Borderlands 2 Fatal Error? Try these Solutions

The Borderlands 2 game throws the fatal error when you try to run the game or continue the main campaign and can be caused by several reasons which include missing files, game cache, config files of the game and more. In some cases, the error can even be caused by other applications installed on your system which interfere with the game process. We will be looking into all of that in more detail down below.

The fatal error is not limited to a set-piece of misapprehensions which when rectified fixes the issue. Rather, different issues can trigger the error and hence some of the solutions listed down below might not work.

What causes the Borderlands 2 Fatal Error Message?

As we have mentioned earlier, the error message is not due to a specific cause, rather it is usually caused by the following typical reasons:

With that said, let us get into the solutions.

Solution 1: Run the Game as an Administrator

As it happens, the error message can appear due to insufficient permissions in which case you will have to run it as an administrator. This will provide it with the necessary rights and the game can run without any privileges issue. To do this, follow the given instructions:

1. Open up Steam and then go to Library.
2. Once there, right-click on Borderlands 2 and click Properties.
3. Go to the Local Files tab and then click the ‘Browse Local Files’ option to get to the installation directory of the game.

   

4. Now, find the executable file and right-click on it.
5. From the drop-down menu, choose Run as an administrator.
6. If that fixes the issue, you can make the game to run as an administrator every time it is run in the Properties window of the game file.

Solution 2: Verify the Integrity of Game Files

It is quite natural for the game to crash when it is missing the required game files. This can also happen if the present files are corrupted, in which case, they cannot be read. Therefore, to eliminate this possibility, you will have to verify the integrity of game files. This is a feature that comes with the Steam application where it looks for any missing or bad files and then re-downloads them for you.

Solution 3: Renew the Config Files

The config or user preferences files of almost all the games are stored in the My Documents folder of the user account directory. This also includes the save files of the game. However, usually, a bad file or some corruption with one of the files can cause the game to crash. In such a case, you will have to regenerate these files.

Doing this pretty simple, just make your way to the My Documents directory and then go to the Borderlands 2 folder. There, make a backup of the save game files and then delete the rest of the files. After that, run the game again and see if the issue persists or not. If it does not, you can simply paste your save files back into the directory and you will be able to resume your adventure.

Solution 4: Check Other Installed Applications

As it happens, other applications installed on your system can also interfere with the game file and as a result, cause the game to crash. With borderlands 2, this behaviour has been reported to be caused by Teamviewer and Discord. If you are using the Teamviewer application on your system, try uninstalling it and then see if the issue is still there.

In the case of Discord, make sure that the in-game overlay is disabled as it is said to cause the issue with Borderlands 2. Other than that, make sure that if you are using any third-party antivirus, it is not interfering with the game process. The suggestion here would be to completely turn off your antivirus application and then see if the issue occurs or not. If it does not, you will have to add an exception. That is, you will have to whitelist the game files on your antivirus application or, if you are up for it, switch to different antivirus software.

Solution 5: Disable the Dolby DAX API Service

The Dolby DAX API service is responsible for controlling the Dolby Atmos components on your system. However, this can, at times, cause issues with certain video games such as Borderlands 2, and Counterstrike: Global Offensive. Disabling the service should fix the crashing of the game at startup. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
2. Type in services.msc and then press the Enter key.
3. Once the Services window opens up, search for the Dolby DAX API service in the list of services.

   

4. Double-click on the service once found to open up the Properties window.
5. From the Startup drop-down menu, choose Disabled.
6. Click Apply and then hit OK.
7. Check if it fixes your issue.

Solution 6: Change the Installation Directory

If you have installed Steam or the game in the Program Files directory of the Windows drive, you are very likely to face certain issues due to permission restrictions. Installing game files in the Program Files directory is not the best course of action. In such a case, what you will have to do is create a new folder and then move the entire steam folder into that folder. This way, you will get rid of all the permission issues and your game will be good to go.

Something to note here is that if you move your entire steam folder, you won’t be able to start Steam from the Start Menu or whatever shortcut that you have created. You will have to create a shortcut on the desktop or pin it in the Start Menu again.