Fix: FIFA 23 Failed to Load Settings File Error

EA’s FIFA franchise for football video games has ended with the release of FIFA 23 in September 2022. From the next year, EA Sports FC will be the new chapter in the history of the football gaming market. Though the newly launched FIFA 23 is the successor of FIFA 22 and has realistic gameplay along with power shots, flair dribbles, etc., there seem to be a fair amount of issues too. Well, FIFA 23 Failed to Load Settings File Error is one of them.

It looks like most of the players didn’t like the game at all due to its missing modes for the PC version. Players are facing startup crashes, sound-related issues, in-game performance issues, and the same old-school kind of gameplay experience that every year EA Sports brings to the table. As per multiple reports, FIFA 23 players are experiencing the “unable to save or load personal settings 1” error while trying to launch the game on the PC.

Fix: FIFA 23 Failed to Load Settings File Error

This specific error mostly appears whenever players try to save their settings in the game with Career Mode and then launch the game in the same mode. The chances are high that you’ll get the ‘Unable to save Personal Settings 1’ error with three options: retry, cancel, or continue without saving. We’re unsure whether the EA Sports team is aware of the issue. It’s worth mentioning that the specific error is happening since FIFA 18.

Luckily, a few possible workarounds mentioned below should come in handy. Ensure not to skip any method until the problem gets fixed. Sometimes, even a basic workaround can help a lot. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into it.

1. Delete the Personal Settings 1 File

First, you should try deleting the personal settings 1 file on your FIFA 23 profile by following the steps below to create a new personal settings file again. Don’t worry, EA Answers forum has officially provided a useful solution to fix such an issue. It won’t delete the in-game data like Ultimate Team because it’s saved on the EA servers. Sometimes, you may need to edit your settings accordingly, but you won’t lose it. To delete it:

• Launch FIFA 23 > Go to Customize.
• Select Profile > Choose Delete.
• Now, Delete the Personal Settings 1 file and confirm it.
• Once done, restart the FIFA 23 game, and try again.

2. Run the game as an Administrator

If you’re not running your FIFA 23 game using an administrator privilege then the chances are high that your game launcher or the game application file directly getting affected due to the conflict with the User Account Control on the system. You should follow the steps below to set running the game file with admin access always. To do this:

• Right-click on the FIFA 23 exe application file on your PC.
• 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.

Once done, you should cross-check the issue. If the problem is still bothering you, then make sure to follow the same steps for the respective game launcher that you’re using such as Steam, Origin, or Epic Games Launcher.

3. Update FIFA 23

We recommend manually checking for the game update periodically by following the steps below. The chances are high that your game patch version becomes outdated and has some bugs that can only be fixed by upgrading to the latest version. So, check for the available game updates. To do this:

For Steam:

• Open Steam and go to the Library.
• Click on FIFA 23 from the left pane.
• Steam will automatically search for the available update.
• If there is an update available, click on Update.
• Make sure to wait for some time until the update completes.
• Once done, ensure to reboot the PC to apply changes.

For Epic Games Launcher:

• Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over to Library.
• Now, click on the three dots icon next to FIFA 23.
• Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.
• It should automatically install the available update of the game.

For Origin:

• Launch the Origin client on your computer.
• Go to Library > Right-click on FIFA 23.
• Select Check for Update > If available, proceed with the same.
• It may take some time to complete the update.
• Once done, you can reboot the PC to apply changes.

4. Verify Integrity of Game Files

Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC might also trouble you a lot when it comes to the installation or updating of the game. You really can’t do anything for the issue to happen. But most of the game launchers do come with a built-in option to verify and repair the game files automatically that you can use whenever you face any kind of issues. To do this:

For Steam:

• Launch Steam > Click on Library.
• Right-click on FIFA 23 from the list of installed games.
• Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
• Once done, just restart your computer.

For Origin:

• Launch the Origin client on your PC.
• Head over to the My Game Library and locate FIFA 23.
• Now, click on Settings (Gear icon) > Select Repair.
• Wait for the process to be completed.
• Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes.

For Epic Games Launcher:

• Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Library.
• Click on the three-dots icon next to FIFA 23.
• Click on Verify > Wait for the process to complete and restart the launcher.
• It should resolve the FIFA 23 Crashing issue on the PC.

5. Whitelist FIFA 23 on the Security Programs

It’s also a better idea to whitelist or exclude the FIFA 23 game file on the security programs of your PC, such as the antivirus or firewall software. In most cases, these security software applications can aggressively prevent the game files from running properly on the PC and even block ongoing connections from the system to the game servers. Make sure to follow the steps below to whitelist the game file manually.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Go to Privacy and Security > Click on Windows Security.
• Click on Virus and Threat Protection> Select Manage ransomware protection.
• Select Allow an app through Controlled folder access > Click on Add an allowed app.
• Click on Browse all apps > Now, select FIFA23.exe/FIFA23_Trial/EAAntiCheatGameServiceLauncher.
• Then click on Open > Make sure to save changes.

Alternatively, you can try the following method:

• Click on the Windows icon on the taskbar to open the Start menu.
• Open Control Panel by searching it > Go to Systems and Security.
• Now, open Windows Defender Firewall.
• Select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
• Click on Change settings > Select Allow another app > Select Browse.
• Click to select FIFA23.exe/FIFA23_Trial/EAAntiCheatGameServiceLauncher.
• Finally, click on Add > Make sure to save changes.

6. Reinstall FIFA 23

If the above methods didn’t come in handy then you can try uninstalling the FIFA 23 game and reinstalling it again on the PC. It’s worth suggesting reinstalling the game on a different storage drive this time to avoid any kind of disk errors or temporary game files regarding issues. To do that:

• Click on the Start menu and search for Control Panel.
• Open Control Panel > Click on Uninstall a Program.
• Locate and right-click on FIFA 23 > Select Uninstall.
• If prompted, click on Uninstall again to confirm.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to complete. You can follow the on-screen instructions to do so.
• Once done, make sure to reboot the PC to apply changes.
• Finally, head over to the game launcher you use (Steam, Origin or Epic Games Launcher) and reinstall FIFA 23.

7. Contact EA Help

If none of the methods worked for you, then contact EA Help for further assistance. Just create a support ticket for the same so the developers can dive deeply into it.

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