crash windows on start

[Scylla]

hello , when I launch the game , either in direct X 11 or 12 , after the easy anti cheat window , the game doesn't open , and completely crashes windows (task manager not accessible etc etc etc) forcing me to reboot the pc.

[Voltage]

Verify integrity of game files, check drivers. I used to have this issue and I use dx11 so I'd stick solely with that for now

[Scylla]

updated driver, complete file, I tried to re-download the game, nothing works

[Kantos]

@Scylla - exactly the same ♥♥♥♥ on my side.

[Xienen]

Originally posted by Scylla:

updated driver, complete file, I tried to re-download the game, nothing works

I'm not sure what processor you have in your machine, but if it's a relatively recent Intel CPU, this info could be relevant for you:

We have tracked down details on players experiencing issues with UE5 games on 13th generation Intel CPUs along with 14th generation. It seems Intel was made aware of the issue and put out a microcode update that motherboard manufacturers rolled into BIOS updates. We've had several players update their BIOS and report that the game is no longer crashing for them. If you'd like me to help you through that process, I'm happy to do it.

Also of note, while updating your BIOS will stop the issue from getting worse, there could already be damage done to your CPU that could continue to cause crashes, but Intel has extended their warranty for 13th and 14th generation CPUs to 2 years in light of this issue: https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Additional-Warranty-Updates-on-Intel-Core-13th-14th-Gen-Desktop/m-p/1620853

It seems that a number of 12th generation CPUs, while not necessarily damaging the processor itself, are also running into crashes, freezes, and BSODs. It appears that for a number of players with 12th gen, updating their BIOS has also resolved this issue for them, though Intel hasn't released any official information regarding 12th gen having any issues.

[Kantos]

Just found a fix. Open the install directory and run the "start_protected_game.exe" as admin.

[Kantos]

@Xienen for my part... the bios update is already installed - just contact me if u need to debug something or want the log files

[Xienen]

Originally posted by Kantos:

Just found a fix. Open the install directory and run the "start_protected_game.exe" as admin.

Thank you for sharing this! This is the first I've heard of that resolving issues for players, but I'll make sure to have other players try this if they're encountering the same issue.

[Kantos]

I ran a few more tests.

Result:

Launch Smite via Steam
The game does not start.
Computer must be restarted.

Start #Smite directly (secured exe, admin)
Smite starts (about 70% success rate), login not possible (incorrect credentials)

#Start Smite directly (Hemmingway exe, admin)
Smite starts (about 70% success rate), login not possible (EAC certificate error)

#Compatibility settings (start as admin), started via Steam
Smite starts (about 70% success rate), login possible, game runs great!

Hardware:
i5 14500 (BIOS, latest update)
RTX 4060 (latest update)
64GB RAM (OC enabled)
Windows and Game installed on SSD
Windows 11 86_64 (latest update, TMP/Secure Boot enabled)

Running only Windows Defender (probably irrelevant)

I really hope this information helps you to solve the problem.

Just write a message if u need more infos/logs/etc.

[Scylla]

Originally posted by Xienen:

Originally posted by Scylla:

updated driver, complete file, I tried to re-download the game, nothing works

I'm not sure what processor you have in your machine, but if it's a relatively recent Intel CPU, this info could be relevant for you:

We have tracked down details on players experiencing issues with UE5 games on 13th generation Intel CPUs along with 14th generation. It seems Intel was made aware of the issue and put out a microcode update that motherboard manufacturers rolled into BIOS updates. We've had several players update their BIOS and report that the game is no longer crashing for them. If you'd like me to help you through that process, I'm happy to do it.

Also of note, while updating your BIOS will stop the issue from getting worse, there could already be damage done to your CPU that could continue to cause crashes, but Intel has extended their warranty for 13th and 14th generation CPUs to 2 years in light of this issue: https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Additional-Warranty-Updates-on-Intel-Core-13th-14th-Gen-Desktop/m-p/1620853

It seems that a number of 12th generation CPUs, while not necessarily damaging the processor itself, are also running into crashes, freezes, and BSODs. It appears that for a number of players with 12th gen, updating their BIOS has also resolved this issue for them, though Intel hasn't released any official information regarding 12th gen having any issues.

my cpu is : 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700KF 3.60 GHz

[Scylla]

Just in case, during the alpha I was able to play without any problems.

[Xienen]

Originally posted by Scylla:

Just in case, during the alpha I was able to play without any problems.

Yeah, the optimizations that we made to our art in the Closed Alpha 8 update lead to higher framerates for most PC players, but also higher CPU utilization (because their GPU was no longer the bottleneck) so a lot of players started having issues playing the game in December. What motherboard do you have in your machine? You can find the exact model by following these instructions: https://www.avast.com/c-what-motherboard-do-i-have#:~:text=The%20easiest%20way%20to%20check,text%20box%20and%20click%20OK.

[Scylla]

Originally posted by Xienen:

Originally posted by Scylla:

Just in case, during the alpha I was able to play without any problems.

Yeah, the optimizations that we made to our art in the Closed Alpha 8 update lead to higher framerates for most PC players, but also higher CPU utilization (because their GPU was no longer the bottleneck) so a lot of players started having issues playing the game in December. What motherboard do you have in your machine? You can find the exact model by following these instructions: https://www.avast.com/c-what-motherboard-do-i-have#:~:text=The%20easiest%20way%20to%20check,text%20box%20and%20click%20OK.

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. Z690 UD DDR4 Default string x.x

[Xienen]

Originally posted by Scylla:

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. Z690 UD DDR4 Default string x.x

Yep, there's a BIOS update available for your motherboard that should improve the stability of your 12th generation Intel CPU (but Steam won't let me link to the website)

[Scylla]

Originally posted by Xienen:

Originally posted by Scylla:

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. Z690 UD DDR4 Default string x.x

Yep, there's a BIOS update available for your motherboard that should improve the stability of your 12th generation Intel CPU (but Steam won't let me link to the website)

I don't know how to proceed :( , I understand that updating the bios is complicated and risky if done incorrectly.

[Xienen]

Originally posted by Scylla:

Originally posted by Xienen:

Yep, there's a BIOS update available for your motherboard that should improve the stability of your 12th generation Intel CPU (but Steam won't let me link to the website)

I don't know how to proceed :( , I understand that updating the bios is complicated and risky if done incorrectly.

All major motherboard manufacturers have made it incredibly simple the update your BIOS, including Gigabyte. Hardest part is usually finding a USB drive that you can format as FAT32, but if Gigabyte is like MSI, I was able to just drop the BIOS file on my C drive.