If the game continues crashing, proceed to the next method.
2. Check Modern Warfare 4 System Requirements
Before changing Windows or game settings, make sure your computer actually meets the requirements for Modern Warfare 4.
Activision lists the following PC specifications. The game also requires a broadband internet connection, DirectX 12 compatibility, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot. Intel Arc graphics cards require Resizable BAR.
Minimum Requirements:
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit with the latest updates
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-8400
- RAM: 12 GB
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 470 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or GTX 1060 / Intel Arc A580
- VRAM: 3 GB
- Storage: SSD with around 70 GB of available space
- DirectX: DirectX 12 compatible
Recommended Requirements:
- OS: Windows 11 64-bit with the latest updates
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700K
- RAM: 16 GB
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 / Intel Arc B580
- VRAM: 8 GB
- Storage: SSD with around 70 GB of available space
If your PC only barely meets the minimum requirements, consider lowering the graphics settings and closing unnecessary applications before playing.
3. Check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
Unlike our older Modern Warfare 3 troubleshooting guide, this is an important requirement for Modern Warfare 4 on PC.
Activision requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for Modern Warfare 4. Windows 10 users also need version 22H2 or later.
To check TPM:
- Press Win + R.
- Type
tpm.msc.
- Press Enter.
- Look under Status.
- It should report that TPM is ready for use, with Specification Version 2.0.
Now check Secure Boot:
- Press Win + R.
- Type
msinfo32.
- Press Enter.
- Check BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State.
Ideally, you should see:
BIOS Mode: UEFI
Secure Boot State: On
If TPM or Secure Boot isn’t enabled, you’ll generally need to enable it through your motherboard’s UEFI/BIOS settings. The exact process varies between ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and other manufacturers.
Don’t randomly change BIOS options if you’re unfamiliar with them. Activision itself recommends referring to your motherboard or PC manufacturer’s documentation because incorrect BIOS changes can prevent Windows from booting.
4. Run Modern Warfare 4 as Administrator
Windows permission issues can occasionally prevent the game or Call of Duty launcher from accessing certain files.
Try running the executable with administrator privileges.
- Navigate to the Modern Warfare 4 installation directory.
- Find the game’s executable file.
- Right-click on it and select Properties.
- Open the Compatibility tab.
- Enable Run this program as an administrator.
- Click Apply and then OK.
Launch the game again and check whether it still crashes.
5. Update Modern Warfare 4
Call of Duty games receive frequent updates, especially around launch and beta periods. If you’re running an outdated build, you may encounter crashes that have already been addressed through a newer patch.
For Battle.net:
- Open the Battle.net client.
- Select Call of Duty.
- Click the gear/cog icon beside Play.
- Select Check for Updates.
- Download any available update.
For Steam:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Find Call of Duty.
- Steam should automatically check for updates.
- If an update is pending, allow it to finish before launching the game.
After updating, restart the launcher and try playing again.
6. Verify and Repair the Game Files
A damaged or incomplete game installation is another common cause of crashing. Instead of immediately downloading the entire game again, use your launcher’s built-in file verification option.
Battle.net:
- Open Battle.net.
- Select Call of Duty.
- Click the gear icon next to Play.
- Select Scan and Repair.
- Start the scan and wait for it to finish.
Steam:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click Call of Duty.
- Select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files.
Steam will check your installation and redownload files that are missing or corrupted.
Once completed, restart the PC and launch Modern Warfare 4.
7. Update Your Graphics Driver
Modern Warfare 4 is a demanding modern title, so running an outdated GPU driver isn’t recommended.
Activision specifically recommends keeping graphics drivers updated for the game.
For the best results, download the latest compatible driver directly from your GPU manufacturer:
After installing the driver, restart Windows before testing the game.
If the crashes started immediately after installing a new graphics driver, however, you can also consider rolling back to the previous stable driver.
8. Close Unnecessary Background Programs
Modern Warfare 4 can consume a significant amount of CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage resources. Running too many programs alongside the game can make an already resource-heavy system unstable.
Press:
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
to open Task Manager.
Under Processes, look for programs consuming large amounts of CPU, memory, disk, or GPU resources.
Close unnecessary applications such as:
- Web browsers with many tabs
- Recording applications
- RGB control software
- Hardware monitoring utilities
- Other game launchers
- Unnecessary background utilities
Don’t end Windows processes unless you know what they do.
9. Disable In-Game Overlays
Overlays hook into games to display additional information, notifications, recording controls, FPS counters, and other features. While they’re useful, they can occasionally conflict with a game.
Temporarily disable overlays from applications such as:
- Discord
- NVIDIA App
- Xbox Game Bar
- Steam Overlay
- MSI Afterburner
- RivaTuner Statistics Server
Restart the game afterward.
If the crashes stop, re-enable the overlays individually to determine which one was causing the conflict.
10. Disable CPU and GPU Overclocking
Modern Warfare 4 crashing doesn’t necessarily mean your CPU or GPU is too slow. Sometimes the opposite is true: an aggressive overclock can make a demanding game unstable.
If you’ve overclocked your:
temporarily restore everything to its default settings.
This also applies to GPU tuning performed through programs such as MSI Afterburner or AMD’s tuning controls.
If Modern Warfare 4 becomes stable afterward, your previous overclock or undervolt may have been too aggressive.
11. Allow Shaders to Finish Loading
Call of Duty titles can compile or preload shaders after installation, major game updates, or graphics driver updates.
Avoid immediately jumping into a match while shader compilation is still running.
Allow the process to reach 100%, and then restart the game if necessary.
Interrupting shader compilation or repeatedly launching matches before it finishes may contribute to graphical glitches, stuttering, or instability.
12. Reduce Graphics Settings
If Modern Warfare 4 mainly crashes during gameplay rather than at startup, try reducing the graphics load.
Start by lowering settings such as:
- Texture quality
- Shadow quality
- Volumetric effects
- Screen-space reflections
- Particle quality
- On-demand texture streaming
- VRAM-heavy options
You can also temporarily limit the frame rate.
If lowering the settings stops the crashes, gradually increase individual settings until you find a stable balance for your hardware.
13. Check Your VRAM Usage
Modern Warfare 4 can put considerable pressure on graphics memory, particularly at higher resolutions and texture settings.
If your graphics card has limited VRAM, avoid pushing texture quality and other memory-intensive options too high.
Try lowering the texture settings and restarting the game.
This is particularly worth testing if the game launches normally but crashes after entering a match.
14. Update Windows
An outdated Windows installation can cause compatibility problems with newer games, graphics drivers, DirectX components, and anti-cheat systems.
Press Win + I and go to:
Windows Update → Check for updates
Download and install all important updates.
Restart the PC afterward.
Modern Warfare 4 supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, but Activision’s security requirements specify Windows 10 version 22H2 or later for supported Windows 10 systems.
15. Update DirectX Components
Modern Warfare 4 requires DirectX 12 compatibility.
Windows normally handles DirectX updates through Windows Update, so make sure your operating system is completely up to date.
You can check your DirectX information by:
- Press Win + R.
- Type
dxdiag.
- Press Enter.
- Check the DirectX information displayed under the System tab.
If your hardware doesn’t support the required DirectX features, software troubleshooting won’t be enough to resolve the compatibility problem.
16. Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables
Microsoft Visual C++ runtime components are used by many Windows games and applications. If one of these packages becomes corrupted, games can fail to launch or unexpectedly close.
Go to:
Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
Search for Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
You can repair the currently installed packages or download supported versions directly from Microsoft’s official Visual C++ downloads page.
Restart Windows after repairing or reinstalling them.
17. Temporarily Disable Antivirus or Add an Exception
Security software can occasionally block game files, anti-cheat components, or launcher processes.
If you’re using third-party antivirus software, temporarily disable its real-time protection and launch Modern Warfare 4.
If that fixes the crash, don’t leave your antivirus permanently disabled. Instead, add the Call of Duty installation directory and required launcher components to the antivirus exception list.
You should also check Windows Security → Protection history to make sure Windows Defender hasn’t quarantined an important game file.
If you’re still unable to determine what’s causing Modern Warfare 4 to crash, performing a clean boot can help identify software conflicts.
- Press Win + R.
- Type
msconfig.
- Press Enter.
- Open the Services tab.
- Enable Hide all Microsoft services.
- Click Disable all.
- Click Apply.
- Open the Startup section and launch Task Manager.
- Disable unnecessary startup applications.
- Restart the PC.
Now launch Modern Warfare 4.
If the game works normally after a clean boot, one of your third-party applications or services is likely interfering with it.
You can gradually re-enable them to identify the culprit.
19. Check for Overheating
If Modern Warfare 4 crashes after you’ve been playing for several minutes rather than immediately at startup, overheating is another possibility.
Check your CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming.
Make sure:
- PC fans are operating normally.
- Air vents aren’t blocked.
- Dust hasn’t heavily accumulated inside the system.
- Your CPU cooler is functioning correctly.
- Your GPU isn’t reaching abnormal temperatures.
If the entire computer shuts down or restarts during gameplay rather than just the game closing, checking temperatures and power delivery becomes even more important.
20. Reset In-Game Graphics Settings
A broken graphics configuration can sometimes survive game updates and continue causing crashes.
If you recently changed graphics settings and the crashes started afterward, restore the graphics options to their defaults.
You can then restart Modern Warfare 4 and configure the graphics settings again.
Avoid immediately enabling every maximum-quality setting. Test the game first and gradually increase the graphics quality.
21. Reinstall Modern Warfare 4
If file verification doesn’t resolve the issue, a clean game installation may be necessary.
Uninstall Modern Warfare 4 through Battle.net or Steam, restart your computer, and reinstall the game.
Because the game requires a significant download, we recommend trying the other methods first.
Make sure the installation is completely finished before launching the game.
If Modern Warfare 4 continues crashing after you’ve tried all of the above methods, the problem could be related to a known game bug, account issue, hardware compatibility problem, or a specific game update.
Activision already maintains dedicated Modern Warfare 4 support resources covering crashes, freezes, performance, connectivity, and bug reporting.
You can visit Activision’s Modern Warfare 4 Support page and report the issue with as much information as possible.
When reporting the crash, include details such as your:
- CPU
- GPU
- RAM
- Windows version
- Graphics driver version
- Battle.net or Steam platform
- Error code, if one appears
- Point at which the game crashes
This information can make it much easier to identify the cause.
Conclusion
Modern Warfare 4 crashing on PC can be caused by anything from corrupted game files and outdated GPU drivers to background software, unstable overclocking, insufficient system resources, or Windows-related conflicts. Start with the easier fixes such as restarting the PC, updating the game, verifying the files, and installing the latest graphics driver before moving on to more advanced troubleshooting.
For Modern Warfare 4 specifically, don’t overlook TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. These are now official PC requirements, so make sure your system meets the security requirements in addition to the normal hardware specifications.
If nothing helps, reinstalling the game or reporting the crash to Activision Support should be your final.
