How to fix CoD: Vanguard crashing & freezing issues
Call of Duty: Vanguard players have reported that their game has been constantly crashing, so here are some potential fixes to get you back into the WW2 action.
Vanguard has been hailed as one of the âsmoothestâ Call of Duty launches yet, but there have been a few bugs niggling away beneath the surface. One of the most prominent is PC players who have been plagued by crashing and freezing issues, but there are a few solutions you can try.
After applying the best PC settings, thanks to YouTuber ComputerSluggish Tutorials, here are some solutions you can try to stop Vanguard from freezing and stuttering.
- Check Windows is up-to-date
- Check your graphics drivers are up-to-date
- Make sure your graphics card isnât overclocked
- Close other applications
- Run Vanguard as an administrator
- Unplug external devices
- Disable NVIDIA in-game overlay
- Restart Vanguard Shader Compilation
- Scan and Repair Vanguard
Check Windows is up-to-date
The reason Call of Duty: Vanguard is crashing could be something as simple as Windows not being up-to-date.
Hereâs how to ensure Windows is up-to-date:
- Open up âSettingsâ on Windows 10
- Click on âUpdate & Securityâ
- Select âCheck for updatesâ
- If you have an update available, you can now install it
Check your graphics drivers are up-to-date
The reason why Vanguard is consistently crashing could be something as simple as your graphics drivers being out of date. NVIDIA and AMD regularly release new drivers tailored to specific new releases, so you want to make sure theyâre as up-to-date as possible.
Hereâs how to check and update your graphics drivers:
How to update NVIDIA graphics driver
If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, the GeForce experience app will handle this for you.
- Download GeForce experience through NVIDIA.com
- Open GeForce experience
- Select the âDriversâ tab
- Click âcheck for updatesâ in the upper right corner
- If an update is available, follow the steps
How to update AMD graphics driver
If you have an AMD GPU, you can use the Radeon Settings to update your drivers.
- Right-click on your desktop
- Select AMD Radeon Settings
- Click on the Home icon
- Click âNew Updatesâ on the bottom left
- Select âcheck for updateâ
- If an update is available, follow the steps
Make sure your graphics card isnât overclocked
Many gamers overclock their graphics card to squeeze out more performance, but this can cause issues with Vanguard.
ComputerSluggish Tutorials recommends that, if you can, you remove any overclocking settings from your graphics card and then try launching Call of Duty: Vanguard. This involves getting into the guts of your PC, so we only recommend doing this if youâre confident in your tech skills.
Close other applications
Having other applications or programs open while playing Vanguard could be causing issues, so make sure that everything is closed down while you play.
Run Vanguard as an administrator
Some players have experienced issues with Call of Duty: Vanguard when the game and Battle.net arenât set to run as an administrator.
This is a quick fix, so hereâs how to do it:
- Right click on the CoD: Vanguard shortcut on your desktop
- Select âPropertiesâ
- Select the âCompatibilityâ tab
- Tick the âRun this program as an administratorâ box
- Select âApplyâ
- Do the exact same for the Battle.net shortcut
Unplug external devices
Vanguardâs crashes could be caused by something plugged into your computer, such as a faulty USB device. You should unplug all devices (except for your mouse and keyboard) and see if the crashing issues are fixed. If they are, trial and error each device to see what the issue is.
Disable NVIDIA in-game overlay
The NVIDIA overlay could be causing further issues for Vanguard, so itâs worth disabling it.
Hereâs how to disable the NVIDIA overlay:
- Launch the GeForce Experience app
- Click the âSettingsâ cog
- Look for the âIn-Game Overlayâ box under âGeneralâ
- Toggle the in-game overlay to âOffâ
- Do the same for any other applications such as Discord
Restart Vanguardâs Shader Compilation
Vanguard will download shaders after a major update or graphics driver update, but this can go wrong. You can re-download the shaders compilation from inside Vanguard, which should correct any issues with shaders.
Hereâs how to reinstall shaders in Vanguard:
- Launch Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Go the the âSettingsâ tab
- Select âReinstall Shaders Compliationâ under display
- Wait for the shaders to install
- Restart Vanguard
- Launch into a match to see if the issues are fixed
Scan and Repair Vanguard
If none of these fixes work, you should try running a Scan and Repair on Vanguard. This will find and fix any missing or corrupt files.
Hereâs how to do this:
- Open Battle.net
- Click on âCall of Duty: Vanguardâ
- Hit âOptionsâ beside the âPlayâ button
- Select âScan and Repairâ
- When done, launch Vanguard
Hopefully one of these solutions will solve your crashing and stuttering issues in Call of Duty: Vanguard!
You can also check out the life-saving Bombing Run tip every Vanguard player needs to know.
Image Credit: Activision