Assetto Corsa does not start
The simulator's messages when Assetto Corsa does not launch, closes during loading or stays hidden, and what to check.
When the player starts their race, IGNITION starts Assetto Corsa, waits for loading to finish, then hands the screen over to it. If one of these steps fails, the simulator shows a message or goes back to the screensaver by itself: this page tells you which corresponds to what.
The simulator's messages
| Message at the simulator | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Could not find Assetto Corsa. Set the path in the settings." | When IGNITION starts, the Assetto Corsa folder cannot be found. | Set the path: see step 1 below. |
| "Error while launching Assetto Corsa:" followed by a detail | Windows could not open the game, most often because the path is wrong. | Click OK, then set the path (step 1). |
| "Unable to launch Assetto Corsa." | Windows refused to start the game. | Click OK, then try again. If it happens again, see step 2. |
| "Could not launch Assetto Corsa (host)." or "Unable to launch Assetto Corsa (guest)." | Same cause, during a multiplayer race. | Same solution, on the simulator that shows the message. |
| "Internet connection lost — launch unavailable." | The simulator can no longer reach Omnisim: no start is allowed offline. | See A simulator appears offline. |
| "Incomplete selection — choose a car and a track." | No playable car or track. | See "Incomplete selection" at the simulator. |
Assetto Corsa closes during loading
IGNITION monitors Assetto Corsa's loading. If it does not start within 45 seconds, or if the race does not begin within the following 80 seconds, IGNITION closes the game automatically. The simulator then goes back to the screensaver, and NEXUS sends you the Assetto Corsa crash notification, with the track concerned.
The player loses nothing: since the session was not driven, their time is not deducted. They scan their QR code again and start over.
If the same track causes this problem every time, deactivate it for this simulator in Content › Tracks, while you reinstall it.
Check, in order
Check the Assetto Corsa path
On the simulator, tap ⚙, General tab, ASSETTO CORSA block. The AC folder
path must point to the Assetto Corsa installation folder, usually
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\assettocorsa. Otherwise, click Browse…,
choose the right folder, then Save.
Check Assetto Corsa itself
Assetto Corsa must be installed through Steam, on a Steam account that owns it. If the game has just been updated or moved, have Steam verify its files, then start a race again.
Update IGNITION
Several launch defects were fixed in versions 1.4.10 and 1.4.11. Check the Version column in Simulators, and update the simulator if it is older: see Update IGNITION.
Result
The player confirms their summary, Assetto Corsa loads and the race starts in the foreground. The simulator switches to Racing in Simulators.
Good to know
- Assetto Corsa stuck behind IGNITION. The game was running, but the summary stayed on screen with the menu music. This defect has been fixed since version 1.4.10.
- Assetto Corsa not closing at the end of the session. Since version 1.4.11, IGNITION closes it automatically 10 seconds after the time is up, if it has not closed by itself. The simulator then goes back to the screensaver.
- A start that takes a while. Play time only starts counting when the race actually starts, not during loading.
When to contact support
Contact support if the path is correct, Assetto Corsa starts normally when you launch it from Steam, and the simulator still shows a launch message or closes during loading on several tracks. Give the name of the simulator, the time of the attempt and the exact message.
See also
The screensaver stays black
Why a locked simulator shows a black screen instead of its video or image, and how to restore the screensaver.
A TV screen does not display the page
Why a TV in the center does not open the display page or the leaderboard, and how to replace it with a device that will reliably display it.