Modern Warfare 4 crashing or not launching on PC: every fix that works
Modern Warfare 4 runs a kernel-level anti-cheat and a heavy DirectX 12 renderer, so the crashes fall into three buckets: it won't launch at all (usually TPM/Secure Boot or the anti-cheat), it crashes on startup or in the menu (drivers, corrupt files, overlays, shader cache), or it crashes mid-match (VRAM, RAM or an unstable overclock). Work down this list in order — most people are fixed by the first four steps. If it never opens a window, start with step 0.
0. If it won't launch at all — check TPM and Secure Boot first
MW4 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be enabled. If either is off, the anti-cheat blocks the game before it opens a window, which can look like a silent crash. Confirm both are on before you troubleshoot anything else:
tpm.mscshould read TPM present, version 2.0.msinfo32should show Secure Boot State: On.
If either is off, fix that first with the MW4 Secure Boot and TPM guide, then come back here.
1. Update, or roll back, the GPU driver
The most common cause of startup and in-game crashes. MW4 supports DLSS 4.5 and ray tracing, and those paths need a current driver.
| GPU | Do this |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA | Install the latest Game Ready driver. If the crash started right after a driver update, use DDU in safe mode and go back one version. |
| AMD | Install the latest WHQL Adrenalin driver. If you get a driver-timeout reset popup after a crash, roll back to the previous WHQL. |
| Intel Arc | Use the newest driver; Arc benefits from rebuilding the shader cache after each driver change (step 5). |
2. Verify / scan the game files
A 50 GB launch-week download often finishes with a few corrupt packs, which crashes the game at load.
- Steam: Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files.
- Battle.net: the cog next to Play → Scan and Repair.
This replaces bad files without a full reinstall.
3. Close every overlay
Discord, Steam overlay, Xbox Game Bar, the NVIDIA App / GeForce Experience, AMD Adrenalin overlay, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, Medal and Overwolf all inject into the game. Kernel anti-cheat plus injection is a common reason a shooter exits silently or never shows a window.
- Steam: right-click MW4 → Properties → General → untick Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
- Discord: Settings → Game Overlay → off.
- Xbox Game Bar: Windows Settings → Gaming → Game Bar → off.
- Afterburner / RivaTuner: close them fully, not just the tray icon.
Relaunch. If it now opens, add overlays back one at a time to find the culprit.
4. Turn off Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling
Windows Settings → System → Display → Graphics → Change default graphics settings → Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling → Off → reboot. HAGS causes repeatable crashes during shader compilation on some setups. If it makes no difference, turn it back on.
5. Clear the shader cache
A corrupt shader cache crashes the game on load or during the shader-compile screen.
- NVIDIA: delete the contents of
%LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCacheand%PROGRAMDATA%\NVIDIA Corporation\NV_Cache. - AMD: delete
%LOCALAPPDATA%\AMD\DxCacheand theGLCachefolder next to it. - Intel: clear the Intel shader cache and rebuild after driver changes.
The first launch after this spends several minutes recompiling shaders. Let it finish rather than assuming it has hung.
6. Test with DLSS and ray tracing off
If you crash in-match or during heavy scenes, drop these to isolate a GPU-side crash:
- Turn ray tracing off — it adds significant GPU load and its own driver paths.
- Set DLSS / FSR / XeSS to off (native) for one test session.
If the game is stable with them off, re-enable one at a time. On mid-range cards you may simply keep ray tracing off for the frame rate.
7. Crashes mid-match only — memory limits
- VRAM. Cards with less memory at high texture settings run out and the game can die without a message. Drop Textures a notch.
- System RAM. MW4's minimum is 12 GB and recommended is 16 GB. With a browser and voice chat open, 12 GB fills up. Close background apps; aim for 16 GB.
- XMP / EXPO instability. If you also crash in other games, set the RAM to its default JEDEC speed for one session to rule out an unstable memory profile.
- Intel 13th/14th gen. Repeated crashes on i7-13700K / i9-13900K / 14th-gen parts can be the known Raptor Lake instability. Update to the latest BIOS microcode and consider Intel's guidance on those CPUs.
8. Windows, admin and clean boot
- Update Windows. Install pending updates — the GPU stack and DirectX runtime depend on them.
- Run as administrator. Launch Steam or Battle.net as admin so the anti-cheat and the game can start their services cleanly.
- Clean boot. Use
msconfigto disable non-Microsoft startup services temporarily and test, which rules out a background app interfering. - DirectX / Visual C++ runtimes. Reinstall the latest Visual C++ redistributables if you get missing-DLL errors on launch.
Which crash do I have
- No window at all, closes instantly → TPM/Secure Boot (step 0), overlays (step 3) or anti-cheat.
- Crash at the loading or shader-compile screen → drivers (step 1), verify files (step 2) or shader cache (step 5).
- Crash to desktop with a driver-reset popup → driver-level GPU hang; roll the driver back before blaming the card.
- Crash mid-match after a while → VRAM/RAM or an unstable overclock (step 7).
Work top to bottom and change one thing at a time so you know which fix actually did it.
FAQ
Why does Modern Warfare 4 close with no error?
Usually an overlay injecting into the game or the anti-cheat failing its checks; disable overlays and confirm TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are on.
Does MW4 crashing mean my PC is faulty?
Not usually. Most launch crashes are drivers, corrupt files, overlays or shader cache — hardware faults show up as driver-reset popups or crashes across many games.
Will turning off DLSS or ray tracing stop crashes?
It can. Reconstruction and ray tracing add GPU load and driver paths, so switching them off is a good test to isolate a GPU-side crash.
How do I verify or scan MW4 game files?
On Steam, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files; on Battle.net, the cog next to Play, then Scan and Repair.
Buy MW4 for less
Prices vary a lot by store and edition on launch. Compare current PC prices before you buy: CDKeys and Fanatical. Check the edition includes the content you want (Vault/Battle Pass) before paying more.