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All games are crashing to desktop since PC upgrade

Anonymous
2023-12-07T03:28:22+00:00

I recently upgraded my PC hardware and OS and have a clean install of Windows 11 Home. All of these games worked without any issues on my older build with Win 10. Ever since the upgrade I have been having a constant problem with all my games crashing even if they are not hardware intensive. No crashing of any other applications. I have done extensive troubleshooting and run out of ideas and need help isolating the problem. My user account is an administrator. I'll try to remember all the things I've already tried below.

  • Windows updates (set to auto)
  • Created and tested on local user account to verify it is not an account problem
  • GPU driver updates/rollbacks
  • Adjusting ingame graphics settings from ultra to lowest. Toggling on and off every available option
  • Reinstalled OS
  • Verified hardware temps are within safe limits
  • Reseated GPU/RAM
  • Replaced aging SATA SSD with a new M.2
  • Ran diagnostics on CPU, SSD, and RAM as well as hardware benchmarks (FurMark 1 hour)
  • Removed 1 RAM stick at a time to verify I didn't have a bad stick
  • No custom overclocking beyond hardware defaults
  • Disabled XMP profile in BIOS
  • Created Windows Defender exclusions for game folders
  • Reinstalled all games and Steam client, disabled Steam overlay

Games I am having issues with are Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, Elder Scrolls Online. I have no mods installed.

DxDiag and msinfo here: https://file.io/uMnaMtjtd5CN

Typically there is nothing in Event Viewer under System or Application around the time of the crashes but I did catch it a few times with Cyberpunk 2077 and attached it to the above link as well. Please note that this event may be unrelated though, because I think it has been fixed by deleting a cache in the game's install directory and rebooting and it has not occurred again yet.

All the crashing symptoms are very similar across all games. At first it may run fine for an hour, even a couple hours if I'm really lucky before I'll get my first CTD completely out of nowhere. There is no noticeable drop in performance leading up to the crash and it happens in completely random and inconsistent times and locations in the various games. Once the first crash occurs, any attempts to relaunch the game and continue playing will result in another crash within a very short time period be that within 10 minutes or 10 seconds. The only "fix" at that point is to stop playing or switch to a different game. Rebooting after a CTD does not seem to have any impact on the frequency of the next CTD.

Please help! I spent a lot of money to end up with a barely usable build and I am very sad.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-12-08T07:14:29+00:00

    Hello, Kaleb N

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

    I'm sorry to hear about the problems you're experiencing with your computer game. It looks like you've already performed a lot of troubleshooting steps, but there are a few more things you can try:

    1. Windows Compatibility Mode:

    Try running the game in compatibility mode. Right-click on the game's executable, go to Properties, and navigate to the Compatibility tab. Enable "Run this program in compatibility mode" and select an older version of Windows where the game is known to run.

    1. Disable unnecessary background processes:

    Close any unnecessary background processes or applications that may consume system resources or conflict with the game. Use Task Manager to identify resource-intensive processes.

    1. Check for BIOS updates:

    Ensure that the latest version of BIOS is installed on the motherboard. visit the manufacturer's website to check if there are updates available to resolve compatibility issues.

    1. Try Clean Boot: You can try Clean Boot to rule out the interference of third party software, you can refer to the following link:

    How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

    Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem.    These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

    5.If the above alternatives still don't work, we suggest you try to override the Win11 installation.

    Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)

    Disclaimer: At this point, we have exhausted all troubleshooting and I recommend that we try to perform a clean install to get your computer back into a working condition. Please ensure that you backup any important data, including Documents, Pictures, Videos, and more. After that, you can find instructions on how to install Windows 10/11 in the following article by MVP Andre: How to: Perform a Custom Installation of Windows 11 and Windows 10 - Microsoft Community 

    If our reply is helpful, please mark it as such. This will help other users who are experiencing the same problem as you! Thank you very much for your contribution to the community!

    Best wishes

    Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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