ThisCalculator

Everyday

Fix Elden Ring White Screen Crash on Startup

Updated · Standard formula, shown below

Fix Elden Ring White Screen Crash on Startup

If Elden Ring crashes to a white screen on startup, the cause is almost always a graphics driver or fullscreen optimization conflict, and the fix is to update your GPU driver and disable the game’s fullscreen optimizations. This article walks through the most effective solutions, from quick checks to deeper system tweaks, so you can get back to the Lands Between.

Why Does Elden Ring Show a White Screen on Launch?

The white screen typically appears right after the anti-cheat splash or during the initial shader compilation, before the main menu renders. It means the game process is running but the rendering pipeline is failing to present frames. Common triggers include outdated or corrupted GPU drivers, incompatible display settings (especially on multi-monitor setups), overlay software (Discord, GeForce Experience, etc.), and Windows fullscreen optimizations interfering with the game’s exclusive fullscreen mode. Less often, the issue stems from corrupted game files or a problematic anti-cheat installation.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Before diving into deeper troubleshooting, try these simple steps—they resolve a surprising number of cases:

  • Restart your PC – clears any stuck background processes.
  • Verify game files – in Steam, right-click Elden Ring → Properties → Installed Files → Verify Integrity of Game Files.
  • Run the game as administrator – right-click the game’s .exe (eldenring.exe) → Properties → Compatibility → check “Run this program as an administrator.”
  • Close overlay software – temporarily disable Discord overlay, GeForce Experience, MSI Afterburner, or RivaTuner.
  • Check for Windows updates – some game crashes are fixed by OS patches.

Update Your Graphics Driver (Most Common Fix)

An outdated or buggy GPU driver is the number one cause of white-screen crashes in Elden Ring. Both NVIDIA and AMD release game-ready drivers specifically for major titles, and Elden Ring had several driver-related issues at launch.

  1. Identify your GPU: Press Win + R, type dxdiag, and check the “Display” tab.
  2. Go to the official website for your GPU manufacturer (NVIDIA or AMD) and download the latest driver for your model.
  3. Use the “Clean Install” option if available—this removes old driver remnants that can cause conflicts.
  4. Restart your PC and try launching the game.

If you already have the latest driver, try rolling back to a slightly older version. Sometimes a new driver introduces a regression that breaks a game. You can do this via Device Manager → Display adapters → right-click your GPU → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver (if available).

Disable Fullscreen Optimizations and Change Compatibility Settings

Windows 10 and 11 apply “fullscreen optimizations” to many games, which can interfere with Elden Ring’s rendering, especially on high-refresh-rate monitors. Disabling them often fixes the white screen immediately.

  1. Navigate to your Steam installation folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ELDEN RING\Game.
  2. Right-click eldenring.exe → Properties → Compatibility tab.
  3. Check “Disable fullscreen optimizations.”
  4. Also check “Run this program as an administrator” (if you haven’t already).
  5. Click Apply and OK, then launch the game.

If the game still crashes, try setting the display mode to “Windowed” or “Borderless” in the game’s graphics settings (if you can get in) or in the config file (see below).

Edit the Game’s Graphics Config File

If you can’t even reach the settings menu, you can manually edit the config file to force a different display mode or resolution.

  1. Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\EldenRing and press Enter.
  2. Open the folder with your Steam ID (a long number). If there are multiple, pick the one with a GraphicsConfig.xml file.
  3. Open GraphicsConfig.xml with Notepad.
  4. Look for the <ScreenMode> tag. Change the value to 3 (windowed) or 2 (borderless). Save the file.
  5. Launch the game. If it starts, you can change back to fullscreen in the in-game settings.

Also check the <Resolution> values—set them to your monitor’s native resolution (e.g., 1920×1080) to avoid scaling issues.

Other Potential Causes and Fixes

If the above steps fail, the issue may be more specific:

  • Anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) issues: Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat by going to the game folder, finding EasyAntiCheat folder, and running EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe. Select Elden Ring and click “Repair.”
  • Overclocking instability: If you have overclocked your CPU or GPU, revert to stock clocks. Unstable overclocks can cause crashes during shader compilation.
  • Corrupted shader cache: Clear the DirectX shader cache. In Windows, search for “Disk Cleanup,” select your drive, check “DirectX Shader Cache,” and clean it. This forces the game to rebuild shaders.
  • Insufficient VRAM or RAM: Elden Ring requires at least 12 GB of RAM and a GPU with 3 GB VRAM. If your system is below this, the white screen may be a crash due to memory exhaustion. Close background apps and consider lowering graphics settings via the config file.
  • Third-party antivirus interference: Add the game folder and Steam to your antivirus whitelist, or temporarily disable it to test.

When Nothing Else Works: Reinstall the Game

As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall Elden Ring. This ensures all files are fresh and the anti-cheat is properly installed. Before doing this, back up your save files (they are in %APPDATA%\EldenRing). After reinstalling, verify game files again and apply the compatibility settings from above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Elden Ring crash to a white screen only on the first launch?

This is often due to shader compilation. The game builds shaders on first launch, which is CPU-intensive. If your CPU is under heavy load or your driver is unstable, it can crash. Updating drivers and disabling overlays usually solves this.

Can a white screen be caused by a corrupted save file?

No, a corrupted save file typically causes a crash after the title screen, not a white screen on startup. The white screen occurs before the game loads your save.

Does disabling fullscreen optimizations affect performance?

In most cases, no. Elden Ring uses its own fullscreen implementation, and disabling Windows’ optimization may actually improve stability. Some users report a slight frame drop, but it’s negligible compared to not being able to play.

My PC meets the requirements, why do I still get a white screen?

Meeting minimum specs doesn’t guarantee stability. Driver bugs, overlay conflicts, and Windows settings are more common culprits than raw hardware power. Follow the steps in order—especially driver update and fullscreen optimization disable.

Is there a risk of losing my save data when reinstalling?

Your save data is stored separately in %APPDATA%\EldenRing, so uninstalling the game via Steam won’t delete it. However, it’s always wise to back it up before any major troubleshooting.

Related

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.