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ARC Raiders Freezing Entire PC - Complete Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-03 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-03 👥 Reports: 10 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

The most effective fix is to roll back or update your graphics driver to a stable version, specifically for AMD users to version 25.9.1, and perform a clean installation using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The ARC Raiders full-system freeze is a critical stability error where the game causes a complete halt of the PC's operating system. This is a hard lock-up, requiring a physical power cycle via the chassis power switch, as the system becomes unresponsive to keyboard inputs (including Ctrl+Alt+Del) and mouse commands. The error typically manifests during gameplay sessions, often within 10 minutes of entering the game world. It is a severe fault that indicates a deep conflict at the hardware or kernel-driver level, not a standard application crash. This issue primarily affects the Windows platform and has been observed across various game client versions, particularly following specific graphics driver updates. The error is characterized by the absence of a standard Windows error code, as the freeze occurs before the operating system's error handler can engage.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The game and entire operating system become completely non-responsive. All video and audio output freezes on a single frame, and the last played audio loop may persist. Input devices cease to function, with no response from the keyboard's Num Lock or Caps Lock indicators. The system does not recover and does not generate a crash dump or Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The only resolution is a forced shutdown by holding the physical power button or flipping the power supply's switch. This freeze consistently occurs during active gameplay in ARC Raiders, typically within a 10-minute window, and does not happen during menu navigation or idle periods.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solutions are ordered from the highest to the lowest probability of resolving the hard freeze issue.

Solution 1: Perform a Clean Graphics Driver Installation

Difficulty: Medium Time: 20 minutes Success Rate: High Steps: Why it works: DDU removes all remnants of previous driver installations, including registry entries and leftover files that can cause conflicts. A clean install ensures the game interacts with a pristine, stable driver stack, eliminating kernel-level conflicts that cause hard freezes.

Solution 2: Disable Conflicting Background Software

Difficulty: Easy Time: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps: Why it works: This creates a clean software environment for ARC Raiders to run, isolating the conflict to a specific piece of software that may be interfering with the game or its anti-cheat system at a low level.

Solution 3: Reset Hardware Overclocks and Update BIOS

Difficulty: Hard Time: 30 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps: Why it works: ARC Raiders may stress the system in a way that exposes marginal instability from an overclock. A BIOS update ensures optimal compatibility with your hardware and can resolve underlying microcode or power management issues.

Solution 4: Repair Windows System Files and Dependencies

Difficulty: Easy Time: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps: Why it works: sfc and DISM repair corrupted Windows core files that can cause system instability. Reinstalling runtime libraries ensures ARC Raiders has all required software components to function correctly.

Solution 5: Adjust Windows Power and Graphics Settings

Difficulty: Easy Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Steps: Why it works: This forces the system to use the maximum performance profile for the CPU and ensures the game runs on the dedicated GPU, preventing power-saving states that can sometimes cause instability under high load.

Solution 6: Perform a Clean Game Reinstall

Difficulty: Easy Time: 40 minutes (depending on bandwidth) Success Rate: Low Steps: Why it works: A clean reinstall removes any corrupted or modified game files, local configuration, or cached data that could be triggering the fatal error.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular driver update schedule, but wait 1-2 weeks after major GPU driver releases to confirm stability with your game library. Use a standard power profile for daily use and only enable aggressive hardware overclocks after rigorous stability testing with multiple stress-testing applications. Establish a quarterly maintenance routine: run sfc /scannow, update chipset drivers from your motherboard manufacturer, and clear temporary files using the Windows Disk Cleanup utility. Avoid installing unnecessary system utility software that runs at the kernel level.

SECTION 6: SUPPORT ESCALATION

If all solutions fail, contact official ARC Raiders support through the Embark Studios website. Before contacting support, gather the following diagnostic information: the exact version numbers of your graphics driver, Windows OS build, and ARC Raiders client. Provide a detailed system specification list (CPU, GPU, PSU model, RAM). Note the precise in-game actions preceding the freeze and any entries in the Windows Event Viewer (found under Windows Logs > System) from around the time of the crash.

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