Fix”Unicode directory path not supported” in CS: GO

All Windows users encountered various software errors and crashes, and many had to fix the problems themselves. This fate has not spared the side of gamers, in particular fans of multiplayer games. With the revival of the cult shooter Counter Strike, fans of the game, along with new impressions of the gameplay, have problems in the form of all kinds of crashes, errors and lags. One of the troubles that you can run into while playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive is an error during launch accompanied by the message “Unicode directory path not supported”. Why it occurs and how to fix it, we will consider.

Fix”Unicode directory path not supported” in CS: GO

Cause of error when opening the game

Most often, an error with the text “Unicode directory path not supported” occurs for one simple reason that is easy to fix. The appearance of a crash when opening the game, indicating that the path to the directory is not supported, is due to the fact that the user has installed CS: GO in a folder or directory whose name is written in Cyrillic. That is, the elimination of the error consists in renaming the directory and restarting or reinstalling the game. In some cases, when the problem lies in other reasons, it will not be possible to solve it in this way, therefore, we will also consider other solutions.

Fixing the error “Unicode directory path not supported”

We carry out the following actions:

1. Open the explorer (Win + E) and find the folder where the game is located.
2. If the location is unknown, you can use the built-in explorer search by entering “CS: GO” or the full name of the game in the line.
3. The folder in which the CS: GO files are stored should not have Cyrillic characters in the name, for example, the game is located at D: Games \ Steam. In this case, it should be renamed.
4. Click on the RMB folder and select the “Rename” option from the context menu (or select the directory and click on its name), enter the new name in Latin characters.
5. Finish the Steam client and game processes by going to Task Manageror rebooting.

After the done manipulations, you can return to CS: GO and check if the “Unicode directory path not supported” error has disappeared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6zZU5pURtA

In addition, you should check the game files for damage , if any, you will need to reinstall the software. To check, do the following:

• launch Steam and go to the list of games that are installed from the library;
• press RMB on the game Counter Strike: Global Offensive and open the properties of the object;
• click on “Local files” and select the “Check files” option;
• we are waiting for the end of the process, its execution will take some time.

Checking the video card driver

If the above method does not solve the problem, you should make sure that the current drivers for the video card are installed on the computer.

You can check this in the “Device Manager”:

1. Open the snap-in in any convenient way (for example, with the msccommand in the Run console (Win + R) or right-click on the “This computer” shortcut and select the “Control” option, then in the opened window – “Device Manager”, or using the Panel management).
2. In the list of devices we find “Video adapters”, open the branch and select the video card, press RMB.
3. From the context menu, select “Update drivers”.
4. In the window that opens, select the driver search option – “Automatic”.
5. Click “Update configuration”.

Suitable drivers usually come with the device on a disk, so you can install the software from the existing media, but if it is not there, the current drivers are always available on the official developer sites, it is easy to find them using the search box on the page by video card model.

Blocking game files with antivirus software

Often , the antivirus installed on the computer can block the game or other software , since some files appear suspicious to the security software. This prevents the associated program component from starting, preventing it from fully functioning, and provokes a crash when the game starts. To ensure that such conflicts between the antivirus and the game or other software do not arise, you should add the programs to the list of exceptions after installation.

It will not be superfluous to check your computer for viruses. In addition to the standard antivirus, it is advisable to use third-party utilities such as Dr. Web CureIt! and AdwCleaner. After scanning and cleaning, the computer will need to restart, then check if the CS: GO error is gone.