{"id":11754,"date":"2024-09-07T11:54:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T03:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/?p=11754"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T03:28:33","slug":"elden-ring-crashing-on-startup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup\/","title":{"rendered":"Elden Ring Crashing on Startup: 9 Quick and Easy Fixes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Though the Elden Ring was launched in 2022, it is still popular now because it has amazing combat skills and bosses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you might sometimes encounter the &#8220;Elden Ring crashing on startup&#8221; issue, which could be caused by issues with the software, game files, or even your PC&#8217;s hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t worry. This post introduces detailed solutions to fix the Elden Ring crashing problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9 Fixes for Elden Ring Crashing on Startup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow the solutions below one by one to see if the problem can be addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-1.png\" alt=\"Elden Ring\" class=\"wp-image-49829\" style=\"width:417px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-1.png 759w, https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-1-300x155.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 1. Check the PC Specs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your PC does not meet the required specifications for <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elden_Ring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">Elden Ring<\/a>, the game may crash or fail to run properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To check your PC specifications, open <strong>Settings &gt; System &gt; About<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compare your specs with the minimum and recommended system requirements for Elden Ring to ensure your PC can run the game smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MINIMUM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>OS:&nbsp;Windows 10<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Processor:&nbsp;INTEL CORE I5-8400 or AMD RYZEN 3 3300X<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Memory:&nbsp;12 GB RAM<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Graphics:&nbsp;NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD RADEON RX 580 4 GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DirectX:&nbsp;Version 12<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Storage:&nbsp;60 GB available space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sound Card:&nbsp;Windows Compatible Audio Device<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>OS:&nbsp;Windows 10\/11<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Processor:&nbsp;INTEL CORE I7-8700K or AMD RYZEN 5 3600X<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Memory:&nbsp;16 GB RAM<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Graphics:&nbsp;NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD RADEON RX VEGA 56 8 GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DirectX:&nbsp;Version 12<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Storage:&nbsp;60 GB available space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sound Card:\u00a0Windows Compatible Audio Device<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 2. Use a VPN to Protect Against DDoS Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your PC is attacked while playing Elden Ring, the game may crash on startup. Using a VPN can help protect against <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Denial-of-service_attack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">DDoS attacks<\/a>. One option is <a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">LightningX VPN<\/a>, which offers a free trial and affordable subscription plans. Here are some reasons to consider it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>LightningX VPN offers 2,000+ servers in 70+ countries. The massive server network minimizes the ping caused by the encryption process and provides a fast and stable gaming speed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is based on robust encryption algorithms and has a no-logs policy, highly protecting your data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-75 has-custom-font-size is-style-outline\" style=\"font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.292), 1.05rem);\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-base-2-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/download\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-radius:100px;background-color:#ffb700;padding-top:10px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:30px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Get LightningX VPN<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized has-custom-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"535\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/lightningx-vpn-en.png\" alt=\"LightningX VPN\" class=\"wp-image-40695\" style=\"border-width:1px;width:327px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/lightningx-vpn-en.png 535w, https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/lightningx-vpn-en-258x300.png 258w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 3. Update Graphics Drivers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Outdated graphics drivers may cause Elden Ring to crash. Follow these steps to <a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-update-drivers-on-pc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">update your PC drivers<\/a> and fix the &#8220;Elden Ring crashing on startup&#8221; issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Open the <strong>Start<\/strong> menu, type <strong>Device Manager<\/strong>, and click <strong>Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expand <strong>Display adapters<\/strong>, right-click your graphics card, and select <strong>Update driver<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose <strong>Search automatically for drivers<\/strong> to let Windows find and install the latest driver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the update completes, restart your PC and launch Elden Ring.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 4. Allow Elden Ring through Firewall or Anti-Virus Software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes Windows Defender or other anti-virus software may mistakenly identify Elden Ring as a threat, blocking it and causing the game to crash. You can allow Elden Ring through your firewall and anti-virus software to fix this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings &gt; Windows Security &gt; Firewall &amp; network protection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Allow an app through firewall<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Change settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find <strong>Elden Ring<\/strong> in the list and check both <strong>Private<\/strong> and <strong>Public<\/strong> boxes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>OK<\/strong>, then launch Elden Ring to see if the issue is resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 5. Update Your PC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An outdated system may cause performance issues or crashes when playing Elden Ring. To ensure your PC runs smoothly, ensure Windows is up to date. Below are the steps to update the operating system to <a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-optimize-pc-for-gaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">optimize your PC for gaming<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Click the <strong>Start<\/strong> button in the bottom-left corner of your PC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>gear icon<\/strong> to open <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Update &amp; Security<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Windows Update<\/strong> in the left sidebar, then click <strong>Check for updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the prompts to download and install any available updates, then restart your PC.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 6. Force Elden Ring to Use the Dedicated GPU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your PC has both integrated and dedicated graphics, Elden Ring may crash or perform poorly when it runs on the integrated GPU. In this case, you can force the game to use the dedicated GPU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-check-graphics-card\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">To check whether your PC has both types of GPUs<\/a>, press <strong>Ctrl + Shift + Esc<\/strong> to open Task Manager, go to the <strong>Performance<\/strong> tab, and see if <strong>GPU 0<\/strong> and <strong>GPU 1<\/strong> appear at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your PC has a dedicated GPU, use Windows\u2019 <strong>Graphics Performance Preference<\/strong> to force the game to run on it (works for NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and others).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Open <strong>Settings &gt; System &gt; Display<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll down and click <strong>Graphics<\/strong> or <strong>Graphics settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Browse<\/strong> and select the game\u2019s executable file <strong>eldenring.exe<\/strong> (usually in your Steam installation folder).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After adding it, click <strong>Options &gt; High performance &gt; Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restart the game to see if the issue is resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 7. Create a New Character<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your Elden Ring save file is corrupted, the game may crash when loading your character. Try creating a new character to check whether the game runs normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the new character works, your original save file may be damaged and needs to be restored or replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 8. Repair or Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Easy Anti-Cheat is the anti-cheat tool required by Elden Ring. If the EAC files are missing or corrupted, the game may fail to launch or crash on startup. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/easy-anti-cheat-download\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reinstall EAC<\/a> to fix the &#8220;Elden Ring crashing on startup&#8221; issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Go to the Elden Ring installation folder: <strong>C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\ELDEN RING\\Game\\EasyAntiCheat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Your folder may be under <strong>Program Files<\/strong> depending on your Steam installation.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Find and run the file: <strong>EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. In the EAC window, choose \u201cElden Ring\u201d from the dropdown list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. Click \u201cInstall\u201d or \u201cRepair\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. After the installation is complete, restart Elden Ring and check if the issue is resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"502\" height=\"486\" src=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-2.png\" alt=\"Easy Anti-Cheat\" class=\"wp-image-11776\" style=\"width:323px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-2.png 502w, https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/elden-ring-crashing-on-startup-2-300x290.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fix 9. Update Your Game Launcher (Epic Games or Steam)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Outdated game launchers may conflict with Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) or game files, causing Elden Ring to crash. Updating your launcher can help resolve this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For <a href=\"https:\/\/store.epicgames.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">Epic Games<\/a> Launcher:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Open the Epic Games Launcher on your PC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click your <strong>profile icon<\/strong> in the top-right corner and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>\u201cRestart and Update\u201d<\/strong> and wait for the launcher to finish updating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the update, <strong>launch Elden Ring<\/strong> to see if the issue is resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">Steam<\/a> Launcher:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Open the Steam launcher on your PC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Steam<\/strong> in the top-left corner and select <strong>Check for Steam Client Updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If an update is available, follow the prompts to install it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once updated, <strong>restart Steam<\/strong> and launch Elden Ring to check if the crash is resolved.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Elden Ring Crashes on Startup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Elden Ring may crash on startup due to insufficient PC specifications, antivirus interference, <a href=\"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/en\/cpu-overheating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">CPU overheating<\/a>, outdated GPU drivers, or corrupted game files. Here are the common causes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Insufficient PC Specifications<\/strong>: If your PC does not meet the minimum or recommended requirements, Elden Ring may crash. Check your system specifications to ensure your PC can run the game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CPU Overheating<\/strong>: Running multiple programs or games simultaneously can cause the CPU to overheat, leading to crashes. Close unnecessary background processes and allow the CPU to cool down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outdated GPU Drivers<\/strong>: Graphics drivers are essential for running games. If your drivers are outdated, Elden Ring may fail to launch. Update your GPU drivers to the latest version.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Antivirus Interference<\/strong>: Windows Defender or other antivirus software may mistakenly detect Elden Ring as a threat, blocking or interfering with it and causing crashes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Corrupted Game Files<\/strong>: If the game files are missing or damaged, Elden Ring may fail to start. Reinstalling or repairing the game files can resolve the issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wrap Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If Elden Ring keeps crashing on startup, you can update the operating system and graphics drivers, reinstall Epic Games and EAC, or create a new character to fix the problem. Also, you can try LightningX VPN to defend against the DDoS attack in the Elden Ring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though the Elden Ring was launched in 2022, it is still [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"wp-custom-template-en","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":11754,"cn":12084,"tw":12112,"ja":12180,"ko":12196,"ru":12212,"es":12152},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11754"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81614,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11754\/revisions\/81614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightningxvpn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}