To fix the Elden Ring white screen crash issue, here are the solutions: update your graphics driver, disable in-game overlay in Discord and GeForce Experience, replace the Direct X 12 game files, remove the Epic Game Launcher, close background tasks, or reinstall Elden Ring.
Elden Ring was prepped for success even before it was launched. The RPG won the “The Most Anticipated Game” award twice in the 2020 and 2021 editions of The Game Award.
The game became available to PC and console gamers on February 25, 2022. However, the PC users faced a lot of technical issues that degraded the game’s user experience. One such issue is that the game displays a white screen and then crashes upon launching it.
The white screen crash on launch is an unpleasant issue but one that isn’t unexpected. Elden Ring is still in the early stages of release, and it is normal to discover such glitches.
Over the next few weeks, we can expect FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment to fix this issue in a bid to retain the interest and support of fans in their latest creation.
For now, if you are experiencing the Elden Ring white screen crash issue on PC, read this guide to find out how to fix the problem.
Table of Contents
How to Fix the Elden Ring White Screen Crash (WSOD) Problem
Since Elden Ring is still new, there’s still much for gamers to uncover about the game. However, if you are experiencing the white screen of death (WSOD) problem, try these solutions to get out of the jam.
1. Reboot Your PC
Whenever you are experiencing an error with any program, one of the first hacks is to reboot your computer.
This is one of the most simple but effective solutions to fixing an issue. In most cases, the cause of the error is just a slight glitch that a reboot of your PC will solve in minutes.
2. Update your graphics drivers
Another common cause of the white screen error is an outdated graphics driver. You have to check if there are any updates available for your GPU drivers and install them.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Search and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Display Adapters, then right-click on your graphics driver and choose Update Driver.
3. Select Search automatically for drivers.
4. Install any pending update to get the latest version of the graphics card driver
Another way to update your GPU is to do it manually. To do this, you have to go to the official website of your graphics card manufacturer, download the latest version of the driver, and install it.
3. Replace the Direct X 12 files
Elden Ring has two Direct X files located in its game folder. Many users have reported that the issue got fixed after replacing these files.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Right-click on Elden Ring and select Manage > Browse Local Files.
- Find and delete the D3D12.dll and D3D12Core.dll files.
- Go to Local Disk C: drive, then navigate to Windows > System32.
- Find and copy the D3D12.dll and D3D12Core.dll files.
- Go back to the Elden Ring game folder and paste the files there. Rename D3D12.dll file to d3d12_original.dll.
- Download all the files from this GitHub page and extract them. Copy all the files and paste them into the Elden Ring game folder.
- Restart your PC and launch the game.
4. Close background tasks
Another simple way to fix Elden Ring white screen crash is to close the tasks running in the background of your computer.
These tasks take up space and slow down your computer, causing the system to malfunction.
To close the background tasks, do this:
- Open Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys together.
- Go to the Processes tab.
- Find the unnecessary tasks, click on them, and select End Task.
- Restart your PC and launch Elden Ring again.
5. Remove Epic Launcher
Some users have reported that the anti-cheat system is the main culprit. To fix it, you should try removing the Epic Games Launcher.
In the Windows search bar, search for Add or remove programs and open it. Then look for Epic Games Launcher, right-click on it, and choose Uninstall.
6. Remove patch version 1.02.1
Many players complained that they started experiencing the white screen issue after installing the latest v1.02.1 patch of Elden Ring on their PC.
If you have installed this patch, you should try to remove it to check if it fixes the issue.
7. Delete “temp” file
Some users have had success by deleting the temp files created by Windows. These are files created by programs to hold data temporarily while a task is being executed. Once it’s completed, the data is read by the program and is no longer of any use.
Deleting temp files is safe and does no harm to your computer. To do this:
- Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
- Type %temp% and press enter.
- The Temp directory opens. Delete all the files and folders in there.
8. Verify Integrity of Game Files
Every game on Steam comes with an option called “Verify integrity of game files” that checks whether any of the game’s files are corrupted or missing. Having missing or corrupted files can cause technical issues such as the white screen of death in Elden Ring.
To verify the integrity of Elden Ring files, do this:
- Launch Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click on Elden Ring and choose Properties.
- Go to Local Files tab, then click on the Verify Integrity of Game Files button.
- Wait for the process to finish and restart your computer to check if the Elden Ring white screen crash issue is fixed.
9. Turn off In-Game Overlay
The overlay feature from streaming platforms such as Steam and Discord may hinder the game’s functionality. Therefore, you should disable the feature to see if it resolves the white screen error.
Disable Overlay on Discord:
- Click on the gear icon in Discord to open settings.
- From the sidebar, click on Overlay under App Settings.
- Go to the Games tab.
- Select Elden Ring and toggle off the Enable in-game overlay option.
- Restart your PC and open Elden Ring to check if the white screen crash is fixed.
Disable Overlay on Nvidia GeForce Experience:
- Open Nvidia GeForce Experience.
- Go to Settings.
- Toggle off the In-Game Overlay option.
- Restart your computer, then open Elden Ring and check if the issue is fixed.
10. Update Windows
Using an outdated version of Windows can lead to unexpected issues such as the white screen problem on Elden Ring. It is essential that you always update your Windows to the latest version to iron out most bugs and issues.
To check if there are any updates available, do this:
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Click on the Check for updates button.
- If there are any updates available, select Download and Install.
11. Reinstall Elden Ring
As a last resort, you should try removing Elden Ring completely and then reinstalling it to check if the white screen crash error is fixed.
To reinstall Elden Ring, do this:
- Go to Library in Steam.
- Right-click on Elden Ring.
- Choose Manage > Uninstall.
- Once the game is removed, re-download and install it from Steam.
Wrapping Up
Elden Ring is the rave now, but the game is still saddled with glitches like the white screen crash on launch issue.
We hope that the solutions provided above helped you fix the issue and get back to playing the game normally.
If all else fails, you should try contacting the game’s support team and ask them for assistance.
