Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even in the boundless world of Garry's Mod, you might occasionally encounter a few bumps in the road. This section is dedicated to helping you diagnose and resolve common problems, ensuring your sandbox experience remains as smooth and creative as possible.

Missing Textures and "ERROR" Models

This is perhaps the most iconic Garry's Mod issue, characterized by bright pink and black checkerboard textures and giant red "ERROR" signs. It almost always means you're missing content from other Source Engine games.

The Cause: Garry's Mod relies heavily on assets from other Valve titles, primarily Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2 (and its Episodes), and Team Fortress 2. If you don't own and have these games installed and mounted in GMod, you'll see these errors.
The Fix:
1. Purchase and Install Required Games: The most straightforward solution is to purchase and install the aforementioned games on Steam.
2. Mount Games in GMod:
  - Launch Garry's Mod.
  - From the Main Menu, click on the "Extensions" button.
  - Navigate to the "Games" tab at the top of the Extensions menu.
  - You will see a list of Source Engine games you own. Ensure the checkboxes next to Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, and Team Fortress 2 are checked.
  - Restart Garry's Mod for the changes to take effect.
3. Verify Game Files: If you have the games installed and mounted but still see errors, the game files might be corrupted.
  - Right-click on Garry's Mod in your Steam Library.
  - Select "Properties".
  - Go to the "Local Files" tab.
  - Click "Verify integrity of game files...". Repeat this process for any other Source games you have mounted.

Frequent Crashes to Desktop (CTD)

Garry's Mod, especially with many addons, can be prone to crashing. Identifying the cause can be tricky, but here are common culprits and solutions.

Addon Conflicts/Overload: Too many addons, or conflicting addons, are a primary cause of instability.
The Fix:
1. Disable Recent Addons: If crashes started after subscribing to new addons, try disabling them one by one.
  - From the Main Menu, click "Addons".
  - Uncheck the boxes next to recently installed addons.
  - Restart GMod and test.
2. Clean Up Your Addons Folder: Sometimes, even disabled addons can cause issues.
  - Navigate to your Garry's Mod installation directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\addons).
  - Manually delete any addon folders you no longer use or suspect are problematic. Be cautious when deleting!
3. Clear Downloaded Content: Corrupted downloaded content can also lead to crashes.
  - Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\download.
  - Delete the contents of this folder. GMod will re-download necessary assets.
4. Update Graphics Drivers: Outdated graphics drivers can cause instability in many games. Ensure your GPU drivers are up to date from your manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
5. Lower Graphics Settings: If your system is struggling, reducing graphical fidelity can help.
  - In the Main Menu, go to "Options" -> "Video".
  - Lower settings like "Model Detail", "Texture Detail", and "Shader Detail". Disable "Motion Blur" and "HDR".

Low Frame Rate (FPS)

Poor performance can hinder your creative flow. Here's how to optimize your Garry's Mod experience.

The Cause: High graphics settings, too many active props/entities, complex contraptions, or a large number of active addons can all tax your system.
The Fix:
1. Adjust Video Settings:
  - Go to "Options" -> "Video".
  - Set "Model Detail" to Medium or Low.
  - Set "Texture Detail" to Medium or Low.
  - Set "Shader Detail" to Medium or Low.
  - Disable "Motion Blur" and "HDR".
  - Consider lowering your "Resolution" if other steps don't help significantly.
2. Clean Up Your Map: If you're building complex contraptions, the sheer number of entities can cause slowdowns.
  - Use the Tool Gun (default key Q to open the spawn menu, then select the "Tools" tab).
  - Under the "Admin" category, find the "Cleanup" tool.
  - Use "Cleanup Everything" sparingly, as it will remove all props and entities. More precisely, use "Remove All Props" or "Remove All NPCs" to target specific performance hogs.
3. Disable Unused Addons: As mentioned for crashes, addons consume resources. Disable any you aren't actively using.
4. Check for Background Processes: Other applications running on your computer can compete for resources. Close unnecessary programs before playing.
5. Upgrade Hardware: Ultimately, if your system is significantly older, a hardware upgrade (especially CPU and GPU) might be necessary for a consistently smooth experience.

Addons Not Appearing or Working

You've subscribed to an addon, but it's nowhere to be found in-game.

The Cause: Workshop download issues, conflicting addons, or incorrect installation.
The Fix:
1. Verify Subscription:
  - Go to the Garry's Mod Workshop page on Steam.
  - Check your "Subscribed Items" to ensure the addon is listed.
2. Restart Garry's Mod: Many addons require a full game restart to load properly.
3. Check for Download Progress: Sometimes, large addons take time to download.
  - In your Steam client, go to "Downloads".
  - Ensure there isn't a pending Garry's Mod workshop download.
4. Clear Download Cache:
  - In Steam, go to "Steam" -> "Settings" -> "Downloads".
  - Click "Clear Download Cache". You will need to log back into Steam.
  - Restart Steam and Garry's Mod.
5. Unsubscribe and Resubscribe: A classic fix for workshop issues.
  - Unsubscribe from the problematic addon on the Steam Workshop.
  - Restart Steam.
  - Resubscribe to the addon.
  - Restart Garry's Mod.
6. Check for Conflicts: Some addons simply don't play well together. Try disabling other addons to see if the problematic one starts working.
7. Read the Addon Description: Some addons have specific installation instructions or require other addons to function (dependencies). Always check the workshop page for details.