Table of contents

Path of Exile (POE) is easily one of the best ARPGs (an acronym for Action Role-Playing Game) out there, but the game application is far from perfect. We know you are here because the game keeps crashing. You are hardly the only user who constantly has to deal with the game app going down frequently. There are many user reports on this particular problem online.

In this guide, we intend to show you how to resolve constant game crashing in Windows 10. However, before you begin with the troubleshooting operations, you might want to run some checks to confirm that your computer is up to the task of running Path of Exile (without complications). See the lists below.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR PATH OF EXILE

  • CPU: Info
  • CPU SPEED: x86-compatible 2.6GHz or better
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • OS: Windows XP SP3/Windows 7 SP1/Windows 8
  • VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 650 Ti or ATI Radeon™ HD 7850 or better
  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
  • FREE DISK SPACE: 20 GB
  • DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 1024 MB
  • CPU: Info
  • CPU SPEED: x64-compatible, quad-core, 3.2GHz or better
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • OS: Windows 7 SP1/Windows 10
  • VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti or ATI Radeon™ RX560 or better
  • PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
  • VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
  • FREE DISK SPACE: 20 GB
  • DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2048 MB

If you plan to run POE on basic or regular settings, then you must ensure that your computer specs meet the minimum system requirements for the game. Nevertheless, even if your machine’s capabilities fall short, you might be able to get away with running the game on low settings.

On the other hand, if you intend to play Path of Exile using top-level or high settings, then you have to go through the recommended system requirements for the game. You have to check the values for the relevant parameters carefully. You must then compare those values to the ones for your computer components. If your device capabilities do not match up, then you have to go with lower settings.

In general, you are better off using low settings for a game (or the settings supported by your device). You get to avoid performance issues by placing less burden on your computer resources. In fact, a good number of solutions we are about to describe are focused on improving the performance outcomes for the game – since performance improvements tend to translate into a reduction in crashes.

Therefore, if you can force through improvements in performance outcomes by configuring Path of Exile to run using lower settings, you have to take your chances with the proposed changes to see if things get better.

If you cannot bring yourself to compromise on the video quality for the game, then you have less room to maneuver. You must try the solutions to the crashes in this guide.

If the problem persists – even after you make the necessary changes to the game settings to force the game to run using lower values for the parameters that matter – then you have to use the solutions in this guide. Let’s go.

How to fix ‘Path of Exile keeps crashing’ in Windows 10

You are free to attempt the procedures randomly, but we recommend you try them out in the order we listed them below.

  1. Verify the integrity of the game files for Path of Exile:

There is a good chance Path of Exile is struggling to stay up because its components or packages are corrupted or broken. Games generally crash when they have to read or write data from damaged files. Well, we want you to verify the integrity of the game files to fix things pertaining to POE’s components or packages.

When you instruct Steam to verify the integrity of the game files for a specific title, the client application runs checks on the files the game uses. When Steam detects irregularities or discrepancies in the components or packages, it works to replace the corrupted or broken items with the healthy copies (containing the same data). Well, Steam will use your internet connection to go online and compare the game files on your computer to standard copies of the same thing stored on the relevant servers.

Anyway, these are the instructions you must follow to verify the game files for Path of Exile:

  • First, you have to open Steam.

You can launch Steam by clicking on its icon on your taskbar (or double-clicking on the Steam shortcut on your desktop screen).

  • Once the Steam window comes up, you have to click on LIBRARY.
  • Go through your list of games, locate Path of Exile, and then do a right-click on it to see the list of available options.
  • Select Properties.

The Properties window for Path of Exile in Steam will come up now.

  • Click on the LOCAL FILES tab (to go there). Click on the VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES… button.

Steam will now initiate the verification process for Path of Exile files.

  • You can watch the proceedings on your screen. Wait for the process to finish.
  • Close Steam and its dependent components or services.

You might have to check the Task Manager app to confirm things and do some work there to put down anything related to Steam that is running.

  • Now, you must open Steam and then run Path of Exile.
  • Try to play Path of Exile for as long as possible to see if the game stays up.

  1. Change the Networking mode:

Some users reported that the Path of Exile application on their computers stopped going down with crashes after they set the Networking mode to predictive. We want you to try the same fix. The procedure is as harmless as it gets, so you have nothing to lose. You have everything to gain instead – if the procedure ends up doing enough to stop the crashes.

Do this:

  • First, you have to open Steam and then launch Path of Exile. Do not play the game.
  • Assuming you are currently on the Log-in screen, you have to click on Options.
  • Now, you must go to UI.
  • Locate the Networking mode parameter. Click on its menu. Select Predictive.
  • Leave the Options pane.
  • Play Path of Exile for as long as you need to find out if the fix worked.

  1. Run Path of Exile as an administrator:

Here, we are considering the possibility that Path of Exile is crashing because the game application or process cannot execute certain operations. For example, the game app might be unable to access a folder or make changes to a file. If our assumption holds true in your case, things will get better once you run Path of Exile as an administrator. The game app will be able to do all it needs to (without restrictions or interruptions).

Typically, when you run an application as an admin, Windows gets specific instructions to provide the app with administrative rights, which it then uses to perform top-level tasks or execute advanced operations. Users are generally advised to run only applications that they trust as an administrator. We believe the Path of Exile application on your computer is a regular game app (and not a malicious program), so you are good to go.

[adsbygoogle_content]

These are the instructions you must follow to run Path of Exile as an administrator:

  • First, you have to locate the Path of Exile executable (the primary executable used to launch the game).

On most computers, the file exists as PathOfExileSteam.exe, so you might want to run a search task using that filename as the query.

Otherwise, you have to go through the steps below to locate the Path of Exile executable:

  • Open Path of Exile as you normally do. Do not play the game. You need to avoid crashes.
  • Minimize the game window.
  • Now, you must open the Task Manager app by right-clicking on your taskbar to see the available context menu and then selecting Task Manager.
  • Assuming the Task Manager window is now on your screen, you have to click on the Processes tab (to go there).
  • Locate Path of Exile (from the list of active apps), click on it to get it highlighted, and then do a right-click on it to see the available context menu.
  • From the list of options that show up, you have to select Open file location.

You will be directed to a specific location (for the POE installation) in a File Explorer window. The PathOfExileSteam.exe file will be highlighted (by default).

  • Right-click on the PathOfExileSteam.exe file to see the available context menu and then select Properties.

The Properties window for the chosen PathOfExileSteam.exe file will be displayed now.

  • Click on the Compatibility tab (to head there).
  • Click on the box for Run this program as an administrator (to select this parameter).
  • Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button to save the new launch configuration for Path of Exile.
  • Close Path of Exile. Reopen the game.
  • Now, you have to play the game to see if it crashes like before.

If the Path of Exile crashing issue persists, then you will do well to restart your PC, run POE again, and then play the game to see how things turn out this time.

  1. Alter the in-game settings:

Some users got Path of Exile to stop crashing on their computers by doing away with certain functions in the game settings. It seems the stability outcomes for POE improve when the game does not have to run using certain parameters (Engine Multithreading and VSync). We want you to make the same (projected) changes to the settings for the game on your computer.

If you are willing to sacrifice a bit of gameplay quality for a reduction in crashes, then you will have no issues with the effects of the proposed fix. Anyway, these instructions cover almost everything we want you to do here:

  • First, you have to open Path of Exile. Do not even try to play the game now.
  • From the Log-in screen, you have to click on Options.
  • Assuming you are now on the Graphics tab (the default tab under Options), you have to locate Engine Multithreading and then click on the box beside it to disable it.
  • You must also click on the box for VSync to disable this parameter too.
  • Leave the Options screen.
  • Try to play Path of Exile now to see how the game holds up.

If the game continues to crash, then we advise that you disable other functions (especially those similar to Engine Multithreading or Vsync), leave the Options screen, and then run Path of Exile to test things again.

  1. Update your graphics card drivers; update the drivers for other components:

The crashing issue affecting Path of Exile might be down to your computer using broken or malfunctioning graphics card drivers. The drivers for your graphics card play an important role in the processes that define your games. They assist in image display and video rendering operations.

By definition, a driver is a program that handles interactions between hardware devices (physical parts) and software (code or programs). Therefore, your graphics card driver is responsible for the links between your GPU and applications that use the graphics card (or even Windows itself). Surely, you now see why problems affecting the drivers might translate into serious issues.

Games are quite dependent on graphical operations being executed properly. Therefore, your game is likely to crash when your GPU struggles with graphics tasks. If our assumptions about something being wrong with your graphics card hold true, then your graphics card is probably old (and showing its age) or corrupted. To resolve the problem, you have to install a new version of the graphics driver.

First, we will walk you through the driver update process involving the automatic update function built into Windows. If things do not work out for any reason, we will propose an alternative path through which you get to install the needed driver (new version).

Follow these instructions to install a new driver for your graphics card through the automatic update function for drivers in Windows:

  • Press (and hold down) the Windows logo button on your machine’s keyboard and then give the letter X key a tap to see the programs and options that constitute the Power User menu.
  • Click on Device Manager to launch this program.
  • Once the Device Manager window comes up, you have to go through the driver categories there carefully.
  • Once you find Display Adapters, you have to click on the expansion icon beside this category to force it open.
  • You are supposed to see two devices (one being the integrated unit and the other being the dedicated unit) – if your machine has a dedicated or discrete GPU. Otherwise, you will see only one device (the integrated unit) – if your PC lacks a dedicated graphics card.
  • Your computer probably uses the dedicated GPU to run Path of Exile – since it is the most capable or powerful graphics unit of the lot. Therefore, the driver for the dedicated graphics unit is the one of interest to us (and should be to you too). You will work to install a new driver version for that device.
  • Well, if your computer uses the integrated graphics card to run Path of Exile (and you are sure of it), then you have to work on the driver for the integrated unit instead. Or perhaps, you might be better off configuring your PC to run POE using the dedicated graphics card (if you have one) instead of the integrated unit, which is the weaker GPU of the lot. The game might actually stop crashing if you do this.
  • Locate the appropriate GPU device in your case, click on it to get it highlighted, and then do a right-click on it to see the available options.
  • Select Update driver.

Windows is now supposed to bring up a dialog to ask how you want to go about the driver update process.

  • Click on Search automatically for updated driver software (the first option). You are here to use the automatic function, after all.

Your computer will now act to use your internet connection to go online and search for new drivers. It will contact the necessary driver centers or servers. If it finds a new driver version for your GPU, then it will inform you about it. The new graphics card driver will be downloaded and installed automatically.

  • Follow the on-screen instructions to install the new driver – if this step applies.
  • Now, assuming your computer has finished installing the new driver, you can repeat the same driver update procedure for the integrated card (if you want to).

You will do well to install updates for both your integrated and dedicated graphics units to ensure all graphics driver problems get resolved.

  • After you finish installing the new drivers, you have to close all the applications you opened.
  • Restart your computer to allow Windows to take the changes resulting from the driver installation operations into account.
  • Here, assuming Windows is now up and running, you have to open Steam and then run Path of Exile.
  • Play POE for as long as you can to see if it stays up.


If Path of Exile continues to crash even after you installed updates for the needed driver – or if you could not get your computer to install a new driver version – then you have to try out a different driver update procedure. For the tasks ahead, you will need Auslogics Driver Updater. Download and run this app now.

The recommended application works this way: it initiates a scan to identify and gather information on the bad drivers (broken, malfunctioning, old or outdated, and broken drivers); after the identification phase is done, it proceeds to search for updates for the drivers; it then downloads and installs manufacturer-recommended driver versions as replacements for the bad drivers.

Well, with that program, you will not have to bother yourself with the monotonous, tedious, and complicated driver update tasks. The application will handle everything on your behalf. In fact, your computer will end up running new driver versions for almost all its components, and not just for your GPU devices. Well, nothing gets left out in the quest to resolve all driver problems – and this is the best outcome.

In any case, after you finish installing the new driver versions for the appropriate devices, you have to close all active programs and then restart your PC to finish things. Only after a reboot are the new drivers guaranteed to begin their work. At this point, you have to launch Steam and then open Path of Exile. Play the game and test things as you have always done.

  1. Increase the priority level for Path of Exile:

Path of Exile’s stability issues might be down to your computer failing to provide sufficient resources for its operations. Perhaps, other applications (or processes) are outcompeting POE, which means the game app ends up with limited juice to perform its tasks. Well, since getting Path of Exile to run well (and not crash) is the highest thing on your priority list, you have to find a way to redirect the scarce resources to the game process.

In other words, you must configure your computer to do what Path of Exile wants first before it attends to other programs. This way, the performance outcomes for the game are likely to improve – and those improvements should force through changes that will stop POE from crashing (like before).

Anyway, these are the instructions you must follow to raise the priority level for Path of Exile:

  • First, you have to launch Steam and then run Path of Exile. Minimize the windows (leave both applications running).
  • Now, you must launch the Task Manager app. You can get this application up through this popular keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Escape.
  • Click on the More details option – if the Task Manager window on your screen is the one with the limited view.
  • Assuming you now have the full Task Manager application window on your screen, you have to click on the Details tab (to go there).
  • Locate the active Path of Exile process, click on it to get it highlighted, and then do a right-click on it to see the available context menu.
  • From the list of options that show up, you have to select Set Priority and then choose Above normal.

Windows will now get specific instructions to always prioritize Path of Exile tasks over regular operations for other programs.

  • Now, you must close the Task Manager window. Go back to the Path of Exile window.
  • Play the game to see how long it holds up this time.

If the game continues to crash, you may want to go through the same process again and select an even higher priority level, which should be High. You will then have to play Path of Exile to see what effect the change you made has on it. If things do not improve, then you have to give up on the increase in priority level procedure as a fix. You must never select Realtime as the priority level. The Realtime priority level is known to cause issues for users.

Other things you can try to fix ‘POE randomly keeps crashing’ on a Windows 10 device

We know you came here to learn how to resolve the game crashes, so we are not letting you leave without a fix. If you are yet to resolve the problem, then you have to try out the solutions on our final list (below) in this guide.

  1. Disable all overclocking settings; uninstall all overclocking applications:

If you configured your computer’s components to function higher than their rated levels, then you have to reverse or undo the changes you made. There is not much point in you overclocking your machine to get more juice from it if you cannot enjoy the fruit of your labor due to the constant crashes.

Therefore, you have to do away with all overclocking attributes, be it settings or applications. If you overclocked your computer by altering some settings in its BIOS, then you have to return to the same menu to restore the old configuration.

  1. Close unnecessary applications:

You are looking to get Path of Exile to run and stay up, so you need to provide the game application with all the help it needs. You will do well to put down all applications that consume your computer resources when POE is running. You need your computer to direct all its capabilities to Path of Exile operations to get the best stability outcomes.

You will have to open the Task Manager application, check the items under the Processes tab to identify the active applications, and then use the End task option to terminate them. Ideally, you should put down all the programs you can do without while playing Path of Exile.

  1. Configure Path of Exile to run using only your dedicated GPU.

  1. Instruct your computer to use the High-performance power plan.