If F1 25 crashes, freezes, or fails to load on your PC, the most likely causes are a system that falls short of the published requirements, an outdated graphics driver, background software or the EA app overlay interfering with the game, damaged game files, or a security tool or settings file blocking normal startup. Which one applies depends on when the crash happens, so start by matching your symptom to the first checks below, then work through the eight fixes in order. No single fix is guaranteed to work on every setup.
Match the symptom to the first checks
Players describe this problem in several ways: a crash on startup, a black screen, a crash to desktop, a freeze, or a crash when a race loads. These labels help you pick a starting point, but they are not separately confirmed bugs, and one symptom can have more than one cause.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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F1 24 - PlayStation 5 | $27.85 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Gran Turismo 7 Standard Edition - PlayStation 5 | $42.65 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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MotoGP25 - PlayStation 5 | $38.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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F1 23 PS5 | Video Game | French, English | $25.11 | Buy on Amazon |
| When the crash happens | Run these checks first | What the checks isolate |
|---|---|---|
| Game won’t launch, or black screen at startup | 1, 3, 4, 5, then the advanced options | Hardware fit, overlay interference, damaged files, and driver problems |
| Crash or freeze while a race or session loads | 2, 4, 5, 6 | Background conflicts (including Windhawk), damaged files, and frame-rate or sync settings |
| Crash to desktop or freeze during play | 2, 5, 6, 8 | Background software, driver stability, and the evidence needed for support |
| EA app stuck preparing, or a missing-library error | 7 | EA app cache, Windows and GPU updates, and DirectX components |
| Crash persists after the checks above | 8 | A system report to send to EA support |
The eight fixes, in order
The order runs from checks that change nothing on your PC to checks that change software or settings. Each step is worth testing on its own, so you can tell which change made a difference.
1. Check your PC against the minimum requirements
Electronic Arts’ F1 25 system requirements page, as checked in 2026, lists the following. These figures describe what the game is designed to run on, not a diagnosis of your machine.
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| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit, version 21H1 or later | Not stated |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Free storage | 100 GB available | Not stated |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 | Not stated |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD RX 570 (8 GB) | NVIDIA RTX 2070 or AMD RX 6600 XT |
Steam’s store listing separately requires an AVX2-capable CPU and a GPU that supports Shader Model 6.6 or newer, so Steam buyers should check those as well.
If a value on your PC is below the minimum, that gap is a concrete reason to look at that component. If every value is met, hardware is not the first suspect, and buying parts is not a useful diagnostic step.
2. Close background apps and check for software conflicts
Electronic Arts Help states in its general crash guidance: “If your game keeps crashing or freezing, try closing background apps.” Close recording tools, chat clients, tuning utilities, and any other programs that are not needed while you play.
EA’s F1 25 PC troubleshooting guide names two specific conflicts:
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- Windhawk: the guide says this program will cause the game to crash every time it loads. If you have it installed, temporarily disable or uninstall it and test again.
- EA AntiCheat conflicts: the guide notes that EA AntiCheat may identify another running program that needs to close before the game can run.
If the crash continues after closing apps, EA’s general guidance suggests a clean boot, which starts Windows with only the core services so you can see whether a background program is responsible.
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3. Turn off the EA app overlay temporarily
EA says the overlay can sometimes make a game crash or prevent it from launching. Turn the overlay off in the EA app’s settings, then launch F1 25 and test. If the problem goes away, EA asks you to report that result, and then to turn the overlay back on once you finish troubleshooting, because the overlay provides invites and messages.
4. Repair the game files in the EA app
EA recommends a repair when a game is not loading, and its general crash guidance also includes repairing game files. Do this before reinstalling.
- Open the EA app and go to Library.
- Open the menu for F1 25 and choose Repair.
- Wait for the repair to finish, then restart the game.
5. Update Windows and the graphics driver
EA’s DxDiag help says that when a PC game crashes, you should confirm that your PC meets the game’s requirements and fully update the graphics driver. Install the current driver from your graphics card maker, restart the PC, and then test. Also check Windows Update for recent errors, since an update that failed to install can leave the system in an inconsistent state.
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6. Cap the frame rate or enable V-Sync
EA lists a frame-rate cap and V-Sync as options for crashes and freezes. Change one at a time and test after each change. These settings only help if the game reaches its settings menu, so they are not a reliable fix for a crash that happens before the game window appears.
7. Check the EA app and DirectX when symptoms point there
If the EA app is stuck on preparing, EA recommends the following steps:
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- Clear the EA app cache. This clears the launcher’s cache, not your game files.
- Close background applications that limit the launcher.
- Check that Windows and your GPU driver are up to date.
- Perform a clean boot and try again.
EA’s DirectX help says the End-User Runtime installer can add missing DirectX libraries that the EA app needs. Use it only when the EA app or game reports missing DirectX components. It is not a general fix for F1 25 crashes.
8. Collect a DxDiag report and escalate if the crash remains
If the crash continues after the checks above, gather evidence before contacting support. Press Windows key + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter. Save the report in its 64-bit form. The report lists your CPU, RAM, page-file size, GPU, driver version and date, DirectX version, and any limited error messages. Compare those values with the table in step 1.
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Then contact EA through the F1 25 support hub. Include the DxDiag report, what you saw (startup, black screen, loading, or in-session), when it started, and which fixes you already tried.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Advanced, symptom-specific options
Use these only when the symptom matches the description below. Each one changes something that the earlier steps do not.
Add F125.exe to your antivirus exclusions
EA’s F1 25 PC guide suggests adding F125.exe to antivirus exclusions when security software interferes with the game. Add only that executable, not an entire folder or drive, and keep real-time protection on. Do not disable antivirus software as a general test.
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Reset the hardware settings files
For some loading or black-screen problems, EA’s guide suggests deleting the two hardware settings .xml files. They are in DocumentsMy GamesF1 25hardwaresettings. The guide says this resets your settings and does not affect save games. Before deleting anything:
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- Copy the whole
hardwaresettingsfolder to another location as a backup. - Delete both
.xmlfiles from the original folder. - Restart the PC and launch the game, which will recreate default settings.
If the problem persists, you can restore the copied files to the original location.
Disable or uninstall DiskSoft-related software
If you see a DiskSoft error, EA’s F1 25 PC guide identifies DAEMON Tools, ReWASD, and Astroburn as software associated with that error. Disable or uninstall them, then test. This step applies only when that error appears.
What is and isn’t established
- No published figures show how often F1 25 crashes on PC, and no official source ties a specific fix to a specific crash rate.
- EA’s guidance documents troubleshooting actions and published requirements. It does not promise that any single action will resolve a crash.
- The requirements and support steps are current as of early October 2026, when EA’s support material was checked. Game updates can change them, so confirm the current requirements on EA’s system requirements page before changing hardware.
Work through the checks in order, and change one thing at a time so you know which step, if any, made the difference.
Quick Recap
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