Fix: Fortnite Chapter 4 Crashing on PC

Epic Games team is well-known for its Fortnite game, which has been quite popular across the globe for years. As an online battle royale video game, Fortnite offers plenty of new features, weapons, characters, content, and more in every Chapter or Season. In the fourth chapter of Fortnite, players are having great fun. However, some Fortnite Chapter 4 players face startup crashing issues on the PC.

In Fortnite Chapter 4, players can ride a dirt bike, roll in a snowball, use Shockwave Hammer, etc, with the squad. Now, if you’re one of the victims to experience the crashing issue on the Windows PC, then follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it. The chances are high that your machine becomes incompatible with the game to run properly, apart from other possible reasons.

Why Fortnite Chapter 4 is Crashing?

The startup crashing issue may appear due to several reasons like corrupted or missing game files, outdated Windows, outdated game version, incompatible PC configuration, outdated graphics driver, unnecessary background running apps, issues with the Visual C++, etc. Whereas an outdated DirectX version, startup apps, antivirus or security software blocking issues, overlay applications, etc can trigger such an issue.

It can also be possible that the game application isn’t running as an administrator or there might be an overclocked CPU/GPU on the PC which is troubling to run the game. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.

Fortnite Chapter 4 Keeps Crashing on PC, How to Fix?

Luckily, here we’ve shared some workarounds for you that should come in handy. You should perform all methods until the problem gets fixed.

1. Check System Requirements

It’s always better to troubleshoot the PC game crashing issue by checking the system requirements. Ensure that you’re having a compatible PC configuration so that the Fortnite Chapter 4 game runs properly without any issue.

Minimum System Requirements:

OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
Processor: Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD 4000 on PC, Intel Iris Pro 5200
Storage: 15 GB available space

Recommended System Requirements:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Core i5-7300U 3.5 GHz, AMD Ryzen 3 3300U, or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 960, AMD R9 280, or equivalent DX11 GPU
Storage: 15 GB available space

2. Update Graphics Drivers

Updating graphics drivers on your Windows system is always required 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.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

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 the 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. 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 the Win+I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.

Windows Update Windows 11

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.

4. 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 Fortnite Chapter 4 application 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.

Make sure to do the same steps for the Steam client too. It should help you to fix the Fortnite Chapter 4 issue on your PC.

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, and not loading issues appear quite often. Simply, close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:

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

End 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 the task one by one.
Once done, restart your system.

Now, you can check whether you’ve fixed the Fortnite Chapter 4 Crashing on your PC or not. If not, follow the next method.

6. 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 Fortnite Chapter 4 game task.
Select Set Priority to High.
Close Task Manager.
Finally, run the Fortnite Chapter 4 game to check if it Crashes on the PC or not.

7. 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 Fortnite Chapter 4 game properly.

8. 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 the Fortnite Chapter 4 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 the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.

Windows Security

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

$C:\Users\PC\Desktop\Virus & threat protection Windows 11.png$

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

9. 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 Fortnite Chapter 4 Crashing issue on your PC in most cases. However, if none of the methods worked for you, follow the next one.

10. Close the game from Background Apps

If somehow the Fortnite Chapter 4 game is still going through issues, make sure to turn it off from the Background Apps feature on your PC. To do so,

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Privacy > Scroll down from the left pane and select Background apps.
Scroll down and look for the Fortnite Chapter 4 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.

11. 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 the effects.

12. 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 the Win+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.

13. 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 Fortnite Chapter 4.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

Press the Win+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.

14. Verify and Repair Game Files

If in case, there is an issue with the game files and somehow it gets corrupted or missing then make sure to perform this method to easily check for the issue.

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Go to your Library.
Click on the three dots icon next to Fortnite.
Click Verify > Wait for the repair process to be completed.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

15. 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.

16. Update Fortnite Chapter 4

If in case, you haven’t updated your Fortnite Chapter 4 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 Epic Games Launcher > Click on Settings.
Scroll down to the Manage Games section and make sure there is a checkmark next to Allow Auto-Updates.
Now, expand the menu for each game that you want to enable automatic updates on.
Ensure that the games have the Auto-update box checked.
Exit the launcher and open it again to refresh the system.

17. Adjust the Compatibility Mode

Make sure to try adjusting the compatibility mode for Fortnite Chapter 4 which can resolve your issue. To do so:

Navigate to your Fortnite binaries directory (Default: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\).
- If in case, you’ve installed the Epic Launcher or Game in a different location then head over there.
Locate FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe > Right-click on it and click on Properties.
Now, click on Compatibility > Checkmark the box next to Run this program in compatibility mode for.
Make sure Windows 8 is selected from the drop-down list.
Checkmark the box next to Disable fullscreen optimizations > Click on Apply.
Click on OK then make sure to relaunch Fortnite.

18. Force Use DirectX 11

If you’re using DirectX 12 on your PC then the chances are high that it can trigger multiple issues. So, force using the DirectX 11 version while playing the Fortnite game can resolve the issue. To do so:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Settings.
Scroll down and click on Fortnite to expand more settings.
Checkmark the box for Additional Command Line Arguments.
Now, type d3d11 and re-launch Fortnite to check for the issue.

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