Experiencing crashes in Dead by Daylight? The most common fix is to update your graphics drivers. Outdated or corrupted drivers are a frequent cause of game instability. You can update manually via the NVIDIA or AMD websites, or use software like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software. If updating drivers doesn’t solve the issue, explore other solutions below.

Diagnosing the Crash: Common Causes

Before diving into solutions, it’s essential to understand what could be causing your game to crash. Here’s a breakdown of the usual suspects:

  • Outdated Graphics Drivers: Old or corrupted drivers can cause instability, especially with demanding games like DBD. A driver that isn’t properly communicating with your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or an AMD Radeon RX 6800, can lead to system instability and crashes.
  • System Requirements: Your PC might simply not meet the minimum or recommended specifications for running Dead by Daylight. Even if you were previously able to play, updates to the game can increase the demands on your hardware.
  • Corrupted Game Files: During installation or updates, game files can become corrupted, leading to crashes or other unexpected behavior.
  • Overlay Programs: Applications like Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, or even some antivirus programs can sometimes interfere with Dead by Daylight, causing crashes.
  • Overheating: If your CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU is overheating, it can lead to system instability and crashes.
  • Conflicting Software: Other programs running in the background might be conflicting with the game.
  • Hardware Issues: In rare cases, the issue could be a failing component, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or a failing hard drive/SSD (Solid State Drive).
  • DirectX Issues: Dead by Daylight uses DirectX for graphics rendering. Problems with your DirectX installation can cause crashes.
  • Windows Updates: While often necessary, occasionally a Windows update can introduce conflicts with specific games, including Dead by Daylight.
  • Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC): EAC, used to prevent cheating, can sometimes cause issues if it’s corrupted or outdated.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Dead by Daylight Crashes

Safety First: Before making any hardware changes, ensure your computer is powered off and unplugged.

Now that we’ve identified the potential causes, let’s look at some solutions you can try:

1. Update Your Graphics Drivers

  • Manually: Visit the official websites of NVIDIA or AMD to download the latest drivers for your graphics card. Ensure you select the correct driver for your specific GPU model and operating system. Use “Clean Install” options within the driver installation to remove previous configurations that may be corrupted.
  • Using Software: NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition can automatically detect and install the latest drivers. These tools often provide performance optimization features as well.

2. Verify Game File Integrity

  • Steam: Right-click on Dead by Daylight in your Steam library. Select “Properties,” then “Local Files,” and finally “Verify integrity of game files.” Steam will check your game files and replace any corrupted or missing ones.
  • Epic Games Launcher: Similar to Steam, right-click on Dead by Daylight in your Epic Games library, select “Verify,” and let the launcher check and repair any corrupted files.

3. Close Overlay Programs

  • Disable overlay features in programs like Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, and Steam overlay.
  • Temporarily disable any non-essential applications running in the background to rule out software conflicts. Close programs like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) or streaming software if not actively being used.

4. Check System Requirements

  • Ensure your PC meets the minimum and recommended system requirements for Dead by Daylight. Consider upgrading your hardware if necessary. Pay close attention to CPU, RAM, and GPU specifications. Minimum requirements typically include an Intel Core i3-4170 or AMD FX-8120 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1GB or AMD HD 6850 1GB graphics card.

5. Monitor Temperatures

  • Use monitoring software like MSI Afterburner or HWMonitor to check your CPU and GPU temperatures while playing. If temperatures are consistently high (above 80°C for the CPU or 85°C for the GPU), consider improving your cooling solution. This could involve cleaning dust from your PC case and fans, reapplying thermal paste to your CPU and GPU, or upgrading to a better cooler.

6. Run Dead by Daylight as an Administrator

  • Right-click on the Dead by Daylight executable file (DeadByDaylight.exe) in the game’s installation folder. Select “Properties,” then “Compatibility,” and check the box that says “Run this program as an administrator.”

7. Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat

  • Navigate to the Dead by Daylight installation folder. You should find a folder named “EasyAntiCheat.” Run the EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe file as an administrator. Choose to uninstall the service, then reinstall it.

8. Update DirectX

  • Although Windows updates often include DirectX updates, you can manually download and install the latest DirectX runtime libraries from Microsoft’s website.

9. Perform a Clean Boot

  • A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a background program is causing conflicts. To perform a clean boot, type “msconfig” in the Windows search bar, press Enter, go to the “Services” tab, check “Hide all Microsoft services,” click “Disable all,” then go to the “Startup” tab and click “Open Task Manager.” Disable all startup items. Restart your computer.

10. Reinstall Dead by Daylight

  • As a last resort, try uninstalling and reinstalling Dead by Daylight. This will ensure a fresh installation and can resolve any persistent issues.

11. Examine Windows Event Viewer

  • Search for “Event Viewer” in Windows. Check the “Windows Logs” section under “Application” and “System” for error messages that coincide with the crashes. These logs may provide clues about the underlying cause, such as specific DLL files that are faulting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Dead by Daylight keep crashing on my PC?

Dead by Daylight crashes can stem from various issues, including outdated graphics drivers, corrupted game files, overlay programs interfering with the game, or your PC not meeting the game’s system requirements. Overheating and Easy Anti-Cheat issues can also be culprits.

How do I update my graphics drivers for Dead by Daylight?

You can update your graphics drivers manually by visiting the NVIDIA or AMD websites and downloading the latest drivers for your specific graphics card. Alternatively, you can use software like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition to automatically detect and install the latest drivers.

What are the minimum system requirements for Dead by Daylight?

The minimum system requirements typically include an Intel Core i3-4170 or AMD FX-8120 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1GB or AMD HD 6850 1GB graphics card. Make sure your PC meets these requirements to ensure stable gameplay.