Hearts of Iron IV (HOI4)keeps crashing on your PC? Don’t worry. After reading this article, you should be able to fix it.
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9 simple fixes to try:
You may not have to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Fix 1:Check your computer specs
Many players are reporting that Hearts of Iron 4 crashes on their PC, and sometimes this problem can be caused by your hardware. Here are the minimum system requirements to run HOI4:
Operating System : | Windows 7 64-bit or newer |
Processor: | Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66 GHz | AMD Athlon II X4 650 3.20 GHz |
RAM: | 4 GB |
Graphics Card | ATI Radeon HD 5850 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX470 with 1GB VRAM |
Hard Drive: | 2 GB |
Now compare. If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum specs, you’ll need to run the game on another PC. If you’re unfamiliar with your computer components, here is how to check:
1)On your keyboard, press theWindows logokey andRat the same time to invoke the Run dialog.

2)Typedxdiagand clickOK.

3)Check yourOperating System, Processor, MemoryandDirectX Version.

4)Click theDisplaytab, and then check your graphics card’s information.

If your computer meets the minimum requirements to run HOI4, read on and check the fix, below.
Fix 2:Restart your computer
Running multiple programs at the same time during gameplay is another common cause of game issues. Extraneous software not only take up resources and affect your game performance, but some of them may also conflict with Hearts of Iron IV, causing it to crash.Try restarting your PC to close unnecessary programs completely, then restart your game.
IfHOI4still crashes after the reboot, go ahead with the next fix.
Fix 3:Run your game as an Administrator
The Hearts of Irons crashing issue might happen when the program can’t access certain game files or folder under stander user mode. To fix it, try running Steam as an administrator, then launch your game from Steam. Follow the instructions below:
1)Exit Steam.
2)Right-click theSteam iconon your desktop and selectProperties.

3)Click theCompatibility taband check the box next toRun this program as an administrator. Then, clickOK.

4)Relaunch Steam andHearts of Irons 4.
If your problem still exists, then move on to the fix below.
Fix 4: Disable fullscreen optimization
If you’re on Windows 10, disabling fullscreen optimizations might be able to fix Hearts of Iron IV crashing issue. Here is how to do it:
This fix only apply to Windows 10. If you’re on Windows 7 or 8, check Fix 5 below.
1)Right-click theHearts of Iron IV icon on your desktop and selectProperties.

2)Click theCompatibility tab, then check the box next toDisable fullscreen optimizationsand clickOK.

Relaunch HOI4 to see if this has resolved your issue. If not, read on and try the fix below.
Fix 5:Update your graphics driver
Hearts of Irons IV crashing issues might occur if you’re using a faulty graphics driver, or it’s outdated. To keep your game running smoothly, it’s essential that you have the latest correct graphics driver at all times. There are two ways you can get the right graphics driver:
Option 1 – Manually– You’ll need some computer skills and patience to update your driver this way, because you need to find exactly the right the driver online, download it and install it step by step.
OR
Option 2 – Automatically (Recommended)– This is the quickest and easiest option. It’s all done with just a couple of mouse clicks – easy even if you’re a computer newbie.
Option 1 – Download and install the driver manually
The manufacturer of your graphics card keeps updating the driver. To get the latest graphics driver, you need to go to the manufacturer’s website, find the driver corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 32 bit) and download the driver manually.
Once you’ve downloaded the correct driver for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
Option 2 – Automatically update your graphics driver
If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update the graphics driver manually, you can do it automatically withDriver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct driver for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can update your driver automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks:
1)Downloadand install Driver Easy.
2)Run Driver Easy and click theScan Nowbutton. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click theUpdate buttonnext to the graphics driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
OrclickUpdate Allto automatically download and install the correct version ofallthe drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires thePro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)

You can do it for free if you like, but it’s partly manual.
Fix 6: Verify the integrity of your game files
If the crashing issues persist, it’s probable that Hearts of Irons IVis not properly installed on your PC, say, certain game files are missing or damaged. To fix it, try verifying the integrity of your game files on Steam. Here is how:
1)Run Steam.
2)ClickLIBRARY.
3)Right-clickHearts of Iron IVand selectProperties.

4)Click theLOCAL FILEStab, then clickVERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES.

Wait for the scans to be complete, then relaunch HOI4 to see if your problem has been resolved. If not, try the next fix.
Fix 7: Change your PC power settings
The power plan on all computers is set toBalancedby default to save more energy. When your CPU’s speed slows down automatically under Balanced mode, it can make Hearts of Iron IV crash. In this case, try changing your PC Power option to High Performance. Here is how:
1)On your keyboard, press theWindows logokey and typecontrol. Then, clickControl panel.

2)UnderView by,clickLarge icons.

3)SelectPower Options.

4)SelectHigh Performance.

Restart your computer and your game to see if this worked for you. If your problem persists, try the fix below.
Fix 8:Check for Windows Updates
Always ensure that your computer has all of the latest recommended Windows updates to keep your applications running smoothly. Here is how to do it:
1)On your keyboard, press theWindows logokey. Then, typewindows update and selectWindows Update settings.

2)ClickCheck for updates,and then wait for Windows to download and install the updates automatically.

3)Restart your computer and your game after the update is complete.
You can hopefully play the game without crashes now. If not, check the fix, below.
Fix 9: Reinstall your game and/or Steam
If none of the fixes above worked for you, reinstalling your game and/or Steam is very likely the solution to your problem. Here is how to do it:
Reinstall Hearts of Iron IV
1)Run Steam.
2)ClickLIBRARY.
3)Right-clickHearts of Iron IVand selectUninstall.

4)ClickDELETE.

5)Relaunch Steam to download and reinstallHearts of Iron IV.
Relaunch your game to test your issue.
Reinstall Steam
1)Right-click theSteam iconand selectOpen file location.

2)Right-click thesteamappsfolder and selectCopy. Then, place the copy in another location to back it up.

3)On your keyboard, press theWindows logokey and typecontrol. Then, clickControl Panel.

4)UnderView by, selectCategory.Then, selectUninstall a program.

5)Right-clickSteam, and then clickUninstall. Then, wait for the process to be complete.

6)Downloadand install Steam.
7)Right-click theSteam iconand selectOpen file location.

8)Move the backupsteamappsfolder you create before to your current directory location.

9)Restart Hearts of Iron IV to test your problem.
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Hopefully, this article helped in resolving your issue! If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.