ZBrush Crashes or Freezes on Launch
Quick answer
Freeze with a white screen is often a startup app conflict; a blue screen is usually outdated BIOS or chipset drivers; a side-by-side error needs the Visual C++ runtime.
Most likely fix: White screen freeze
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. White screen freeze
- Disable startup apps in Task Manager > Startup, restart and launch ZBrush
Did this fix it?2. Blue screen at launch
- Update motherboard BIOS and chipset drivers, per Maxon this is almost always the cause
Did this fix it?3. Side-by-side configuration error
- Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Restart and relaunch ZBrush
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
White or black screen at launch, blue screen when starting, or a side-by-side configuration error.
Why it happens
- Startup apps interfering (for example UPS software)
- Outdated motherboard BIOS or chipset drivers
- Missing Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable
This guide also covers
- zbrush crashes on launch
- zbrush white screen
- zbrush won't open
- zbrush black screen
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