MAN-001 Fortnite

ESP-MAN-001 / Out of Video Memory - Fortnite PC Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 4 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Lower your in-game 3D resolution to 75% or less and update your graphics driver to resolve the "Out of Video Memory" error with code ESP-MAN-001.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The ESP-MAN-001 error code in Fortnite indicates a failure in the Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) ESP (Extensible Security Protocol) module during the game's initialization phase. This failure is typically triggered by a subsequent, critical DirectX 12 rendering error: "Out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource." The system exhausts the dedicated memory (VRAM) on the graphics processing unit (GPU) before the game completes its startup sequence. This error affects the Windows PC version of Fortnite, particularly following major game engine updates or graphics driver releases. It is a common occurrence on systems with GPUs at or near the minimum required VRAM specification. The severity is game-breaking, as it prevents the application from launching entirely. The exact error messages presented are "ESP-MAN-001" and "out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource. Make sure your video card has the minimum required memory, try lowering the resolution and/or closing other applications that are running."

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application fails to progress beyond the initial launch sequence. The Fortnite process starts, followed immediately by a window displaying the error code "ESP-MAN-001." After dismissing this window, a second dialog box appears with the detailed "out of video memory" message. The application then terminates completely, returning the user to the desktop or the Epic Games Launcher. No gameplay screen or main menu loads. The error occurs consistently on every launch attempt, regardless of system uptime. Task Manager confirms the Fortnite process terminates after these error dialogs appear.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The game's graphics settings, particularly 3D Resolution and View Distance, are configured to values that exceed the available GPU VRAM. This forces the DirectX 12 renderer to attempt allocations larger than the physical memory pool. Why this causes the problem: The allocation failure occurs during the creation of initial rendering resources, which happens before the user can access the settings menu to make adjustments. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: The installed GPU does not meet the updated minimum VRAM requirements for the current version of Fortnite, or the VRAM is physically degraded. Why this causes the problem: The game engine assumes a certain memory budget is available. If the physical hardware provides less, essential textures and meshes cannot be loaded. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible graphics device drivers contain memory management bugs or lack optimizations for the current Fortnite build. Why this causes the problem: The driver is responsible for managing VRAM allocation between applications and the operating system. A faulty driver misreports available memory or fails to free temporary allocations. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The Windows Page File (virtual memory) is disabled or set to an insufficient maximum size on the system drive. Why this causes the problem: When system RAM and VRAM are pressured, Windows uses the page file for overflow. If unavailable, memory allocation requests fail catastrophically. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Background applications with overlay hooks or screen capture functionality (e.g., Discord Overlay, Xbox Game Bar, recording software) reserve a portion of VRAM for their operations. Why this causes the problem: These reservations reduce the pool of VRAM available to Fortnite, pushing it under the required threshold during startup. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A corrupted local game configuration file retains invalid or excessively high graphics settings from a previous session. Why this causes the problem: The game reads these corrupted settings on launch and attempts to apply them, triggering the memory allocation error before the default settings can be restored.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Reset Graphics Settings via GameUserSettings.ini

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Ensure the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite are fully closed.
Navigate to the Fortnite configuration directory: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Locate the file named GameUserSettings.ini.
Create a backup of this file by copying it to your desktop.
Delete the original GameUserSettings.ini file from the WindowsClient folder.
Launch Fortnite from the Epic Games Launcher. The game will generate a new configuration file with default, safe graphics settings.

Technical Explanation: This procedure forces the game to rebuild its configuration from scratch, reverting all graphics settings—including 3D Resolution and Texture quality—to conservative defaults that are guaranteed to fit within minimal VRAM constraints. Verification: Fortnite launches without displaying the ESP-MAN-001 or out-of-memory errors and loads to the main menu. New GameUserSettings.ini files are created in the configuration directory.

Solution 2: Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection Steps:

Identify your GPU model by pressing Win + R, typing dxdiag, and navigating to the "Display" tab.
Based on your GPU, navigate to the manufacturer's website: NVIDIA (www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx), AMD (www.amd.com/en/support), or Intel (www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download-center/home.html).
Download the latest WHQL-certified Game Ready or Adrenalin driver for your specific GPU model and Windows version (e.g., Windows 10 64-bit).
Before installation, run the downloaded installer and select the Custom (Advanced) install option.
Check the box for Perform a clean installation. This ensures complete removal of previous driver settings and files.
Complete the installation and restart your computer when prompted.

Technical Explanation: A clean installation replaces all driver components and associated software frameworks (like NVIDIA's PhysX or AMD's HDMI Audio Driver), eliminating corrupted files and applying the latest memory management and game compatibility patches. Verification: After reboot, verify the driver version in dxdiag matches the newly installed version. Launch Fortnite to test for the error.

Solution 3: Manually Configure Conservative Graphics Settings

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 7 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Solution 1 must be attempted first to generate a fresh .ini file. Steps:

Follow Steps 1-3 from Solution 1 to locate the GameUserSettings.ini file.
Right-click the file and open it with Notepad.
Find the [ScalabilityGroups] section and ensure the values are set to the following:

` sg.ResolutionQuality=75.000000 sg.ViewDistanceQuality=0 sg.AntiAliasingQuality=0 sg.ShadowQuality=0 sg.GlobalIlluminationQuality=0 sg.ReflectionQuality=0 sg.PostProcessQuality=0 sg.TextureQuality=0 sg.EffectsQuality=0 sg.FoliageQuality=0 sg.ShadingQuality=0 `

Find the [/Script/FortniteGame.FortGameUserSettings] section and ensure these lines are present:

` bUseVSync=False FrameRateLimit=60.000000 `

Save the file, right-click it, select Properties, and check the Read-only attribute to prevent the game from overwriting these settings on launch.
Launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: This manually enforces low-detail settings, with the critical sg.ResolutionQuality=75 reducing render target sizes, drastically decreasing VRAM consumption during the initial load sequence. Verification: The game launches successfully. You can later uncheck "Read-only" and cautiously adjust settings upward within the game's menu while monitoring performance.

Solution 4: Disable Conflicting Software and Overlays

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Under the "Processes" tab, end tasks for the following common applications:

* Discord (or disable its in-game overlay in Discord Settings > Overlay) * Xbox Game Bar (disable via Windows Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar) * Overwolf or any game recording/streaming software (e.g., OBS, ShadowPlay, Radeon ReLive) * MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner Statistics Server

Launch Fortnite exclusively through the Epic Games Launcher with no other applications running.

Technical Explanation: Third-party overlays and capture software inject themselves into the game's rendering pipeline, reserving VRAM for their frame buffers and hooks. Terminating them frees this reserved memory for the game's exclusive use. Verification: Fortnite launches without error. You can systematically re-enable applications to identify the specific conflict.

Solution 5: Verify and Configure Windows Page File

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access Steps:

Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter. Go to the Advanced tab.
Under "Performance," click Settings. Navigate to the Advanced tab in the new window.
Under "Virtual memory," click Change....
Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
Select your system drive (usually C:), select Custom size, and set:

* Initial size (MB): 4096 * Maximum size (MB): 8192

Click Set, then OK. Restart your computer when prompted.

Technical Explanation: The page file acts as overflow for system memory management. A sufficient, manually sized page file provides a reliable fallback for memory operations that involve both system RAM and GPU memory, preventing allocation failures. Verification: After reboot, the system operates normally. Combined with other solutions, this provides a more stable memory foundation for launching the game.

Solution 6: Perform a Clean Fortnite Reinstall

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 30-60 minutes (depending on bandwidth) Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Epic Games account, stable internet connection Steps:

Open the Epic Games Launcher and navigate to your Library.
Locate Fortnite, click the three dots (...) below the game tile, and select Uninstall.
Confirm the uninstallation and wait for the process to complete.
Navigate to the game's default installation directory C:\Program Files\Epic Games and delete any remaining Fortnite folder.
Also delete the configuration folder at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame.
Restart your computer.
Open the Epic Games Launcher, go to your Library, and click Install on Fortnite. Choose the default installation location.

Technical Explanation: This removes all local game files, including potentially corrupted game binaries, shader caches, and configuration data. A fresh install ensures all files match the current version on Epic's servers without legacy conflicts. Verification: A new installation completes successfully. Upon first launch, the game will compile shaders and create fresh config files, typically resolving corruption-induced errors.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain graphics drivers by checking for updates monthly or before major game seasons. Use the "Clean Installation" option during driver updates. Regularly review and manage auto-starting applications in Task Manager > Startup to minimize background software conflicts. Monitor GPU VRAM usage via tools like Task Manager's Performance tab to establish a baseline for your hardware. Avoid manually editing configuration files unless necessary, and always create backups before doing so. Set in-game graphics presets to "Low" or "Medium" as a stable baseline before making incremental quality increases.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and your GPU meets the minimum published system requirements (4GB VRAM). Before contacting, gather the following diagnostic information: the FortniteGame.log and EasyAntiCheat_launcher.log files from C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs, and a DxDiag report (run dxdiag and click "Save All Information"). Provide the exact error codes and a summary of steps already performed. Official support channels are accessed via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help.