If you are having problems running Stronghold Crusader 2 please follow these troubleshooting steps before contacting support...

1) Do you have an anti-virus program installed on your computer?

Lots of games have problems with overprotective anti-virus programs.  If you are using anti-virus please make sure Stronghold Crusader 2 has been added to your list of exceptions.  Please consult your anti-virus manual for instructions on how to do this.  The default installation path for the Stronghold Crusader 2 game file is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps\common\Stronghold Crusader 2\bin\win32_release\Crusader2.exe

2) Make sure you have installed the prerequisite files required to run Stronghold Crusader 2

• Latest DirectX files:
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stronghold Crusader 2\resources\directx\DXSETUP.exe *
  or
• http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=35
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package (MFC Security Update):
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stronghold Crusader 2\resources\redist\vcredist_2010_x86.exe *
  or
• http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=26999 (download the vcredist_x86.exe file)

3) Verify your Stronghold Crusader 2 files

1. Login to the Steam client
2. Within Library, right-click on Stronghold Crusader 2 and select Properties
3. Select the Local Files tab and click the Verify Integrity of Game Cache... button.
4. Steam will check all the game files were downloaded correctly. This process may take several minutes. If any files are missing Steam will download them the next time you run the game.

4) Delete your Stronghold Crusader 2 initialisation file

Locate your C:\Users\[User]\Documents\Stronghold Crusader 2\Profiles folder and delete options.xml.  This will force Stronghold Crusader 2 to redetect your computer settings again when loading the game.

5) Use the Windows System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted Windows system files

System File Checker is a utility in Windows that allows users to scan for corruptions in Windows system files and restore corrupted files. This article describes how to run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) to scan your system files and to repair missing or corrupted system files.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/929833

6) If the game still does not run, check your Options Override file

1. Open the your installed game path by right-clicking on Stronghold Crusader 2 in Steam, going to Properties > Local Files > Browse Local Files...
2. Go to the directory \bin\win32_release and open the file "options_override.xml"
3. Following the instructions in the file, enter a path to a new directory in which you will save game options (for example, edit the line to <override user_data_path="C:\Users\username\Desktop\Options" />
4. Save the file and then try running Stronghold Crusader 2.

If you are still experiencing problems, please contact support with the following information:

1. A detailed description of the problem
2. A list of any security systems on your computer including anti-virus software
3. A dxdiag file from your computer so that we can view your computer spec.  Instructions on how to create a dxdiag file can be found here: http://support.fireflyworlds.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/115

* - this is the default Steam install location for Stronghold Crusader 2