PC Game Troubleshooting Guide: Fix Crashes, Stutter, Launch Errors and Low FPS

PC game troubleshooting works best when you go from the most likely, least risky fix to the least likely, most disruptive one. Most problems trace back to damaged game files, the graphics driver, software running alongside the game, or hardware that is overheating or unstable.

This guide covers the whole process. It starts with a table that matches your symptom to a section, then walks through the checks that apply to every problem, and then goes symptom by symptom: games that won’t launch, crashes mid-game, stutter, low FPS and specific error messages. The last sections cover launcher repairs, hardware checks and how to reinstall cleanly.

Quick diagnosis: which problem do you have?

The symptom tells you where to look. Find the row that matches what you see, then jump to that section.

One distinction matters a lot. If the problem affects one game, the cause is usually that game’s files, settings or mods. If it affects every game, the cause is usually the driver, Windows or hardware.

Online-only problems such as rubber-banding are a network issue, and they have their own guide on fixing high ping and packet loss.

What should you try before anything else?

Five basic checks fix a large share of problems, and none of them can make things worse. Do all five before you change settings or reinstall anything.

1. Restart the PC. Use Restart, not Shut down. With Fast Startup on, a shutdown saves part of the system state and reloads it, while a restart loads Windows and its drivers fresh.
2. Update the game and its launcher. Open the launcher and let any pending update finish. A half-applied patch is a common reason for a game that suddenly stops opening.
3. Update Windows. Go to Settings → Windows Update and install what is waiting. Then restart again.
4. Verify the game files. This is the single most useful repair step, and it is covered in the next section.
5. Update the graphics driver. Get it from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel directly, not from Windows Update. Our guide to updating graphics drivers covers the normal install, the clean install and how to roll back.

Also confirm that your PC can run the game at all. If your hardware is below the minimum requirements, no fix in this guide will help, so check the game’s system requirements against your parts first.

What does verifying game files do?

Verifying game files is a check that compares every installed file against the launcher’s record of what it should be, then re-downloads any file that is missing or different. It does not touch your saves or settings.

Steam’s support documentation covers the process under “Verify Integrity of Game Files”. It takes anywhere from under a minute to half an hour, depending on the size of the game and the speed of the drive. The exact steps for each launcher are in the launcher section further down.

Verification restores original files, so it also removes many mods. If you use mods, expect to reinstall them afterward, and test the game without them first.

Why won’t your game launch, or why does it crash on startup?

A game that fails at launch almost always fails for a software reason: files, runtimes, permissions or security software. Hardware faults tend to show up later, under load.

Work through these in order:

1. Check that the game isn’t already running. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, look for the game’s process and end it. A stuck process from an earlier crash blocks the next launch.
2. Verify the game files.
3. Reinstall the runtimes. Many games need the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and older ones need the legacy DirectX runtime. Both are free downloads from Microsoft.
4. Check your security software. Windows Security’s Controlled folder access can stop a game from writing its save or config files, which makes some games close at once. Third-party antivirus can also quarantine a game’s executable or its anti-cheat.
5. Turn off overlays. Disable the Steam, Discord, GeForce and Xbox Game Bar overlays, plus any FPS counter or RGB utility, then try again.
6. Repair the anti-cheat. If the game uses Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye, a broken service will stop the launch before the game window appears.

The full walkthrough, including where to find the crash log, is in our guide on how to fix PC games crashing on startup.

When is the problem the install, not the game?

Sometimes the launch fails because the install itself was incomplete. Not enough free disk space is the usual reason: many launchers need room for both the download and the unpacked files, so a 100GB game can need noticeably more than 100GB during installation.

If you are setting up a game for the first time, the install guides cover the launcher steps and the settings to check on first run: installing Counter-Strike 2 on PC, installing Fortnite on PC and installing Genshin Impact on PC.

Why does your game crash mid-game or to the desktop?

A crash to desktop means the game ran, then hit something it could not recover from. The usual suspects are the graphics driver, software injected into the game, mods, and unstable hardware settings.

Find out what crashed

Windows records most crashes, and reading the record saves a lot of guessing.

1. Open the Start menu and search for View reliability history. This opens Reliability Monitor.
2. Click the day of the crash, then the red X entry for the game.
3. Choose View technical details and read the Fault Module Name.

A module name beginning with nvlddmkm, nvwgf2 or atidxx points at the graphics driver. A name that matches an anti-cheat or overlay file points there instead. If the faulting module is the game’s own .exe, the cause is more likely game files, mods or a bug in the game.

Event Viewer shows the same information under Windows Logs → Application, as an Application Error entry. Many games also write their own crash log, usually in a folder under Documents\My Games or %LOCALAPPDATA%.

Fix the common causes

• Graphics driver. Update it. If the crashes started right after a driver update, roll back to the previous version instead.
• Overlays and injected software. Overlays, FPS counters, capture tools, RGB software and performance “boosters” all load code into the game. Turn them off one at a time.
• Mods. Game patches regularly break mods that used to work. Remove all mods, verify the files and test again before blaming anything else.
• Overclocks and undervolts. A CPU, GPU or memory tweak that seems stable in one game can crash another. Return everything to stock settings while you troubleshoot.
• Memory profiles. XMP and EXPO run your RAM faster than the default. They are normally fine, but an unstable profile produces random crashes in many games. Turning the profile off in the BIOS for a test is a quick way to rule it out.

If a single game keeps crashing after all of that, look for a guide specific to it. Our walkthrough for fixing Elden Ring crashes on PC shows how the same method applies to one title.

Rule out a software conflict with a clean boot

A clean boot is a Windows start-up with only Microsoft services running. It is the quickest way to prove or rule out a conflict with another program.

Microsoft’s clean boot instructions use the System Configuration tool: search for msconfig, open the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. After that, disable the start-up apps in Task Manager and restart.

If the game is stable in a clean boot, re-enable services in small groups until the crash returns. Remember to undo the clean boot afterward, because it also disables things you want, such as some launcher and peripheral services.

How do you fix stutter and hitching?

Stutter is uneven frame delivery. The average FPS can be high while individual frames take several times longer than the rest, and you feel each of those long frames as a hitch.

The numbers explain why. At 60 FPS, each frame takes about 16.7ms. One frame that takes 100ms is a visible freeze, even though an FPS counter that averages over a second barely moves. That is why a frame time graph is a better tool for stutter than an FPS number.

The main causes, and what to do about each:

• Shader compilation. Shaders are small programs that tell the GPU how to draw surfaces and effects, and they have to be compiled for your specific hardware. If a game compiles them during play, you get a hitch the first time each new effect appears. It improves as you replay areas. Let any “compiling shaders” step at the menu finish, and expect the stutter to return for a while after a driver or game update.
• Running out of video memory. When a game needs more VRAM than the card has, it swaps textures in and out, which causes hitches when you turn the camera or enter a new area. Lower texture quality first, then resolution.
• Slow storage. Open-world games stream data from the drive as you move. On a hard disk this causes hitching and late-loading textures. Moving the game to an SSD is the fix.
• Not enough RAM. If Task Manager shows memory use near 100% while you play, close browsers and launchers you don’t need. Leave the Windows page file on System managed.
• Background activity. Downloads, cloud sync, antivirus scans and Windows updates all compete for the drive and CPU. Pause them during play.
• Frame pacing. A frame rate that swings widely can feel worse than a lower, steady one. Capping the frame rate a little below your monitor’s refresh rate, with variable refresh rate (G-Sync or FreeSync) enabled, usually smooths this out.

Windows has a few settings that affect smoothness too, including Game Mode and per-app GPU preference. They are covered in our guide to the Windows Game Mode and graphics settings worth checking.

How do you fix low FPS?

Low FPS means every frame is slow. Before you lower any graphics setting, check that the PC is actually using its full performance, because several common faults cut FPS in half without any error message.

Check the basics first

1. Monitor cable. On a desktop with a graphics card, the monitor must be plugged into the graphics card’s ports, not the motherboard’s. A cable in the motherboard port runs games on the weaker integrated graphics.
2. GPU selection on laptops. Go to Settings → System → Display → Graphics, pick the game and set it to High performance so it uses the dedicated GPU.
3. Power. Gaming laptops limit performance on battery. Plug in, and set the Windows power mode to Best performance.
4. Refresh rate. Under Settings → System → Display → Advanced display, confirm the refresh rate is set to your monitor’s maximum. A 144Hz monitor left at 60Hz looks like a 60 FPS cap.
5. Frame limits. Look for VSync, a frame cap in the game, or a limit in the GPU control panel.
6. Temperatures. A CPU or GPU that is too hot slows itself down on purpose. If FPS is fine for ten minutes and then drops, heat is the likely cause.

Then lower the settings that cost the most

When the basics are right, the remaining lever is the game’s own settings. These usually give the most FPS back for the least visual loss:

In CPU-limited games, such as large strategy games and competitive shooters at high frame rates, lowering graphics settings changes little. View distance, crowd density and simulation settings matter more there.

Game-specific guides go further than a general table can. See our guides to improving FPS in Valorant, which is a CPU-heavy game, and the best graphics settings for Cyberpunk 2077, which leans heavily on the GPU.

What do common error messages mean?

An error message is the most useful clue you can get, so read it exactly and note any code. These are the ones that come up most.

Never download a single .dll file from a DLL download site to fix a missing file error. Those files are often outdated or tampered with. Microsoft’s own installers put the correct, signed versions in the right place.

DirectX device errors

Microsoft’s DXGI documentation describes DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED as the video card having been physically removed from the system, or a driver upgrade having occurred. When it appears in the middle of a game with neither of those happening, it usually means the driver crashed and was restarted.

Treat a one-off as a glitch. If it repeats, work through the driver first, then stability: remove any GPU overclock or undervolt, check GPU temperature, and make sure the card’s power cables are fully seated.

Anti-cheat and security requirements

Anti-cheat errors often trace back to something blocking the service. Antivirus tools, RGB software and virtualization settings are common culprits.

Some anti-cheat systems also have firmware requirements. Riot’s Vanguard, for example, requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on Windows 11. Both are BIOS settings, and changing them is safe on a normal Windows 11 install, but read your motherboard manual first because the wrong boot mode setting can stop Windows from starting.

How do you repair a game in each launcher?

Every major launcher has a repair or verify function. The menu paths below are current as of 2026, and launchers do move them from time to time.

If a launcher itself misbehaves, with downloads that stall or a Play button that does nothing, sign out and back in, then restart the launcher as administrator once. On Steam, Steam → Settings → Downloads → Clear Download Cache fixes many stuck downloads and signs you out in the process.

Keep launchers and games off drives that are nearly full. Patching needs working space, and a full drive is a common cause of updates that fail and leave the game unable to start.

When is it a hardware problem?

Suspect hardware when the problem follows the PC rather than the game. The signs are crashes across many unrelated games, blue screens, the whole PC freezing or restarting, or visual artifacts such as flickering blocks and stretched polygons.

Heat

Heat is the most common hardware cause and the easiest to check. Processors and graphics cards slow down when they reach their limits, and they shut the PC off if they keep climbing.

Watch temperatures while you play, using the method in our guide to monitoring CPU and GPU temperature while gaming. If the numbers are high, the guide on how to tell if your PC is overheating covers what counts as too hot and how to bring it down. Dust in the fans and filters is the usual reason on a PC that used to run fine.

Memory

Faulty or unstable RAM causes crashes that look random, in different games and at different times.

1. Disable XMP or EXPO in the BIOS and see whether the crashes stop.
2. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic: search the Start menu for it, or run mdsched.exe, and choose to restart and check.
3. If errors appear, test one memory stick at a time to find the bad one.

Power supply

A power supply that can’t deliver enough power under load causes the PC to switch off or restart the moment a game gets demanding, often with no error at all. This is most common right after a graphics card upgrade.

Check that every power connector on the graphics card is filled and pushed fully home, and that you used separate cables where the card’s manual asks for them. Compare your supply’s wattage against what your parts need before assuming another cause.

Storage and system files

A failing drive produces corrupted game files again and again, so verification keeps finding problems. If you verify, the game works, and a few days later it is broken again, test the drive with its manufacturer’s diagnostic tool and move the game to a different drive.

Damaged Windows system files can also break games. Microsoft’s guidance is to run the two built-in repair tools from an administrator Command Prompt, in this order:

1. DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
2. sfc /scannow

Restart when both finish.

BIOS and firmware

A BIOS update is a higher-risk step, so only do it for a reason. The clearest reason is a motherboard release note that mentions a stability or microcode fix for your CPU. Intel, for instance, addressed an instability issue on some 13th and 14th generation desktop processors through microcode delivered in motherboard BIOS updates.

Follow the motherboard maker’s instructions exactly, and never interrupt power during the update. A failed BIOS flash can leave the PC unable to start.

How do you get a clean slate?

If nothing has worked, reinstall in a deliberate order rather than all at once. Stop as soon as the problem is fixed, so you know what the cause was.

1. Back up your saves. Check whether the game uses cloud saves. If it doesn’t, copy the save folder somewhere safe first.
2. Reinstall the game. Uninstall it, delete any leftover folder in the install location, restart, then install again. Put it on a different drive if you have one.
3. Clean-install the graphics driver. Use the clean installation option in the NVIDIA or AMD installer.
4. Reinstall the runtimes. Install the Visual C++ Redistributable and, for older games, the DirectX End-User Runtime.
5. Repair Windows system files with DISM and SFC, as above.
6. Test in a clean boot.
7. Test the hardware: temperatures, memory, then the drive.
8. Reset Windows only after all of that. Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC offers a Keep my files option, which removes apps and drivers but leaves personal files. Back up anything important first regardless.

If the game still fails after a clean Windows install on hardware that tests fine, the problem is very likely on the game’s side. Check the developer’s support site and known-issues list, and report the crash with your logs attached.

Keep problems from coming back

A few habits prevent most repeat problems:

• Update the graphics driver when a new game you play launches or a release note mentions a fix you need, not on every release.
• Keep at least 15–20% of each game drive free.
• Clean dust from fans and filters every few months.
• Change one thing at a time when you tweak settings, so you know what to undo.
• Leave overclocks and undervolts off until the system has proven stable without them.