Game crashing in new game. Old save [edit: also does not] work.

[rwcutout]

I have about 200 hours on this game, so I assume that my hardware is compatible.
I've uninstalled the game and didn't play it about a year. After installing it once again, I've could not start the game. Updating the GPU driver solved the issue.

I've played a few minutes my old save (edit: just walked around), and then decided to start a new game. I've created a character and got to the first cutscene. After 3-4 seconds the game freezes. After 2 minutes it closes and reports an error:

AppData\Local\REDEngine\ReportQueue\Cyberpunk2077-20230405-203317-5240-7016\stacktrace.txt:

Error reason: Assert
Expression: <Unknown>
Message: Watchdog timeout! (120 seconds)
File: E:\R6.Release\dev\src\common\engine\src\engineWatchdog.cpp(198)

What I've tried to do:
- updating the nvidia driver once again to "game ready" 531.41
- Verify files in steam
- Delete and install the game once again on the same SSD
- Install again on different HDD
- Remove REDEngine folder and CD Proj red folder from the AppData directory
- All this was done again after deleting all mods directories

What can I do before I try reinstalling Win10?

[Bishop-Six]

Try this:

- copy+paste your savegames folder somewhere else and delete the content in the original spot after that (incl. the user file)
- then restart the game

You can find it under User / "saved games" / CDPR / Cyberpunk.

Sounds for me like this file got damaged somehow.

[rwcutout]

Originally posted by O.Gefr.Löring.363VD:

Try this:

- copy+paste your savegames folder somewhere else and delete the content in the original spot after that (incl. the user file)
- then restart the game

You can find it under User / "saved games" / CDPR / Cyberpunk.

Sounds for me like this file got damaged somehow.

Thanks for your reply, I've tried it, but the game still crashes at the same spot (the first seconds of the first cutscene). I've noticed that after deleting the ...Saved Games\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077 folder, starting a new game and crashing it, this folder was created once again with the following contents:

steam_autocloud.vdf
user.gls

Then I decided to load an old save and play the game, not just load it and walk around. I've loaded it (The old save had *cloud* symbol, so I guess it was downloaded from steam cloud). I've played a few minutes: walk around, summon vehicle and drive it - all worked. Then I've opened the map and hover over some quest points - the game freezed. same error:

Error reason: Assert
Expression: <Unknown>
Message: Watchdog timeout! (120 seconds)
File: E:\R6.Release\dev\src\common\engine\src\engineWatchdog.cpp(198)

BTW, I think the error just tells that the game crashed due to 120 seconds freeze, which obviously does not tell much about a root cause. Please tell me what are my next steps to fix it?

[Bishop-Six]

Originally posted by rwcutout:

Originally posted by O.Gefr.Löring.363VD:

Try this:

- copy+paste your savegames folder somewhere else and delete the content in the original spot after that (incl. the user file)
- then restart the game

You can find it under User / "saved games" / CDPR / Cyberpunk.

Sounds for me like this file got damaged somehow.

Thanks for your reply, I've tried it, but the game still crashes at the same spot (the first seconds of the first cutscene). I've noticed that after deleting the ...Saved Games\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077 folder, starting a new game and crashing it, this folder was created once again with the following contents:

steam_autocloud.vdf
user.gls

Then I decided to load an old save and play the game, not just load it and walk around. I've loaded it (The old save had *cloud* symbol, so I guess it was downloaded from steam cloud). I've played a few minutes: walk around, summon vehicle and drive it - all worked. Then I've opened the map and hover over some quest points - the game freezed. same error:

Error reason: Assert
Expression: <Unknown>
Message: Watchdog timeout! (120 seconds)
File: E:\R6.Release\dev\src\common\engine\src\engineWatchdog.cpp(198)

BTW, I think the error just tells that the game crashed due to 120 seconds freeze, which obviously does not tell much about a root cause. Please tell me what are my next steps to fix it?

Unfortunately im no expert in coding/ deeper knowledge. I just can guess your engine of the game has a problem then maybe.

BUT. Are you OCing your CPU/GPU or did you change settings on your mainboard (like performance mode / Ram memory profiles)?

[rwcutout]

Originally posted by O.Gefr.Löring.363VD:

BUT. Are you OCing your CPU/GPU or did you change settings on your mainboard (like performance mode / Ram memory profiles)?

Never did.
Any other suggestions what else I can test\check?

[Bishop-Six]

Originally posted by rwcutout:

Originally posted by O.Gefr.Löring.363VD:

BUT. Are you OCing your CPU/GPU or did you change settings on your mainboard (like performance mode / Ram memory profiles)?

Never did.
Any other suggestions what else I can test\check?

Deactivate Cloud save function, Steam Overlay, Afterburner or other 3rd party apps involving GUI.

Also delete the user.settings file before starting the game.

Start directly from Cyberpunk.exe

[rwcutout]

Done it again, still crashes :(

[Bishop-Six]

Well sorry, im running out of ideas.

Except...maybe its the driver? Rolling back to the former one maybe? Wouldnt be the first time gpu drivers messed something up.

[Baab]

Did you ever find a fix for this? I have the exact same problem... Had it some months ago as well but just gave up back then..

Played the game before with no issues

[rwcutout]

Originally posted by Baab:

Did you ever find a fix for this? I have the exact same problem... Had it some months ago as well but just gave up back then..

Played the game before with no issues

Nope, it still does not work. I've contacted the support, but their suggestions did not help.

[Baab]

Originally posted by rwcutout:

Originally posted by Baab:

Did you ever find a fix for this? I have the exact same problem... Had it some months ago as well but just gave up back then..

Played the game before with no issues

Nope, it still does not work. I've contacted the support, but their suggestions did not help.

Okay so I feel like an idiot but I was running a really old version of Windows 10 (like look up what you are on). Just installed the latest and it seems to be working but have only tried for a minute.

My issues where more or less exactly like yours so try it!

[majordee]

I am in a similar situation, played the game for 250h a year ago and it was mostly fine, but earlier when trying to make a new save the game crashed while older saves seemed to work, So I tried to create this new save through GeForcenow just to get past the crashing point, save and load on my actuel PC wich worked ! But now the game just keeps crashing when I interact with stuff, it even crashes a few seconds after launching 5 time in a row. I'm starting to have a deep personal hatred for CDPR. I feel like one of the graphical option is making a mess.

[Shad0rach]

Anybody found fix yet I just reinstalled windows and now have the same watchdog timeout

[Lit]

i've got the same problem, but it starts in the last update (2.01)
Error reason: Assert
Expression: <Unknown>
Message: Watchdog timeout! (120 seconds)
File: E:\R6.Release\dev\src\common\engine\src\engineWatchdog.cpp(198)

updated drivers;
reinstall teh game,
disable features of my viedo card,

nothing works, any idea before i update my windows 10 to 11?

[fahrenhate]

I have the same problem as OP.
Game worked fine for 50h, since 1.00, updated incrementally up to 1.63. Never had any mods whatsoever. Clean install.

Once updated to 2.0 -> constant crashing, either at cdpr logo, or in the menu when creating the character or immediately after, at the beginning of the first cutscene. This happened dozens of times, with an element of randomness as to in which point exactly it freezes, but it always does.

I've tried updating everything, reinstalled the game, deleted every trace of either GOG or the game, or the crash reports, all of it.

Nothing really works. Nothing I've found online, on any forum, from CPU scheduling, to overlay interactions, disabling cross save files, graphical stuff, NOTHING.
The 2.01 patch made absolutely no difference, same behavior as before.

Hopefully CDPR fixes it somehow, because its CLEARLY the game's problem. My dozens of other games work perfectly fine.

[sorendi]

I am getting that same issue. New with 2.0/2.0.1 as well. It happens when I alt tab out of the game for a while. I sent reports everytime that happened. Hopefully this gets patched.