How to Fix Terrible Lizards Crashing: Startup Errors, Glitches, and Fixes

Troubleshoot Terrible Lizards crashing on PC and console. Fix CreateProcess 11c7 errors, void falling bugs, frame drops, and launch issues.

Few things ruin an intense horror parkour escape quite like your game abruptly freezing and dropping straight to your desktop. If you are struggling with Terrible Lizards crashing during high-stakes chases or refusing to boot entirely, you are definitely not alone. Players diving into Dalton’s Dinos across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 have hit several technical hiccups, but dealing with Terrible Lizards crashing does not have to end your survival run through the prehistoric underground.

Developed by rookie indie team WDR Studios, Terrible Lizards combines responsive platforming, early 90s Route 66 kitsch, and tense dinosaur encounters. However, like many ambitious debut releases running complex physics and dynamic asset streaming, launch-week instability can interfere with the fun. In this comprehensive guide, we break down why crashes occur and provide actionable, step-by-step solutions to stabilize your experience.

Common Causes of Terrible Lizards Crashing on PC and Consoles

Before diving into targeted solutions, it helps to understand what triggers instability. Players exploring the underground facilities have encountered several distinct failure states, ranging from startup errors that prevent execution to mid-level asset dropouts.

According to community reports on the Terrible Lizards Steam Community Hub, modern anti-cheat false flags, missing runtime libraries, and aggressive level streaming bottlenecks represent the primary culprits behind instability.

Crash Type	Common Symptoms	Probable Trigger	Primary Platform
Startup Crash / Error 11c7	Fails to boot, shows `CreateProcess() return 11c7`	Missing VC++ runtime, antivirus blockage, or corrupted binaries	PC (Steam / Game Pass)
DirectX Execution Failure	Instant crash after splash screen	DirectX 12 hardware incompatibility or outdated GPU driver	PC
Unloaded Level Void Fall	Player falls through floor into black void, infinite respawn loop	Asset streaming failure on slow storage or high traversal speed	PC, Xbox Series S
Tar Cave Frame Hitch Crash	Extreme stuttering followed by GPU timeout (TDR)	Particle overload and bounce pad physics in subterranean caverns	PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Animation Lock / Freeze	Game freezes when interacting with props or fence climbing	State machine conflict during chase or dialogue triggers	All Platforms

Analyzing where your session fails will help you apply the correct remedy without wasting time troubleshooting unrelated hardware settings.

How to Fix Startup Crashes and the CreateProcess 11c7 Error

One of the most disruptive launch-window bugs prevents players from getting past the desktop. When attempting to boot the game via Steam or the Xbox App for Windows, users frequently report an error stating:

Couldn't start "...Binaries\Win64\terrible_lizards-Win64-Shipping.exe" terrible_lizards CreateProcess() return 11c7

This specific code indicates that the operating system blocked the executable from spawning a process. Resolving startup-level Terrible Lizards crashing requires verifying local file integrity, whitelisting the shipping executable, and updating essential runtime environments.

1. Whitelist the Shipping Binary in Windows Security

Third-party antivirus utilities and Windows Defender occasionally flag newly compiled indie binaries as unknown threats.

Open Windows Security via the Start Menu.
Navigate to Virus & threat protection > Manage settings.
Scroll down to Exclusions and select Add or remove exclusions.
Click Add an exclusion, choose File, and navigate to your installation folder: ...\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\TerribleLizards\Windows\terrible_lizards\Binaries\Win64\
Select terrible_lizards-Win64-Shipping.exe and confirm.

2. Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables

A missing or outdated Visual C++ runtime environment is a leading reason behind the 11c7 execution failure. Download both the x86 and x64 versions of the Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable directly from Microsoft, run the installers with administrative privileges, and reboot your PC.

3. Force DirectX 11 Launch Mode

While the game leverages DirectX 12 for modern rendering pipelines, older graphics cards or unstable driver architectures can induce crashes during engine initialization. Forcing DX11 stops Terrible Lizards crashing on system configurations prone to DX12 pipeline stalls.

Platform Client	Navigation Path	Launch Command
Steam	Right-click Game > Properties > General > Launch Options	`-dx11` or `-d3d11`
Xbox App (PC)	Enable advanced management > Shortcut target properties	Add `-dx11` after `.exe"`
Direct Binary	Create desktop shortcut to shipping binary > Properties	Append space then `-dx11`

Fixing Void Falls, Traversal Glitches, and Infinite Respawn Loops

Not every crash throws an explicit Windows error dialog. A notable issue highlighted by player experience involves level geometry failing to stream in time during rapid movement.

For instance, during the underground segment where Jordan slides down into a cavern, encounters a Brontosaurus, and squeezes through a tight crevice, the adjacent sector sometimes fails to load. Players slip through the collision boundary into the void, dying repeatedly as the checkpoint saves over empty space.

Slide Segment -> Brontosaurus Encounter -> Crevice Squeeze -> [Asset Streaming Lag] -> Void Fall -> Infinite Loop

If you encounter this or similar collision bugs, use the following workarounds to clear the blockage:

Move the Game to High-Speed NVMe Storage: Terrible Lizards streams large cavern assets dynamically. Traditional HDDs or slower SATA SSDs struggle with rapid transitions, creating unrendered voids.
Cap Your Frame Rate: Running uncapped frame rates can desync physics triggers from streaming managers. Capping the game to 60 FPS in your GPU control panel gives background loading threads adequate CPU cycles.
Purge Checkpoint Saves: If you are trapped in an infinite void drop loop, exit to the main menu. Load an earlier chapter auto-save rather than hitting "Continue" to reset Jordan’s coordinate anchor.
Avoid Exploiting Stage Boundaries: In Level 1, near the animatronic Allosaurus leg backstage, jumping over unintended security fences can lock Jordan into an out-of-bounds trigger state, forcing a stage restart.

Traversal Bug	Affected Location	Primary Cause	Immediate Workaround
Brontosaurus Crevice Void Fall	Subterranean Cave System	Asset stream delay after sliding sequence	Cap FPS to 60; install on fast NVMe drive
Backstage Fence Lock	Level 1 (Meteor Attraction area)	Sequence trigger break by climbing illegal mesh	Reload checkpoint; avoid jumping perimeter fence
Bounce Pad Desync	Deep Tar Caverns	Physics tick collision fail	Approach bounce pads dead-center without sliding
Vent Squeeze Softlock	Facility Maintenance Shafts	Camera collision clip	Lower field of view (FOV) to default 90

Optimizing Graphics to Stop Frame Drops and GPU Crashes

Heavy performance drops often precede crashes. Community discussions frequently cite the Tar Caves—a challenging platforming arena filled with bounce pads and thick atmospheric volumetric fog—as a prime source of stuttering and hardware strain.

When your GPU driver detects prolonged frame hangs, it triggers a "Timeout Detection and Recovery" (TDR) reset, resulting in Terrible Lizards crashing directly to your desktop.

Graphic Setting Adjustments for Maximum Stability

Adjusting a few taxing post-processing features can stabilize frame pacing and keep temperatures manageable during high-velocity chases.

Setting	Recommended Value	Impact on Crash Prevention	Performance Gain
Display Mode	Borderless Windowed	Eliminates Alt-Tab crashes and desktop sync failures	Low (Stability focus)
Resolution Scale	100% (Native) or FSR Quality	Decreases VRAM exhaustion on 6GB/8GB cards	+15% to 25% FPS
FSR Frame Generation	Off (unless running 60+ base FPS)	Reduces frame pacing spikes and input latency	Variable
Volumetric Fog	Medium	Drastically reduces GPU load in Tar Caves	+18% FPS
Shadow Quality	High / Medium	Prevents shadow map allocation memory leaks	+10% FPS
Motion Blur	Off	Reduces camera rotation rendering overhead	Negligible

Note: While the game supports AMD FSR Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation is not natively integrated at launch. If you experience micro-stutters or game freezes with FSR Frame Generation enabled, disable it in the display menu, as unstable frame generation pipelines can accelerate crash rates during heavy particle rendering.

Preventing Terrible Lizards Crashing on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

While PC players face driver and file conflicts, console users playing through PlayStation 5 or Xbox Game Pass can also encounter game freezes. Fast resume states and corrupt temporary caches are the primary culprits on console hardware.

Applying routine maintenance ensures your console provides a stable environment to prevent Terrible Lizards crashing during extended play sessions.

Console Step	Xbox Series X\|S Instructions	PlayStation 5 Instructions
1. Disable Quick Resume / Rest Mode	Highlight Game > Menu Button > Quit (Force-close session)	Press PS Button > Switcher > Highlight Game > Close Game
2. Clear Cache	Settings > Devices & Connections > Blu-ray > Persistent Storage > Clear	Turn off console > Hold Power for 7s until 2nd beep > Rebuild Database
3. Storage Optimization	Ensure at least 15% internal SSD free space	Keep minimum 20GB free storage on primary SSD
4. Display Output Check	Set console output to 60Hz if VRR causes flicker	Disable 120Hz mode in system screen settings

Verifying Integrity and Clean Reinstallation Routine

If startup crashes persist despite launch parameter adjustments, critical game files or local configurations may have corrupted during download. Standard reinstallation does not always remove leftover AppData configuration files that harbor broken graphics flags.

Follow this thorough wipe procedure to guarantee a clean slate:

Uninstall via Client: Remove the game via Steam or the Xbox App.
Delete AppData Settings: Press Win + R, input %localappdata%, locate the terrible_lizards or WDR_Studios folder, and delete it (back up your save directory if you wish to preserve story progress).
Reboot the Operating System: A full restart purges volatile memory caches.
Reinstall on Primary Drive: Install the title onto an internal SSD rather than an external expansion drive to prevent Terrible Lizards crashing when loading massive cavern scenes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is Terrible Lizards crashing on startup with error code 11c7?

This error occurs when the Windows kernel blocks terrible_lizards-Win64-Shipping.exe from executing. It is commonly triggered by missing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable libraries (2015–2022) or overprotective antivirus software quarantining the binary. Whitelisting the folder and reinstalling the runtimes resolves the problem.

Does Terrible Lizards have an infinite void falling bug?

Yes. Community reports highlight a known bug in the subterranean cavern slide sequence near the Brontosaurus encounter. If the subsequent room does not stream into memory quickly enough, Jordan falls out of the world and into the void. Capping the game to 60 FPS, installing the game on an NVMe SSD, or reloading a previous chapter checkpoint circumvents the issue.

Is DLSS Frame Generation supported in Terrible Lizards?

At launch, Terrible Lizards only features AMD FSR frame generation. DLSS frame generation is not natively available in the initial release. Players experiencing instability or stuttering with FSR Frame Generation turned on should disable the setting and rely on standard upscaling to avoid GPU timeout crashes.

How can I report Terrible Lizards crashing bugs directly to WDR Studios?

Players can report bugs, post hardware crash dumps, and share crash logs directly through the official Terrible Lizards Steam Community Hub discussions or via WDR Studios' official social channels and Discord server. Providing your system specifications, DirectX version, and the exact level where the freeze took place helps developers release targeted stability patches.