How to troubleshoot Phoenix Point crashes in Windows 10?

Phoenix Point is one of the most popular strategy games played all over the world. In this guide, we intend to examine the most common issue that prevents users from enjoying this game as they should.

Why is Phoenix Point crashing?

We believe the vast majority of crashes in Phoenix Point are down to bugs. The game is plagued by certain inconsistencies or discrepancies in its code, and they give rise to issues that force the game to go down (crash). Most modern devices should meet the minimum system requirements for Phoenix Point, so it goes without saying that the game crashes rarely have something to do with performance shortcomings, especially when compared to the average game.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR PHOENIX POINT

• CPU: Intel Core i3 / AMD Phenom II X3
• CPU SPEED: Info
• RAM: 8 GB
• OS: Win 10, 8 and 7 SP1+ (64 bit)
• VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon R9 270
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2048 MB

RECOMMEND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR PHOENIX POINT

• CPU: Intel Core i5 3GHz / AMD FX Series 3.2GHz
• CPU SPEED: Info
• RAM: 16 GB
• OS: Win 10, 8 and 7 SP1+ (64 bit)
• VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon R9 390X
• PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
• VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 5120 MB

You can go through the values for the relevant parameters on the minimum system requirements list for Phoenix Point. If you intend to run the game using the best or highest settings available, then the information on the recommended system requirements list is what you should be concerned about instead.

Anyway, we will now move on to show you how to fix the Phoenix Point crash issue, which constitutes the main part of this guide. You are probably here for the solutions anyway. Let’s go.

How to fix Phoenix Point crashes on a Windows 10 PC

Unless stated otherwise, before you begin with any procedure, you will do well to check and confirm that Phoenix Point is not working. You will also need to verify that the game client application (usually Epic Games Launcher) and a related or dependent component are not active. You will probably have to open the Task Manager program and check things there regularly.

For efficiency purposes, you are advised to go through the procedures in the order they appear below.

1. Run Phoenix Point as an administrator; run Epic Games Launcher as an administrator:

There is a good chance Phoenix Point on your computer is crashing because its process (or a component it uses) is struggling to perform certain tasks due to the lack of administrative privileges. Perhaps, Windows is refusing to let the game access certain directories, modify certain files, and so on. To this end, you must run Phoenix Point as an administrator to force Windows to grant it administrative powers.

When an application is granted administrative privileges, it gets all the permissions or powers it needs to execute advanced operations or perform top-level tasks without interruptions or disruptions. Since you are looking to make Phoenix Point run as smoothly as possible (and not crash), the move to grant it administrative rights is one in the right direction.

Anyway, these are the instructions you must follow to run Phoenix Point as an administrator:

• First, you have to locate Phoenix Point’s launcher or the game’s main executable, click on it (to get it highlighted), and then right-click on it to see the available context menu.

If the game shortcut is on your desktop, then you can also click on it (to get it highlighted) and then right-click on it to see the menu available.

• From the list of options displayed, you have to choose Properties.

The Properties window for the selected Phoenix Point launcher or executable or shortcut will be displayed now.

• Click on the Compatibility tab (close to the top of the window) to go there.
• Click on the checkbox for Run this program as an administrator (to get this parameter selected).
• Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button to save the new launch configuration for Phoenix Point.
• Now, you must run Phoenix Point (as you have always done) and then play the game to see if things have changed significantly.

Ideally, you should try to keep the game on for as long as you can to see if it goes down at all.

If the same crash issue persists, then you have to close the game window and other active components. Ideally, you should restart your computer to ensure that everything gets put down. After the reboot task, you have to run the game client application as an administrator too. In that case, you must continue with these instructions:

• Locate the Epic Games Launcher file or the program’s main executable.
• Now, you have to go through the steps above to perform the same tasks on it (as you did on Phoenix Point’s launcher or executable) to run Epic Games Launcher too as an administrator.

The steps are summarized in the instructions below.

• You will have to bring up the program’s Properties window, go to the Compatibility tab, enable the Run this program as an administrator parameter, and then save the changes you made to the application launch configuration.
• Now, you must run Epic Games Launcher. After this program’s elevated window comes up, you have to open Phoenix Point.

Now, both the game client application and the game itself will get administrative rights or privileges.

• Play the game for as long as necessary to see if things get better.

2. Disable or terminate unnecessary programs:

The fix here applies to all categories of users (regardless of the computer’s specifications or capabilities). Even if your machine is powerful enough to run Phoenix Point without issues – assuming your device’s components meet the game demands stated on the minimum or recommended system requirements list – you must put down all other active applications (and leave only the game app to run).

You must make the needed changes to ensure that Phoenix Point does not compete with other programs for resources, which are sometimes scarce. Even if the resources are plentiful and sufficient for every utility to get a decent share, you will still do well to terminate other applications – because their processes or components might come into conflict with those used by Phoenix Point. You just cannot afford to take risks.

You must do all that’s necessary to improve the performance outcomes for Phoenix Point. These instructions cover what you must do in the Task Manager application:

• First, you have to open the Task Manager application by right-clicking on the taskbar (close to the bottom of your display) to see the available context menu and then choosing Task Manager.

If that procedure fails for any reason, then you must use the Ctrl + Shift + Escape keyboard shortcut, which probably provides the fastest means of opening the Task Manager app.

• Once the Task Manager window comes up on your screen, you have to click on More details – if this step applies.
• Assuming you are now on the main Task Manager window (under the Processes tab), you must go through the list there to identify the active applications that must be terminated.
• To put down an app, you have to click on it (to get it highlighted) and then click on the End task button (close to the bottom-right corner of the window) that recently appeared.

Windows will terminate proceedings or operations for the selected application or process almost immediately.

• If you find other active applications (which you do not need to be running), then you have to perform the same task on them (to put them down).

Ideally, you should repeat the End Task operation on as many apps as possible or necessary. This way, you get to maximize the chances of Phoenix Point running and staying up without issues.

• Once you finish terminating all the unnecessary apps, you have to close the Task Manager window.
• Now, you must run Phoenix Point to test things.

3. Verify the game files for Phoenix Point:

Here, we are considering the possibility that Phoenix Point crashes have something to do with the game files being corrupted, broken, or unusable. Something might have altered or modified the packages that the game application reads and employs to perform certain tasks. Or some important files might have been deleted – and you probably know nothing about how they got removed.

Well, the possibilities are endless if we are to go by specific events that might have happened (or did not happen). Since you probably run Phoenix Point from Epic Games Launcher – which seems to be the most popular game client application for this particular title – you have to use the verification function there designed to check for issues with the game files and resolve problems with them (where applicable).

When you instruct Epic Games Launcher to verify the game files (for a specific title installed on its platform), the client app runs checks on the relevant files and packages to see what state they are in or see if they have been changed. If discrepancies or inconsistencies are detected – if Epic Games Launcher notices that an item is missing – then the parent app will download normal (or standard) copies of the same packages, which will then replace the bad stuff (modified or altered files or packages).

Anyway, these are the instructions you must follow to verify the game files for Phoenix Point in Epic Games Launcher:

• First, you have to open the Epic Games Launcher application by clicking on the program shortcut (which is likely to be on your desktop).

Otherwise – if the application shortcut is missing – you have to use the Windows button + letter S keyboard shortcut to access the Search function (on the Windows Start menu screen), search for Epic Games Launcher in the text box provided, and then select the correct entry from the results displayed.

• Assuming you are now on the Epic Games Launcher window, you have to click on Library (one of the items on the list close to the top-left corner of the window).
• Click on Phoenix Point (to select it) – if this step applies.
• Now, you must go to the area close to the right border of the window and then click on the Settings icon.
• Assuming you are now on the Settings screen, you have to click on VERIFY.

Epic Games Launcher will now initiate the verification process for the troubled game.

• You might want to pay attention to the processes to see if things go well.
• After everything is done, you have to run Phoenix Point to see how the game plays now.

If the game continues to crash, then you have to close the Epic Games Launcher app, restart your PC, and then run Phoenix Point to test things again.

4. Update your graphics card driver; update the drivers for components in your machine:

When it comes to operations for games – which are made of numerous graphical processes – the graphics card is the single most important component in a machine because it can make or break a game. In other words, gaming performance at most levels is strongly dependent on the graphics card. The graphics card is a physical component, so its software (the program that controls it or one that manages and handles its tasks) is what is of interest to us here.

The described software is the driver. Therefore, from previous statements, we can extrapolate that the graphics card driver plays an important role in gaming events or activities. In fact, the vast majority of game crashes – when they have nothing to do with bugs or inconsistencies in the program – are down to issues with the graphics card driver.

Games are known to crash or struggle when the graphics card driver operating on a computer is faulty, broken, or simply malfunctioning. Here, we are considering the possibility that Phoenix Point is crashing because something is wrong with the driver for your graphics card. To this end, you have to fix the issue with the driver by installing a new driver version.

By installing a new graphics card driver version, you get to introduce new code and settings. The resulting operations induce changes to eliminate inconsistencies in the driver setup – and this is an excellent outcome for Phoenix Point and other games. Moreover, new driver versions tend to deliver improvements in graphics capabilities and functions, so your graphics card (in any case) is likely to perform better after you install updates for it.

We will first walk you through the update procedure for drivers involving the automatic update function (built into Windows) to see where it gets you. Follow these instructions to install a new graphics card driver:

• Right-click on the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your display to see the applications and options that constitute the Power User menu. Select Device Manager.

The Device Manager window will be brought up now.

• Now, you must carefully go through the list of driver categories on the Device Manager window while checking for the Display Adapters category, which houses graphics device drivers.
• Click on the expansion icon for Display Adapter.

The category will be expanded to show its contents.

• Locate the graphics device that you intend to update, click on it (to get it highlighted), and then right-click on it to see the available context menu.
• From the options list displayed, you must select Update Driver.

Your computer will now bring up a window where you must select an option to specify how Windows must go about the driver search task.

• Click on the first option on the dialog (Search automatically for updated driver software).

You are looking to update your graphics card driver automatically, after all – and that option is one that provides you with the means of doing precisely that.

Windows will now work to search for driver updates for your graphics card. It will use your internet connection to get in touch with the necessary servers and centers to see if they have anything that your computer is yet to run and install.

If your system finds a new driver version, then you will know about it. Windows will let you watch or observe proceedings while it downloads and installs the necessary software. Your computer will also inform you when everything is done.

• If things go as planned after your computer finds a new driver version for your graphics card, then you will have to restart your computer to round up the installation operation.
• For one, you can either click on the Restart button on the Reboot prompt (that Windows is supposed to bring up for such purposes).
• For another – if you do not want to restart now for any reason – you can ignore the Reboot prompt and then initiate the restart operation on your own later (using the Restart option accessed from the Power menu in the bottom-left corner of the Windows Start screen).
• After the reboot operation – which ensures that the new driver is now working as it is supposed to – you have to run Phoenix Point to confirm that the game is now stable.

If the crashes persist even after you got Windows to install a new driver version for your graphics card – or if the driver update operation involving the automatic update function failed for any reason – then you have to get Auslogics Driver Updater and use this program to resolve all the driver issues plaguing your computer. With the recommended application, you can easily install updates for all the drivers on your computer, never mind just the driver for your graphics card.

The app will initiate a comprehensive scan to identify or detect broken, corrupted, and outdated drivers on your computer. After the identification phase is complete, it will proceed to the main task where it gets to search for, download, and install the newest stable driver versions, which will serve as replacements for the bad software. This way, new settings and code come in to eliminate inconsistencies and fix other problems affecting the devices in your machine – and nothing gets left out.

In any case, once the recommended application finishes its work with the drivers, you have to restart your computer to ensure that Windows takes all the changes that occurred into account (and the relevant fixes come into effect). After the reboot, you will then have to run Phoenix Point and try to play the game for as long as you can to see if it now holds up (and fails to crash).

5. Reinstall Phoenix Point:

At this point, if you are still struggling with Phoenix Point crashes, then you have to consider the possibility that the game is permanently broken on your computer. If our assumptions about the game being permanently broken hold true, then only a reinstallation operation for the game application will do enough to induce changes to get rid of the inconsistencies that are causing the game to crash.

Moreover, a good number of users reported that they got Phoenix Point to run for longer (or become stable) on their computers by reinstalling the game application. It seems the reinstallation process improves the stability outcomes for the game in most scenarios. To reinstall Phoenix Point, you have to uninstall or remove the game application from your computer completely, restart your PC, and then download and install the game again.

Most users run Phoenix Point from Epic Games Launcher, which is a popular game distribution platform or game client application. We also know that some people run Phoenix Point as a universal application in Windows because they got the game from the Microsoft Store. We intend to describe the reinstallation procedure for Phoenix Point for both categories of gamers.

If you usually run Phoenix Point from Epic Games Launcher, then these are the instructions you must follow to reinstall the game:

• First, you have to open the Epic Games Launcher app by clicking on the program shortcut (which is probably on your desktop).

Otherwise – if the app shortcut is missing – you have to use the Windows button + letter S keyboard shortcut to access the Search function (on the Windows Start menu screen), search for Epic Games Launcher in the text box provided, and then select the correct entry from the results that appear.

• Once the Epic Games Launcher window comes up, you have to click on Library (to see the games you own or installed on the platform).
• Click on Phoenix Point to get it highlighted – if this step applies.
• Now, you must look to the pane close to the right border of the window and then click on the Settings icon.
• From the list of options that appear, you have to click on Uninstall.
• You might have to click on the Uninstall button on a small window or dialog – if Epic Games Launcher brings up a prompt to get some form of confirmation for the uninstallation operation for Phoenix Point.

Epic Games Launcher is now supposed to work to remove Phoenix Point from your computer.

• Once the game client application finishes removing the game, you have to close the app and then restart your computer.
• After the reboot, you have to open the Epic Games Launcher app, check the store there, and then download and install Phoenix Point.

If the game ends up being unplayable again due to the frequent crashes, then you have to move on to the next fix.

If you run Phoenix Point as a universal application in Windows, then you have to uninstall it through the standard uninstallation procedure for Microsoft apps initiated from the Apps screen in Settings. In that case, these are the steps you must go through to do the job here:

• First, you have to open the Settings application. See the next set of steps below.
• Give the Windows logo button on your machine’s keyboard a tap to see the objects or items that make up the Windows Start Menu screen (or click on the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your display for the same outcome).
• Click on the Setting icon (close to the bottom-left corner of the window).

The Settings application window will come up now.

• Check the items on the main Settings menu or screen. Click on Apps to continue.
• Assuming you are now on the Apps menu, you must go through the list of applications displayed close to the right border of the window.
• Locate Phoenix Point, click on it (to get it highlighted), and then click on the Uninstall button (that showed up only recently).
• You will now have to click on the Reset button on a small dialog or window – since Windows is likely to bring up a prompt to get some form of confirmation for the uninstallation task for Phoenix Point.

Windows will now work to get rid of Phoenix Point.

• Once your computer finishes removing the game, you have to close the Settings app (and other applications) and then restart your PC.
• After the reboot, you have to open the Microsoft Store app, search for Phoenix Point there, and then download and install the game again.
• Now, you have to run Phoenix Point to check and confirm that the game now plays for long without crashing (like before).

6. Reinstall the game launcher or client application:

The procedure we are about to describe applies only to users who obtained or installed Phoenix Point on a game client application, such as the Epic Games Launcher app. If you got the game from the Microsoft Store – which means you probably run it as an independent application – then the fix here is not meant for you, or it simply cannot be used in your case.

Here, we are considering the possibility that Phoenix Point crashes have something to do with the game launcher or client application being broken permanently. And if the assumption here holds true, you will be able to fix things by reinstalling the game launcher or client application. The changes resulting from the reinstallation operation for the broken app are also your best bet towards resolving the problem.

First, before you act to remove the game launcher or client application, you will do well to uninstall all the games currently installed on its platform and also sign out of your account there. For one, you must remove Phoenix Point. We described steps on doing this in the previous procedure, so we believe you know how to go about the task here. Well, after you uninstall and then bring back the Epic Games Launcher application, you will have to install Phoenix Point again.

We also already described the standard reinstallation procedure for an application in Windows 10 when we provided the steps on removing Phoenix Point – if it exists as a universal application obtained from the Microsoft Store. You might want to scroll up a bit to see the instructions again – if you want to remove the Epic Gamers Launcher app through proceedings initiated from the Settings program.

Otherwise – if you want to uninstall Epic Games Launcher through the standard uninstallation procedure for legacy programs (that existed in older Windows versions) – then you have to get to the Programs and Features menu in Control Panel and start your work there. In that case, these are the steps you must follow:

• Do a right-click on the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your display (to see the Power User menu applications and options). Select Run.

Alternatively, you can open the Run app through the Windows logo button + letter R keyboard shortcut, which provides the fastest means of launching the program.

• Once the Run window shows up, you have to type the following code into the text box on it:
  appwiz.cpl
• To run the code, you must press the Enter button on your machine’s keyboard (or click on the OK button on the Run window for the same outcome).

You will be directed to the Programs and Features screen in Control Panel almost immediately.

• Carefully go through the list of applications while you check for Epic Games Launcher.
• Click on Epic Games Launcher (to get it highlighted), right-click on it to see the available options, and then choose Uninstall.

The uninstaller or uninstallation wizard window for Epic Games Launcher (the selected app) is supposed to come up now.

• You will probably have to click on another Uninstall button to proceed, or you might have to click on the Continue button on the window that comes up.
• You might also have to select some options or choose the parameters that define the uninstallation operation.

Ideally, you should go with the options that ensure that Epic Games Launcher gets removed from your computer completely (all its components, dependent utilities, and so on).

• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation task – if this step applies.
• Here, assuming your computer has finished removing Epic Games Launcher, you have to restart your PC to finish things.
• After the reboot, you must do what’s necessary to get Epic Games Launcher back on your computer.
• You have to fire up your web browser, search for Epic Games Launcher on Google, and then go to the official page for the game launcher or game client application.

Ideally, you should get the latest stable Epic Games Launcher build available. You will also do well to check and confirm that the version of the application designed for your OS version and build (64-bit Windows 10 or 32-bit Windows 10) is downloaded and installed.

• After you finish installing Epic Games Launcher, you have to run the application. You will then have to sign in using your account on the platform.
• Here, it is time you searched for, downloaded, and installed Phoenix Point.
• Once you finish installing the game, you have to run it to perform the relevant tests to see if the stability issues are now a nonfactor.

Other things you can try to resolve Phoenix Point crashes in Windows 10

If the previous procedures fail to do enough to resolve the issues that cause the Phoenix Point application to crash on your PC, then you have to try out the direct fixes to the problem and some workarounds on our final list of solutions.

7. Check for Windows updates:

If the Phoenix Point crashes have anything to do with bugs or inconsistencies in Windows code, then the operation here might do enough to deliver changes to make things right. We want you to initiate a manual check for Windows updates (even if you are sure that your computer has all the necessary updates). You must then download and install everything that has been released for your PC or system configuration.

8. Use low or less demanding settings for the game:

You can improve the performance outcomes for the game – which might translate into a reduction in the frequency of crashes – by using low or less demanding settings to run Phoenix Point. Yes, we want you to run the game using a configuration considerably lower than the one your computer is capable of supporting. Well, if the game becomes stable, you will now not mind sacrificing some graphical effects in the long run.

9. Configure your computer to use only the dedicated or discrete graphics card to run Phoenix Point.

10. Enable the high-performance power plan.