To fix a PC that crashes while gaming, restart Windows, repair the affected game's files, update or roll back the graphics driver, and check cooling and power if the whole computer shuts down. Close unnecessary apps before trying again, then change one thing at a time and repeat the same game workload.
These steps cover Windows 11 PCs. Note whether the game closes to the desktop, the screen goes black, or the entire computer freezes or restarts, because those symptoms need different troubleshooting.
The short version
- Start simple: Restart Windows and try the game with browsers, recording apps, and unnecessary utilities closed.
- Repair the game: Use your launcher's file verification or repair option before reinstalling.
- Check recent changes: Roll back the graphics driver if crashes began immediately after its installation.
- Investigate shutdowns: Check cooling, power delivery, stock hardware settings, and memory when the entire PC fails.
| Fix or check | When to use it | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Restart with unnecessary apps closed | Any gaming crash | Retry before making another change |
| Recover a frozen or blank screen | You cannot return to the desktop | Recovery does not repair the cause |
| Record errors and failure history | The cause is unclear | A named module is only a clue |
| Check requirements and remove mods | One game keeps failing | Inadequate hardware may need an upgrade |
| Update and repair game files | A particular game crashes | Some local settings remain unchanged |
| Remove launch arguments | Crashes follow a launch-option change | Supported arguments vary by game |
| Resolve a specific anti-cheat error | The game names a security requirement | Follow the matching publisher instructions |
| Install Windows and driver updates | Updates or relevant fixes are available | Use packages matching your hardware |
| Roll back the graphics driver | Crashes began after a driver update | A previous driver must be available |
| Clean-install the NVIDIA driver | NVIDIA driver problems persist | Driver profiles are reset |
| Disable overlays and recording | Crashes coincide with those features | Change one feature at a time |
| Disable startup apps or clean boot | A background conflict keeps returning | Required game services must remain available |
| Remove a conflicting utility | You have isolated the responsible app | Uninstall only the identified application |
| Correct cooling problems | You find blocked vents or cooling faults | Follow model-specific service instructions |
| Check power delivery | The desktop shuts off under gaming load | Never open the PSU enclosure |
| Restore stock hardware settings | You use overclocking or undervolting | GPU controls do not reset CPU or RAM tuning |
| Apply Intel's BIOS mitigation | You have an affected desktop processor | Firmware cannot reverse processor degradation |
| Check resource use and free storage | Memory or drive space is exhausted | Review files before deleting them |
| Run Windows Memory Diagnostic | Crashes persist or RAM is suspect | Errors require hardware investigation |
| Repair Windows system files | Windows corruption is suspected | This does not repair game files |
| Reinstall Windows through Windows Update | System software problems persist | The repair option requires an eligible PC |
| Arrange hardware diagnosis | Failures continue after software checks | Replacement parts must be compatible |
Restart and identify what crashes
Save your work, then select Start > Power > Restart. Before opening the game again, close browsers, recording applications, hardware monitoring tools, and other unnecessary apps. Try the game before changing anything else.
For a black screen, press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver. If keyboard input still works, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager. If nothing responds, restart the unresponsive computer by holding its power button for approximately 20 seconds, then turn it on again. This emergency shutdown loses unsaved data.
Record any stop code and named module when Windows itself crashes or restarts. Note whether the failures began after installing a driver, application, update, or hardware component. A game closing while Windows remains usable is a separate symptom from a system failure.
To inspect the failure history, search Start for reliability and open View reliability history. Select the failure at the crash time, then select View technical details and record the application, faulting module, and error information. A named module helps narrow your search but does not prove which component is defective.
Update and repair the affected game
When one game keeps crashing, compare its publisher's current CPU, GPU, RAM, operating system, and storage requirements with your PC. Remove third-party mods and mod applications, then try the unmodified game. If your system falls below the requirements, you need compatible hardware or an upgrade to the deficient component.
For Steam, open the game's Library entry, select Manage > Properties > Updates, then select Always keep this game updated under Automatic updates. Check View > Downloads for a queued update. Restart the PC and Steam before repairing files.
In Steam's Library, right-click the game and select Properties... > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. In Epic Games Launcher, open Library, open the game's three-dot menu, and select Manage > Verify. Wait for verification to finish before launching again.
For EA app games, open Library, open the game's three-dot menu, and select Repair. In GOG GALAXY, select the game, open Customization beside Play, then select Manage installation > Verify / Repair.... Steam intentionally leaves some local configuration files unchanged, so a successful check does not rule out a settings problem.
Remove recently added or unsupported Steam arguments under the game's Properties > General > Launch Options. Close Properties and try the game again. Only add arguments that the game supports.
Follow the publisher's instructions for any specific anti-cheat error. If a Riot game explicitly requires Secure Boot, follow the steps to enable Secure Boot on your PC using your exact motherboard instructions. Keep your BitLocker recovery key available before firmware changes; a Legacy/MBR installation requires the appropriate conversion before switching to UEFI.
Update Windows and fix graphics driver problems
Open Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install available updates, select Download & install when offered, and restart. For optional drivers, open Advanced options > Optional updates and compare the relevant update with your manufacturer's recommended driver. Select the applicable driver and choose Download & install.
For NVIDIA graphics, open NVIDIA App > Drivers, download the appropriate available driver, and run its installation. If you need a standalone installer, download a matching package from NVIDIA's driver page. Check the release information for fixes affecting your game; a newer driver can also introduce a regression. NVIDIA App replaces the unsupported GeForce Experience.
For Radeon graphics, get the compatible package or Auto-Detect and Install tool from AMD Drivers and Support. Run it and choose the applicable Recommended driver for certified stability, or an Optional driver containing a relevant newer fix. Choose an offered installation type, Default, Minimal, or Driver Only, complete installation, and restart.
For Intel graphics on a customized system, prefer your PC manufacturer's validated package. Otherwise, get a compatible driver for your GPU and Windows version from Intel Download Center. Run the executable, select Begin Installation, and restart when required.
If crashes began immediately after a graphics driver update, try the previous driver. Right-click Start, select Device Manager, expand Display adapters, then right-click your GPU and select Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver. Select your reason when prompted and confirm with Yes. This option requires administrator access and an available previous driver.
For persistent NVIDIA driver problems, finish pending Windows updates and close GPU-using applications before a clean installation. Run the official driver installer as an administrator, select YES if Windows prompts you, then select OK for extraction. Choose NVIDIA Graphics Driver and NVIDIA App or NVIDIA Graphics Driver.
Select AGREE AND CONTINUE > Custom (Advanced) > NEXT. Check Perform a clean installation, select NEXT, and restart after installation. This resets driver profiles, so try the game before restoring custom settings.
Remove overlay and background app conflicts
Disable overlays separately and retry the game after each change. For one Steam game, right-click it in Library, open Properties... > General, and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game. To stop Steam capture, open Steam > Settings > Game Recording and select Off/Don't record.
In Discord, select the cogwheel beside your username to open User Settings, open Overlay or Game Overlay, and turn off Enable Overlay. For EA app, select your profile thumbnail, open Settings > Application, and turn off In-game overlay. Restart the affected game after changing its overlay.
If closing apps helps but the conflict returns after restarting, open Windows Settings > Apps > Startup. Turn unnecessary applications off, restart, and try again. Keep an identified conflicting utility disabled, or open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open its More options menu, and select Uninstall.
For a harder conflict, search Start for msconfig and open System Configuration as an administrator. Select Services, check Hide all Microsoft services, then select Disable all > Apply. Open Startup > Open Task Manager and disable each enabled item under Startup apps, recording which items you change. Close Task Manager, select OK in System Configuration, and restart.
Restore a required launcher or anti-cheat service before trying a game that depends on it. If the game becomes stable, re-enable items in groups to locate the conflict. Keep track of any startup exclusions you deliberately used before this check.
Afterward, open System Configuration > General and select Normal Startup. Open Services, uncheck Hide all Microsoft services, then select Enable all > Apply. Restore the startup apps you disabled through Task Manager, preserve your deliberate pre-existing exclusions, and restart.
Check cooling and power delivery
If the whole PC shuts down or restarts under gaming load, inspect cooling and power delivery. Shut down the PC, clear blocked air intakes and exhausts, and remove dust using the manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Keep a laptop on a hard, flat surface with its ventilation openings clear.
Follow your model's instructions to clean a laptop fan safely. Check fans, heatsink mounting, and CPU cooler installation when you find evidence of a cooling problem, and arrange service for a failed component. Use the temperature limits for your actual CPU and GPU, since there is no single safe limit for every model.
Try a known-working outlet and power cable, then check accessible power connections and PSU ventilation. On a desktop, compare the PSU's capacity with the complete system's requirements. If substitution is needed, have a suitable known-good PSU installed with cables compatible with that PSU. Never open the PSU enclosure.
Return tuned hardware to stock settings
Remove manual CPU and GPU overclocking or undervolting, then try the game without RAM overclock profiles such as XMP or EXPO. Follow your exact motherboard manual for restoring defaults. Record custom boot, storage, and security settings and preserve your recovery information before resetting firmware.
For supported NVIDIA GPUs, open NVIDIA App > System > Advanced and turn on Debug Mode to check stability at reference clock behavior. For supported AMD tuning controls, search AMD Software for tuning, open Performance Tuning, and select Reset. Check individual game profiles as well as the global profile. Neither graphics control resets CPU or RAM tuning.
If you have an affected Intel Core 13th- or 14th-generation desktop processor, install your exact PC or motherboard's latest applicable BIOS containing Intel's current Vmin Shift mitigation. Back up your data first, keep the PC connected to power for the whole update, and never install firmware made for a similar model. Use Intel Default Settings afterward. A BIOS update cannot repair a processor already affected by degradation, so contact your system manufacturer or Intel if instability continues.
Check memory and free storage space
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Performance, and inspect CPU, Memory, Disk, and GPU activity while reproducing the issue. Open Processes to identify unnecessary applications consuming resources, then close those apps and try again. This helps you identify resource exhaustion before moving to hardware repairs.
If your Windows or game drive is nearly full, open Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Review Temporary files, Large or unused files, Files synced to the cloud, and Unused apps. Select only content you intend to remove, then select Clean up for that category. Check downloads, personal files, and cloud files before deletion.
To check RAM, save your work, press Windows + R, enter mdsched, and select OK. Select Restart now and check for problems (recommended). For the extended check, press F1, set Test Mix to Extended, and press F10. Errors require investigation of the RAM, slots, configuration, or related hardware.
Repair Windows or arrange hardware service
If crashes persist and you suspect Windows corruption, search Start for Command Prompt, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Run this command and wait for completion.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthNext, run the following command and let the check finish. These repairs address Windows corruption; they cannot repair damaged game content or defective hardware.
sfc /scannowIf system software problems continue, open Settings > System > Recovery. Under Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now > OK, allow the repair download and installation to complete, and restart. This reinstalls your current Windows version while preserving applications, files, and settings. The option requires an eligible Windows 11 system and may be unavailable when an organization manages updates.
If shutdowns, memory errors, or GPU failures continue after software, stock-clock, cooling, and power checks, contact your PC or component manufacturer for hardware diagnosis. Record any diagnostic failure codes to provide with your support request. A compatible known-good PSU or graphics card can help isolate the failure, but resetting Windows cannot repair a defective physical component.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can disabling virtual memory contribute to gaming crashes?
If you disabled or manually restricted the paging file, restore automatic management. Open Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced system settings, then open Advanced > Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory > Change. Check Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives, select OK > Apply, and restart. This addresses a restricted paging file, but it is not a fix for every gaming crash.
Should you disable antivirus or Memory Integrity to stop crashes?
Keep antivirus and Windows security protections enabled unless you are following a specific, applicable troubleshooting procedure. Vanguard can require Memory Integrity to be enabled. Limit an antivirus exclusion to the exact folder identified in a publisher-diagnosed false positive, because excluded content loses real-time scanning.
Does switching every game to DirectX 11 fix crashes?
No, graphics API choices and launch arguments are game-specific. Epic has removed Fortnite's DirectX 11 option from Rendering Mode. Other games, including World of Warcraft, offer their own supported API choices.
Can Safe Mode confirm that a game is stable?
No, Safe Mode is intended for Windows diagnosis and tasks such as driver removal. It is not a normal environment for checking modern game performance. Return to normal Windows startup before evaluating gaming stability.
Can System Restore undo a change that started the crashes?
Yes, if you have a suitable restore point, System Restore can undo system changes while retaining personal files. Press Windows + R, enter rstrui.exe, press Enter, and select Next. Choose a restore point, checking Show more restore points if needed, then select Scan for affected programs to review which drivers and applications could be removed. Select Next > Finish to proceed.
Does a short GPU stress test rule out a hardware problem?
No, passing a short stress test does not establish that all your hardware is healthy. On supported AMD Software installations, open Performance Tuning > Stress Test, set the duration, and select Start Testing. Select Stop Testing to end early or Finish after completion, and treat the result as one diagnostic clue.