Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →There is no single confirmed fix for every crash in A Game About Digging A Hole. Work through the steps below in order: finish Steam updates, verify the installation, update the graphics driver, disable overlays, test safer display settings, then investigate configuration files, saves, and system stability. This approach avoids deleting progress or making risky Windows changes before they are necessary.
First, identify when the crash happens
The timing points to the most useful first test:
- Nothing happens after clicking Play: check Windows compatibility, drivers, Steam files, overlays, permissions, and security software.
- The game opens and immediately closes: prioritize file verification, graphics drivers, overlays, and configuration reset.
- It crashes while loading or entering the mine: test a new save and note whether the crash occurs at the same location.
- It started after changing resolution or graphics: use windowed mode, lower settings, and reset the local configuration.
- There is a black screen with audio: test a single monitor, temporarily disable HDR, and use a lower resolution.
- It crashes only with a controller, overlay, or recorder: disconnect or disable that software and test again.
- Only one save crashes: back up the saves and compare it with a new game.
Check the official PC requirements
The Steam listing specifies Windows 10 or Windows 11, a 64-bit processor and operating system, an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GTX 770 graphics card as the minimum GPU. It does not publish a complete recommended specification. See the official Steam listing.
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Meeting the minimum does not guarantee that the game will be stable. Driver problems, integrated graphics being selected instead of a dedicated GPU, limited available memory, overheating, overlays, damaged settings, and unstable overclocks can still cause crashes. If your GPU is below the listed minimum, software troubleshooting may not overcome the hardware limitation; equivalent performance also depends on the exact card, driver, and system configuration.
Try these low-risk fixes first
- Exit the game completely.
- Restart Steam, then restart Windows if the problem continues.
- Open Steam’s Downloads page and allow any queued update to finish.
- In Steam, open Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, select Updates, and confirm that Steam is allowed to keep the game updated.
- Close unnecessary launchers, recorders, tuning utilities, and hardware-monitoring tools before testing again.
The game has received post-launch fixes and quality-of-life updates, but the available official news does not establish a universal PC-crash fix. Check the official Steam community news feed for current notes rather than assuming a particular update resolved your problem.
Verify the game files on Steam
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click A Game About Digging A Hole.
- Choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to complete the check, then restart Steam and launch the game.
Steam may reacquire missing or damaged installation files. Verification is not proof that corrupted files caused the crash, and it will not normally repair a graphics driver, damaged configuration, overlay conflict, or unstable hardware. Back up important saves before deeper troubleshooting, even though file verification normally does not erase them.
Update or reinstall the graphics driver
Identify the GPU in Task Manager → Performance → GPU or Device Manager → Display adapters. Download drivers only from the manufacturer’s official site:
Install the driver intended for your GPU and Windows version, restart the PC, and test the game before re-enabling overlays or tuning utilities. A normal update is the least disruptive option. If the crashes began immediately after a driver update, consider rolling back to the previous stable driver. A clean installation can help when driver files or profiles are damaged, but it is more disruptive and should be used when a normal update does not help.
Disable overlays and background hooks
Temporarily disable or close the following:
- Steam Overlay
- Discord Overlay
- NVIDIA App or GeForce overlay
- AMD Software overlay
- Xbox Game Bar
- MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner Statistics Server
- OBS and other capture software
- Third-party frame-rate counters, RGB tools, and hardware monitors
Do not assume every background application is responsible. Close the game, disable one category, restart the game, and reproduce the crash. Re-enable services after each test so you can identify the conflicting program instead of changing several variables at once.
Test display and input settings
If the game reaches its menu, switch to windowed or borderless mode, lower the resolution and graphics quality, and temporarily disable unusual HDR, refresh-rate, or multi-monitor combinations. If the crash happens during display initialization, test with one monitor connected. Disconnect unnecessary controllers and other input devices, particularly if the problem began after changing controller or input settings.
These are diagnostic tests, not confirmed game-specific fixes. If you use a Steam launch option, open Library → right-click the game → Properties → General, enter the option under Launch Options, test once, and remove it if it does not help. Avoid undocumented Unreal Engine commands presented as guaranteed solutions.
Reset the local configuration carefully
A reinstall may leave user settings intact, so it may not remove a bad resolution, graphics, controller, or sensitivity setting. If the crash began after a settings change:
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- Close the game and Steam.
- Back up the game’s local files and saves.
- Search Windows for the game’s configuration folder under the user’s local application-data directories.
- Rename the configuration folder instead of deleting it.
- Launch the game and let it create fresh settings.
- If the crash disappears, restore backed-up files selectively to find the problematic setting.
A Game About Digging A Hole uses Unreal Engine, but the exact configuration path can vary. Do not delete a guessed folder or provide a guessed %LOCALAPPDATA% path as though it were confirmed.
Check whether the save is causing the crash
If the game launches but crashes only after selecting one save or performing one particular activity:
- Back up the save directory without overwriting the original.
- Start a new game.
- Test the same general activity or location.
- If the new game works, the problem may be specific to the save or an in-game state.
The Steam listing includes Steam Cloud support. Cloud synchronization can restore a problematic save or propagate it between computers, so do not blindly accept a local/cloud conflict prompt. Know which copy you are preserving before replacing files or disabling synchronization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test Windows and system stability
If several games or unrelated applications also crash, investigate the PC rather than repeatedly reinstalling this game:
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- Return CPU, GPU, and RAM overclocks or undervolts to stock settings.
- Check CPU and GPU temperatures while launching and playing.
- Install pending Windows updates.
- Run Windows Memory Diagnostic if other programs fail or the system shows memory-related errors.
- Open Reliability Monitor and inspect the crash timestamp.
- Review Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application for the faulting module.
An Event Viewer module name is not automatically the root cause. It may only show where Windows detected the failure. Use it alongside the timing, driver version, reproduction steps, and whether other games are affected.
Use administrator or compatibility settings only as tests
If normal launch fails, right-click the game executable, open Properties → Compatibility, and test Run this program as an administrator. Do not enable several compatibility modes at once, and record the original settings so you can revert them. Permanent administrator mode can create permission and save-location complications; it is not the preferred default for a Steam game.
When to contact the developer
Steam directs technical problems toward its community discussions and the publisher’s support route. The official support page lists [email protected]. Include:
- Windows version
- CPU, GPU, and RAM
- Laptop or desktop model
- Whether the GPU is integrated or dedicated
- Game version, if visible
- Exact crash timing and full error text
- Driver version
- Whether file verification changed anything
- Whether overlays were disabled
- Reliability Monitor details or a crash log, if available
- Precise reproduction steps
- Whether a new save behaves differently
Do not send Steam passwords, account credentials, or unrelated personal information.
What not to do
- Do not download replacement DLL files from random websites.
- Do not use registry cleaners for this diagnosis.
- Do not delete saves before making a backup.
- Do not disable Steam Cloud without understanding local/cloud conflicts.
- Do not assume reinstalling will remove corrupted user settings.
- Do not claim that Unreal Engine itself identifies the cause.
- Do not leave administrator mode enabled permanently unless you have a specific, verified reason.
Windows-only guidance and compatibility layers
The official listing specifies Windows 10 and Windows 11 and does not list a native macOS or Linux version in the supplied product information. If you are using Steam Deck, Proton, CrossOver, or another compatibility layer, the Windows steps above are not guaranteed to apply. Record the compatibility layer and version when contacting support, and treat any additional fixes as platform-specific rather than official Windows guidance.
Quick Recap
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