Fix GTA 5 crash on startup on Windows 10

The famous game GTA (Grand Theft Auto) 5 needs no introduction, it is definitely one of the best games available on the market. It is an action-adventure combo video game developed and published by Rockstar Games in 2013. Many users have recently reported that they are facing issues when this game crashes in the middle or at the very beginning. Keep in mind that GTA 5 crash on startup error is limited to PC users only. If you are one of those users facing this issue, follow the guide to find a possible solution.

How to Fix GTA 5 Crash on Launch in Windows 10

Behind any game error there is always a root cause. Such reasons are listed below. Hence, check it out to get a general idea before diving into the solutions directly.

  • Using an outdated version of Windows, graphics drivers, DirectX, or GTA 5
  • If the system requirements are not met, then this affects the smooth operation of the GTA 5 game.
  • Interference with background apps or programs
  • Less space for virtual memory
  • Avoid GPU overclocking and CPU overheating
  • Incompatible graphics mode in game settings
  • Interference by popular overlay applications affects game performance
  • Presence of corrupted or missing game files on the client-server
  • If the VSync mode is disabled in the game settings, this leads to a game crash.
  • Having irrelevant food options

Now try each method until you get a potential fix for GTA 5 crashing on startup.

System requirements to run GTA 5

Make sure that the system requirements of GTA 5 are met. This check is necessary because there are compatibility issues between your PC and the game that cause GTA V to crash on launch. So, check out the requirements table mentioned below and make sure these components are met. If not, update your computer with the appropriate features so that the game runs smoothly.

1. Minimum system requirements

The minimum requirements listed below are the basic components required without fail even for the game. Thus, make sure that all components meet the requirements.

OS Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit SP1 Processor Intel Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core 2.40 GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core (4 CPUs) 2.5 GHz Memory 4 GB Video card NVIDIA 9800 GT 1 ГБ / AMD HD 4870 1 ГБ (DX 10, 10.1, 11) Sound card 100% DirectX 10 compatible Hard disk space 65 GB

2. Recommended system requirements

If you want to experience the game and play it in full game mode, please check below components and update your system accordingly.

Note. These components are optional, however, if you want a smooth gaming experience, they are must-have features.

OS Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 7 64-bit SP1 Processor Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHz (8 CPUs) Memory 8 GB Video card NVIDIA GTX 660 2 ГБ / AMD HD7870 2 ГБ Sound card 100% DirectX 10 compatible Hard disk space 65 GB

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

Before moving on to the advanced methods, follow these basic troubleshooting methods to fix GTA V crashing on your PC.

1. Avoid GPU Overclocking

Overclocking the GPU removes the limitation of the graphics card and allows it to run above its safe limit. Thus, this process can sometimes throw an error. Therefore, it is necessary not to cross the limit. This is because further restriction may stop your graphics card from working. And that overclocked GPU can be the reason why GTA V crashes on startup. While no direct cause has been found, many users have reported that reducing GPU overclocking has solved the issue of GTA 5 crashing at startup.

2. Avoid CPU Overheating

CPU overheating always causes problems. This is because when your system overheats, it cannot work properly and even affects the performance of the game. Hence, be sure to check your computer for overheating by following the given points.

  • If it overheats, clean the computer case.
  • And make sure your computer has proper ventilation.
  • Then turn off your computer. Wait for your computer to return to normal.
  • Finally, turn on your computer and launch the game.

3. Perform a clean boot

Sometimes, various other applications present on your system come into conflict with the Dragon Age Inquisition game. This may affect the game by causing it to crash during launch. Sometimes this conflict zone can be tricky, so a clean boot is required to resolve the issue. Clean boot is a method that detects a crashing application running in the background. Hence, you can disable the conflicting app to fix GTA 5 crash on startup. Read our How to Clean Boot in Windows 10 guide to do the same.

4. Run the game as an administrator

If the GTA 5 crash on startup still exists on Windows 10, try running the game once in Compatibility Mode. This method is highly recommended as running the game in administrator mode gives you full access to it, which in turn may fix the issue. To run the game in compatibility mode, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the GTA 5 shortcut on the desktop and select Properties from the context menu.

2. Click the Compatibility tab. Then enable "Run this program in compatibility mode" under "Compatibility Mode" and select the appropriate OS from the drop-down menu.

3. Then check the "Run this program as an administrator" checkbox in the "Settings" section. Finally, select "Apply" and then click "OK" to save your changes.

4. Check if the problem with GTA V crashing on startup is resolved. If not, try the same steps for Steam and the Epic games launcher respectively and run them in administrator mode.

5. Close background processes

Unnecessary applications or programs running in the background consume a lot of system resources such as CPU or memory. This slows down system performance and causes loading and crashing issues, for example GTA 5 keeps crashing the computer. For such cases, it is necessary to close the tasks running in the background. Read our guide on how to end a task in Windows 10.

When all unnecessary applications are closed, close the task manager. Launch the game and check if the issue with GTA V crashing on startup is resolved.

6. Restart Windows

The OS is the heart of the software. Thus, it is necessary to check if it works smoothly. Errors and bugs should always happen in Windows OS. To fix this, the owner of Windows, Microsoft, frequently releases an updated version of the OS, fixing these bugs and bugs. If the windows are not up to date, then GTA 5 crashes on startup. So be sure to check if your OS is updated to the latest version. If not, update it and launch the game. Read or read the guide on how to download and install the latest Windows 10 update.

7. Update your graphics drivers

The graphics driver is an integral part of any online game or computer itself. GPU manufacturers frequently release updates and features. In addition, to avoid any technical issues such as screen flickering, display malfunctioning, screen on/off, etc., you need to update your graphics driver as it is responsible for the efficiency and performance of your computer. So, update your graphics driver and see if GTA 5 PC crash is resolved. Read our guide on 4 ways to update graphics drivers in Windows 10.

8. Temporarily disable your antivirus (if applicable)

A well-known fact that everyone knows about any antivirus is that it protects the computer from any malicious threats. However, its limitations can sometimes be overwhelming. In such a scenario, there is a high possibility that these antivirus programs or firewall are affecting the performance of the game files. Hence, you need to immediately disable your antivirus or Windows Defender Firewall for a while to fix GTA 5 crashing on startup issue. Read our guide on how to temporarily disable your antivirus in Windows 10 to disable your antivirus for a specific amount of time.

Also, if Windows Defender is blocking the game, follow our How To Turn Off Windows 10 Firewall guide to disable Windows Defender Firewall.

Note. Disabling Windows Defender Firewall can harm your computer, so disabling it is not recommended.

Method 2: Update GTA 5 Game Files

If you haven't updated GTA 5 for a long time, then it's time to do it. It is extremely important to check and update your GTA 5 game if the latest patch is available. Here's how to do it.

Option I: Through Steam

1. Press the Windows key, type steam and click Open.

2. On the Steam home page, go to "Library".

3. Select GTA 5 on the left panel. Here it will automatically look for updates. If an update is available, you will see an Update button. Click on it to update the game.

4. Wait for the latest version of the game to install. Once completed, close the Steam client server.

5. Finally, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Then launch the game again and see if the PC problem in GTA 5 is resolved.

Option II: Through the Epic Launcher

1. Launch the Epic Launcher app.

2. On the main page of the Epic Games Launcher, select Settings.

3. Scroll down and select the "Game Management" section. Then check the Allow automatic updates box.

4. Expand each game's menu and make sure the Automatic Updates checkbox is checked.

5. Close the Epic Games Launcher and reopen it. The game will automatically update if an update for GTA 5 is available.

Method 3: Set the GTA 5 Process to High Priority

Running games with low RAM resources affects their smooth operation. To fix this issue, you need to set the game to high priority via Task Manager to see if GTA V crash on launch is fixed. Here's how to do it.

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time to open the Task Manager.

2. On the Processes tab, right-click on the GTA 5 game task and select Set High Priority.

3. Finally, close the task manager. Now launch GTA 5 game and check if GTA 5 crash on launch is fixed.

Method 4: Switch to a High Performance Power Plan

Normally, balanced mode is set as the default power plan on any Windows 10 PC. The great thing about this mode is that it saves energy as much as possible, which in turn reduces resource consumption. Such a case can cause GTA V to crash on startup. Therefore, it is recommended that you change your power plan to high performance mode. Read and follow our guide on how to change your power plan in Windows 10.

Note. Before making any changes, make sure your computer is connected to the network.

Method 5: increase virtual memory

Each hard disk partition has virtual memory that acts as temporary RAM. When this amount of memory is less than they are, GTA 5 continues to freeze on the computer. For such cases, you need to increase the virtual memory. Follow the instructions to do so.

1. Press the Windows + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type systempropertiesadvanced in the Run dialog box and press the Enter key.

3. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab. Then click the "Settings" button in the "Performance" section.

4. In the "Performance Options" window, select the "Advanced" tab again. Then click the "Change" button in the "Virtual Memory" section.

5. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box in the virtual memory prompt.

6. Then select the Custom Size option to set the memory size manually. Now enter 4096 and 8192 in the Initial Size and Maximum Size fields respectively.

7. Finally, click OK to save your changes. Finally, restart your computer. Then restart your GTA V game and see if the GTA V crash on launch is resolved.

Method 6: Verify the integrity of the game files

If GTA V game files are missing or corrupted on your system, you may experience GTA V crashing on launch issues. Now, if you have the Steam app or the Epic Launcher as a client/server for the game, you need to verify the integrity of the game file through its server.

Option I: Through Steam

Check out our guide on how to verify the integrity of game files on Steam.

Option II: via command line

1. Press the Windows key and type cmd, then click "Run as administrator".

2. Type the following command and press the Enter key.

cd c:Program FilesRockstar GamesGrand Theft Auto V

Note. If you have a different game installation folder, enter the appropriate address in the command.

3. Then run the following command.

GTAVLauncher.exe-verify

4. After executing the command, the game launcher will open and start checking the game files.

5. After verifying the files, restart the game and check if the problem with PC in GTA 5 is fixed.

Option III: Through the Epic Launcher

1. Open the Epic Game Launcher app.

2. On the main page, go to "Library".

3. Click the three dots icon next to GTA V.

4. Then select Confirm from the context menu.

5. Wait for the recovery process to complete. After that, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Method 7: Change Graphics Settings

Change the graphics features in the game settings to normal mode. This is because using a different intensive state may affect the game as a whole and may cause GTA 5 to crash on startup. Hence, follow the steps below and change your graphic settings.

1. Launch the GTA V game.

2. Go to "Settings".

3. Select Graphics. Then set the option from the list below to "Normal Mode".

  • texture quality
  • Shader Quality
  • Shadow quality
  • Reflection quality
  • grass quality

After all the above graphical features are changed, try launching the game and check if the PC issue in GTA 5 is resolved.

Method 8: Turn on vertical sync

VSync stands for vertical sync. This is the 3D display option responsible for better stability. Many users reported that enabling this mode in GTA V solved the crash issue. Here's how to do it.

1. Launch the GTA V game.

2. Click the Settings tab.

3. In the Graphics section, scroll and find the VSync option. Turn it on.

Note. If VSync is already enabled, turn it off. Then restart the game and enable VSync again.

4. After that, close the game and restart your computer, then launch the game again. Then check if the GTA 5 crash on startup error is resolved.

Method 9Disable Overlay Apps

Sometimes some popular apps such as Discord, Xbox, and Nvidia GeForce Experience have their own overlay program that runs in the background and affects gaming performance. Hence, you need to check and disable it in order to fix GTA 5 crash on startup issue. Follow the instructions below.

Step I: Disable the Discord Overlay

1. Press the Windows key, type Discord and click Open.

2. On the main page of Discord, select the gear icon at the bottom.

3. Scroll down on the left panel and select the Game Overlay menu.

4. Turn on the switch to enable the overlay function in the game.

5. Then go to the "Games" tab and select the GTA 5 game.

6. Finally, turn off the "Enable In-Game Overlay" feature.

After completing these steps, restart your computer to save your changes.

Step II: Disable the Xbox Game Bar

1. Press the Windows + I keys at the same time to open Settings.

2. On the settings page, select the "Games" option, as shown in the figure.

2. Select the Xbox Game panel in the left panel. Turn off the "Enable Xbox Game Bar" option for things like recording game clips, chatting with friends, and receiving game invites, as shown.

Step III: Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience

1. Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay application.

2. Click on the gear icon to go to settings.

3. Click the General tab. Disable the in-game overlay feature.

4. Finally, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. After that, try launching the game and see if the problem with GTA V crashing on startup is resolved.

Method 10: Force launch the game in Direct X 11

DirectX plays a vital role in GTA 5's gaming feature. As such, it's recommended that you force the game to run in DirectX 11 version. Just follow the instructions to do so.

Option I: Through Steam

1. Launch the Steam client server through the desktop.

2. On the Steam home page, go to "Library".

3. Locate and right-click the GTA 5 game. Select Properties from the context menu.

4. Select the General tab in the left pane. In the Startup Options section, type -dx11 and press Enter.

5. Close the Steam server and restart the game. Then check,

GTA 5 keeps crashing, PC issue fixed.

Option II: Through the Epic Launcher

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher.

2. On the main page of Epic Launcher, select "Settings".

3. Find and click GTA 5 to open more customization options.

4. Select the "Game Settings" menu on the left panel.

5. Now check the Additional command line arguments box. Then enter d3d11.

5. Finally, restart the game and see if the GTA 5 crash on startup error is resolved.

Method 11: Reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.

One of the common ways to fix several game errors is to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime on your system. Just try. Here's how to do it.

1. Press the Windows + I keys at the same time to launch the settings.

2. Select an application setting.

3. Now select Apps & features from the left pane. Then browse and locate each Microsoft Visual C++ program and select Uninstall.

4. Finally, click "Delete" in the confirmation prompt.

To install the Microsoft Visual C++ programs back on your computer, follow these steps.

5. Go to the official Microsoft web page. Then select "Language" and click the "Download" button to download the latest version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.

6. Select the type of file you want to upload and click the "Next" button to complete it.

7. Double click the downloaded setup file and open it to start the installation process.

8. Select the I agree to the license terms check box and select Install to start the installation.

9. Follow the instructions on the screen to continue and complete the installation.

10. After that, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Then start and run the game and see if the problem with GTA 5 crashing on startup is resolved.

Restart your computer for the changes to take effect. After doing that, check if the error that is causing GTA 5 to keep crashing PC is resolved.

***

If you are an enthusiastic gamer, then any error related to this can greatly upset you. But stop your emotions and think for a moment, you will understand that any technology or application is prone to errors, and only such errors will pave the way for new development on a positive note. I hope you already have a fix for GTA 5 crashing on startup. Let us know which method worked for you. Feel free to contact us with any suggestions or questions through the comment section below.

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