Confirm the PC meets Modern Warfare's current requirements, repair the game in Battle.net or Steam, then test with overlays, recording tools, input remappers, and known monitoring conflicts closed. Let shader preloading finish after the game opens. Do not delete game folders or disable Windows security protections as a first-line fix.
Launch Modern Warfare once and note whether it closes before the logo, during sign-in, or while loading the menu. Save the exact error text and time. Check Activision's listed PC requirements before changing Windows; hardware below the minimum is not a repairable software fault.
2
Repair the installed game files
In Battle.net, select Modern Warfare, choose the cog beside Play, then Scan and Repair > Begin Scan. In Steam, right-click the game, choose Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Wait for the launcher to finish before selecting Play.
3
Close known startup conflicts
Exit overlays, game recorders, third-party input remappers, and nonessential hardware-monitoring tools, then launch again. Activision specifically lists NZXT CAM, MSI Afterburner, and Razer Cortex as possible conflicts and recommends updating Razer Synapse when it is used.
4
Apply only the supported PC checks
Install the graphics driver version Activision currently recommends for the game and restart Windows if the installer requests it. If you previously disabled Windows Address Space Layout Randomization, restore it; do not disable ASLR or other Windows protections as a crash workaround.
5
Let shader preloading complete
When Modern Warfare reaches the main menu, stay there until shader preloading finishes. Leaving early can cause performance problems. Close the game normally and launch it a second time.
6
Verify two clean launches
The fix is confirmed when Modern Warfare reaches the online main menu twice without the same crash. Reopen background tools one at a time only after that baseline works so the conflicting app can be identified.
If it does not work
If the game starts only while one overlay or monitoring tool is closed, leave that tool disabled for Modern Warfare or update it; do not broadly end unrelated Windows processes.
If repair repeatedly reacquires files, record the launcher message and available disk space, then use the launcher's support route before manually deleting installation folders.
If a clean startup still fails, follow Activision's clean-boot procedure to isolate a service conflict and restore normal startup afterward.
If the same crash persists on a supported system, submit the exact error, crash time, launcher, Windows version, and DxDiag or crash report requested by Activision Support.
ⓘ Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Source-checked against current Activision crash and PC troubleshooting. No destructive clean installation was performed.
