running.
- Start Steam again, sign in to the owning account, wait for it to show online, and launch from Library.
- Verify the files.
- Do not start
MoonSweepers.exedirectly from the installation folder while diagnosing the Steam check.
Reinstalling did not clear the message in the documented player reports. If it persists, include the exact text, whether Steam showed Online, your game version, Windows version, and the steps immediately before the dialog when reporting it to the developers’ Discord.
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How can I handle “The directory name is invalid” (0x10B)?
Error 0x10B is documented only by an unofficial Moon Sweepers wiki entry marked 1.0.5, not by DragDrop Games’ 1.0.5 notes. That entry says the DirectX 11 launch choice can fail before the game opens and that selecting the DirectX 12 launch choice in Steam can be a temporary way to start.
If you try that workaround, open the Steam launch dialog and select DirectX 12 only long enough to test the launch. On AMD hardware, DirectX 12 may re-expose the crash class that 1.0.4’s DirectX 11 default was intended to mitigate. Remove the opt-in again after testing, and report the 0x10B text rather than treating the unofficial workaround as a permanent fix.
What if the game becomes “Not Responding” about 30 seconds after loading a world?
Update to 1.0.5 first. The official 1.0.5 note says: “Fixed the game freezing (“Not Responding”) about half a minute after loading some worlds, every time, on both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.” It also fixes memory leaks after leaving a world and after removing structures.
If the same freeze remains on 1.0.5, record whether it affects one world or every world, the GPU model, driver version, renderer, and the exact delay before the window stops responding. That information distinguishes a newly introduced case from the repeatable defect addressed by the patch.
How do I reduce crashes during long sessions or on a large automated base?
Large bases can combine many robots, machines, capsules, and save operations. The developers’ 1.0.3 notes reported up to about 20% higher frame rates on big bases in their own tests; 1.0.4 made large-base saving take a fraction of a second instead of up to half a minute; and 1.0.5 reduced garbage-collection stutters and fixed two memory-leak paths.
- Stay on the current public build and let a save complete before closing Steam.
- On an AMD PC, retain DirectX 11 unless a support report specifically asks for a DirectX 12 reproduction.
- If a crash happens only when a very large production area is active, temporarily reduce the number of simultaneously active robots or machines to identify a trigger. This is a diagnostic experiment, not an official performance prescription.
- Lowering graphics quality or disabling Motion Blur helped one reported setup, but those settings are player observations rather than guaranteed fixes.
- NVIDIA systems are not immune: players have reported crashes on RTX 3080 and RTX 4070 hardware, so do not assume every mid-session crash is an AMD-only problem.
Linux players have reported memory growth ending in a crash. Editing Moon Sweepers/MoonSweepers_Data/boot.config to change gc-max-time-slice=3 to gc-max-time-slice=0 is an unsupported player workaround that has also been reported to cause more frequent crashes; it should not be a first-line fix.
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How do I recover a save that will not load or looks corrupted?
Do not delete the slot or downgrade before the built-in recovery has run. Version 1.0.4 added crash recovery that checks saves at the next start and repairs damaged files. Each slot keeps up to five full local backups: one taken a minute into each session and then one every 30 minutes.
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- Update to 1.0.5 or newer and start the game once so the recovery check can run.
- If the world still fails, exit the game and copy both the backup and world folders to a safe location before changing anything.
- Open
C:Users<user-name>AppDataLocalLowDragDropGamesMoonSweepersBackupsfor the automatic backups. - Also copy
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowDragDropGamesMoonSweepersMoonSessions, the world folder cited by a Steam community guide. - Do not install an older build to test the save: saves made in 1.0.4 cannot be opened by older versions.
Version 1.0.3 specifically restored heavily cleaned bases that appeared corrupted and explained that the underlying save files were intact. If a world loads after recovery, make a separate copy before experimenting with older backups or major deletions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which related bugs are fixed, and which still need a report?
Falling through the Moon or after teleporting
Version 1.0.4 lists this as fixed. Fan pages disagree about an “Unstuck” command, and the official controls do not document one, so do not rely on an unconfirmed key sequence.
“Could not pack a capsule”
Version 1.0.4 fixed packing on powered machines, and 1.0.5 fixed packing in large bases with many capsules on belts. Update before changing the machine layout.
Dust reappearing in co-op
Version 1.0.4 reworked ground synchronization. Every crewmate must run the same game version before judging whether the sync fix worked.
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J.O.O.N.A.S. stopping when players walk away
The developers identified this in their 24 October message; 1.0.4 keeps the units working when nobody is nearby. If a unit still stops on the current build, report the world and production setup.
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Alt-tab and vehicle pauses
Players have reported vehicles pausing after Alt-tab and at least one crash associated with switching away from the game. There is no published universal fix, so capture the exact sequence for a bug report.
When should I report a Moon Sweepers crash?
Report failures that remain on 1.0.5 or later through the developers’ Discord. Every official patch asks players to report bugs there, and the team has said remaining crashes and performance problems are still being worked on.
- Exact error text, including
UnityPlayer.dll, “AMD Driver Timeout,” 0x10B, or “Moon Sweepers requires Steam to run.” - Game version and whether Steam completed an update.
- GPU model, driver version, Windows version, and whether the system is AMD or NVIDIA.
- DirectX 11 or DirectX 12, including any launch option still present.
- Whether the failure occurs before the menu, for one world, after about 30 seconds of loading, or during a specific action such as selling dust or opening an upgrade menu.
Those details are more useful than a generic “won’t launch” post and help separate an already-fixed defect from a new regression.
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Is Moon Sweepers Steam Deck Verified yet?
No. The Steam store lists Deck compatibility as Unknown rather than Verified. Version 1.0.4 did fix startup problems associated with older Proton releases, so using a current Proton version is the appropriate first check.
Should I switch to DirectX 12 because the recommended requirements list it?
Not while diagnosing an AMD crash. The store’s recommended row lists DirectX 12, but version 1.0.4 made DirectX 11 the Windows default to mitigate AMD crashes; DirectX 12 is an opt-in test through -force-d3d12.
Will buying more RAM or a faster graphics card definitely stop the crashes?
There is no published evidence that a hardware upgrade is the official remedy. First apply the current patch, verify files, use the default renderer, and update the driver; the developers have not published a crash percentage or hardware-specific upgrade recommendation.
Can I play with friends if one person has a different patch?
Keep every player on the same public version. The 1.0.3 notes explicitly required all crewmates to be on 1.0.3, and mismatched versions can make co-op behavior look like a networking or save problem.
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