Halo Infinite Crashing On Startup

The latest entry in the sci-fi shooter is available for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Windows PCs via Steam and the Xbox app. The error happens on PCs, and it’s specific to Steam. Also, it’s a somewhat common issue.

The problem may seem serious. However, you’re probably dealing with corrupted files or wrong configurations on Windows. That said, the fixes affect both the free multiplayer version and the campaign. The troubleshooting process is easy to follow and probably won’t take long.

Halo Infinite Crashing On Startup – Causes

How to Fix Halo Infinite Crashing on Startup?

Let’s run through the series of fixes to address the causes we explained above. The solutions range from updating your system to verifying the game on Steam.

Update Windows

Let’s start by updating the operating system, which is quite easy. Now, let’s try updating Windows to solve potential drive issues: 

1. Click the Windows button on the keyboard.
2. Type “check for updates” on the Windows search bar.
3. Open Check for updates. 
4. Click on “Check for updates.” Otherwise, select “Download and install updates.”
5. If there’s an update, select “Download and install.” 
6. After the update downloads, restart the PC so Windows can update the system.

Update the GPU Drivers

The next step is updating the drivers of your graphic cards. We can do it easily through the Device Manager:

1. Click the Windows icon on the taskbar.
2. Type “device manager” on the search query.
3. Click on “Device Manager.” 
4. Click on “Display Adapters” to expand it.
5. Right-click your GPU -either an NVIDIA or AMD.
6. Click on “Update driver.”
7. Select “Search automatically for drivers.” If there’s an update available, the PC will let you know.

Depending on your card, you can also update the GPU with the proprietary AMD or  NVIDIA software. Each software makes it easy to find and download driver updates.

Run SFC and DISM Command

Now, we’re going to deal with potential errors on your Windows system. To fix the matter, we’re going to use the SFC scan and DISM tool, a built-in Microsoft scanner capable of fixing missing and corrupted files:

1. Click the Windows button.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Right-click Command-prompt and select “Run as administrator.”
4. Confirm your selection.
5. Copy-paste the following command and hit Enter:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
6. Then, type the following command and press Enter.
   sfc /scannow
   
7. It typically takes 5-10 minutes to complete the scan.

If there’s any error on your system, the scan will let you know and re-download what it needs to fix these issues.

Run the Anti-Virus

Halo Infinite can be delicate on Steam, so it probably won’t run if your system has a virus. You can run your anti-virus software before trying to open the game again. I’ll guide you while using the built-in Microsoft Defender tool. If you use another security software, the steps may be similar.

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Select Privacy and Settings on the left.
3. Click on Windows Security. 
4. Click Open Windows Security button. 
5. Click on Virus & threat protection.
   
6. Select Scan options.
   
7. Select Full Scan and click on Scan Now.
   

The system will run a full scan and let you know if it needs to take action or delete anything.

Verify the Integrity of Halo Infinite’s Game Files on Steam

After completing the basic Windows steps, let’s go to Steam to verify the files.

1. Open Steam. 
2. Go to Library.
3. Right-click Halo Infinite and select Properties.
4. Go to Local Files on the left.
5. Select “Verify integrity of game files” on the right.

The process will verify the game for corrupted files. It will notify you if it finds any errors and re-downloads what it needs.

Disable the Steam Overlay

The Steam Overlay causes compatibility issues with multiple games. It’s often a good idea to disable it:

1. Click Steam in the top left corner.
2. Click Settings on the drop-down menu.
3. Go to In-Game on the left.
4. Uncheck “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.” 

Install the DLC Texture Package

You may need to manually disable Halo Infinite’s “Multiplayer High-Res Textures” DLC. It’s a known culprit for the game’s crashes. 

1. Go back to Steam.
2. Go to Library.
3. Right-click Halo Infinite and select Properties.
4. Select DLC on the left-side panel.
5. Uncheck “Multiplayer High-Res Textures.”

By now, restart Steam and try the game again. 

Disable Full-Screen Optimization

We’re almost done with the Steam options you need to tweak. So, if the game is not still running, test disabling the full-screen optimization (a Windows option).

This option crashes the game’s graphics. However, we need to find the game’s .exe file to disable the option, and we can do it through Steam.

1. Go back to Steam.
2. Go to Library.
3. Right-click Halo Infinite and select Properties. 
4. Go to Local Files. 
5. Select Browse to go to the game’s folder.
6. Find haloinfinite.exe
7. Right-click the file and select Properties.
8. Go to the Compatibility tab.
9. Check “Disable fullscreen optimization.”
   
10. Click on Ok and then Apply.

Give the Game Administrator Access

We’re returning to the same menu we explained to give Halo Infinite administrator access. Without administrator privileges, Windows may not be able to run it. This is common if there’re other users on your PC or if you’re not your PC’s administrator.

1. Go back to “haloinfinite.exe“
   
2. Right-click the .exe file and select Properties.
3. Click the Compatibility tab.
4. Check “Run this program as an administrator.”
   
5. Click on Ok and then Apply.

Update DirectX

DirectX is a library of files needed for visual applications. Your PC needs its latest version, DirectX. Follow these steps to check if you need an update and take relevant action:

1. Press the Windows button + R to open the dialogue box.
2. Type dxdiag and press Ok.
3. Check your DX version. If it’s not DirectX12, continue to the next step. Otherwise, skip this solution.
4. Open your web browser and Microsoft’s official site.
5. Download and install DirectX12.

Update or Repair the Microsoft C++

Microsoft C++ is another package of runtime libraries. It may be missing from your PC, or it may be corrupted. You may try to update or repair the package.

1. Open your browser.
2. Go to Microsoft’s official page.
3. Download one of the options. You’ll see an option for ARM64, X86, and X64 systems.
   
4. You can verify your system type by going to “About your PC.”

That said, after you download the package, run it and choose to install or repair the files.

Uninstall Conflicting Software

RGB software, typically MSI’s RGB software, conflicts with Halo Infinite (and many other games). Also, if you’re using hacking software or any other third-party tool that has a function within Halo Infinite, this might be the problem.

You can close the software or uninstall the conflicting software. The first solution is closing the program with the Task Manager:

1. Click the Windows button on your keyboard.
2. Type “task manager” on the search bar.
3. Click on Task Manager. 
4. Find the third-party software you want to erase, right-click it and select End task.
   

Make sure you close all of the third-party software you don’t need as you play. Additionally, you can uninstall the faulty software like so:

1. Press the Windows button + X on your keyboard.
2. Click on Apps and features.
3. Search the defective software.
4. Click “…” (or the similar option in Windows 10) and select Uninstall.

Make sure you uninstall all unneeded software (mostly hacking and lighting).

Disable Overclocking

Lastly, disable it before trying Halo again if you have enabled overclocking on your PC. I’ll leave this fix up to you -if you turn it on, you could turn it off!