Getting Angry Birds 2 on Your PC — Here’s How I Finally Made It Work
Honestly, installing Angry Birds 2 on a Windows PC can be a bit of a rollercoaster. I thought it’d be a straightforward download and play, but things quickly got a bit messy. The process isn’t overly complicated, but there are enough little quirks—missing menu options, launch glitches, store hiccups—that it can trip you up. After a frustrating night of troubleshooting, here’s what finally worked for me, and I hope it helps others avoid the same head-scratching moment.
First up, you’ll want to open the Microsoft Store. That’s the shopping bag icon—usually pretty obvious. But like with many Windows apps, it’s not always the easiest to find or launch immediately. If it’s not opening straight away, try searching for “Microsoft Store” in the Start menu. On some older versions of Windows or after certain updates, the store might be tucked away under Apps > Microsoft Store. If it’s completely missing, won’t open, or keeps crashing, that’s when things get tricky.
I ended up running PowerShell as an administrator and re-registering the Store because mine was acting a bit ghostly. The command that finally did the trick was: Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}. It’s a bit of a nuclear option, but sometimes the Store just needs a fresh start or a little nudge. Be aware, it might take a few minutes, and make sure you close all Store windows before running it.
Once the Store was behaving normally, I typed “Angry Birds 2” into the search bar. Here’s where I got caught out—the search results can sometimes be a bit confusing. Plenty of similar titles and ads, and the official app might be buried under promotional listings. Take your time, look for the publisher Rovio, and double-check the app details if you’re unsure. When you find the right one, click on it and hit Install. Be patient, especially if your internet isn’t blazing fast. The download isn’t huge, but it can seem like ages if your connection drops or Windows runs background updates.
After the download finishes, the game should automatically move to the installation phase. If it doesn’t launch right away, you can always find it in the Start menu or on your desktop if a shortcut was created. The first time you open it, expect to accept some terms and conditions—standard stuff, but worth noting because sometimes it requires admin approval, especially if Windows UAC is set high. Just click “Accept” and skip the legal mumbo jumbo once you’ve agreed.
If the Store Won’t Play Ball: Download Directly from the Official Site
If the Microsoft Store is being stubborn or inaccessible, there’s a fallback: the official Angry Birds website. This isn’t my first choice, but honestly, it saved me some headaches. Just visit Rovio’s site or google “Angry Birds 2 Windows download” and look for a trusted link. Sometimes they have a dedicated Windows installer—likely a .exe file. Make sure you’re downloading from a reputable source—there are plenty of fake or malicious links out there.
Double-click the installer when it’s downloaded. Windows might prompt you with a UAC window—click Yes to proceed. During setup, you’ll choose an installation folder; I stick with my gaming drive, like C:\Games\AngryBirds2 for easier management. Follow the prompts and give it time to install. The installer might ask for permissions or prompt you to install additional components like Visual C++ Redistributables or DirectX libraries—do it, as missing these can cause crashes right at launch.
Once installed, I find it easiest to start the game from a desktop shortcut or through the Start menu. The first launch might prompt you to log in or accept terms. It could even show a black screen or seem to hang for a moment—that’s normal. Patience is key; sometimes a second or third restart helps the game load properly.
If you experience stuttering, crashes, or visual glitches at startup, check your graphics drivers—update them from the manufacturer’s site (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel). Running the game in compatibility mode (right-click the executable, choose Properties, then Compatibility)—set Windows 10 or 11 mode and tick Disable fullscreen optimisations—can also iron out launch issues.
If it crashes immediately or refuses to open, open the Event Viewer (Win + R, then type eventvwr.msc) and look under Windows Logs > Application. Common problems include missing DirectX or outdated .NET Framework. Running dxdiag (from the Run box) can help verify your DirectX installation is fine. If issues pop up, updating or reinstalling DirectX and .NET Framework might be your best bet. Windows will often alert you if something’s missing, but if not, check in Apps & Features to see what’s installed.
In the end, getting Angry Birds 2 to work on my PC involved a mix of driver updates, dependency checks, and toggling compatibility mode. It’s not perfect, but once it’s up and running smoothly, it’s well worth the effort. No more waiting for the mobile version—throwing birds on a big screen is surprisingly fun!
Hope this helps — it took me ages to figure out on my own. Make sure your system is fully updated, your graphics drivers are current, and run the game as an administrator if needed. Good luck, and enjoy your bird-flinging sessions!