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How to Fix Elden Ring Crashing on Startup on Windows PC

Start with restarting Steam and your PC, verifying Elden Ring’s Steam files, and installing Windows updates. Then compare your system with the game’s requirements and note exactly where startup fails.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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If Elden Ring crashes or will not open on a Windows PC, start by restarting Steam and your computer, then verify the game files and install available Windows updates. These are low-risk first checks—not a guaranteed diagnosis. The right next step depends on whether the game fails before a window appears, during Easy Anti-Cheat initialization, or after the game has opened.

Start with the safest checks

Try these steps in order. They address common platform and installation problems without assuming that a particular component is responsible.

  1. Restart Steam and your PC. Close Steam, restart Windows, reopen Steam, and try launching Elden Ring again. Steam includes restarting the client in its game-file verification workflow: Steam Support: Verify Integrity of Game Files.
  2. Verify Elden Ring’s files in Steam. In your Steam Library, right-click Elden Ring and choose Properties, then Installed Files, and Verify integrity of game files. Wait for the check to finish before launching. Steam says verification can help when files are missing or a game crashes. Avoid running it at the same time as other system-intensive tasks.
  3. Install available Windows updates. Check Windows Update, install applicable updates, restart if prompted, and test the game again. Steam’s launch troubleshooting directs players to Microsoft’s Windows update guidance: Steam Support: Games do not run after “Preparing to Launch”.

Check whether the PC meets the requirements

Compare the complete system—not just the graphics card—with Elden Ring’s Steam-listed requirements. Steam cautions that a PC at or near the minimum can still have performance or launch trouble. The specifications below are the listing reported by Steam Support; check the current Elden Ring technical support page in case they have changed.

Component Minimum Recommended
Operating system 64-bit processor and OS; Windows 10 Windows 10/11
Processor Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Memory 12 GB RAM 16 GB RAM
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8 GB
DirectX Version 12 Version 12
Available storage 60 GB 60 GB

If one or more components fall below the minimum, that is useful context for troubleshooting, but it does not by itself prove why the game is crashing. If the PC meets the listed requirements, continue with the symptom-specific checks below.

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Choose the next check by where startup fails

Note what you actually see before trying more invasive changes. A crash before the game window, a failure during anti-cheat initialization, and a crash after the window appears are different symptoms. The official guidance cited here does not establish a single cause or universal repair for all three.

No game window appears

After restarting and verifying the files, check whether Steam reports a launch error and whether Windows has an update waiting to install. Record any message exactly as shown. Steam’s general launch guidance covers games that stop at “Preparing to Launch,” but it does not identify a confirmed Elden Ring-specific cause for every no-window failure.

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The failure occurs during Easy Anti-Cheat initialization

Record whether an Easy Anti-Cheat message appears and its exact wording. Community posts mention anti-cheat startup problems, but those reports are anecdotes, not evidence that Easy Anti-Cheat is the cause of every Elden Ring crash or that a particular workaround is verified. Avoid treating an unrelated or unverified fix as a diagnosis.

A window appears, then the game freezes or closes

Write down how long the game stays open and what is visible when it stops. Community reports describe crashes shortly after launch, but they do not establish a universal cause. The distinction between a failure before the window and one after it can help support staff understand what is happening.

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Build a useful support report

If the basic checks do not resolve the crash, gather details before contacting support. Steam’s Elden Ring support directory points to Bandai Namco customer support as the game’s official support route: Steam Support: ELDEN RING support directory.

  • The exact error message, if any; include a screenshot when practical.
  • Where startup stops: before a game window, during anti-cheat initialization, or after a window appears.
  • Whether the game closes immediately, freezes, or runs for a while before failing.
  • Your Windows version and PC specifications compared with the requirements above.
  • What you already tried, and any recent game, Windows, or system changes that happened before the problem began.

Providing these observations is more useful than guessing at a cause. Use the official support link for unresolved game-specific failures.

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