There is nothing more frustrating than buying a video game and not being able to play it. Recently, many players are reporting the Total War: Three Kingdoms (TW:3K) crashing issue on PC.

This problem may occur for various reasons, most of which are hard to detect because of the number of unique hardware and software settings players have. The information below is a general guide to help rule out common issues. You may not have to try them all. Just work your way through the list until you find the one that does the trick for you.

How to fix Total War crash? 

  1. Meet the minimum system requirements
  2. Disable your antivirus temporarily
  3. Run your game as an administrator
  4. Update your graphics driver
  5. Install the latest game patch
  6. Change the power option
  7. Verify the integrity of your game files
  8. Configure your in-game graphics settings
  9. Reinstall Steam

Fix 1: Meet the minimum system requirements

The minimum system requirements to play Total War:
OS:
Windows 7 64 Bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.00Ghz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GTX 650 Ti 1GB|HD 7850 1GB|Intel UHD Graphics 620

The minimum system requirements need to be met to run Total War properly; otherwise, you’re likely to encounter game issues like freezing, lagging and crashing while gaming.

Here is how to view your computer specifications:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run dialog.

2) Type dxdiag and click OK.

3) Check your operating system, processor and memory.

4) Click the Display tab, and then check your graphics card’s information.

Make sure your computer meets the requirements, then move to the next fix.

Fix 2: Disable your antivirus temporarily

The Total War crashing is sometimes caused by interference from antivirus software. To see if that’s the problem for you, temporarily disable your antivirus program and check if the problem persists. (Consult your antivirus documentation for instructions on disabling it.)

If Total War works properly after you disable the antivirus software, contact the vendor of your antivirus software and ask them for advice, or install a different antivirus solution.

Be extra careful about what sites you visit, what emails you open and what files you download when your antivirus is disabled.

If your game still crashes, move on and try the fix below.

Fix 3: Run your game as an administrator

Steam sometimes can’t access certain game files on your computer under normal user mode, which could lead to the Total War crashing issue. To see if that’s the cause of your issue, follow the instructions below:

1) If you’re running Steam now, right-click the Steam icon on the taskbar and select Exit.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-342.png

2) Right-click the Steam icon and select Run as administrator.

3) Click Yes.

4) Restart Total War from Steam.

Now, check if this fixed the crashing issue. If your problem still exists, go ahead with the next fix.

Fix 4: Update your graphics driver

One of the most common causes of game issues, such as crashing, freezing or lagging problem, is the outdated or corrupted graphics driver. So, when something goes wrong with Total War, updating your graphics driver should always be your go-to option.

There are two ways you can get the right driver for your graphics card:

Option 1 – Download and install the driver manually

The manufacturer of your graphics card keeps updating drivers. To get the latest graphics driver, you need to go to the manufacturer’s website, find the drivers corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 32 bit) and download the driver manually.

Once you’ve downloaded the correct drivers for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.

Option 2 – Automatically update your graphics driver

If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update the graphics 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 risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

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 clicks:

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click the Update button next to the graphics driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).

Or 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 which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)

You can do it for free if you like, but it’s partly manual.
The Pro version of Driver Easy comes with full technical support.
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.

4) Relaunch the game to see if your issue has been resolved. If not, go ahead with the next fix.

Fix 5: Install the latest game patch

The developers of Total War release regular game patches to fix bugs. It’s possible that a recent patch has stopped your game from running smoothly, and that a new patch is required to fix it. 

To check if there is any update, go to the Total War: Three Kingdoms website and search for the latest patch. If a patch is available, install it, then run your game again to check whether your problem has been resolved. If it hasn’t, or there was no new game patch available, move on to Fix 6, below.

Fix 6: Change the power option

The power plan on all computers is set to Balanced by default. Under this mode, your computer sometimes might slow down automatically to save energy, which could be the reason why your game crashes frequently.

To fix it, you only need to change your power plan to High performance. Here is how to do it:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type control. Then, click Control panel.

2) Under View by, click Large icons.

3) Select Power Options.

4) Select High Performance.

What’s the differences?
Balanced: Balanced automatically adjust your CPU’s speed according to your computer’s need.
High Performance: High Performance mode keeps your PC running at high speeds most of the time. Your computer will generate more heat under this mode.

5) Restart your computer and Total War.

Now, check if you still face this issue. If the game is still unplayable, then go ahead with the next fix.

Fix 7: Verify the integrity of your game files

Another possible cause of the Total War crashing issue is a damaged or missing game file. In this case, verifying the integrity of your game files can help fix your issue. Follow the instructions below:

1) Run Steam client.

2) Click LIBRARY.

3) Right-click Total War: Three Kingdoms and select Properties.

4) Click the LOCAL FILES tab, and then click VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES.

5) Relaunch Total War.

If your issue persists, go ahead with the next fix, below.

Fix 8: Configure your in-game graphics settings

Improper in-game settings can also trigger game issues like crashing, freezing or lagging. So, you should check your in-game settings to see if that’s the cause of Total War crashing. Follow the instructions below:

1) Run Total War.

2) Navigate to the Settings menu, click OPTIONS.

3) Click the ADVANCED.

4) Modify the graphics settings following the screenshot below, then click CONFIRM to save the changes.

5) Relaunch your game to test your issue.

If your game crashes again, try the fix below.

Fix 9: Reinstall Steam

Corrupt or missing Steam files can also cause Total War to crash. If none of the fixes above worked, reinstalling Steam is very likely the solution to your problem. Here is how to do it:

1) Right-click the Steam icon and select Open file location.

2) Right-click the steamapps folder and select Copy. Then, place the copy in another location to back up it.

3) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type control. Then, click Control Panel.

4) Under View by, select Category.

5) Select Uninstall a program.

6) Right-click Steam, and then click Uninstall.

7) Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall Steam and wait for the process to be complete.

8) Download and install Steam.

9) Right-click the Steam icon and select Open file location.

10) Move the backup steamapps folder you create before to your current directory location.

You should be able to run Total War without crashing now. Enjoy your game! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.

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