Technical issues FAQ

We're sorry you're having trouble playing Spiral Knights. This guide will lead you through common troubleshooting tips based on your problem.

What best describes the problem you are having?

• My game is running slowly or is stuttering.
• My game doesn't start, shows a black screen on start or crashes.
• I can't get to the Ready Room or I get disconnected when changing areas.
• Everything is laggy, actions are delayed or my knight slides around the screen.
• My game pad doesn't work.
• The Steam logon is missing or isn't working.
• I upgraded to Windows 10 and now my game won't start.
• The update is taking forever.

Spiral Knights Minimum Requirements

Below are the minimum specifications for Spiral Knights. Please make sure that your computer meets these specifications. Please be aware that Laptop and Desktop integrated or "on-chip" graphics devices generally perform well below desktop video cards. Spiral Knights will only work with Steam on Windows and OS X; Linux Steam installs are currently not supported.

Does your computer meet the minimum requirements for Spiral Knights?

• My computer system meets or exceeds the minimum requirements.

Updating Java

Sometimes old or out of date versions of Java can cause performance issues. It is generally advised to keep your Java installation as up to date as possible. Java updates for most operating system can be found at Java.com. To update Java 6 on Apple computers please go to the Apple Knowledge Base instead.

Steam users will have to perform a few extra steps to update the version of Java Steam uses.

1. Make sure to install the most recent version of Java from Java.com
2. Navigate to the system Java installation (default C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\) and copy the entire jre folder.
3. Navigate to the Steam Spiral Knights installation (default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Spiral Knights) and rename java_vm to java_vm_old
4. Paste the folder from Step 2 and rename it to java_vm.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• Nope, the game is still slow.

Updating Graphics Drivers

Sometimes older or out of date drivers do not perform as well as expected and might cause other unexpected issues. It's a good idea to have the most up-to-date drivers installed as they can help with your computer's performance even outside of Spiral Knights.

If you don't know what graphics device is installed on your computer you can check it by using the following steps:

Common graphics vendors have support pages where their updates can be found.

• ATI/AMD Graphics Drivers
• Intel Graphics Drivers
• NVidia Graphics Drivers

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• Nope, The game still runs slowly.
• Nope, the game still doesn't start.

NVidia Optimus Switchable Graphics

Some laptops come equipped with a NVidia Optimus solution that allows the computer to switch between high and low power graphics devices as the situation demands. However, sometimes it fails to correctly detect Spiral Knights and tries to switch modes mid game and causes problems. This can be solved by creating a performance profile.

1. Open the NVIDIA Control Panel (usually found in the Start Menu)
2. In the "Select a Task..." menu open 3D Settings and click on Manage 3D Settings
3. Click to the Program Settings tab.
4. Click the Add button.
5. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin and select java.exe
   • The location of of the java.exe file may be different depending on your Java or game installation.
   • Steam users should look in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Spiral Knights\java_vm\bin instead.
6. Choose the High-performance NVIDIA Processor in the select preferred graphics processor dropbox.
7. You're done! Feel free to close the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems.

Re-Installing Spiral Knights

Many unusual issue can be caused by files that are missing or become corrupt. When this happens it is best to replace the problematic files by re-installing the game. You will not lose any in-game progress by reinstalling Spiral Knights.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems.

Other Overlay Programs

Sometimes programs that create information overlays can prevent Spiral Knights from launching properly. This can be programs like Ventrillo, FRAPS or MSI Afterburner. Please try disabling these programs before starting Spiral Knights. Sometimes you may even need to try disabling the Steam Overlay too.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems.

Rebooting Modem or Router

Sometimes an intermittent problem can create a connection error in the router or modem used to connect to the internet. This can usually be resolved by rebooting the device. If the device does not have a power button then unplug it and wait about 20 seconds before plugging it back in again. Once the device has finished it's power on sequence try playing Spiral Knights.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems connecting to the game.

Firewall Exceptions

Sometimes a firewall or security program installed on the computer may be blocking Spiral Knights from creating and maintaining some connections. Please try playing the game with these programs set to disabled/snooze or add the following exceptions to them.

• Programs: java.exe and javaw.exe
• Ports: 47624 through 47634 inclusive on both TCP and UDP.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems.

Connection Check

Lag can be reduced by checking a number of items.

• Please make sure there is no large download or upload happening while playing Spiral Knights. This can include items like torrents, HD video and cloud/online backup services.
• If playing on wireless please make sure that the signal is strong and consistent.
• Sometimes updating the driver for your network or wi-fi card can increase performance.
• Try a ping test on Pingtest.net to see how general performance on your connection is. Players connection to the US servers should use the Ashburn, VA test location for the best accuracy. Players using the EU servers should use the Galway, Ireland location.

Did that solve the problem?

• Yeah, The game runs great now!
• No, I'm still having problems.

Gamepad not Initialized

By default Spiral Knights will work with almost any game pad the computer recognizes. However, you must make sure that the game pad is plugged in before Spiral Knights is launched.

In some cases the gamepad default in the Controls tab of the Options might not work, or provide a good mapping for all the buttons. This can be solved by selecting the Custom option and creating your own button map.

Is your gamepad working now?

• Yes, the gamepad works
• Nope, something is still wrong.

Restart Steam

Normally when the Steam automatic log on does not work properly it is just a temporary glitch that can be fixed by restarting the Steam client or the computer.

Are you able to log on normally?

• Yes, everything works again!
• Nope, something is still wrong.

Steam Downtime

Sometimes Steam downtime or maintenance can prevent players from logging on. Please check to make sure that there is no scheduled downtime announced in the Steam Forums. Unfortunately if there is announced downtime Steam players may have to wait for it to end before being able to log on.
If no downtime is announced then the Steam Stats page or a thrid party site like Steam Status should also be checked. A sudden downward spike or lots of red can indicate a problem with Steam's service.

• There isn't any downtime announced or any clear problem on the Steam Stats page.

Windows 10 Help

Most recent systems will transition to Windows 10 and play Spiral Knights if you wish. However, there are a few incompatibilities to note. Some manufacturers are taking this release as a convenient time to halt support on older devices. While these devices will likely work for normal tasks due to Windows default drivers, lack of outside updates mean they have little or no OpenGL 3D acceleration functions enabled (critical for Spiral Knights).

• Intel integrated graphics from before the HD 2000 will not work.
• ATI parts from before the Radeon HD 5000 series will not work.
• NVIDIA GeForce cards from before the 400 series will not work.

If your current device is listed above and you enjoy playing Spiral Knights then upgrading to Windows 10 is not for you. There is nothing we can do at Spiral HQ to make these devices work better on Windows 10.

Restart The Patcher

Sometimes the server containing the game updates can get a little bogged down. If you're having trouble downloading the game and it feels like the time remaining is going backwards please close the patcher and wait 5 minutes. Then please try again, you should see a normal download occurring.

Is the update working properly now?

• Yup, everything is downloading properly.
• No, the game still refuses to update properly.

Contact Support

We're sorry that the troubleshooting guide couldn't solve your problem. Please email Support with a description of your problem and what specific steps you have take to resolve it.

Please include the following details to get the fastest response

• Computer details (Processor, Memory, Graphics Card, Operating System)
• The projectx and launcher log files found in your Spiral Knights folder
• File a bug report (if possible) from the area of the game you normally see the problem.
• All the steps attempted from this guide.

Success

Sounds like everything is working properly again. It's time to go exploring in the clockworks!