Forza Horizon 5 crashing on startup: Quick fix

Here's everything you need to do if Forza 5 is crashing on startup

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Forza Horizon 5 is currently available to play on PC via its $100 premium edition. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, many players are experiencing Forza Horizon 5 crashes on startup. Here’s our quick and easy fix to this annoying problem.

The latest virtual motoring game from Microsoft is the biggest release since the arrival of Flight Simulator. However, while the initial release of the game seems to be running fairly smoothly, recent reports of game crashes are dinting the game’s prelaunch.

Luckily there are a number of different steps you can take to reduce the chances of Forza Horizon 5 crashing. Below are all the best methods and tips for stopping this annoying occurrence from happening.

How to fix Forza Horizon 5 crashing

In the following guide, we’ll be looking at all the most effective methods for fixing the game from crashing. We’ll start with the most successful.

First off, try disabling your anti-virus programs. Obviously, you don’t want to do this for too long as it puts your PC at risk. However, by disabling your AV and launching the game, you’ll know straight away whether this is the problem. If it is the cause, simply make an exception in the software and re-activate it as soon as possible.

Check for the following active programs:

The development team’s official support page says that the game will not launch if you have the following programs active:

• Trend Micro Maximum Security
• Comodo Antivirus
• Sophos
• Emisoft Anti-Malware
• Avira
• Avast
• Bitdefender Firewall

Furthermore, it also recommends uninstalling any of the following programs:

• Logitech G Hub
• MSI Afterburner / Riva Tuner Statistics Server
• EVGA Precision
• OBS
• Xsplit
• Discord
• MacType
• Warsaw Banking App
• Wallpaper Engine
• A-Volute Sound studio
• Nahimic Audio
• Sonic Audio

While this might work, it seems incredibly bizarre that common programs like OBS, MSI afterburner, and Logitech G Hub would need to be uninstalled to play a game. Regardless, that’s what the support page states.

Make sure you meet the system requirements:

Next, make sure you meet the system requirements of the game. It might sound silly, but you’ll be surprised by how many individuals actually purchase games without having the minimum requirements.

If you are unsure on the game’s requirements, see below for minimum and recommended specs:

Minimum:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 110 GB available space

Recommended:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher
• Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVidia GTX 1070 OR AMD RX 590
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 110 GB available space

Forza Horizon 5 crashing in loading screen

If you are finding you are crashing in the loading screen, one of our WePC benchmarkers discovered that you can save it before it crashes. You can try pressing ALT+ Enter to force it into a window. you can then move the window, and press ALT + Enter again to maximize the game. If you need more information on this bug, we have a dedicated fix guide here.

Other methods for fixing Forza Horizon 5 crashing on startup

There are a number of less likely scenarios that could see the game crash, one of which is Windows Defender. Try disabling this and launching the game to see if it has any impact the crashing.

Next, make sure your copy of Windows is fully up to date. While many feel this is unnecessary, the entire reason an update has been issued is to help fix bug problems. Always keep your Windows up to date.

Finally, check to see if you can run the game offline. Simply unplug your ethernet cable and see if the game loads. Reports suggest that some users have found success in this.

The highly polished racing simulator is available on Xbox, PS5, and PC.