How to Fix Elden Ring Crashing on PC

Elden Ring can crash to the desktop or freeze during gameplay due to driver issues, corrupted files, or incompatible settings. Here are all the methods to stop the crashes and get a stable gameplay experience.

Method 1: Update Your GPU Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers are the most common cause of Elden Ring crashes, especially after game updates or DLC releases like Shadow of the Erdtree.

1. For NVIDIA: Open GeForce Experience, go to Drivers, and click Check for Updates. Download and install the latest Game Ready driver.
2. For AMD: Open AMD Software Adrenalin Edition, go to the Home tab, and check for driver updates.
3. For Intel Arc: Open Intel Arc Control and check for driver updates.
4. Restart your PC after installing new drivers.

Method 2: Verify Game Files

Corrupted or missing game files can cause crashes at random points during gameplay.

1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right-click Elden Ring and select Properties.
3. Click on Installed Files in the left sidebar.
4. Click Verify integrity of game files.
5. Wait for the process to complete and replace any corrupted files.
6. Launch the game and test for stability.

Method 3: Lower Graphics Settings

Demanding graphics settings can cause crashes on hardware that cannot maintain stable performance.

1. Launch Elden Ring and open the System menu.
2. Go to Graphics Settings.
3. Set Quality Settings to Medium or Low.
4. Disable Ray Tracing if it is enabled.
5. Set the frame rate cap to 60 FPS instead of unlimited.
6. Reduce the rendering resolution if your GPU is still struggling.

Method 4: Disable Overlay Apps

Steam overlay, Discord overlay, and other overlay applications can conflict with Elden Ring and cause crashes.

1. In Steam: Right-click Elden Ring, select Properties, and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
2. In Discord: Go to Settings, then Game Overlay, and toggle off Enable in-game overlay.
3. Disable any other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, or Xbox Game Bar.
4. Launch Elden Ring and check if the crashes stop.

Method 5: Run as Administrator

Running the game with administrator privileges ensures it has full access to system resources.

1. Navigate to your Elden Ring installation folder.
2. Right-click eldenring.exe and select Properties.
3. Click the Compatibility tab.
4. Check the box for Run this program as an administrator.
5. Click Apply, then OK.
6. Launch the game through Steam.

Method 6: Increase Virtual Memory

If your system runs low on RAM, increasing virtual memory gives the game more breathing room.

1. Open the Start menu and search for “Advanced system settings.”
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. Under Performance, click Settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab, then click Change under Virtual Memory.
5. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size.
6. Select your system drive, choose Custom size, and set Initial size to 8192 and Maximum size to 16384.
7. Click Set, then OK, and restart your PC.

Method 7: Update Windows

Missing Windows updates can cause compatibility issues with newer games and GPU drivers.

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. Go to Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates.
4. Install all available updates, including optional ones.
5. Restart your PC after updating.

Method 8: Reinstall the Game

If all else fails, a clean reinstall ensures no corrupted files remain.

1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right-click Elden Ring and select Manage, then Uninstall.
3. After uninstalling, navigate to the Steam folder and delete any remaining Elden Ring files.
4. Reinstall the game from your Steam Library.
5. Launch the game and test for stability.