How To Fix Elden Ring Crashing on PC in 2024

Get ready to dive into this crash-busting guide!

Experiencing the frustration of Elden Ring crashing randomly on your PC? You’re not alone. Tarnished across the Lands Between are facing unexpected crashes at startup, during loading screens, or even mid-battle.

Whether you’re dealing with random crashes, crashes when loading your character or saves, or persistent crashes at the same spot, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to help you troubleshoot and fix these issues.

In this article, we’ll delve into the common causes of Elden Ring crashes on PC and provide a step-by-step guide to restoring the stability of your gameplay.

Why does Elden Ring crash on PC?

The reason for the ER crashing on loading varies for everyone. However, each time Elden Ring crashes you should check your PC specs to see if the system requirements to play this game are met or not.

If your PC won’t meet the recommended requirements to play this game then you are destined to see the error. You should upgrade your gaming PC.

Other causes include the Elden Ring game patch, outdated graphics driver, corrupted game files, EasyAntiCheat, Steam overlay, etc.

How To Fix Elden Ring crashing on PC?

Let’s dive into a comprehensive guide on how to fix Elden Ring crashing issues on your PC

Disable Steam Overlay

The first workaround that can fix the Elden Rings crashes is disabling the Steam Overlay Follow these steps to do it:

  • In Steam, click Library.
    Right-click Elden Ring and select Properties….
  • Go to the GENERAL tab, and uncheck the box Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

Uninstall Epic Games Launcher

If you have an Epic Game Launcher on your PC then you might see that Anti Cheat System messes with it. In this case, the Elden Ring crashing occurs due to processes eldenring.exe and easy anti-cheat running along with it.

You should uninstall Epic Launcher and then play Elden Ring using the Steam client.

RollBack Windows 11 Update

For certain players, the challenge of Elden Ring crashing stems from a Windows 11 update. Reverting their PC to the initial version successfully addressed the issue, enabling them to resume online play in Elden Ring.

This complication arose due to the preview build update of Windows 11, which modified the kernelbase.dll implicated in the Easy Anti Cheat (EAC) crash. Unfortunately, the game’s EAC did not receive an update to recognize the new kernelbase.dll as an authentic file. Consequently, crashes in the game became problematic.

Update Graphics Driver

If the Elden Ring keeps crashing on your PC then there may be an outdated or corrupted graphics driver on your PC.

You need to update the graphics driver on your PC to improve game performance. there are two methods to do it: manually or automatically

We suggest you adopt the automatic method as it is easier, saves time, and doesn’t require tech skills.

All you have to do is download Driver Easy on your PC and install it. This is the best driver updater software for Windows PC even in 2024.

When you run this tool it quickly scans and presents a list of outdated PC drivers. Just click on the update all button and it will automatically install the official latest version of drivers on your PC.

Give it a try and Download the Driver Easy Trail version on your PC. This tool supports Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 7 OS.

ByPass Easy Anti Cheat

Another workaround consists of bypassing the Anti-Cheat system of the game. Follow these steps to fix the launching issue:

  • Go to your game folder. For most, this will be C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ELDEN RING\Game.
  • Right click start_protected_game.exe > Properties > Compatibility.
  • Check the box to run as administrator > Apply.

Now if you run start_protected_game.exe the game should launch. This will not fix launching the game via Steam since Steam will try to launch eldenring.exe it instead. Follow the steps below to fix that.

  • Launch Steam and go to your library
  • Right-click on Elden Ring > Properties> General
  • Under launch options, enter this: "path to start_protected_game.exe" %command%. Example: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ELDEN RING\Game\start_protected_game.exe" %command%

Clearing DirectX shader cache

Players have reported that Elden Ring crashing can be fixed by clearing the DirectX cache in the NVIDIA folder. To find this folder go to this path:

  • C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\DXCache

Copy the path above and replace “your name” with the username on your PC. Now delete the files inside this folder. If the system asks to close GoG and any RGB peripheral software.

Alternatively, follow these steps:

  • Press the Windows key + R and type inside the search box %appdata%, then press Enter to open the AppData folder.
  • When the folder appears on your screen, click on AppData to access the AppData folder.
  • After that, open the Local folder and search for the NVIDIA folder.
  • Inside the NVIDIA folder, access the DXCache folder.
  • Now select all the files located inside the folder and delete them
  • Once done reboot your PC.

Verify The Integrity of the Game File

The game files can become corrupt or get removed from your PC causing Elden Ring to crash. You need to verify the integrity of game files using the Steam client.

During this process, Steam will scan game files and if any file is removed or corrupt, it will be replaced with a new one.

To verify the game files follow these steps:

  • Open Steam and open Library.
    Right-click Elden Ring and select Properties….
  • Click the LOCAL FILES tab and click Verify integrity of game files….
  • Wait a few minutes for Steam to verify the game files.

Disable Your Antivirus Program

Antivirus programs, while essential for PC security, may sometimes misinterpret game files as threats, causing crashes. To address this, temporarily disabling your antivirus program can be a solution.

Here’s how to do it using Windows Defender Firewall:

  • Press the Windows key, type “Control Panel,” and hit Enter.
  • Go to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
  • Under both private and public network settings, select “Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended).”
  • Launch Elden Ring to check if the crashing issue persists.
  • Once you’ve tested the game, re-enable your antivirus program to ensure continued protection against threats.

Alternativly: Allow the Game through Windows Defender Firewall

  • Instead of turning off the firewall, you can allow Elden Ring through Windows Defender Firewall.
  • Navigate to “Allowed apps” or “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.”
  • Add Elden Ring to the list of allowed applications.

Uninstall Afterburner and Rivatuner Statistics Server

Many users love to download MSI Afterburner and RTS to increase their PC’s performance.

In most cases these tools cause incompatibility with the game hence you see crashing on your PC. So try to uninstall these tools from your PC and then try to launch the game.

Delete Temp Files

For many players deleting the temp folder worked out. So you may also give it a try but before that, you can create a backup of temp files.

  • Type %temp% in your search bar and hit the Enter key.
  • Delete everything you can.
  • Relaunch the game and see.

Change the game’s graphics settings to medium

The chances of Elden Ring crashing are high if you have set the graphics setting too high for your PC to support. Easily fix random crashes by lowering the settings to medium or even lower depending on your PC configuration.

Of course, you can only apply this fix if you can get past the starting screen. So in case you are experiencing crashing while playing Elden Ring then the only thing you need to do is to navigate to the graphics settings and change all the settings to medium or low.

Activate the Radeon Anti-Lag feature

If you are an AMD GPU user then there are high chances that Elden Ring will keep crashing your PC.

However, players have managed to fix this crashing issue by activating the Radeon Anti-Lag feature from the Radeon Software. This feature helps you get rid of the stutter and lag issues, as well as the crashing.

Follow these steps:

  • Open the Radeon Software application on your PC.
  • Inside the Radeon app, select Gaming, then click on the three dots located in the top right corner and click on Add A Game.
  • You will need to search for the Elden Ring executable. After locating the executable, select it and click on Open.
  • After you can see the Elden Ring icon in the list of games, double-click it.
  • Now all you have to do is click on the toggle next to Radeon Anti-Lag to enable the feature
  • After that, launch Elden Ring and test it to see if the error still occurs.

Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Disabling fullscreen optimizations can resolve issues related to Elden ring crashing. Follow these steps:

  • Right-click on the Elden Ring executable file and select “Properties.”
  • Go to the Compatibility tab.
  • Check the box for “Disable fullscreen optimizations.”
  • Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save changes.

Disable Xbox-related Services

Removing Xbox-related services may resolve conflicts with the game. Here’s what to do:

  • Open the “Run” dialogue (Win + R), type “services.msc,” and press Enter.
  • Locate services like Microsoft GameInput and gaming services, right-click, and choose “Properties.”
  • Set the startup type to “Disabled” and click “Stop.”

Check your PC Temperature

Monitoring and managing PC temperatures is crucial to prevent overheating issues during gameplay. Follow these steps:

Use reliable monitoring software (e.g., HWMonitor, MSI Afterburner) to check CPU and GPU temperatures. Ensure temperatures are within safe ranges for your components.

If temperatures are high, consider upgrading cooling solutions. Add additional fans to enhance overall airflow. Upgrade your CPU cooler for more efficient heat dissipation.