How to Fix Dead by Daylight Crashing and Freezing on PC

Learn effective solutions to resolve Dead by Daylight crashes and freezes, ensuring smooth gameplay on your Windows PC.

How to Fix Dead by Daylight Crashing and Freezing on PC

Dead by Daylight is a popular asymmetric multiplayer horror game that millions of players enjoy. However, some users experience frustrating crashes or freezes during gameplay. These issues can occur at startup, mid-game, or even right after launching the application. If you’re facing these problems, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with several effective solutions.

Before diving into the fixes, it’s important to understand what might be causing Dead by Daylight to crash or freeze:

  • Insufficient system specifications
  • Outdated graphics drivers
  • Corrupted game files
  • Issues with Easy AntiCheat software
  • Incompatible system settings
  • Corrupted Steam installation

Let’s explore the most effective methods to resolve these issues and get you back into the game.

Check System Requirements

The first step in troubleshooting is to ensure your PC meets the minimum requirements for Dead by Daylight. Here are the specifications you need:

Minimum Requirements:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7, 8.1, or 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i3-4170 or AMD FX-8120
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: DX11 Compatible GeForce GTX 460 1GB or AMD HD 6850 1GB
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 50 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11
  • Processor: Intel Core i3-4170 or AMD FX-8300 or higher
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: DX11 Compatible GeForce 760 or AMD HD 8800 or higher with 4GB of RAM
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 50 GB available space

If your system doesn’t meet these requirements, you may need to upgrade your hardware for optimal performance.

Run Dead by Daylight as Administrator

Sometimes, Dead by Daylight crashes due to insufficient permissions. Running the game as an administrator can often resolve this issue.

Step 1: Right-click on the Steam shortcut on your desktop and select “Properties”.

Step 2: Click on the “Compatibility” tab and check the box next to “Run this program as an administrator”.

Step 3: Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.

Step 4: Locate the Dead by Daylight installation directory. You can do this by opening Steam, going to your Library, right-clicking on Dead by Daylight, selecting “Properties”, and clicking on “Browse Local Files” in the Local Files tab.

Step 5: Find the Dead by Daylight executable file and repeat steps 1-3 for this file as well.

After completing these steps, try launching the game to see if the issue is resolved.


Update Graphics Drivers

Outdated or faulty graphics drivers are a common cause of game crashes. Keeping your GPU drivers up-to-date is crucial for optimal game performance.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + X and select “Device Manager” from the menu.

Step 2: Expand the “Display adapters” section, right-click on your graphics card, and select “Update driver”.

Step 3: Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Alternatively, you can visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) to download and install the latest drivers manually.

After updating your drivers, restart your computer and launch Dead by Daylight to check if the issue persists.


Verify Game File Integrity

Corrupted game files can cause Dead by Daylight to crash or freeze. Steam provides a built-in tool to verify and repair game files.

Step 1: Open Steam and navigate to your Library.

Step 2: Right-click on Dead by Daylight and select “Properties”.

Step 3: Go to the “Local Files” tab and click on “Verify integrity of game files”.

Step 4: Wait for the process to complete. Steam will check your game files and replace any corrupted ones.

Once the verification is complete, restart Steam and launch Dead by Daylight to see if the issue is resolved.


Install or Repair Easy AntiCheat

Easy AntiCheat (EAC) is a software used by Dead by Daylight to prevent cheating. If EAC is corrupted or not installed correctly, it can cause the game to crash.

Step 1: Navigate to the Dead by Daylight installation folder through Steam (right-click the game, select Properties, then Local Files, and Browse).

Step 2: Open the “EasyAntiCheat” folder and run “EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe” as administrator.

Step 3: If EAC is not installed, select “Install”. If it’s already installed, choose “Repair Service”.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

After installing or repairing EAC, restart your computer and try launching Dead by Daylight again.


Adjust Power Settings

Your PC’s power plan can affect game performance. Switching to a high-performance power plan might resolve crashing issues.

Step 1: Press Windows key + I to open Settings.

Step 2: Go to “System” > “Power & battery”.

Step 3: Click on the “Power mode” dropdown and select “Best performance”.

Restart your computer after making this change and check if Dead by Daylight runs without crashing.


Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Fullscreen optimizations can sometimes interfere with game performance. Disabling this feature might help resolve crashing issues.

Step 1: Navigate to the Dead by Daylight installation folder.

Step 2: Right-click on the game’s executable file (DeadByDaylight.exe) and select “Properties”.

Step 3: Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the box next to “Disable fullscreen optimizations”.

Step 4: Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.

Try running the game again to see if this solution resolves the crashing issue.


Reinstall Dead by Daylight

If none of the above solutions work, you might need to reinstall the game. This will ensure you have a fresh, uncorrupted installation.

Step 1: Open Steam and go to your Library.

Step 2: Right-click on Dead by Daylight and select “Manage” > “Uninstall”.

Step 3: Once the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer.

Step 4: Open Steam again and reinstall Dead by Daylight from your Library.

After reinstalling, launch the game to see if the crashing and freezing issues have been resolved.


By following these steps, you should be able to resolve most crashing and freezing issues in Dead by Daylight. Remember to keep your system and drivers up-to-date, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the game’s support team if problems persist. Happy gaming!