Age of Empires 4 keeps Crashing: Working Solutions For PC Players

Here is how you easily fix AOE4 crashing issues.

If you’ve encountered the frustration of Age of Empires 4 crashing during your gaming sessions, you’re not alone. Whether it’s a sudden crash mid-game, during the opponent’s age-up, or right at the start, players across the community are sharing similar experiences.

This article delves into the widespread problem of Age of Empires 4 crashes and aims to provide you with practical solutions to keep your gaming experience uninterrupted.

How To Fix Age of Empire 4 Keeps Crashing Issue on PC

Apply the fixes mentioned below to resolve crashes that occur when starting the game or mid-game.

1. Update Graphics Card

Start with updating the GPU drivers. In most cases, it’s the outdated graphics card drivers that are causing the Age of Empires 4 crashing issues.

You need to make sure that your GPU is fully up to date. Even if your GPU is updated maybe the current version got corrupted or stopped working.

So you can uninstall graphics card drivers and then reinstall them to fix game-crashing issues.

The easiest way to update GPU drivers is to download Driver Easy.

Driver Easy is a 100 % reliable tool that scans your PC to find outdated drivers and then installs the latest version from official sites automatically.

This tool is available in Free and Pro versions. In the Pro version, you can update system drivers in 2 clicks.

2. Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Chances are that the Age of Empire 4 game files are corrupted or removed accidentally. Another problem with PC games is that the game files often get corrupted.

Run integrity of game files on Steam to recover or repair the lost game file. Here’s how to run this process:

  • Launch Steam and go to your Library.
    Right-click on Age of Empires 4 and select Properties.
  • Click LOCAL FILES on the left, then click Verify integrity of game files….

After verifying the process is complete, run the game to check if the Age of Empire 4 keeps crashing error resolved or not.

3. Be Cautious with Mods

The mods are a significant source of AOE4 crashing. Mods can cause interactions leading to crashes and freezing problems. The solution is to disable and then delete them properly to avoid re-downloading upon logging in again.

4. Registry Edit for Graphics Drivers

The registry edit involving the Graphics Drivers is intended to address issues related to Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) that might occur during graphics-intensive tasks. This tweak adjusts the TdrLevel parameter in the Windows Registry fixing the AOE 4 crashes.

  • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
    Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers.
  • Right-click on the “GraphicsDrivers” key in the left pane.
    Choose New and then select DWORD (32-BIT) Value.
  • Rename the newly created DWORD value to TdrLevel. Make sure the capitalization is exact.
  • Right-click on the TdrLevel DWORD value.
    Select Modify.
    In the “Value data” field, enter 0.
  • Click “OK” to save the changes.

5. Reset BIOS

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware that initializes hardware components during the computer’s boot process. Resetting the BIOS to default settings can help resolve compatibility issues or settings that may contribute to crashes.

  1. Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI setup.
  2. Navigate through the BIOS menu using the arrow keys.
  3. Look for an option like “Load Defaults,” “Load Optimized Defaults,” or a similar term depending on your motherboard.
  4. Once you’ve located the reset option, select it.
  5. Confirm that you want to load default settings.
  6. Save the changes and exit the BIOS.
  7. Allow the computer to reboot.

6. Change Display Refresh Rate

The display refresh rate is the number of times per second your monitor refreshes the image on the screen. Higher refresh rates can improve visual smoothness, but compatibility issues might arise with certain applications or hardware.

Cap the frame rate to 60Hz, especially if you have a higher refresh rate display (e.g., 144Hz).

7. Install the Latest Game Patch

To improve game performance and fix bugs-related issues the Age of Empire 4 developers regularly release the latest game patch.

Download and install the latest game patch to fix the issue. If you are using Steam then it will automatically detect updates and install them on your PC.

8. OneDrive Sync Issue

Check if Microsoft OneDrive is synchronizing the Steam folder while playing.
If so, deselect the Steam folder in OneDrive settings to prevent synchronization during gameplay.

9. Disable Antivirus Software

If the Age of Empire 4 won’t launch then it’s because you have installed antivirus software.

The antivirus tools mistakenly consider game files a threat and prevent them from running.

You can create an exception list or simply disable the antivirus tool from running in the background.

10. Lower Graphics Settings

Try lowering the in-game graphics settings to see if it reduces the likelihood of AOE4 crashes. Lowering settings can reduce the strain on your system and may help stabilize the game.

11. Check for Overheating

Monitor your system’s temperature while playing. Overheating can cause instability and crashes. Ensure that your computer is well-ventilated, and consider using software tools to monitor temperature levels.

12. Disable Overclocking

If you have overclocked your CPU or GPU, revert to default clock speeds. Overclocking can sometimes lead to instability, especially in resource-intensive games.