ARK: Survival Evolved crashing? Fixes include updating drivers, verifying game files, managing mods, and adjusting graphics settings. This guide helps troubleshoot and resolve common crash issues.

Identifying the Cause of Your ARK Crashes

Before jumping into fixes, try to pinpoint when the crashes occur. This will help narrow down the problem:

  • Random Crashes: Could be related to hardware, drivers, or background processes.
  • Crashes on Map Loading: Likely related to map files, memory issues, or mod conflicts.
  • Crashes Near Specific Areas: Could be a specific area with corrupted assets or a mod issue.
  • Crashes After Specific Actions: Consider what action you did before the crash. This is often related to a specific interaction, item, or process within the game.

Common Solutions to Stop ARK From Crashing

1. Verify Your System Requirements

ARK is demanding. Make sure your PC meets the minimum and recommended specifications. Even meeting the minimum can lead to crashes if you try to run the game at high settings.

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 (Minimum), Intel Core i7-3770/AMD FX-8350 (Recommended)
  • RAM: 8 GB (Minimum), 16 GB (Recommended)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB (Minimum), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB/AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB (Recommended)
  • Storage: 60 GB available space

If your system barely meets the minimum, consider upgrading or lowering your in-game graphics settings significantly. Running the game on an SSD can also drastically improve loading times and overall stability, minimizing stuttering and potential crashes due to slow asset loading.

2. Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers are a primary cause of game crashes.

  • NVIDIA: Download the latest drivers from the NVIDIA website. Use NVIDIA GeForce Experience for automatic updates.
  • AMD: Download the latest drivers from the AMD website. Use AMD Adrenalin software for automatic updates.

After updating, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. You can also try a “clean installation” during the driver installation process to remove any old driver files that might be causing conflicts.

3. Verify Game File Integrity

Corrupted game files can lead to crashes. Steam has a built-in tool to verify and repair these files.

  • Steps:
    • Right-click on ARK: Survival Evolved in your Steam Library.
    • Select “Properties.”
    • Go to the “Local Files” tab.
    • Click “Verify integrity of game files…”

Steam will scan the game files and re-download any that are missing or corrupted.

4. Manage Your Mods

Mods can significantly enhance the ARK experience, but they can also be a source of instability.

  • Disable Mods: Try disabling all mods to see if the crashes stop. Then, enable them one by one to identify the culprit.
  • Check Mod Compatibility: Ensure your mods are compatible with the current version of ARK. Read the mod descriptions on the Steam Workshop for any known issues.
  • Update Mods: Make sure your mods are up-to-date. Outdated mods are more likely to cause conflicts.
  • Load Order: The order in which mods are loaded can sometimes cause conflicts. Experiment with different load orders. You can use tools such as Ark Smart Mod Manager (ASMM) to better control the mod order.

5. Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings

High graphics settings can strain your system and lead to crashes.

  • Lower Settings: Reduce settings like texture quality, shadows, view distance, and anti-aliasing. Start by reducing these to medium or low.
  • Resolution: Try lowering the game resolution. A lower resolution requires less processing power from your GPU.
  • Windowed Mode: Running the game in windowed or borderless windowed mode can sometimes improve stability.

6. Check System Resources

ARK is a resource-intensive game.

  • Close Unnecessary Programs: Close any unnecessary applications running in the background, especially web browsers, streaming software, or other games. These can consume valuable CPU and RAM.
  • Monitor Resource Usage: Use the Windows Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to monitor your CPU, memory, and disk usage while playing ARK. High usage can indicate a bottleneck.
  • Increase Virtual Memory (Page File): If you have limited RAM, increasing the size of your virtual memory (page file) can sometimes help. Search in Windows for “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows”, go to the “Advanced” tab, and click “Change” under the “Virtual memory” section. Ensure “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” is unchecked and set a custom size. A good starting point is 1.5x your installed RAM.

7. Overclocking Instability

If you’re overclocking your CPU or GPU, it could be the cause of your crashes.

  • Disable Overclocking: Revert your CPU and GPU to their default clock speeds. Use software like MSI Afterburner or Intel XTU to manage your clock speeds.
  • Stress Test: If you suspect your overclock is unstable, run a stress test (e.g., Prime95 for CPU, FurMark for GPU) to check for errors.

8. Other Potential Solutions

  • Update Windows: Ensure you have the latest Windows updates installed.
  • Run as Administrator: Right-click on the ARK shortcut and select “Run as administrator.”
  • Disable Fullscreen Optimizations: Right-click on the ARK shortcut, select “Properties,” go to the “Compatibility” tab, and check “Disable fullscreen optimizations.” Safety First: Firewall/Antivirus: Sometimes, your firewall or antivirus software can interfere with the game. Try temporarily disabling them to see if it resolves the issue. Be careful when disabling these, only do it temporarily for testing and re-enable them after.
  • Reinstall the Game: As a last resort, try completely uninstalling and reinstalling ARK. Make sure to delete any remaining files in the game directory after uninstalling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does ARK crash so much?

ARK crashes often due to demanding system requirements, outdated drivers, corrupted game files, mod conflicts, or overclocking instability. This guide helps diagnose and fix these issues.

How do I check if my PC meets ARK’s requirements?

Compare your CPU, RAM, and GPU to the minimum and recommended specs listed in this article. If you barely meet the minimum, lower graphics settings or consider upgrading.

Will mods cause ARK to crash?

Yes, incompatible, outdated, or conflicting mods can cause crashes. Disable mods one by one to find the culprit, check compatibility, and ensure they’re updated.