How to Fix Call of Duty Modern Warfare II Crashing?

Modern Warfare II can crash due to several reasons, which can differ from your frame limit in the menu section to the interference of third-party applications. The open beta of Modern Warfare II is now live, and there have been quite a few reports of the game crashing. While some crashes have been identified by the developers, there is still a large number of users who are unable to play.

Modern Warfare II Crashing

As it turns out, as per most user reports, the game seems to crash the most when you are in the menu. This can especially happen when trying to create weapon classes. In this article, we are going to list several methods that you can implement to stop the game from crashing. 

It is important to note that the game is currently in open beta, which means there are going to be issues here and there. As such, these crashes may either be triggered by something on your end, but they can also be due to an issue with the game which needs to be resolved by the development team.

The recommendations below will allow you to circumvent the issue if your device is the culprit. With that said, let us first go through the different causes in more detail so that you have a better understanding of the issue. 

  • Insufficient Permissions — One of the reasons which can cause the game to crash is when the game process does not have sufficient permissions to run smoothly. In such a scenario, you will have to run the game with administrative privileges to see if that resolves the issue. 
  • Frame Limit in Menu — Your frame limit in the menu section can also result in a crash in some scenarios. This happens when your FPS (frames per second) increases drastically in the Menu, which causes the game to crash. In such a scenario, you will have to limit your frames in the Menu section to resolve the issue. 
  • Outdated Windows — If you are running an outdated version of Windows, it is possible the issue may be triggered. Newer games often require a more up-to-date version of your operating system to run without any issues. If this case is applicable, you should be able to get rid of the problem by simply installing any pending Windows updates.
  • Obsolete Graphics Drivers — In case you are not aware, graphics drivers play an essential role in gaming on your computer. In most cases, manufacturers release newer versions of graphics drivers to support newer games or address an issue that may be caused with the game by an older version of the driver. As such, having updated graphics drivers is a necessary remedy. 
  • Third-Party Interference — Finally, the third-party programs running in the background can also trigger the game process to crash. These apps usually include security programs or any gaming software that supposedly improves your system’s performance or some other functionality. In such a scenario, we recommend running the game in clean boot

Now that we have gone through the possible causes of the issue, let us start with the various methods you can implement to resolve the problem in question. 

1. Run Modern Warfare II as Administrator

The first thing that you should do when you encounter the mentioned problem is to run the game with administrative privileges. More often than not, games crash when they do not have sufficient permissions to run in the environment.

This could be due to several things; for example, the game process requesting some information is denied due to insufficient permissions, which ultimately causes the crash. 

To fix this, you will have to run the game with admin permissions so that it is elevated and can run without any issues. To do this, follow the instructions given down below:

  1. First of all, open up your Steam client.
  2. On the Steam client, switch to the Library section and locate Modern Warfare II.
    Steam Library
  3. Right-click on the game and from the drop-down menu, choose the Browse Local Files option.
    Navigating to Installation Directory
  4. Once the game’s installation folder has been opened, locate the cod executable file and right-click on it. Choose Run as administrator from the context menu and click Yes on the follow-up User Access Control dialog box.
    Running as Administrator
  5. See if that resolves the issue. 
  6. If it does, you can go to the Properties window and navigate to Compatibility. From there, tick the Run as administrator checkbox. With that done, the game will run with admin privileges every time you open it. 

2. Limit Frame Rate in Menu

If your frame rate is unlimited in the Menu section of the game, there is a good possibility that it might be causing the game to crash; especially if you face the game crashes when you are in the Menu section and not in-game. A high frame rate in the menu section can often cause the game to crash, so you will have to limit it. 

This can be done pretty from the Settings menu of the game. Simply head into the Display settings and locate the Custom Frame Rate Limit option. Reduce the Menu Custom Frame Rate Limit option and see if that fixes the issue for you.

Modern Warfare II Custom Frame Rate Limit

3. Install Windows Updates

Installing Windows updates can sometimes be annoying and frustrating due to the system’s restarts and the speed of it depending on your PC. However, if you haven’t updated your operating system in quite some time, you may face difficulties running some newer games.

This is because Windows updates contain updates for various components of your computer, which are essential to run games smoothly. A prime example of this would be the .NET Framework, which is necessary when running games on your computer. 

In addition, Windows updates often include newer features utilized by newer games that are often delivered as cumulative updates.

Therefore, if this case applies to you and you run an outdated version of the Windows operating system, we recommend installing any pending Windows updates on your computer. Doing so is pretty simple. Follow the instructions given down below:

  1. To start off, press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open up the Settings window.
    Windows Settings
  2. On the Settings window, navigate to Windows Update. 
  3. Click on the Check for updates button to download and install any pending updates.
    Checking for Windows Updates
  4. Once the updates have been installed and your computer has rebooted successfully, relaunch the game to see if the issue is still there. 

4. Update Graphics Drivers

Along with Windows updates, graphics drivers also play a vital role in ensuring that a game runs properly. This is obvious because the driver is what communicates with the graphics card installed on your motherboard. More often than not, users neglect to update their graphics drivers as there is no apparent reason to. 

However, when you are trying to play newer games, updating your graphics drivers is essential should you face any issues while running the game, especially crashes. In such a scenario, updating your graphics drivers should set you straight. Follow the instructions down below to update your graphics drivers:

  1. First, open up the Device Manager by searching for it in the Start Menu.
    Opening up Device Manager
  2. In the Device Manager window, expand the Display adapters list.
    Device Manager
  3. There, right-click on your graphics driver and choose Uninstall device from the drop-down menu.
    Uninstalling Graphics Drivers
  4. Once your drivers have been uninstalled, head to your manufacturer’s website and download the latest available drivers for your graphics card.
  5. Install the downloaded graphics card and then restart your computer.
  6. After your PC boots, open up the game to see if the issue is still there.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

Finally, if none of the above methods has worked out for you, it is very likely that the issue is caused by the interference of a third-party app running in the background.

In most cases, this can usually point towards the third-party security program you have installed on your computer. You can start off by disabling the security program to see if that fixes the issue. 

However, that may not always be the culprit, and if you have other apps that interfere with your game process for whatever reason, it can cause certain games to crash. In such a scenario, we would recommend performing a clean boot.

Clean boot essentially starts your computer with only the required services running in the background so you do not have to worry about the interference of a third-party app. Follow the instructions down below to do this:

  1. Start off by opening up the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R.
  2. In the Run dialog box, type in msconfig and then hit Enter.
    Opening up System Configuration
  3. This will open up the System Configuration window. 
  4. Switch to the Services tab, then tick the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.
    Hiding Microsoft Services
  5. With that done, click the Disable all button and then apply.
    Disabling Third-Party Services on Startup
  6. Now, switch to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager option.
    Opening up Task Manager
  7. On the Task Manager window, right-click on all of the provided apps and click the Disable button.
    Disabling Third-Party Apps on Startup
  8. With that done, go ahead and restart your computer. 
  9. Once your PC boots up, launch the game to see if it still crashes.
  10. In case the game does not anymore, it will be apparent that the issue is being triggered by a third-party program. In such a scenario, enable the services one by one to figure out the culprit.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Muhammad Zubyan


Muhammad Zubyan is a certified Google IT Support Professional with over 7 years of extensive experience. He has worked on more than 1500 computers, gaining valuable insights that enable him to detect and troubleshoot any complicated root cause of Windows-related issues and errors. In addition to managing Appuals as a Senior Editor, he is currently developing his own Game Optimization program that caters to both gamers and casual users alike.