reddit post explaining Outlaw's Win 11 game breaking bug

[Sledge Hammer!]

From

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsOutlaws/comments/1fw41rk/star_wars_outlaws_crash_to_desktop_issue/?sort=new


In an attempt to change things for the better by getting more visibility to this issue and sharing/unifying what we know, I'm making this post with info I have been building and sharing on the Ubisoft Discord.

Please feel free to provide input/feedback as needed. Let's all work together and get Ubisoft/Massive to start pulling their weight!!

OVERVIEW
Many users have been experiencing consistent Crash to Desktop (CDT) issues with Star Wars Outlaws that inhibits their ability to enjoy this beautiful game. The issue has multiple scenarios and has been posted about here on Reddit, X, and the Ubisoft Support Discord. Unfortunately, there has been little to no response or movement from Ubisoft or Massive to address this issue, leaving many users frustrated and "in the dark".

Note: This issue is also experienced with Massive's other recent Snowdrop engine game, Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. It has also not been resolved and has been a community known issue for at least 10 months.

DISCLAIMER: The information below is compiled by input from impacted users via multiple sources (e.g. this Discord, Reddit, ect.) in conjunction with knowledge and expertise from users with computing support, troubleshooting, and OS internals backgrounds.

LATEST PROGRESS (10/4/2024)
Users have identified the root cause for Scenario 4 is faulty hardware and replacing it resolves the issue. Scenario 1 split to 1a and 1b due to overwhelming responses of similar behavior on Windows 11 23H2.

LATEST PATCH RESULTS (v1.2 - 10/03/2024)
does not resolve the CDT issue and may cause additional graphical issues depending on hardware and driver specifics. The latter additional issues will not be triaged in this thread.

CURRENT STATUS

SCENARIO 1a (24H2 CDT) - UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUNDS
SCENARIO 1b (23H2 CDT) - UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUND
SCENARIO 2 (DRM CDT)- UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUNDS
SCENARIO 3 (OTHER CDT) - UNRESOLVED CATCH-ALL
SCENARIO 4 (FAULTY HARDWARE) - RESOLVED WITH VERIFICATION

KNOWN IMPACTED HARDWARE/OS/SOFTWARE
Below is the known hardware/software/OS that users have that are experiencing this issue.

SWO Version: 1.0.0 (EA/GA) to 1.2.0 (Latest Patch)
OS: Windows 11 24H2 (26100.x) and Windows 11 23H2 (22631.x)
CPU: Any supported Intel or AMD x64 based processors
GPU: Any supported NVIDIA or AMD GPU

ATTENTION AND REMINDER
All workarounds you perform are at your own risk. I and other users are providing this information so we can enjoy our games until an official patch is made available.

Before attempting ANY of these, please try performing a clean install of the latest Nvidia/AMD GPU drivers as outdated or corrupted driver installs can cause stability, performance, error, and "Crash To Desktop" issues.

Note 1: Some workarounds may be more technical than you are comfortable with to perform. You should always backup any files involved and not overwrite/delete them.
Note 2: Workarounds are only user verified at this time due to no response nor guidance from Ubisoft Support since release.
Note 3: Workarounds may not work for everyone. If you try one and it doesn't resolve your scenario, please share your experience and include your OS and GPU details.
Note 4: Due to restrictions on the Ubisoft Discord, clickable links are restricted. If you see a URL posted, the "tt" in http/https has been replaced with "xx". To make them work, copy them to your browser's address bar and replace the "xx" with "tt" (hxxp = http and hxxps = https).

SCENARIO 1a (24H2 CDT)
On Windows 11 24H2, Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar Frontiers of Pandora may crash to desktop with no error message after 1-30+ minutes of gameplay due to a memory access violation with a null pointer. This is the primary issue experienced by most users.

Workaround 1: Use DXVK and VK3D to force usage of the Vulkan API instead of DirectX 12

This will force Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora to use the Vulkan API instead of DirectX 12 to bypass the memory access violation issue. Note that you will not be able to utilize Nvidia specific features like DLSS. Also note you will want to revert this workaround once an official path from Ubisoft and/or Microsoft is released.

Go to your Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora install directory and rename d3d12core.dll to d3d12core.dll.bak
Download the following version of VK3D from GitHub: hxxps:/github.com/HansKristian-Work/vkd3d-proton/actions/runs/10724372560/artifacts/1897308535
Download the the following version of DXVK from Gitub: hxxps:/github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/actions/runs/10708028008/artifacts/1892869250
Extract the Zip files and copy the files within the extracted x64 folder to your Outlaws installation. *YOU SHOULD NOT BE PROMPTED TO OVERWRITE FILES. IF YOU DO, STOP AND START OVER*
Launch Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora and hopefully enjoy it until an official patch is released.

Additional Details:

Nvidia 40 series GPUs appear to not support this workaround. Instead, outlaws.exe/afop.exe will load to a black screen before eventually becoming unresponsive.
If you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.
Workaround 2a: If you have upgraded to 24h2 within the last 10 days, use the rollback feature to go back to Windows 11 23H2 or earlier.

This will revert your system to a version of Windows 11 that uses a version of DirectX 12 that does not have this issue scenario.

Open Settings and go to Recovery
If available, select the "Go Back" option
Please wait as Windows rolls back to the previous version (this will take a bit of time)
Hopefully, after the rollback is completed you can now enjoy playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora.

Additional Details:

if you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.
Workaround 2b: Install Windows 11 23H2 on a separate partition for playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora

This is a very advanced workaround that will provide you with a version of Windows 11 that does not have this issue scenario. If you do not know how to install a separate Windows installation on a separate partition for "dual booting", then this workaround isn't for you.

REMINDER: Due to the high-technical nature and not being able to account for users unique disk layouts, only general guidance intended for a technical user will be provided at this time.

Utilize Windows' Disk Management Console or DiskPart.exe to create a standalone partition formatted in NTFS. 128GB or more is recommended.
Boot your device to official Windows 11 23H2 installation media from Microsoft
If prompted, enter your product key OR select "no product key" and select the desired edition of Windows 11 to install
When prompted, select Advanced/Manual install and select the dedicate partition you created earlier
Let Windows 11 install and follow all OOBE prompts per usual
Once inside the OS, install any drivers or critical functionality software required for your computer to run properly.
Install Ubisoft Connect then install Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar, but select their location as the same location from your Windows 11 24H2 instance. This will save space and avoid installing it "twice" so to speak.
Hopefully, you can now enjoy playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora.
Optional Advanced Step: Once the OS is running to your liking, you may want to modify the BCD to increase the timeout for selecting an OS AND/OR create a batch file to directly reboot in to the other OS installation.

NOTE: If you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.

Workaround 3: Disabling Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on AMD systems OR Hyper-Threading on Intel systems from the BIOS/UEFI Setup Utility may resolve this issue. NOTE: This workaround is only working for some users, not all.

Root Cause With the results of Workaround 1, there is a highly likely but unknown compatibility issue with DirectX 12 or some other unknown variable on Windows 11 24H2 and games that use Massive's Snowdrop engine that causes a memory access violation c0000005 involving a null pointer.

Additional Details:

Non-Massive Snowdrop engine based-games and other Ubisoft games do not exhibit the behavior.
The Division 2 uses an earlier version of the Massive Snowdrop engine and does not experience this issue even when running in DX12 mode.
Crash to desktop is immediate with no hang or freeze before crashing.
Game process closure/exit may appear in Ubisoft Connect log file.
AppCrash WER Event may or may not appear in Event Viewer
Per WinDBG: Outlaws.exe is the faulting process and module with an unhandled exception Memory Access Violation c0000005 due to a Null Pointer
Issue does not occur on same systems when running Windows 11 23H2 or earlier
Debunked: Reports of Windows 11 23H2 with KB5041587 having this scenario have been debunked after multi-hour testing and new info on DirectX 12. See other scenarios if you have a CDT on Windows 11 23H2

SCENARIO 1b (23H2 CDT) On Windows 11 23H2, Star Wars Outlaws may crash to desktop with no error message after 1-30+ minutes of gameplay due to a memory access violation with a null pointer.

This is essentially the same issue but the 23H2 variant. The workarounds for 1a do not carry over unfortunately, but the exact same symptoms and analyzed crash dump results occur.

Workaround 1: Disabling Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on AMD systems OR Hyper-Threading on Intel systems

Root Cause An unknown issue on Windows 11 23H2 Star Wars Outlaws that causes a memory access violation c0000005 involving a null pointer.

SCENARIO 2 (DRM CDT) The Ubisoft+ version of Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar Frontiers of Pandora will crash to desktop without an error message if an online DRM check that occurs every 5 minutes fails

This issue can happen on any supported version of Windows since the DRM check is required for Ubisoft+ games to function.

Workaround 1: Use a VPN to connect to another geographic location. France has been reported as having the best results at the moment.
Workaround 2: Verify your firewall (software or hardware based) and/or other network hardware (more advanced setups) is not configured to block access to Ubisoft servers

Root Cause Ubisoft+ games require an internet connection to verify eligibility and maintain DRM compliance. If a compliance check fails, Ubisoft Connect closes the game process as it thinks access to the game is now unauthorized.

Additional Details:

The connection failures and game process closure/exit events are documented in the Ubisoft Connect log file
Appears to potentially be a load balancing or cloud infrastructure issue with Ubisoft Servers
Other common internet access and networking issues can also cause this issue to occur like misconfigured firewalls or other content/traffic filtering software/network hardware.

SCENARIO 3 (OTHER CDT) Star Wars Outlaws may freeze for 5-10 seconds before crashing to desktop without an error message due to an unknown reason.

This is a catch all/default scenario where a solid workaround and full root cause doesn't exist yet.
No additional details or workarounds at this time for this scenario. If you have any, please share them.

SCENARIO 4 (FAULTY HARDWARE) Star Wars Outlaws may "hard crash" to a black screen without a BSOD and power off the computer due to faulty hardware

Solution Troubleshoot and diagnose your hardware until the faulty component(s) is(are) identified then replace/repair it(them). If needed, consult a computer repair specialist if you are not familiar or comfortable with performing computing hardware troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair.

Additional Details:

The primary user that was experiencing this scenario verified their root cause was a faulty PSU. Replacing it resolved this scenario.

If anyone has any feedback on any of the above, let me know and I can make edits and repost as needed.


Lastly, a BIG thanks to all the impacted users on Reddit, Discord, and X for providing valuable input and discourse that led to identifying the above scenarios and workarounds possible.

[Moban351]

c0000005 is a memory error and is 100% your hardware configuration.

9 times out of 10 it's someone with RAM not specced correctly to their CPU (faster ram than CPU is rated for).

[Sledge Hammer!]

Originally posted by Moban351:

c0000005 is a memory error and is 100% your hardware configuration.

9 times out of 10 it's someone with RAM not specced correctly to their CPU (faster ram than CPU is rated for).

Not likely. Literally everyone who suddenly experienced frequent crashes to desktop had the crashes start as soon as Windows 11 released their new update. It's far more likely to be a software problem rather than widespread hardware problems.

[CagedPITVIPER]

Nice article but the links are not working. 404 error when clicking them.

[Tom Akar]

ı am so tired of this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ uplay games. Bought the gam yesterday and it crash every xx minutes without any warning, message. AMD 7950x3d, MSI x870p, 4080 super

[Star Wars Outlaws #1 FAN]

Originally posted by Sledge Hammer!:

From

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsOutlaws/comments/1fw41rk/star_wars_outlaws_crash_to_desktop_issue/?sort=new


In an attempt to change things for the better by getting more visibility to this issue and sharing/unifying what we know, I'm making this post with info I have been building and sharing on the Ubisoft Discord.

Please feel free to provide input/feedback as needed. Let's all work together and get Ubisoft/Massive to start pulling their weight!!

OVERVIEW
Many users have been experiencing consistent Crash to Desktop (CDT) issues with Star Wars Outlaws that inhibits their ability to enjoy this beautiful game. The issue has multiple scenarios and has been posted about here on Reddit, X, and the Ubisoft Support Discord. Unfortunately, there has been little to no response or movement from Ubisoft or Massive to address this issue, leaving many users frustrated and "in the dark".

Note: This issue is also experienced with Massive's other recent Snowdrop engine game, Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. It has also not been resolved and has been a community known issue for at least 10 months.

DISCLAIMER: The information below is compiled by input from impacted users via multiple sources (e.g. this Discord, Reddit, ect.) in conjunction with knowledge and expertise from users with computing support, troubleshooting, and OS internals backgrounds.

LATEST PROGRESS (10/4/2024)
Users have identified the root cause for Scenario 4 is faulty hardware and replacing it resolves the issue. Scenario 1 split to 1a and 1b due to overwhelming responses of similar behavior on Windows 11 23H2.

LATEST PATCH RESULTS (v1.2 - 10/03/2024)
does not resolve the CDT issue and may cause additional graphical issues depending on hardware and driver specifics. The latter additional issues will not be triaged in this thread.

CURRENT STATUS

SCENARIO 1a (24H2 CDT) - UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUNDS
SCENARIO 1b (23H2 CDT) - UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUND
SCENARIO 2 (DRM CDT)- UNRESOLVED WITH WORKAROUNDS
SCENARIO 3 (OTHER CDT) - UNRESOLVED CATCH-ALL
SCENARIO 4 (FAULTY HARDWARE) - RESOLVED WITH VERIFICATION

KNOWN IMPACTED HARDWARE/OS/SOFTWARE
Below is the known hardware/software/OS that users have that are experiencing this issue.

SWO Version: 1.0.0 (EA/GA) to 1.2.0 (Latest Patch)
OS: Windows 11 24H2 (26100.x) and Windows 11 23H2 (22631.x)
CPU: Any supported Intel or AMD x64 based processors
GPU: Any supported NVIDIA or AMD GPU

ATTENTION AND REMINDER
All workarounds you perform are at your own risk. I and other users are providing this information so we can enjoy our games until an official patch is made available.

Before attempting ANY of these, please try performing a clean install of the latest Nvidia/AMD GPU drivers as outdated or corrupted driver installs can cause stability, performance, error, and "Crash To Desktop" issues.

Note 1: Some workarounds may be more technical than you are comfortable with to perform. You should always backup any files involved and not overwrite/delete them.
Note 2: Workarounds are only user verified at this time due to no response nor guidance from Ubisoft Support since release.
Note 3: Workarounds may not work for everyone. If you try one and it doesn't resolve your scenario, please share your experience and include your OS and GPU details.
Note 4: Due to restrictions on the Ubisoft Discord, clickable links are restricted. If you see a URL posted, the "tt" in http/https has been replaced with "xx". To make them work, copy them to your browser's address bar and replace the "xx" with "tt" (hxxp = http and hxxps = https).

SCENARIO 1a (24H2 CDT)
On Windows 11 24H2, Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar Frontiers of Pandora may crash to desktop with no error message after 1-30+ minutes of gameplay due to a memory access violation with a null pointer. This is the primary issue experienced by most users.

Workaround 1: Use DXVK and VK3D to force usage of the Vulkan API instead of DirectX 12

This will force Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora to use the Vulkan API instead of DirectX 12 to bypass the memory access violation issue. Note that you will not be able to utilize Nvidia specific features like DLSS. Also note you will want to revert this workaround once an official path from Ubisoft and/or Microsoft is released.

Go to your Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora install directory and rename d3d12core.dll to d3d12core.dll.bak
Download the following version of VK3D from GitHub: hxxps:/github.com/HansKristian-Work/vkd3d-proton/actions/runs/10724372560/artifacts/1897308535
Download the the following version of DXVK from Gitub: hxxps:/github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/actions/runs/10708028008/artifacts/1892869250
Extract the Zip files and copy the files within the extracted x64 folder to your Outlaws installation. *YOU SHOULD NOT BE PROMPTED TO OVERWRITE FILES. IF YOU DO, STOP AND START OVER*
Launch Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora and hopefully enjoy it until an official patch is released.

Additional Details:

Nvidia 40 series GPUs appear to not support this workaround. Instead, outlaws.exe/afop.exe will load to a black screen before eventually becoming unresponsive.
If you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.
Workaround 2a: If you have upgraded to 24h2 within the last 10 days, use the rollback feature to go back to Windows 11 23H2 or earlier.

This will revert your system to a version of Windows 11 that uses a version of DirectX 12 that does not have this issue scenario.

Open Settings and go to Recovery
If available, select the "Go Back" option
Please wait as Windows rolls back to the previous version (this will take a bit of time)
Hopefully, after the rollback is completed you can now enjoy playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora.

Additional Details:

if you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.
Workaround 2b: Install Windows 11 23H2 on a separate partition for playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora

This is a very advanced workaround that will provide you with a version of Windows 11 that does not have this issue scenario. If you do not know how to install a separate Windows installation on a separate partition for "dual booting", then this workaround isn't for you.

REMINDER: Due to the high-technical nature and not being able to account for users unique disk layouts, only general guidance intended for a technical user will be provided at this time.

Utilize Windows' Disk Management Console or DiskPart.exe to create a standalone partition formatted in NTFS. 128GB or more is recommended.
Boot your device to official Windows 11 23H2 installation media from Microsoft
If prompted, enter your product key OR select "no product key" and select the desired edition of Windows 11 to install
When prompted, select Advanced/Manual install and select the dedicate partition you created earlier
Let Windows 11 install and follow all OOBE prompts per usual
Once inside the OS, install any drivers or critical functionality software required for your computer to run properly.
Install Ubisoft Connect then install Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar, but select their location as the same location from your Windows 11 24H2 instance. This will save space and avoid installing it "twice" so to speak.
Hopefully, you can now enjoy playing Star Wars Outlaws/Avatar Frontiers of Pandora.
Optional Advanced Step: Once the OS is running to your liking, you may want to modify the BCD to increase the timeout for selecting an OS AND/OR create a batch file to directly reboot in to the other OS installation.

NOTE: If you continue to experience a Crash To Desktop after performing this, you likely have a different issue scenario.

Workaround 3: Disabling Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on AMD systems OR Hyper-Threading on Intel systems from the BIOS/UEFI Setup Utility may resolve this issue. NOTE: This workaround is only working for some users, not all.

Root Cause With the results of Workaround 1, there is a highly likely but unknown compatibility issue with DirectX 12 or some other unknown variable on Windows 11 24H2 and games that use Massive's Snowdrop engine that causes a memory access violation c0000005 involving a null pointer.

Additional Details:

Non-Massive Snowdrop engine based-games and other Ubisoft games do not exhibit the behavior.
The Division 2 uses an earlier version of the Massive Snowdrop engine and does not experience this issue even when running in DX12 mode.
Crash to desktop is immediate with no hang or freeze before crashing.
Game process closure/exit may appear in Ubisoft Connect log file.
AppCrash WER Event may or may not appear in Event Viewer
Per WinDBG: Outlaws.exe is the faulting process and module with an unhandled exception Memory Access Violation c0000005 due to a Null Pointer
Issue does not occur on same systems when running Windows 11 23H2 or earlier
Debunked: Reports of Windows 11 23H2 with KB5041587 having this scenario have been debunked after multi-hour testing and new info on DirectX 12. See other scenarios if you have a CDT on Windows 11 23H2

SCENARIO 1b (23H2 CDT) On Windows 11 23H2, Star Wars Outlaws may crash to desktop with no error message after 1-30+ minutes of gameplay due to a memory access violation with a null pointer.

This is essentially the same issue but the 23H2 variant. The workarounds for 1a do not carry over unfortunately, but the exact same symptoms and analyzed crash dump results occur.

Workaround 1: Disabling Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on AMD systems OR Hyper-Threading on Intel systems

Root Cause An unknown issue on Windows 11 23H2 Star Wars Outlaws that causes a memory access violation c0000005 involving a null pointer.

SCENARIO 2 (DRM CDT) The Ubisoft+ version of Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar Frontiers of Pandora will crash to desktop without an error message if an online DRM check that occurs every 5 minutes fails

This issue can happen on any supported version of Windows since the DRM check is required for Ubisoft+ games to function.

Workaround 1: Use a VPN to connect to another geographic location. France has been reported as having the best results at the moment.
Workaround 2: Verify your firewall (software or hardware based) and/or other network hardware (more advanced setups) is not configured to block access to Ubisoft servers

Root Cause Ubisoft+ games require an internet connection to verify eligibility and maintain DRM compliance. If a compliance check fails, Ubisoft Connect closes the game process as it thinks access to the game is now unauthorized.

Additional Details:

The connection failures and game process closure/exit events are documented in the Ubisoft Connect log file
Appears to potentially be a load balancing or cloud infrastructure issue with Ubisoft Servers
Other common internet access and networking issues can also cause this issue to occur like misconfigured firewalls or other content/traffic filtering software/network hardware.

SCENARIO 3 (OTHER CDT) Star Wars Outlaws may freeze for 5-10 seconds before crashing to desktop without an error message due to an unknown reason.

This is a catch all/default scenario where a solid workaround and full root cause doesn't exist yet.
No additional details or workarounds at this time for this scenario. If you have any, please share them.

SCENARIO 4 (FAULTY HARDWARE) Star Wars Outlaws may "hard crash" to a black screen without a BSOD and power off the computer due to faulty hardware

Solution Troubleshoot and diagnose your hardware until the faulty component(s) is(are) identified then replace/repair it(them). If needed, consult a computer repair specialist if you are not familiar or comfortable with performing computing hardware troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair.

Additional Details:

The primary user that was experiencing this scenario verified their root cause was a faulty PSU. Replacing it resolved this scenario.

If anyone has any feedback on any of the above, let me know and I can make edits and repost as needed.


Lastly, a BIG thanks to all the impacted users on Reddit, Discord, and X for providing valuable input and discourse that led to identifying the above scenarios and workarounds possible.

workaround, go CLoud or go home:) hahaha

[Sledge Hammer!]

24 hours until release and still no word if this game breaking bug has been fixed. 😱

[Agent268]

Awesome to see my content from Discord that I posted on Reddit has now made it's way to Steam!!

For those not aware, Ubisoft has released a temporary hotfix with Title Update 1.4.1 that is aimed to improve the experience on Windows 11 24H2. So far, users are reporting having 30+ minute sessions before CDTs occur with zero reports of short sessions going to a CDT. This is a major step forward and hopefully is a sign of a complete fix in the near future.
Per the Title Update 1.4.0 release notes, the following has been added:

"Also, we have just deployed a temporary hotfix (v1.4.1) for players who were experiencing issues playing on Windows 11 24H2. Please note that you may experience some performance issues while we work on a more permanent fix. As soon as it is ready, we will let you know. Thank you for your patience."

[grizz]

still crashing predictably at the same spot after you get into the ship for the first time. come on ubisoft. get your sh*t together.

[Ezechiel]

runs smoothly on Win 11 23H2... Ubi or M$ fault ?