Games Keep Crashing On Windows? Here’s How To Fix It

When games crash constantly, you can lose game progress and achievements. Games frequently crashing is not something new, even though a simple restart fixes it sometimes, it is not always the case.

Games usually crash due to outdated graphics drivers, corrupted game files , or trying to run on a system that does not meet minimum system requirements. Let us go over how you can prevent this from happening again in the future.

What is Causing My Games to Crash?

How to Fix and Prevent Games From Crashing?

Fixing the issue can depend on what specifically is causing your games to crash. It could be as simple as updating drivers or running the game on low settings, but we want to further prevent it from happening again. Let’s go over some of the solutions that can help you.

Also, before you try any of the options below, turn on the Windows Game Mode. This feature enables every Windows feature to favor running games without any interruption.

To turn on Game mode:

1. Press Windows + I , Settings > Gaming.
2. Then under Game Mode, Switch it on.

Check the Minimum Requirements of the Game

Before you go over any troubleshooting methods, verify the games minimum requirements through their official documentation or FAQs and check if your PC meets them.

Your PC does not have to meet the exact system requirements to run the game, but it is advised to meet them to obtain a playable framerate. Sometimes, if your PC does not meet the minimum requirements it can cause crashes and bugs during scene that require heavy resources.

Install the Prerequisite Software

Some games require software as a prerequisite for running. These include runtime environments like Microsoft Visual C++ and application interfaces like DirectX. Make sure that you have them installed on your PC according to the game’s requirements. 

Update the Graphics Driver

Games mainly depend on the graphical power (besides CPU and RAM) to run on your PC. This means that the GPU on your PC dictates how smoothly a game can run. If the drivers for them go outdated or corrupted then it can cause issues with the games like lagging and crashing. 

You will need to update the drivers accordingly. To do so, follow these steps:

 For Integrated Graphics

1. Press Windows Key + R and type devmgmt.msc and hit enter to launch Device Manager.
2. Under Display adapters, right-click on your preferred graphics processor and hit Update driver.
   
3. Now, click on Search automatically for drivers; this lets Windows search online for any updates pending and proceeds accordingly. Alternatively, you can choose to Browse my computer for drivers if you have a download file for the latest driver.
4. After the installation process is complete, Restart your PC.

For NVIDIA Drivers

NVIDIA GPUs utilize a software called GeForce Experience for tasks like downloading new updates, viewing latest patch notes and also updating graphics drivers. It is recommended that you download the software if you are running a NVIDIA GPU.

1. Head over to Nvidia’s official site and download GeForce Experience.
2. Run the GeForce Experience software and navigate to Drivers.
3. There you can view if there are any latest updates or the current driver version you are on.
4. Click on Check for Updates to see if there are any new drivers available. If there is any, you will get a download button.
5. Proceed with the download and once it completes, click on Express Installation.
6. Wait for the installation to complete and then Restart your PC.

For Radeon Drivers

Just like Nvidia, AMD has its own software for updating AMD specific GPUs. The software is used to check for latest drivers and other AMD related information.

1. Head over to AMD’s official site and go to the support section.
2. There, specify your AMD GPUs details and download the Radeon Software.
3. Run the Radeon software and on the right-hand side you can see Driver & Software.
4. Click on Check for Updates and update to the latest version accordingly.
   

Update Windows

Since your system is responsible for running the game, you need to make sure that everything is up-to-date. A new Windows update usually brings bug fixes from previous versions. So to ensure that this won’t cause the issue, update your Windows to the latest build and also update any other pending software updates.

To check for any Windows-related updates, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open up Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Hit the Check for updates button. If there are any updates pending, Windows automatically downloads and installs them.
   
4. Additionally, you can also download any updates under Optional quality update available.
5. Restart your PC and check if that resolved the
   issue.

If you have any other system updates pending like outdated display drivers or device drivers, make sure to update them as well.

Running System File Checker

System File Checker is a Windows utility tool that scans and repairs corrupted files and registry data that are causing issues like crashing and freezing. Sometimes, a corrupted system file could be preventing games from running smoothly. It is advised that you run SFC at least once.

To run an SFC scan, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type in cmd and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Paste in the command: sfc /scannow.
   
3. The prompt should start running a system scan, this can take some time.
4. After the process is complete you will receive a message.

End Application Using System Resources Unnecessarily 

Your system has a set of resources it provides to run applications. Moreso, video games require a lot of resources to run properly. If you have applications running in the background that are of no use, close it. Doing so ensures that the game is getting full system resources to run smoothly.

To prevent these unnecessary apps from starting up, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + X and click on Task Manager.
2. Under Processes, inspect the applications with high CPU and Memory usage.
   
3. Click on those specific applications and End Task.

Create Exception in Antivirus

Sometimes the Windows defender or the antivirus installed on your PC can flag the game files as malware and remove them. This sometimes causes your game to bug out and ultimately crash. To prevent this from happening, you can create an exclusion in your Windows defender/ antivirus.

Follow these steps to create an exclusion:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings
2. Go to Update & Security.
3. Next, Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
4. Click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
   
5. Next, select Add or remove exclusions under Exclusions and click on the Add an exclusion button.
6. Select Folder from the drop down menu and select the specific game folder.

Verify Game Files

The game files to any games are very important. If a single file goes missing or corrupt, it can mess the whole game up causing issues like crashing. Therefore it is important to verify your game files if the issue persists.

To verify the game files, you can refer to your specific game distribution service’s site or you can check our guide on how to verify the integrity of game files in detail.

Note: In some cases, the game itself might have a bug/glitch causing it to crash. In this situation, you can only wait for the game developers to come up with a fix. Keep an eye out on their official pages for any updates or news regarding the issue.

Inspect PSU 

The power supply is one of the main components in your PC. It is responsible for transmitting power to other components. The problem is, if your PSU cannot supply adequate power, this can lead to issues like PC freezing and applications crashing constantly.

Ensure that your PSU is capable enough to provide power to your PC. Your PSU should have wattage rating according to your PCs needs. Also, check if any cables going in and out of the PSU are loose or frayed.

Provide Ample Airflow

Games crashing and not working properly can be the result of your PC overheating. Since it is a hardware-related issue we included it at the end. Simply put, if your PC does not have a proper system of airflow going inwards and outwards, this can cause problems like thermal throttling among components. This ultimately results in your PC running into problems like crashing.

Reinstalling the Game

If verifying the game files did not work, try reinstalling the game as a whole. This certainly will get rid of any corrupted files and download new genuine ones. This has proven to work in many cases and is one of the most common solutions to the problem.

To reinstall a game, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and click on Apps.
2. Under Apps & features, look for the particular game.
3. Click on it and hit Uninstall.

Once you have uninstalled the game, head over to the games distribution service or the official site and install the game again.