Loading into a Fortnite match crashes my PC.

Izach 0 Reputation points
2026-03-25T21:27:35.7633333+00:00

Other games run fine. But whenever I try and load into a map, my whole setup crashes. During one troubleshooting crash, the text "Your computer ran into a problem and needs to restart" flashed on screen a couple of seconds. I'm not sure if this matters, but I did recently upgrade my graphics card.

And for clarity, I can boot the game and go thru all of the menus without issue.

Here is my system information.

Product Name: PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4

OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview 64-bit Ver.2009 (OS build 29553.1000)

BIOS Version: 1.K0

BIOS Release Date: 10/21/2024

CPU: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700KF

Memory: 128 GB @ 

                           - 32 GB DDR4-2132, Corsair CMK64GX4M2E3200C16

                           - 32 GB DDR4-2132, Corsair CMK64GX4M2E3200C16

                           - 32 GB DDR4-2132, Corsair CMK64GX4M2E3200C16

                           - 32 GB DDR4-2132, Corsair CMK64GX4M2E3200C16

Graphics: MSI RTX 5070 12G Series, 12227 MB

Drive: SSD, WD_BLACK SN750 SE 1TB, 931.51 GB

Drive: HDD, ST6000VX001-2BD186, 5589.03 GB

Network: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX211 160MHz

Network: Intel(R) Ethernet Controller (3) I225-V #2

Power Plan: GUID: f4c6c1ad-6b5d-42ca-bd06-ac37044f129e (Ultimate Performance)

Please find attached my system event log.

I have tried lowering my graphics settings in hopes I could get the game to a least load me in with no avail

I have verified my game file integrity twice without issue. I have also ran the windows file scan and no corrupted files were found.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled both Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher.

I have updated my graphics card to the latest hotfix as new as today (3/25).

Please advise. Thank you.

Izach

Windows Insider program | Apps on Insider preview

4 answers

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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-25T21:27:54.8733333+00:00

    The behavior described matches a Windows stop code (blue screen) that only appears when loading into Fortnite, while other games work fine. This points to a game‑specific driver or compatibility issue rather than general hardware failure.

    Since the system is on Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview (build 29553.1000) and Fortnite uses Easy Anti‑Cheat, there is a known incompatibility between Windows 11, version 24H2 and some Easy Anti‑Cheat drivers that can cause MEMORY_MANAGEMENT blue screens on devices with Intel Alder Lake CPUs, which matches the 12th Gen Intel Core i7‑12700KF.

    Follow these steps in order:

    1. Check the stop code from the crash
      • After the next crash, note the stop code at the bottom of the blue screen (for example, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT).
      • If Windows restarts too quickly, check the log:
        • Press Win + X → Event Viewer.
        • Go to Windows Logs → System and look for BugCheck or critical errors at the time of the crash.
    2. Apply basic Windows 11 blue‑screen troubleshooting Use the standard steps for repeated stop code errors:
      1. Remove any recently added hardware (if any besides the GPU upgrade).
      2. Boot into Safe Mode and confirm the system is stable there:
      3. In normal boot, open Device Manager and update or temporarily disable devices with a yellow exclamation mark, especially display, system, and network devices.
      4. Ensure there is sufficient free space on the system SSD (ideally 10–15% free).
      5. Install all available Windows Update items for the Insider build:
        • Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
    3. Address the Easy Anti‑Cheat / Windows 11 24H2 compatibility issue
      • Microsoft has documented an incompatibility between Windows 11, version 24H2 and Easy Anti‑Cheat that can cause blue screens with MEMORY_MANAGEMENT on Intel Alder Lake+ with vPro.
      • Most affected systems use Easy Anti‑Cheat drivers released before April 2024.
      • Actions:
        • Ensure Fortnite and Easy Anti‑Cheat are fully updated from within the Epic Games Launcher.
        • If the stop code is MEMORY_MANAGEMENT and crashes only occur when Easy Anti‑Cheat loads (entering a match), this is likely the same class of issue.
        • If possible, temporarily test on a non‑Insider, released build of Windows 11 (e.g., 23H2) on a separate drive or after a backup, to see if the issue disappears. Insider builds can expose compatibility problems that do not exist on stable releases.
    4. Update or roll back GPU‑related components
      • A brand‑new GPU plus Insider build plus Easy Anti‑Cheat increases the chance of driver conflicts.
      • In Device Manager → Display adapters → [MSI RTX 5070] → Properties → Driver:
        • Confirm the driver version matches the latest WHQL or hotfix recommended for Fortnite.
        • If crashes started exactly after a specific driver update, test by rolling back to the previous stable driver.
    5. If crashes persist across matches
      • If the same stop code repeats frequently despite the above, use the recovery options:
        • Settings → System → Recovery and choose a restore point or other recovery option that predates the issue, as described in Recovery options in Windows 11.
      • For deeper analysis, advanced users can follow the advanced troubleshooting steps for Windows blue screens referenced in the stop‑code article to analyze minidumps and identify the exact driver module.

    If the system is stable in all other workloads and only Fortnite triggers the blue screen, the most effective long‑term fix is typically:

    • Run a stable, non‑Insider Windows 11 release.
    • Keep GPU and Easy Anti‑Cheat/Fortnite fully updated.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Thomas Kerrinckx 0 Reputation points
    2026-03-27T18:10:35.27+00:00

    i had the same issue :

    "REFERENCE_BY_POINTER"** (code d'arrêt Windows 0x00000018)**

    Restored before last update and no more crash.

    z790 and 13900k.

    Was this answer helpful?

  3. DevelVitorF 5 Reputation points
    2026-03-29T10:00:10.3666667+00:00

    Well think i only the one heating the wall, but clearly, kernel library changes.

    Thats releated with EasyAntiCheat and DMA kernel secure system.

    My end of the dumpchk 032826-17953-01.dmp

    •                                                                         *

    •                    Bugcheck Analysis                                    *

    •                                                                         *

    REFERENCE_BY_POINTER (18)

    Arguments:

    Arg1: 0000000000000000, Object type of the object whose reference count is being lowered

    Arg2: ffffa43788097740, Object whose reference count is being lowered

    Arg3: 0000000000000002, Reserved

    Arg4: ffffffffffffffff, Reserved

        The reference count of an object is illegal for the current state of the object.

    Each time a driver uses a pointer to an object the driver calls a kernel routine

    to increment the reference count of the object. When the driver is done with the

    pointer the driver calls another kernel routine to decrement the reference count.

    Drivers must match calls to the increment and decrement routines. This BugCheck

    can occur because an object's reference count goes to zero while there are still

    open handles to the object, in which case the fourth parameter indicates the number

    of opened handles. It may also occur when the object's reference count drops below zero

    whether or not there are open handles to the object, and in that case the fourth parameter

    contains the actual value of the pointer references count.

    Debugging Details:

    *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for EasyAntiCheat_EOS.sys

    BUGCHECK_CODE: 18

    BUGCHECK_P1: 0

    BUGCHECK_P2: ffffa43788097740

    BUGCHECK_P3: 2

    BUGCHECK_P4: ffffffffffffffff

    PROCESS_NAME: System

    SYMBOL_NAME: EasyAntiCheat_EOS+2c67fb

    MODULE_NAME: EasyAntiCheat_EOS

    IMAGE_NAME: EasyAntiCheat_EOS.sys

    FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: 0x18_OVER_DEREFERENCE_EasyAntiCheat_EOS!unknown_function

    FAILURE_ID_HASH: {0eb77321-e151-4133-7e68-a13d8e5edc75}

    Followup: MachineOwner

    You can find the dump files in C:\Windows\Minidump

    copy Minidump folder to C:\

    take Ownership and replace all child object permission entries last copied folder C:\Minidump

    Install debugging tools from windsdk https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2349110

    open powershell in the C:\Minidump folder

    <code>

    $sep = ";"

    $env:DEBUGGERS_PATH = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64"

    $env:Path = "$($env:DEBUGGERS_PATH)$($sep)$($env:PATH)"

    dumpchk file_name .dmp

    </code>

    change the file_name to one of your dmp files

    let dumpchk terminate reading the dump file.

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  4. CrazyKats 19,245 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-03-30T17:51:43.34+00:00

    Hi,

    Just to point out that if you're using

    EasyAntiCheat this is known to cause

    game issues in the past especially on

    Insider builds.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.

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