Error Message: Torchlight game executable has stopped working

This article pertains mainly to Steam users on Windows.

Issue Description

Steam users may receive the following error message at launch: Torchlight game executable has stopped working. The message is subsequently accompanied by a crash.

How to Resolve

Check for corrupted Steam Cloud saves

We need to determine if there is a corrupted game save on the Steam Cloud. To do this, first disable Steam Cloud synchronization for Torchlight.

1. From Steam, navigate to your Library and locate Torchlight in the list of games.
2. Right click it and select Properties.
3. From the Torchlight -> Properties window, switch to the UPDATES tab.
4. Under Steam Cloud, uncheck Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Torchlight.

Next we need to delete your local game saves. Here’s how:

1. From Start -> Run (or Start -> Search programs and files if you’re on Vista or Windows 7), type %appdata% and press Enter.
2. Browse to runic games\torchlight.
3. Delete the following directories: save, savebackup, and savesbeforecloud.

Keep this Explorer window open. We'll need it again in a moment.

At this point, you should try launching Torchlight. If it loads successfully, then we have reasonable evidence that the problem exists on the Steam Cloud. Create a new character of any class and try playing a little just to make sure that everything is okay. When you’re done, exit Torchlight.

Delete corrupted Steam Cloud game saves.

If we have determined that the problem exists on the Steam Cloud, we'll need to delete those corrupted files. Unfortunately, there’s no specific button in Steam to let us clear out Steam Cloud saves, so we have to trick Steam into wiping the saves for us:

1. Locate that Steam Cloud setting for Torchlight and recheck Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Torchlight.
2. Launch Torchlight. You should be greeted with a dialog which states that your game saves are newer than what is stored on the Steam Cloud. Do not click anything.
3. While this dialog is open, switch over to that Explorer window we opened earlier and you’ll notice that the three directories we deleted before (save, savebackup, and savesbeforecloud) have magically reappeared. Delete them again.
4. Switch back over to that Steam Cloud dialog and confirm that you would like to use the local game saves.

You should be able to play Torchlight now with Steam Cloud synchronization. Please contact us if you experience further problems.