How to Fix Forza Horizon 5 Not Launching, Freezing, or Stuttering

Sometimes it may be possible that the DirectX version or Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables becomes outdated or corrupted, running the game in the fullscreen mode, background running overlay applications, overclocked CPU or GPU, etc can also cause issues with the game crashing or not launching or freezing or stuttering. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s get into the troubleshooting guide below

1. Check System Requirements

It’s worth mentioning that checking out the compatible system requirements for the particular game is always a better idea before jumping to any conclusion. If in case, your PC configuration isn’t meeting the system requirements properly then you might experience lags or crashes or other errors in the game while launching or during the gameplay whatsoever. So, ensure whether your computer hardware is compatible enough or not.

Minimum System Requirements:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 110 GB available space

Recommended System Requirements:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GTX 1070 OR AMD RX 590
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 110 GB available space

2. Update Graphics Drivers

It’s always required to update graphics drivers on your Windows system to run all the programs smoothly. To do this:

Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list.

Now, double-click on the Display adapters category to expand the list.

Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name.
Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change effects.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest version of the graphics driver and install it directly from the official website respective to your graphics card manufacturer. Nvidia graphics card users can update the GeForce Experience app via the Nvidia official site. Meanwhile, AMD graphics card users can visit the AMD website for the same.

3. Force Use Windowed Borderless Mode

You should also try to force run the game via windowed borderless screen mode rather than the fullscreen mode. To do so:

Open Steam > Go to Library > Right-click on Forza Horizon 5.
Now, click on Properties > Click on the General tab > Go to Set Launch Options.
Here type this command-line argument -windowed –noborder on the field.
Restart the Steam client to apply changes.

4. Update Windows

Updating Windows OS build is always essential for PC users as well as PC gamers to reduce system glitches, compatibility issues, and crashes. Meanwhile, the latest version mostly includes additional features, improvements, security patches, and more. To do that:

Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.

Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.
If there is a feature update available, select Download and install.
It may take a while to complete the update.
Once done, restart your computer to install the update.

5. Close Background Running Tasks

Unnecessary background running tasks or programs can eat up a lot of system resources like CPU or Memory usage that literally reduces system performance. Hence, the startup crashing, lagging, not loading issues appear quite often. Simply, close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open up the Task Manager.

Now, click on the Processes tab > Click to select tasks that are unnecessarily running in the background and consuming enough system resources.
Click on End Task to close it one by one.
Once done, restart your system.

Now, you can check whether you’ve fixed the Forza Horizon 5 Doesn’t Open / Not Launching or Crashing on your PC or not. If not, follow the next method.

6. Run the game as an Administrator

Make sure to run the game exe file as an administrator to avoid user account control regarding privilege issues. You should also run the Steam client as an administrator on your PC. To do this:

Right-click on the Forza Horizon 5 exe shortcut file on your PC.
Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

7. Set High Priority in Task Manager

Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:

Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on the game task.
Select Set Priority to High.
Close Task Manager.
Finally, run the Forza Horizon 5 game to check if it Crashing on PC or not.

8. Reinstall DirectX (Latest)

You should try reinstalling the latest version of DirectX from the official Microsoft website on your PC/Laptop. You just need to download and install the DirectX installer package and run it. Keep in mind that you’ll require DirectX 12 or above to run the Forza Horizon 5 game properly.

9. Disable Windows Firewall or Antivirus Program

The chances are high enough that maybe your default Windows Defender Firewall protection or any third-party antivirus program is preventing the ongoing connections or game files to run properly. So, make sure to temporarily disable or turn off the real-time protection and firewall protection. Then you should try running the game to check if Forza Horizon 5 Doesn’t Open / Not Launching or Crashing on PC issue has been fixed or not. To do this:

Click on the Start Menu > Type firewall.
Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.

A new page will open > Select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option for both the Private & Public Network Settings.

Once selected, click on OK to save changes.
Finally, restart your computer.

Similarly, you have to turn off the Windows Security protection too. Just follow the steps below:

Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.

Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.

Next, you’ll need to simply turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.
Additionally, you can also turn off Cloud-delivered protection, Tamper protection if you want.

10. Set High Performance in Power Options

If in case, your Windows system is running on the Balanced mode in Power Options, just set the High-Performance mode for better results. Although this option will take higher power usage or battery usage. To do this:

Click on the Start Menu > Type Control Panel and click on it from the search result.
Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
Click on High Performance to select it.
Make sure to close the window and fully shut down your computer. To do this, click on the Start Menu > Go to Power > Shut Down.
Once your computer is fully turned off, you can power it on again.

This should fix the Forza Horizon 5 Crashing issue on your PC in most cases. However, if none of the methods worked for you, follow the next one.

11. Close the game from Background Apps

If somehow the Forza Horizon 5 game is still going through issues, make sure to turn it off from the Background Apps feature on your PC. To do so,

Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
Click on Privacy > Scroll down from the left pane and select Background apps.
Scroll down and look for the Forza Horizon 5 game title.
Just turn off the toggle next to the game title.
Once done, close the window and restart your computer.

This method should help you out. However, if this doesn’t fix the issue, you can follow the next method.

12. Update Forza Horizon 5

If in case, you haven’t updated your Forza Horizon 5 game for a while then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Forza Horizon 5 from the left pane.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again.

13. Disable CPU or GPU Overclocking

It’s also worth mentioning not to enable CPU/GPU overclocking on your PC if your game is crashing or stuttering a lot. We can understand that overclocking CPU/GPU can make a huge impact in improving gameplay but sometimes it may also cause issues with the bottleneck or compatibility too. Just set the frequency to default for optimal performance.

14. Try Disabling Overlay Apps

It seems that a couple of popular apps do have their own overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause issues with the gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:

Disable Discord Overlay

Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab > Select Forza Horizon 5.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar

Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar option.

If in case, you’re unable to find out the Game Bar option then just search for it from the Windows Settings menu.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay

Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.

Also do keep in mind that you should disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background always.

15. Perform a Clean Boot

Some of the apps and their services may start automatically while booting the system right away. In that case, those apps or services will definitely gonna use a lot of internet connection as well as system resources. If you’re also feeling the same, make sure to perform a clean boot on your computer to check for the issue. To do that:

Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

Click on Disable all > Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Now, go to the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
The Task Manager interface will open. Here go to the Startup tab.
Then click on the particular task which has a higher startup impact.
Once selected, click on Disable to turn them off from the startup process.
Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact.
Once done, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.

16. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime

Make sure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to fix multiple gaming issues or errors completely. To do that:

Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.

Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.
Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.

Select each program and click on Uninstall.
Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
Once done, install it on your computer, and restart the system to change effects.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.

How to Fix Forza Horizon 5 Not Launching, Freezing, or Stuttering