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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If Fortnite settings reset every time you restart the game, first remove the Read-only attribute from GameUserSettings.ini. Epic Games identifies this file and setting as the primary Windows PC troubleshooting step.
Close Fortnite, press Windows + R, and open:
%localappdata%FortniteGameSavedConfigWindowsClientRight-click GameUserSettings.ini, select Properties, clear Read-only, then choose Apply and OK. Reopen Fortnite, change one setting, exit normally, and launch the game again to test it. Epic’s official instructions cover this fix.
Why Fortnite settings keep resetting
Fortnite stores many local preferences in a Windows configuration file. When that file is marked read-only, Fortnite may be able to apply a change for the current session but fail to write the updated preference after you close the game.
This is not the only possible cause. Windows Security, antivirus software, folder permissions, damaged files, updates, crashes, and setting-specific bugs can also cause settings to revert. The read-only check is simply the safest and most direct place to start.
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Official fix: clear Read-only from GameUserSettings.ini
- Close Fortnite. If it remains open in the background, close the Epic Games Launcher too.
- Press Windows + R.
- Paste this path into the Run box and press Enter:
%localappdata%FortniteGameSavedConfigWindowsClient - Right-click
GameUserSettings.iniand choose Properties. - Under Attributes, clear Read-only.
- Click Apply, then OK.
The full Windows path normally looks like this:
C:Users<Windows-username>AppDataLocalFortniteGameSavedConfigWindowsClientDo not make the file read-only as a workaround. That prevents Fortnite from saving future changes. The fix is to make the file writable, not to manually edit its values in a text editor.
Test whether the fix worked
- Launch Fortnite.
- Change one easily recognizable setting, such as a graphics option or display mode.
- Apply the change.
- Exit Fortnite normally rather than ending the process abruptly.
- Open Fortnite again and check whether the setting remains.
If it persists, the read-only attribute was likely the immediate problem. If it resets again, check the attribute after closing Fortnite and after restarting Windows. If it has become read-only again, another program may be changing it, including security software, a cleanup utility, or a synchronization tool.
Still not fixed? Follow these steps
1. Check Controlled folder access
Windows Security’s Controlled folder access can block an application from changing protected files. The feature may be responsible even when the file’s Read-only box is clear.
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Choose Manage ransomware protection.
- Check whether Controlled folder access is enabled.
- If Windows reports that Fortnite or the Epic Games Launcher was blocked, choose Allow an app through Controlled folder access.
- Add only the legitimate Fortnite or Epic executable that was blocked.
Windows menu names can vary slightly between Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft explains the feature and its allow-list process in its Windows Security documentation.
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Do not permanently disable ransomware protection just to test Fortnite. Allowing one trusted executable is more narrowly scoped, although it still gives that application access to protected files.
2. Check permissions on the configuration folder
Your Windows account must be able to modify:
%localappdata%FortniteGameSavedConfigWindowsClientOn a school, work, family-managed, or otherwise restricted PC, policy may prevent you from changing files or Windows Security settings. Epic notes that administrator permissions can affect software changes on Windows.
Avoid taking ownership of protected folders or granting broad Everyone—Full control permissions for this problem. Those changes can weaken Windows security and are usually unnecessary.
3. Verify Fortnite’s installed files
If the configuration appears damaged or Fortnite’s installation has missing files, use the Epic Games Launcher:
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- Open the Epic Games Launcher.
- Open Library.
- Find Fortnite and click the three dots beside it.
- Select Manage.
- Choose Verify.
- Wait for the check and repair process to finish.
Epic says verification repairs damaged or different installed game files without affecting saved data. It does not necessarily reset Windows permissions or repair every local configuration-writing problem, so retest the setting after verification.
Verification guidance is available in Epic’s support documentation.
4. Restart Windows and test again
Restart the PC after changing permissions or security settings. Then change one Fortnite setting, close the game normally, and check whether it survives another launch. This also helps release a file that was locked by a process that did not shut down correctly.
Rebuild Fortnite’s local configuration as a last resort
If the file is writable, security software is not blocking Fortnite, and verification does not help, the local configuration may be corrupted. Epic documents a broader workflow involving the local FortniteGame folder, restarting Windows, launching the Epic Games Launcher with administrator privileges, and verifying Fortnite.
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Because this can remove local preferences, use a reversible rename before deleting anything:
- Close Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher completely.
- Press Windows + R and enter:
%localappdata% - Locate the
FortniteGamefolder. - Rename it to something such as
FortniteGame-backup. - Restart Windows.
- Open the Epic Games Launcher and verify Fortnite using Library → Fortnite’s three dots → Manage → Verify.
- Launch Fortnite and configure the settings again.
Renaming preserves a rollback copy, but it does not preserve the active configuration automatically. You may need to redo graphics, controls, and other local preferences. Do not confuse this local folder with the installed game directory, commonly located under Program FilesEpic GamesFortnite; do not delete the installed game folder for this purpose.
Epic’s broader folder-reset workflow is described here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you run Fortnite as administrator?
Running the launcher or game as administrator can be a useful diagnostic if you suspect a permissions problem. If settings save only when elevated, that points toward a Windows permission or security issue.
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It is not the preferred permanent fix. Correct the file attribute, folder permissions, or security-software rule instead. Keeping games permanently elevated can mask the underlying cause and gives the program more Windows privileges than it normally needs.
When the problem is probably not the Read-only flag
- Only one setting resets: This may be a setting-specific bug, an invalid display value, a graphics-driver interaction, or a mode-dependent limitation.
- Only resolution or 3D resolution resets: Display settings can behave differently from a general settings failure. Community reports document cases that persisted after broader fixes, but those reports are anecdotal.
- The problem began after an update: Verify the installation and check whether the behavior continues before deleting local data. The available evidence does not establish that a particular chapter, season, patch, or driver caused every case.
- Settings reset after a crash: Fortnite may not have completed its final write. Test after a normal exit as well as after a clean restart.
- The file keeps returning or being recreated: Check Windows Security, third-party antivirus, cleanup software, backups, and synchronization tools.
- The menu looks correct but gameplay does not change: That may be an application, driver, display-mode, or performance issue rather than a failure to save the preference.
Some players report that clearing Read-only does not solve every case, including display-setting problems. Treat those reports as clues rather than authoritative diagnoses: one example and another involving 3D resolution.
When to contact Epic Games Support
Contact Epic if the problem continues after checking the file attribute, security blocks, permissions, verification, and configuration regeneration. Support is especially appropriate when:
GameUserSettings.inicannot be created or the configuration folder disappears.- The file remains writable but settings vanish after every normal exit.
- The issue affects multiple Windows accounts or Fortnite installations.
- The problem returns after every game update.
- A managed PC prevents you from changing the required permissions.
Include your Windows version, whether all settings or only specific settings reset, whether the file becomes read-only again, whether Windows Security reports a blocked application, and what happened after verification and configuration regeneration. This gives support a usable troubleshooting history without requiring you to weaken Windows protection.
Quick Recap
Quick decision tree
- Read-only is enabled: Clear it, apply the change, and run the persistence test.
- Read-only is clear but the setting resets: Check Controlled folder access, antivirus blocks, and folder permissions.
- The configuration appears damaged: Verify Fortnite’s files.
- The problem remains: Rename the local
FortniteGamefolder and rebuild the configuration. - Nothing changes: Contact Epic with the symptoms and steps already completed.
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