I've been experiencing issues with some online games crashing immediately after I start them, which leads to my PC freezing. For example, while playing Deadlock with friends, the game gets stuck on a black screen and I can't even tab out. Closing Task Manager results in crashes too, making everything even more frustrating. I suspect it might be related to the awful LAN cables in my college dorm, but this problem also occurred at my home before. Occasionally, the game does manage to open without crashing, but more often than not, I run into these freezes. I apologize for the shoddy background in my video; I made it as a joke and never bothered to change it. Here's a link if you want to check it out: https://youtube.com/shorts/umsUcl-fy2U?si=IXkeS30xkf1_KfUE
3 Answers
I’ve already done a lot of those troubleshooting steps, and everything seems fine with the Steam files. No driver updates available either, and I’m not using a VPN. Regarding DirectX, I had issues with it before, but I made sure it was working when I reinstalled Windows. By the way, could you explain how to clear the shader cache? It has been a bit better after adjusting the refresh rate, but I’d like to get to the bottom of this since it’s still laggy on startup.
First up, it sounds like Deadlock freezing is a different issue than Valorant. To troubleshoot, try this: search for 'Reliability History' in Windows. It can show you if any programs are failing around the time of the crash. If you find any errors, go to 'Event Viewer' for more detailed logs. From what you're describing, it could either be a bad Windows installation or possibly a faulty power supply, especially since it crashes under load.
Have you tried a few common fixes? Verify your game files on Steam, and make sure your graphics drivers are updated. You can also force DirectX 11 by right-clicking Deadlock in Steam, going to Properties > General, and typing -dx11 in the Launch Options. Clearing the shader cache might help too. Also, if you're using a VPN, try disabling it to see if that makes a difference.
Related Questions
Ray Trace Simulator – Interactive Optical Ray Tracing Tool
Wordsearch Generator
Random Maze Generator and Solver
Interactive Wheel Spinner Tool – Add Choices and Randomly Pick a Winner
Raffle Ticket Generator
Instant Online Dice Roller