Older games utilize pure OpenGL APIs that modern GPUs struggle to interpret natively. If your game crashes after the initial introductory cinematic, you are likely experiencing driver incompatibility.

and placing it in the game's root directory often resolves immediate crashes. Compatibility Settings : Set the game's executable ( ) to run in Windows XP (Service Pack 3) compatibility mode and check "Run as Administrator" . Also, checking "Override high DPI scaling behavior"

Many Windows 10 users encounter a "GLW_StartOpenGL" error or immediate crashes. This is often caused by modern GPU drivers (specifically NVIDIA versions 517.48 and later) or background overlays.

Most startup failures are caused by how modern Windows and NVIDIA drivers handle older OpenGL versions or legacy DRM.