How to Stop Enshrouded from Crashing on Windows PC?

When attempting to play Enshrouded, players frequently encounter a scenario where the game crashes abruptly, displaying an error message that reads, “enshrouded.exe has crashed.” This issue tends to emerge shortly after launching the game, often within the first hour of gameplay.

The primary cause of these crashes is closely related to the game’s latest patch. While this patch was intended to fix crash-related issues, it has inadvertently introduced new stability problems. Additionally, complications arise from high graphics settings, particularly when the texture resolution is set to maximum quality, which can exacerbate the crashing problem.

With these causes in mind, let’s explore the solutions. But first, make sure to check the minimum game requirements. Crashing could also stem from insufficient system resources, so confirm that your system meets the minimum game requirements before attempting the following solutions.

1. Verify the Game Files

Corrupted game files can sometimes lead to crashes. It’s a good practice to repair the game files when facing crashes before making system alterations.

1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
2. Right-click on Enshrouded and select Properties.
   
3. Select the Local Files tab and click on Verify integrity of game files.
   
4. After the verification and potential repair process, check if the issue persists. If it does, proceed to the other solutions.

2. Update the Graphics Driver

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can often be the culprit behind crashes. If you haven’t updated your graphics drivers recently, it is recommended that you do so, as it has resolved issues for some users.

1. Launch GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software.
2. Go to the Drivers section to check for updates.
3. Click on Check for updates to find any available new driver versions.
4. Select Download and then Install to apply the GPU driver updates.
   
5. After updating, restart Enshrouded to determine if the crashing issue has been resolved.

3. Roll Back the Graphics Driver

If you have recently updated your GPU drivers and started experiencing crashes, rolling back the GPU drivers to an older version might be beneficial.

1. Open the Start Menu, type Device Manager, and select it to open.
   
2. Expand the Display Adapters section, right-click on your GPU driver, and select Properties.
   
3. Switch to the Driver tab, and click on Roll Back Driver.
4. When prompted, select a reason for the rollback.
   
5. Restart Enshrouded after the rollback to check if the issue is resolved.

4. Run with Windows 8 Compatibility Settings

Running an application using older Windows compatibility settings can help prevent crashes, especially if the default settings for Windows 10 are not suitable for all games. It is recommended to experiment with compatibility settings for different Windows versions.

1. Go to Steam > Library.
2. Right-click on Enshrouded, select Manage, and choose Browse local files.
   
3. Locate the Enshrouded executable file in the directory, right-click on it, and select Properties.
   
4. Go to the Compatibility tab.
5. Check the box for Run this program in compatibility mode for: and select Windows 8 from the dropdown menu.
6. Click Apply, then OK.
   
7. Try running the game again to see if the crashing issue has been addressed.

5. Add -dx11 in the Enshrouded Launch Options

Forcing Enshrouded to use DirectX 11 by setting the -dx11 command can offer a more stable experience, as the game typically uses the Vulkan API, which may not be fully optimized.

1. Open Steam and proceed to your Library.
2. Right-click on Enshrouded and select Properties.
   
3. Enter the -dx11 command into the launch options field.
   
4. Apply the command, then start the game to assess if the issue has been fixed.

6. Remove Overclocking

Overclocking hardware components to enhance performance could lead to crashes, particularly with incorrect configurations. Resetting any overclock settings to their default values could help determine if they are causing the issues.

1. Start MSI Afterburner.
2. Hit the Reset button to revert any overclock settings to their default state.
   
3. Re-examine the game for any issues following the reset.

7. Reduce Graphics Settings

High graphics settings can place a strain on system resources, potentially leading to crashes, especially on lower-end PCs. Lowering the graphics settings is advisable if other methods have not solved the problem.

1. Access the in-game Settings menu and navigate to Display.
2. Adjust all Graphics Settings to a more moderate level, like Balanced.
   
3. After making the adjustments, test the game to see if the crashing has ceased.

If none of these approaches resolves the crashing issue, make sure that you are not running any background applications or overlays, such as Discord or keyboard lighting software, while playing the game.