Red Dead Redemption 2 is a popular action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games. It is considered a masterpiece by many players. However, some players have been experiencing the annoying issue of the game crashing on their PC, which is unexpected and frustrating. If you’re one of those players, follow this guide to resolve the issue.
Well, multiple reports are coming out that the game starts crashing either while startup or in mid-gameplay, which is unexpected. But just like other PC games, RDR2 also crashes often or exits occasionally, which needs to be fixed completely by following the troubleshooting guide below. Yes! Here, we’ve shared all the possible ways to resolve such an issue.
How to Fix If Red Dead Redemption 2 Crashing on PC
Regarding the possible reasons behind such crashing issues, we can consider several things, such as running the game without administrator access, corrupted or missing game files, outdated GPU drivers, etc. Whereas an antivirus program can also block game files from running properly, background running tasks can trigger performance issues.
Watch Video Troubleshoot:
We have recently released a video tutorial that provides a comprehensive guide on fixing the problem of Red Dead Redemption 2 crashing on a PC. By following the detailed troubleshooting steps provided in the video, you can effectively resolve this issue and enjoy uninterrupted gameplay in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Watch Video Tutorial
1. Check Game Requirements
First, you should cross-check the game requirements below to ensure that your PC configuration is compatible.
Minimum Requirements:
- OS: Windows 7 – Service Pack 1 (6.1.7601) [64-bit]
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 150 GB available space
- Sound Card: Direct X Compatible
Recommended Requirements:
- OS: Windows 10 – April 2018 Update (v1803) [64-bit]
- Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
- Memory: 12 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 150 GB available space
- Sound Card: Direct X Compatible
2. Revert Back to Vulkan
If in case, your RDR2 game is continuously crashing or freezing on your computer with DirectX 12, then you can try reverting it to Vulkan.
- Go to C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2\Settings folder from File Explorer.
- Now, right-click on the system.xml file > Click on Edit with Notepad++.
- Please search for the line <API>kSettingAPI_DX12</API> and change it to <API>kSettingAPI_Vulkan</API>.
- Press the Ctrl + S keys to save changes > Close the notepad window.
- Finally, you can try checking whether your Red Dead Redemption 2 is Crashing on your PC or not.
Well, some rogue third-party programs can also cause several issues with the system functions that may result in performance, display, or even audio-related problems. So, we’ll recommend you perform a clean boot to resolve such an issue properly. To do that:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
- Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.
- Check all the services from the list and click on Disable all.
- Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
- Now, click on the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
- Go to the Startup tab > Click on the particular tasks which are enabled for startup boot.
- Then select Disable for each task one by one.
- Once done, reboot your computer to change effects.
4. Manage Paging File Size in Virtual Memory
It can also possible that the virtual memory and automatically paging file size isn’t running well on your computer. Make sure to let the Windows system use the virtual memory automatically whenever required. To do that:
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on System > Go to About from the bottom of the left pane.
- Now, click on Advanced system settings.
- Click on Settings from the Performance option.
- Go to the Advanced tab > Click on Change from the Virtual memory option.
- Make sure to enable the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives checkbox.
- Once done, click on OK to save changes.
5. Set Priority to High
Sometimes it may also possible that your system isn’t allowing enough CPU/Memory space for your game to run properly. If you’re also feeling the same, make sure to follow the steps below:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
- Click on the Details tab > Right-click on RedDeadRedemption2.exe.
- Click on Set Priority and select High.
- Once done, make sure to close the task manager window, and try running the game again.
Additionally, you should set the high-performance mode for your RDR2 game on Nvidia Control Panel. To do so:
- Right-click on the desktop > Select Nvidia Control Panel.
- From the Manage 3D Settings option, click on the Program Settings tab.
- Locate and include RDR2 exe file.
- Now, select Power Management Mode for Prefer Maximum Performance.
- Turn Off – Triple Buffering and Vertical Sync.
- Finally, you should check whether the Red Dead Redemption 2 Crashing on PC or not.
6. Change Audio Sampling
If in case, the Red Dead Redemption 2 game crashes a lot or exits unexpectedly then make sure to change the audio sampling by following the steps below:
- Right-click on the Volume icon in your system tray (Taskbar).
- Click on Playback devices > Select your active device and go to Properties.
- Click on the Advanced tab > Make sure to select the 16 or 24 bit as bit depths and 48000 Hz (Studio Quality) as the sample rate.
- Click on Apply then select OK to save changes.
3. Run As Administrator
It’s highly recommended to run your games and the client as an administrator in order to give proper access. Without the user account control access on your system, it’ll be hard enough to play games or open programs. To do this:
- Right-click on the Red Dead Redemption 2 exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Enable the Run this program as an administrator checkbox.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
- Once done, you can try running Red Dead Redemption 2 to check whether it’s crashing on PC or not.
5. Update GPU Driver
Apart from updating Windows, it’s also highly recommended to update your graphics driver on your computer to run all programs smoothly. To do so:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Start 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.
8. Verify Integrity of Game Files
Well, if your installed game files are missing or corrupted for some reason, you may start receiving multiple issues or crashes, or errors on your PC randomly. So, simply verifying the game files can reduce issues drastically. You can do this from the Steam client easily by following the steps below:
- Launch the Steam client > Go to Steam Library
- Right-click on Red Dead Redemption 2 > Click on Properties
- Click on the Local Files tab
- Select Verify Integrity of Game Files
- Wait for the process to complete and then restart your game
10. Try Reinstalling the Game
If your Red Dead Redemption 2 game doesn’t run properly or randomly crashes while startup on your PC then you should try reinstalling the game completely. Sometimes an outdated game version or corrupted game files can only be fixed by reinstalling properly. To do so:
- Open the Steam client on your PC.
- Next, click on LIBRARY > Right-click on Red Dead Redemption 2 from the left pane.
- Select Manage > Click on Uninstall.
- Wait for the process to complete > Once done, restart Steam and reinstall the game again.
- Finally, run the Red Dead Redemption 2 game and check whether it’s still crashing on your PC or not.
3. Run SFC
The System File Checker (SFC) is a utility tool for the Windows operating system that simply allows users to scan for corrupted or missing Windows system files and restore them automatically. This method should resolve the startup crashing issues completely.
- Click on the Start Menu and type cmd.
- Now, right-click on Command Prompt from the search result.
- Select Run as administrator > If prompted, click on Yes to give admin privileges.
- Once the command prompt window opens, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
SFC /scannow
- Now, wait for the process to complete.
- Make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
4. Run DISM
Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a command-line tool that can be used to mount and service Windows images before deployment. If in case, running SFC doesn’t work for you, try running DISM by following the steps below:
- Click on the Start Menu and type cmd.
- Now, right-click on Command Prompt from the search result.
- Select Run as administrator > If prompted, click on Yes to give admin privileges.
- Once the command prompt window opens, type the following command and hit Enter to execute it:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Type the following command and press Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Now, wait for the process to complete and exit the command prompt.
- Finally, restart your computer, and check whether the Windows 10 System Sounds not Playing issue has been fixed or not.
7. Disable Antivirus Program
If you’re facing issues with the Red Dead Redemption 2 game like crashes or lags then make sure to try disabling your antivirus program on your computer. the antivirus program can basically prevent game files from running properly. To do that:
- Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
- 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.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.
