Sometimes, the power plan your computer uses can also trigger the issue. This can happen when your power plan is limiting the available resources which are required to run the game smoothly. We will be taking you through several methods below that you can implement to resolve the issue for yourself. Before you proceed with troubleshooting method mentioned below, please make sure that your computer meets the system requirements of Hogwarts Legacy as main cause of this issue is having incompatible system specifications. We have listed Hogwarts Legacy’s system requirements.
1. Run as Administrator
The first thing you should do when starting to resolve the issue in question is to run the game with elevated privileges. In some instances, the game crashes instantly on startup due to insufficient permissions, resulting in the interference of various third-party applications or services. If this case is applicable, you can circumvent the issue by running the game and Steam as administrator. If you own Hogwarts Legacy on Epic Games, simply run the Epic Games client with administrative privileges. To do this, follow the instructions below:
2. Disable Fullscreen Optimization
Fullscreen optimization is a Windows feature that allows you to run the games on your computer in windowed mode with the performance and benefits of Fullscreen exclusive. This can be found in the properties window of each game executable, in addition to the in-game display mode option. In some instances, Fullscreen optimization can cause the game to crash in which case you will have to disable the option. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
3. End File Explorer Process
Hogwarts Legacy has been encountering some issues with the file explorer process in Windows. If you have a file explorer window open, an explorer.exe process runs in the background to facilitate any file navigation or actions performed. You can start by closing any open file explorer tabs and then opening the game. This may not always fix the issue as the process can remain dormant in the background. In such a scenario, you will have to use the Task Manager window to kill the process. Follow the instructions below to do this:
4. Lower Graphics Settings
The graphics settings of your game can be another cause of the game crashing in certain instances. This can happen when the system resources are overloaded and cannot handle the graphics settings that you have set in specific scenes. If this case is applicable, you will have to lower your in-game graphics settings overall to resolve the issue. Even if you have a capable PC that can handle the game at ultra settings, we recommend dropping it down to high to see if that fixes the issue for you. Head to the game’s graphics settings and lower the various texture settings to see if that isolates the constant crashes. In case the problem persists, move to the next method below.
5. Verify Game Files
If you are missing some game files on your computer, the game will certainly not be able to run properly. In such a scenario, you need to scan the game installed on your computer to see for any missing or damaged files. This can be done via the Verify the integrity of game files feature on Steam. In case of any discrepancies, Steam will automatically replace the files with newer ones downloaded from the servers. Follow the instructions for your respective platform to do this.
Steam
Epic Games
If you have the game on the Epic Games launcher, follow the instructions below instead:
6. Update Graphics Drivers
If the graphics drivers are obsolete or damaged due to a new installation or Windows update, the game is likely to encounter crashes constantly. This is because games are heavily dependent on the graphics card of your computer. Thus, the graphics drivers are used to communicate with the installed GPU on your motherboard. To update your graphics drivers, you will have to perform a clean install using the Display Driver Uninstaller utility. This will not leave any remnants of the current drivers installed on your computer. Follow the instructions below to do this:
7. Change Windows Power Plan
Finally, if none of the methods has resolved the issue for you, it is likely the issue is due to your Windows Power Plan. The power plan you use decides how the power on your computer is being used via a collection of hardware and system settings. This can help you achieve common ground between performance and saving energy, while you can choose to prioritize one over the other at any time. For gaming, you should always be using High Performance at the minimum. There is also a hidden power plan known as Ultimate Performance that you can enable and use on your system. For the sake of this issue, high performance will do the job just fine. Follow the instructions below to change your power plan:
