Elden Ring Crashing? Fixes That Actually Work

Elden Ring crashing on PC is a common issue that can stem from outdated drivers, corrupted game files, or conflicting background software. This guide walks you through the most effective fixes, from quick checks to deeper system adjustments, so you can get back to the Lands Between without the game closing unexpectedly.

Why Elden Ring Crashes on PC

Elden Ring is a demanding game, and crashes often happen because of a few recurring culprits. The most frequent causes are:

• Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers – The game relies heavily on your graphics card, and a bad driver update or an old version can cause instability.
• Corrupted game files – A partial download or a failed update can leave files that trigger crashes when loaded.
• Overheating hardware – Intense gameplay pushes the CPU and GPU; if cooling is insufficient, the system may shut down the game to protect itself.
• Background software conflicts – Overlays (like Discord, GeForce Experience, or MSI Afterburner) and some anti-cheat or RGB software can interfere with the game’s process.
• Insufficient RAM or VRAM – If your system is low on memory, the game may crash when loading new areas.
• Windows or DirectX issues – A corrupted system file or an outdated DirectX version can cause the game to fail.

Before You Start: Quick Checks

These are the first things to verify, as they are the easiest to fix and account for a large portion of crashes.

1. Restart your PC – A simple reboot clears temporary glitches and frees memory.
2. Check system requirements – Make sure your PC meets the minimum specs. Elden Ring needs at least 12 GB of RAM and a GTX 1060 or RX 580 class GPU.
3. Update Windows – Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install all pending updates.
4. Verify game files – In Steam, right-click Elden Ring, select Properties, go to Local Files, and click Verify Integrity of Game Files. This will re-download any missing or corrupted files.

Fix 1: Update Your GPU Drivers

Outdated drivers are the single most common cause of Elden Ring crashes. Both NVIDIA and AMD release game-ready drivers specifically for major titles.

1. Go to the official website of your GPU manufacturer: NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
2. Use their auto-detect tool, or manually select your GPU model and download the latest driver.
3. Before installing, it’s recommended to use a clean installation option (in the NVIDIA installer, check “Perform a clean installation”). This removes old driver remnants that can cause conflicts.
4. Restart your PC after the installation.

If the game still crashes, try rolling back to a previous driver version that you know worked, as sometimes the newest driver has bugs.

Fix 2: Disable Overlays and Background Apps

Overlays are a frequent culprit because they inject their own code into the game’s rendering process. Disable them temporarily to see if the crash stops.

• Steam Overlay: In Steam, right-click Elden Ring, go to Properties, and uncheck “Enable Steam Overlay while in-game.”
• Discord Overlay: Open Discord, go to Settings > Overlay, and turn off “Enable in-game overlay.”
• GeForce Experience: Open GeForce Experience, go to Settings, and turn off “In-Game Overlay.”
• MSI Afterburner / RivaTuner: Close these programs entirely (right-click the system tray icon and exit).
• Other apps: Close browser windows, RGB software (like iCUE or Razer Synapse), and any other non-essential programs.

After disabling these, launch the game and see if the crash persists. If it does, you can re-enable them one by one to find the culprit.

Fix 3: Adjust In-Game Settings

Sometimes the game’s default settings are too aggressive for your hardware, leading to crashes. Lowering certain settings can increase stability.

• Set graphics to “Low” or “Medium” – This reduces the load on your GPU and CPU.
• Disable Ray Tracing – If you have it enabled, turn it off. It is very demanding and can cause crashes on some systems.
• Cap the framerate – Set the “Max FPS” to 60 or lower. Unstable high frame rates can cause crashes.
• Turn off “Auto-Detect” – Set the quality manually to a fixed level.
• Lower the resolution – If you’re playing at 4K, try 1440p or 1080p.

These changes reduce the strain on your hardware, which is especially helpful if the crash happens during intense moments like boss fights or when entering new areas.

Fix 4: Check for Overheating and Power Issues

Overheating can cause sudden crashes. If your PC is dusty or your cooling is insufficient, the game may crash to prevent damage.

1. Download a temperature monitoring tool like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner.
2. Run the game and watch the CPU and GPU temperatures. If they exceed 90°C (194°F) for the CPU or 85°C (185°F) for the GPU, you have a cooling problem.
3. Clean your PC’s fans and vents with compressed air.
4. Ensure your PC case has good airflow – check that fans are spinning and not blocked.
5. If you’re on a laptop, make sure the vents are not blocked and consider a cooling pad.

Also, if you have a power supply unit (PSU) that is underpowered for your system, it can cause crashes under load. Check that your PSU has enough wattage for your GPU and CPU.

Fix 5: Run the Game in Compatibility Mode

Sometimes, running the game in a compatibility mode for an older Windows version can resolve crashes caused by system-level changes.

1. Navigate to your Steam installation folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ELDEN RING\Game.
2. Find eldenring.exe (or start_protected_game.exe).
3. Right-click it, select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab.
4. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and select Windows 8 or Windows 7.
5. Also check “Run this program as an administrator.”
6. Click Apply and try launching the game.

Note that this can sometimes cause issues with the anti-cheat system (Easy Anti-Cheat), so if the game won’t launch at all, revert this change.

Fix 6: Disable Easy Anti-Cheat (Temporarily)

Elden Ring uses Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC). While it’s necessary for online play, it can sometimes cause crashes, especially if it’s corrupted or conflicting with other software.

1. Go to the game folder: ...\steamapps\common\ELDEN RING\Game.
2. Find start_protected_game.exe and rename it to something like start_protected_game.exe.bak.
3. Find eldenring.exe and rename it to start_protected_game.exe.
4. Launch the game from Steam. This will start the game without EAC, so you’ll be in offline mode.

If the game runs without crashing, the issue is with EAC. You can try verifying game files to reinstall EAC, or run the game offline (which doesn’t require EAC) to see if the crash is related to online features. Remember to rename the files back if you want to play online.

Fix 7: Increase Virtual Memory (Page File)

If you have 8GB of RAM or less, or if your system runs out of memory, increasing the page file can help prevent crashes.

1. Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Advanced tab, and under Performance, click Settings.
3. Go to the Advanced tab again, and under Virtual memory, click Change.
4. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.”
5. Select your system drive (usually C:), choose “Custom size,” and set the initial and maximum size to 1.5 times your RAM. For example, if you have 8GB (8192 MB), set both to 12288 MB.
6. Click Set, then OK, and restart your PC.

This gives the system more virtual memory to use, which can prevent crashes when the game needs more memory than your physical RAM provides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Elden Ring crash on the title screen?

This is often caused by corrupted game files or an outdated GPU driver. Verify the game files in Steam, and update your driver. If that doesn’t work, try disabling the Steam overlay, as it can interfere with the game’s initial loading.

Elden Ring crashes when I launch it – what do I do?

First, check if your PC meets the minimum requirements. Then, update your GPU driver and Windows. If the crash persists, try running the game in compatibility mode for Windows 8, and disable any overlays (Steam, Discord, etc.).

Can mods cause Elden Ring crashes?

Yes, mods can absolutely cause crashes, especially if they are outdated or incompatible with the current game version. If you have mods installed, remove them all and see if the game runs. If it does, add them back one at a time to find the problematic one.

Is there a known fix for crashes on specific graphics cards?

Some users have reported crashes on certain NVIDIA cards, particularly with older drivers. The general fix is to update to the latest driver. For AMD cards, ensure you’re using the “Adrenalin” edition drivers, and consider disabling “Radeon Anti-Lag” if you have it enabled, as it can cause issues.

Should I disable fullscreen optimizations?

Yes, this can help. Right-click on eldenring.exe, go to Properties > Compatibility, and check “Disable fullscreen optimizations.” This is a common fix for games that crash when alt-tabbing or during resolution changes.

Elden Ring crashes after a few minutes of gameplay – why?

This usually indicates an overheating problem or a power supply issue. Monitor your temperatures with a tool like HWMonitor. If the CPU or GPU gets too hot, clean the fans and improve airflow. If temperatures are fine, your PSU might not be providing enough stable power – consider testing with a different PSU if possible.

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