u/Just-Ad617

 GMod x86-64 branch won't even reach the main menu. Stuck on splash screen "Not Responding" and ive been going at this for like 3 hours- Help?

Hey everyone,
I’m having a weird issue where the x86-64 (Chromium) branch of GMod refuses to boot, but the default public version works perfectly.

How it started:

I recently reinstalled the game and had a massive list of 1,200+ addons re-downloading. I left the PC on overnight to let them finish, but when I checked in the morning, the game was frozen and it still said 500 addons left to download. Since I force-closed it then, I haven't been able to reach the main menu on the 64-bit branch at all. It just hangs on the splash screen and eventually says "Not Responding."
What I’ve done to stabilize it:

Unsubscribed from every single addon in the Workshop.

Manually deleted the garrysmod, lua, and bin folders before a clean reinstall.

Permanently disabled Steam Cloud.

Currently using the default public version, which is the only way I can get to the menu.

Even with zero addons and a clean install, the x86-64 branch still freezes before the menu appears.

My questions:

Could that interrupted "overnight download" have permanently broken my 64-bit/Chromium files? Even after a clean reinstall and turning off Steam Cloud, the 64-bit version won't boot.

Is anyone else having issues with the Chromium menu specifically? I’ve tried launch options like -noworkshop -novid, but no luck on that branch.

How necessary is the x86-64 branch in 2026? I’ve heard most modern addons and complex servers actually require the x86-64 branch to run without crashing during gameplay. If I stay on the default public version, am I going to hit "Lua Panics" or memory crashes once I start adding mods back?

I’d really like to get back on 64-bit for the performance boost and server compatibility, but I'm stuck. Any advice is appreciated!

Also here are my PC/MONITOR specs:

PC: ARMOURY Scout Gaming PC AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, GeForce RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5, 1TB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home

MONITOR: GIGABYTE GS27Q Advanced 27" QHD 2560x1440 IPS 180Hz 1ms (MPRT) AMD FreeSync 2x HDMI 2.0 1x Displayport 1.4 Gaming Monitor, GS27Q A-US

One last thing, im posting this one my phone cuz i had to go help my dad for like lime 2h so il check responses when i get back thx