Most Don Bradman Cricket startup failures can be narrowed down by identifying the installed release, meeting that release’s requirements, repairing the Steam installation, and then testing the display and Windows compatibility path. Don Bradman Cricket 14 and Don Bradman Cricket 17 have different minimum specifications, so applying DBC 17 settings to DBC 14—or the reverse—can send troubleshooting in the wrong direction.
If your copy shows the startup logos and then a black screen, the process remains open but the menu never appears, or you receive SSL error 0x00000020, work through the matching branch below. The Steam listing for DBC 14 also says that an internet connection is required until the game reaches the main menu, and both releases list a controller as required.
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Start by identifying the release and the exact failure point
The name “Don Bradman Cricket Jr” is sometimes used informally in questions and shortcuts, but the Windows Steam releases covered by the available listings are Don Bradman Cricket 14 and Don Bradman Cricket 17. Open your Steam library and check the full product name before changing any settings. Also confirm that you are troubleshooting the Windows PC version, not a console edition or an unofficial installation.
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- Before any logo appears: treat this as a launch, prerequisite, Steam, or graphics-path problem.
- Logos appear, then a black screen: test installation files, online startup, GPU selection, windowed or borderless display, and DBC 14 compatibility mode.
- The menu never appears while the process remains running: use the same post-logo checks and capture whether audio, cursor movement, or keyboard input continues.
- The game reaches the menu but crashes during play: start with file verification, controller and driver checks, and hardware requirements rather than changing Windows boot settings.
- SSL error
0x00000020: update Windows and Steam, verify the system clock, and retry while connected to the internet.
Writing down the exact point of failure prevents you from applying a launch-only workaround to an in-game crash.
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Check the requirements for the correct game
Steam lists materially different requirements for the two releases. Use the row that matches the product in your library.
| Release | Operating system and processor | Graphics API | Memory | Storage | Other listed requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Bradman Cricket 14 | Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8-era systems; Steam lists release-specific minimum processor and graphics hardware | DirectX 9.0c | 2 GB minimum | 2 GB | Broadband internet; controller required |
| Don Bradman Cricket 17 | 64-bit processor and operating system; Windows 7 x64 or newer | DirectX 11 minimum | 4 GB minimum | 11 GB | Controller required |
The DBC 14 listing includes specified minimum GPUs, but the values are tied to that listing and should be checked directly on its Steam store page rather than inferred from the DBC 17 row. Do not use the 4 GB, DirectX 11, and 11 GB figures as universal requirements for DBC 14.
Confirm the two non-obvious DBC 14 startup conditions
- Connect a compatible controller before launching. Steam marks a controller as required; keyboard-only testing does not establish that the game can initialize correctly.
- Stay online through the first boot. The DBC 14 store note says: "Note: You must be connected to the internet to boot this game. You may disconnect from the internet once at the main menu." A disconnected first launch can therefore look like a crash or a menu-loading failure.
After the main menu appears, the store note says you may disconnect. This requirement is specifically stated for DBC 14; do not assume that every release has identical network behavior.
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Repair the Steam installation before changing Windows settings
A missing or damaged game file can produce a crash, an absent menu, or a black screen. Steam’s installed-files verification is reversible and is a better first test than editing the registry or changing boot configuration.
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click the Don Bradman Cricket entry and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files (older Steam clients may show a similarly named Local Files section).
- Select Verify integrity of game files or the current verification/repair command.
- Allow Steam to complete the scan and download any replacement files it identifies.
- Restart Steam, connect the controller, remain online for the first boot, and test the game again.
Verification is a diagnostic test, not a promise that every crash will be fixed. If Steam reports no changes and the same failure remains, continue to the branch that matches your symptom instead of repeatedly running the scan.
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What a verification result means
- Files are reacquired: launch again before making other changes. A corrected file may resolve a pre-logo crash or missing menu.
- No files are reacquired: the installation is less likely to be the immediate cause, so prioritize requirements, graphics output, compatibility, and network startup.
- The scan cannot complete: close other Steam downloads, make sure the drive has free space, and retry. If it repeatedly fails, record the message for Steam support rather than deleting random files.
Test the graphics and display path
A black screen can occur when the game starts on an unexpected GPU or when its legacy display path conflicts with a current driver. These are general Windows diagnostics; no Don Bradman-specific graphics-driver bulletin establishes a single confirmed driver version.
Update the correct graphics driver
- Identify whether the PC uses integrated graphics, a discrete GPU, or switchable graphics on a laptop.
- Install the current driver supplied by the GPU manufacturer for that hardware and Windows version.
- Restart Windows after the driver installation, then launch the game from Steam while online.
Do not assume that Windows Update has installed the newest driver for a discrete GPU. Conversely, do not install a driver for a different GPU family simply because its version number is newer.
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If the laptop has both integrated and discrete graphics, open the graphics settings supplied by Windows or the GPU vendor and add the game executable to the high-performance or dedicated-GPU profile. Apply the setting, restart the game, and note whether the result changes. If the black screen becomes worse, return the profile to its previous value.
Try a safer display mode
Use a windowed or borderless launch option only if your Steam installation or the game’s shortcut exposes one. A windowed test helps distinguish a rendering or resolution hand-off problem from a failed game initialization. Change one display setting at a time and keep a record of the original value so you can undo it.
Use Windows 7 compatibility mode for DBC 14
Steam Community users report that Windows 7 compatibility mode helped some DBC 14 systems. This is an anecdotal workaround, not an official guarantee, and it should be tested only after the release and requirements are confirmed.
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- In Steam, open the game’s Properties, locate the installed files, and choose the option to browse to the installation folder.
- Find the game’s executable file. If several executables are present, use the one that Steam launches for the game rather than a crash reporter or configuration utility.
- Right-click the executable and choose Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Enable compatibility mode and select Windows 7.
- Apply the change, close the dialogs, and launch from Steam while the controller is connected and the PC is online.
Test this mode on DBC 14 first. DBC 17 is listed for Windows 7 x64 or higher and has different DirectX and 64-bit requirements, so do not treat a DBC 14 workaround as a universal DBC 17 fix. If compatibility mode causes a new error, clear the setting and retest with the original Windows behavior.
Change CPU-core settings only as a reversible last resort
A Steam Community discussion describes a user who checked Windows’ boot CPU settings and reported improved behavior. The report is not official documentation, and changing boot options can affect Windows beyond this game. It belongs near the end of troubleshooting, not at the beginning.
Understand the setting before touching it
The relevant Windows dialog is msconfig → Boot → Advanced options. The report specifically warns that physical cores and logical processors are different. Selecting a number without knowing which value Windows is displaying can limit the system rather than repair the game.
If you test it, preserve the original configuration
- Create a Windows restore point, or at minimum photograph and write down every existing value in the Boot advanced-options dialog.
- Press the Windows key, type
msconfig, and open System Configuration. - Select Boot, choose the active Windows installation, and open Advanced options.
- Check whether a processor-count limit is enabled. If Windows was already set to use all available processors, changing the number is unlikely to add useful information.
- If you perform the community-reported test, change only one value, restart, and try the game once.
- Undo the change immediately if there is no improvement, if Windows behaves differently, or if another application is affected.
Because this procedure is anecdotal and changes system boot behavior, do not present a successful report as proof of a general fix.
Fix SSL error 0x00000020 and other online startup failures
The reported message reads: SSL Error Occured while communicating with server the server.Please ensure you have latest windows update.(0x00000020). The wording contains grammatical errors, but the important clues are the SSL reference, the request for a Windows update, and the fact that the error appears during startup communication.
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The discussion that documents this message associates it with an outdated Windows or connection state, but it does not establish one definitive cause. Use the following low-risk sequence:
- Install all pending Windows updates appropriate for your edition and restart the PC.
- Open Steam, allow it to update, and sign in again if Steam requests authentication.
- Confirm that the system date, time, and time zone are correct. An incorrect clock can invalidate secure connections.
- Use a stable internet connection and temporarily avoid launching through a captive portal, interrupted Wi-Fi session, or offline Steam mode.
- For DBC 14, keep the connection active until the main menu appears, as required by the Steam store note.
- Retry the game after the restart. If the same code returns, capture the complete message and the time it occurred.
Do not claim that a Windows update alone cures every 0x00000020 report. If the code persists on a fully updated, correctly dated system with Steam online, escalate it with the evidence listed below.
Resolve a black screen after the startup logos
This symptom is documented in a Steam Community troubleshooting thread: the initial logos appear, the process continues, and the main menu never becomes visible. Follow the steps in this order so each test changes only one variable.
- Verify the installation. Use Steam’s installed-files check, then relaunch.
- Keep DBC 14 online. Connect before pressing Play and stay connected until the menu appears.
- Confirm the controller. Attach a compatible controller before launch; both listed releases require one.
- Check the active GPU. On a laptop, select the dedicated GPU and restart the game.
- Test windowed or borderless output. Use an available launch option or display setting, changing only one option at a time.
- Test Windows 7 compatibility mode if this is DBC 14. Follow the executable procedure above and revert it if behavior worsens.
- Leave CPU-core changes until last. Use the documented restore-and-revert precautions if you decide to test the community suggestion.
If the process remains open with no menu after all display tests, note whether there is audio, whether the cursor changes, and whether the game responds to an exit command. Those observations help support staff distinguish a rendering failure from a complete hang.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHandle crashes that occur during play
A game that reaches the menu but crashes during a match has a different profile from a game that cannot boot. Start with the least invasive checks:
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- Verify the files in Steam and launch again.
- Confirm the controller remains connected and is recognized by Windows. Because a controller is a listed requirement, test with a known-good compatible controller if available.
- Check that the PC meets the RAM, graphics API, operating-system, and storage requirements for the exact release.
- Update the GPU driver and test with the intended GPU on a switchable-graphics laptop.
- Close overlays or utilities that alter display output, input, or GPU selection, then repeat the same match or menu action.
- Record whether the crash occurs at a repeatable action, only after a long session, or at random points. A repeatable location is more useful to support than a general statement that the game “crashes.”
Do not change Windows boot CPU settings merely because an in-game crash is inconvenient. That community suggestion targets persistent launch failures and has no established connection to every match-time crash.
Compare remedies by risk and evidence
| Remedy | Best symptom match | Reversibility | Evidence strength | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam installed-files verification | Pre-logo crashes, missing menus, damaged-install symptoms | Easy to undo; it does not change Windows settings | Standard Steam diagnostic step | First software test after confirming the release |
| Internet connection through the DBC 14 boot | Startup refusal, online or SSL-related launch errors | Easy; disconnect only after the main menu appears | Explicitly stated in the DBC 14 Steam listing | Every DBC 14 first-boot test |
| GPU driver and dedicated-GPU check | Black screen, wrong-monitor or rendering-path symptoms | Usually reversible through the driver profile | General PC diagnostic; no game-specific bulletin established | After file verification, especially on laptops |
| Windowed or borderless display test | Post-logo black screen and display hand-off failures | Easy if the launch option is available | General PC diagnostic | When the process runs but no image appears |
| Windows 7 compatibility mode | Some DBC 14 launch failures | Easy to clear in the executable’s Compatibility tab | Community user reports, not an official guarantee | DBC 14 only, after basic checks |
| CPU-core boot configuration | Persistent launch failures after other tests | Requires deliberate restoration of the original boot setting | Anecdotal community report | Last resort, with a restore point and documented original values |
Choose the right hardware response
Use a controller that satisfies the requirement
A USB or XInput-compatible PC game controller is the most directly relevant accessory because Steam lists a controller as required for both releases. It can solve an input-recognition problem, but it will not repair corrupted files, replace an incompatible graphics driver, bypass the DBC 14 online boot requirement, or cure a black-screen rendering fault caused by the PC.
Upgrade only when the PC is below the published minimum
A memory or graphics upgrade is reasonable only after you compare the hardware with the correct release row. DBC 14 lists 2 GB minimum memory and DirectX 9.0c; DBC 17 lists 4 GB, DirectX 11, a 64-bit processor and operating system, and 11 GB of storage. An upgrade cannot compensate for launching the wrong executable, an offline DBC 14 boot, a damaged installation, or an SSL connection problem.
Prepare a useful support report
If the game still crashes, remains black, or stops at an SSL message, contact Steam support or the publisher with a concise record. Include:
- The exact release: Don Bradman Cricket 14 or Don Bradman Cricket 17.
- Confirmation that it is the Steam Windows installation.
- Windows edition and whether the system is 64-bit.
- CPU model, GPU model, installed RAM, and available storage.
- Whether a controller was connected before launch.
- Whether DBC 14 was online until the main menu.
- The precise failure point: before logos, after logos, menu load, or during play.
- The full error text, including
0x00000020if present. - Which tests were performed: file verification, driver update, GPU selection, display-mode test, compatibility mode, and any CPU-core change.
- Whether a change was reverted and what happened afterward.
A screenshot of the error and a short description of the last successful step are more actionable than a claim that the game simply does not work.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes that make troubleshooting harder
- Mixing releases: applying DBC 17’s DirectX 11, 64-bit, 4 GB, or 11 GB figures to DBC 14 can produce a false diagnosis.
- Launching DBC 14 offline: the store listing requires internet until the main menu appears.
- Testing without a controller: a keyboard-only launch does not satisfy the listed requirement.
- Changing several settings simultaneously: you lose the ability to tell which test changed the result.
- Treating a forum report as an official fix: Windows 7 compatibility mode and CPU-core changes are community suggestions with no guarantee.
- Leaving a boot change in place after a failed test: restore the original
msconfigsetting as soon as it proves unhelpful. - Deleting game files manually before verification: use Steam’s repair function first so you do not create a second installation problem.
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