If your Alan Wake 2 crashes right after the intro cutscene, or it crashes when you’re in the middle of the game with no warning or error message notifications beforehand, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many other gamers are also experiencing the same problem. Fortunately, it’s not hard to get the crashing problem fixed.
Here in this post, we’ll show you a few fixes that have helped other users resolve their Alan Wake 2 crashing problem on Windows, and you may try them to see if they help.
Try these fixes
Not all methods are required to solve the Alan Wake 2 crashing problem. Simply work your way down the list until you find the one that does the trick.
- Install Windows updates
- Run SFC and DISM checks
- Reinstall the display card driver
- Install missed Microsoft dependencies
- Disable Profile for Alan Wake 2 in AMD Radeon Settings
- Repair damaged and corrupted system files
1. Install Windows updates
If your system isn’t updated regularly, there could be compatibility issues that can cause Alan Wake 2 to crash. To make sure that you have the latest available updates installed:
- On your keyboard, hit the Windows key, then type check for updates, then click Check for updates.
- Click Check for updates, and Windows will scan for any available updates.
- If there are available updates, Windows will automatically download them for you. Restart your computer for the update to take effect if needed.
- If there are no available updates, you’ll see You’re up to date like this.
Then try your Alan Wake 2 again to see if it still crashes. If the problem remains, please move on to the next fix.
2. Run SFC and DISM checks
Corrupted system files may cause your Alan Wake 2 to crash as well, but luckily, there are two built-in tools that can help to identify and repair such bad system files. The whole process could take some time, and we suggest you don’t run any other programs when doing the test. To run these tools:
2.1. Scan corrupt files with System File Checker
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Click Yes when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.
2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter.
sfc /scannow
3) System File Checker will then scan all system files and repair any corrupted or missing ones it detected. This may take 3-5 minutes.
4) After the scan, try to open your Alan Wake 2 again to see if the crashing problem still persists. If so, you can try a different tool that might help, or simply move on to the next test:
2.2. Run dism.exe
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Click Yes when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.
2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following commands and hit Enter after each line:
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
2) When the process finishes:
- If the DISM tool gives you errors, you can always try this command line. This will take up to 2 hours.
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
- If you get Error: 0x800F081F, reboot your computer, then open Command Prompt as administrator again (step 1) and run this command line instead:
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
When these tests are done, run your Alan Wake 2 again to see if it still crashes. If the problem still persists, you can try a different tool that might help, or simply move on to the next fix.
3. Reinstall the display card driver
An outdated or incorrect display card driver could also be the culprit to your Alan Wake 2 crashing problem, so if the above two methods don’t help to fix Alan Wake 2’s crashes, it’s likely that you have a corrupted or outdated graphics driver. So you should update your drivers to see if it helps. If you don’t have the time, patience or skills to update the driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to be troubled by the wrong driver you would be downloading, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy handles it all.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 steps (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
Note: You can do it for free if you like, but it’s partly manual. - Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Launch Alan Wake 2 again and see if the latest graphics driver stops the crash. If this fix doesn’t work for you, try the next fix below.
4. Install missed Microsoft dependencies
Missing Microsoft dependencies and/or extra libraries can also cause Alan Wake 2 to crash, so you’ll need to make sure that the following files are installed on your computer:
- DirectX 9.0 (you can download and install it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=35)
- Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 (you can download and install it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=30679)
5. Disable Profile for Alan Wake 2 in AMD Radeon Settings
If you have an AMD display card, it’s quite likely that you have AMD Radeon Settings installed. For some users, the automatic enhancement profile for every game is the culprit to the Alan Wake 2 not launching problem. To disable this setting:
- Open your AMD Radeon Settings.
- Click the Gaming tab on the top left corner.
- Find your Alan Wake 2 here, then click the three dots right next to it and select Disable Profile.
- Then open your Alan Wake 2 again to see if the crashing stops.
6. Repair damaged and corrupted system files
If you are facing persistent issues with Alan Wake 2 and none of the previous solutions have proven effective, it’s possible that your corrupted system files are to blame. To rectify this, repairing the system files becomes crucial. The System File Checker (SFC) tool can assist you in this process. By executing the “sfc /scannow” command, you can initiate a scan that identifies problems and repairs missing or corrupted system files. However, it is important to note that the SFC tool primarily focuses on scanning major files and may overlook minor issues.
In situations where the SFC tool falls short, a more powerful and specialized Windows repair tool is recommended. Fortect is an automated Windows repair tool that excels in identifying problematic files and replacing malfunctioning ones. By scanning your PC comprehensively, Fortect can provide a more comprehensive and effective solution for repairing your Windows system.
- Download and install Fortect.
- Open Fortect. It will run a free scan of your PC and give you a detailed report of your PC status.
- Once finished, you’ll see a report showing all the issues. To fix all the issues automatically, click Start Repair (You’ll need to purchase the full version. It comes with a 60-day Money-Back Guarantee so you can refund anytime if Fortect doesn’t fix your problem).
(Tips: Still unsure if Fortect is what you need? Check this Fortec Review! )
Please note that system file repair alone might not help to fix the Alan Wake 2 crashing issue. It’s one troubleshooting step to try, and the crashing problem can also be caused by the factors we mentioned above. Still, a clean Windows system free of file errors is a good foundation for stable gaming.
The above are most of the general fixes for the Alan Wake 2 crashing problem. Thanks for sticking to the very end of this post. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment. We’d love to hear constructive opinions. 🙂