Some PC gamers have reported cases whereby when they try to start certain games or during gameplay, the game crashes and throws the LowLevelFatalError on their Windows 11 or Windows 10 gaming rig. This post offers the most applicable fixes to this error.
Fix LowLevelFatalError on Windows PC
If on your Windows 11/10 gaming rig, when you start a game or during gameplay, your game crashes and throws the LowLevelFatalError prompt, then you can apply our suggested solutions below and see what works for you in fixing the error on your gaming PC.
- Restart the game
- Run the game in Compatibility Mode
- Verify game files integrity
- Delete all mods and reset your graphics settings to default
- Reset your graphics settings to the default
- Update graphics driver
- Change graphics settings
- Force the game to use DirectX version 11
- Reinstall the game
Let’s look at the description of the process as it relates to each of the listed solutions.
1] Restart the game
The LowLevelFatal error that occurred on your Windows 11/10 gaming computer indicates that something unexpected happened and your game crashed. In some cases, when this particular error occurs, restarting your game should help you resume playing. To restart a game, simply force quit the application and launch it again. Reinstalling a game may be trickier which usually is a last resort when other fixes fail.
After you restart the game, but the error persists, continue with the next solution.
2] Run the game in Compatibility Mode
Although modern games are now developed with functionality on newer versions of the Windows 64-bit operating system, there are cases where you will still need to run the game in compatibility mode. You should try this setting if you know the game is designed for (or worked with) a specific earlier version of Windows.
To run the game in Compatibility Mode, follow these steps:
- Quit/Exit the game.
- Right-click the driver setup file.
- Select Properties from the context menu.
- Tap or click the Compatibility tab.
- Checkmark the Run this program in compatibility mode option.
- Tap or click the drop-down box and select a previous operating system.
- Tap or click OK.
If need be, you can run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. The utility offers two different options to resolve any compatibility issues:
- Try recommended settings – which will allow the Troubleshooter to automatically apply the Windows compatibility based on internal presets.
- Troubleshoot program – which allows you greater manual control over the exact nature of the issue.
Once done, you can launch the game again and it should run fine now. Otherwise, proceed with the next solution.
3] Verify game files integrity
The error in focus indicates there’s a corrupted asset in the game. In this case, the quickest way to fix this error is to verify your game files’ integrity. Depending on your game client, to verify the integrity of game files on Steam, do the following:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click on your game.
- Select the Properties option.
- Move to the LOCAL FILES tab.
- Press the VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES button.
4] Delete all mods (if applicable)
If other solutions are failing and the issue at hand persists, you can delete all your mods and see if that helps. Mods by design introduce large-scale changes that affect fundamental elements of a game, including the addition of new objects, and non-playable characters, which improves the gaming experience. But, at the same time, mods can drastically affect game performance, and one possible result of installing too many mods is running into RAM limitations, which can cause performance issues like lower frame rates as the rest of your system is forced to compensate.
Also, broken mods can cause game issues like crashing, and deleting these broken mods can resolve game issues you are experiencing. You can use Mod Conflict Detector to identify broken mods on your PC. To delete a mod, open the game and select Mods from the main menu. From there, find the mod you wish to delete in your Library, select it, and use the Delete option.
Read: Fix Steam Workshop not downloading Mods on PC
5] Reset your graphics settings to default
Video card driver settings can affect game performance and your computer’s ability to display graphics correctly. It’s imperative to point out that resetting your graphics settings to default is different from resetting the graphics driver. The latter only reinitializes the graphics card, so it cannot fix a corrupted graphics driver. In this case, you will need to reinstall the latest graphics drivers.
To reset your graphics settings to default, do the following:
AMD
- Right-click on your desktop and select AMD Radeon Settings.
- Click the Preferences tab.
- Select Restore Factory Defaults.
NVIDIA
- Right-click on your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
- Click Manage 3D Settings.
- In the upper-right corner, click Restore Defaults.
INTEL
- Right-click on your desktop and select Graphics Properties.
- Click 3D.
- Click Restore Defaults.
Read: How to restart Graphics Driver in Windows
6] Update the graphics driver
Keeping your graphics driver updated is crucial for getting good performance from your computer, your games, and any other graphics-intensive tasks. Drivers are also free, which is another excellent reason to update them. Driver updates mostly affect newer cards and newer games. If your game or the video adapter is working as intended, then you don’t have to update. So, since you’re having issues with games playing without crashing on your Windows 11/10 PC, you can update your graphics driver using any of the methods below.
- Automatically update your drivers using any of the free Driver Update software.
- If you have already downloaded the .inf or .sys file for the driver, follow the instructions in this guide to manually update the graphics driver via Device Manager.
- In Windows Update, you can as well get the driver updates in the Optional Updates section.
If you’re using an NVIDIA GPU, you can download and install the latest drivers using the Express option. If updating your drivers fails to solve the current problem, you can use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely uninstall the graphics driver. Then restart your computer to automatically download the latest drivers or get them directly from the graphics adapter manufacturer’s website.
7] Change graphics settings
You can settle for the default presets, but even small changes can mean better performance—and a much better gaming experience. Do the following:
- Press the Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type sysdm.cpl and hit Enter to open System Properties.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Click the Settings button under the Performance section.
- Click on the Visual Effects tab.
- Now, select the radio button for the option Adjust for best performance.
- Click Apply > OK to save changes.
- Now open the Settings app.
- Select System > Display.
- Set desktop scaling (DPI) within windows to 100%.
- Exit Settings app.
Now, go to your game settings and disable raytracing. If you’re using an NVIDIA card, disable image sharpening. To do that, open the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to 3D Settings, and turn off image sharpening.
8] Force the game to use DirectX version 11
DirectX is a suite of multimedia technologies required by many Windows PC games. If your PC doesn’t have the right version of DirectX installed (the product box should tell you which one you need), your game might not work properly.
If the error in highlight occurs on Steam, you can force games to use DirectX 11 by following these steps:
- Open the Library.
- Right-click on your game and select Properties.
- Select Set Launch Options.
- Type in -force-d3d11 in the text field.
- Click the OK button to save changes.
Now start the game it will run on DirectX version 11 and hopefully, your issue will be resolved. If not, continue with the next solution.
9] Reinstall the game
As a last resort, if the issue you’re currently facing persists, you can uninstall the game (preferably, use Uninstaller Software) from your PC and restart your machine. On boot, use your game client to download the game again. In some cases, running a full fresh installation of the game, and cleaning up everything should help you get rid of corrupted game files.
Hopefully, this post helps you!
How do you fix the UE4 game has crashed and will close?
If you encounter the UE4 game has crashed and will close error on your Windows 11/10 PC, to resolve the issue, open File Explorer and navigate to the directory path below:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local
At the location, delete the DBFighterZ folder and restart the game. You will not lose any of your progress within the game.
Read: The UE4-Gobi Game has crashed and will close – Back 4 Blood
Why is Unreal Engine 4 crashing?
If Unreal Engine 4 is crashing or freezing on your computer, it could be due to the graphics card being outdated or corrupted. According to most affected users, updating drivers usually solves the problem. Updating drivers can fix bugs and improve gaming performance and experience.
