Crash/Freeze Fortnite

Fortnite Crashes Once on Launch When Viewing Items - Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 1 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Clear the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite cache to resolve the one-time crash on launch when viewing locker or shop items.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The "application has hung" error in Fortnite is a fatal crash where the game process becomes unresponsive and terminates. This specific manifestation occurs exclusively on the Windows platform during the first game session after a system reboot. The error triggers when accessing graphical inventory interfaces, specifically the Locker or Item Shop previews. It is classified as a common issue with a high severity impact, as it prevents gameplay until the crash completes and the game is restarted. The error is consistent and reproducible across multiple game client versions following the Chapter 5, Season 2 update. The primary error message is the Windows-native "Fortnite has stopped working" dialog with the detail "The application has hung and will now close." No internal Fortnite error codes are generated.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application launches normally and reaches the main menu. The crash initiates precisely when the user navigates to the Locker tab or the Item Shop and attempts to preview a cosmetic item. The game window freezes completely for approximately 60 seconds. Audio may continue briefly before halting. The Windows Error Reporting dialog then appears with the message "Fortnite has stopped working" and the specific fault "The application has hung." After the crash, the system allows the Fortnite process to be terminated. A subsequent launch of the game within the same Windows session proceeds without error, and item previews function normally. The cycle repeats only after a full system power cycle or reboot.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or stale cached shader data from the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite client. Upon first boot after a system restart, the game attempts to compile and load shaders for item previews from an invalidated cache, causing a thread deadlock. Why this causes the problem: The deadlock in the rendering thread triggers the Windows Application Hang detection. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables (2015-2022). Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher depend on these runtime libraries for core functions. Why this causes the problem: Missing library functions cause a failure when the game engine initializes new UI assets on a fresh boot. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A race condition in the game's texture streaming system during initial load. The first access to high-resolution cosmetic textures after boot creates a conflict with the anti-cheat system's memory validation. Why this causes the problem: The Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) service may flag the streaming process as anomalous, forcing a hang. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: GPU driver with a known memory leak in the version branch (e.g., NVIDIA 545.xx or AMD 23.12.1). The leak is exacerbated during the initial VRAM allocation for item previews. Why this causes the problem: Exhausted video memory leads to an unrecoverable fault in the DirectX 12 pipeline. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Incorrect permissions or corruption in the user's %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame folder. The game cannot write temporary preview files on the first attempt. Why this causes the problem: Write failures cause the UI thread to wait indefinitely for a resource that never loads. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Overly aggressive memory cleaning or "game booster" software (e.g., Razer Cortex, CCleaner) purging essential Fortnite working files from RAM on system startup. Why this causes the problem: The game expects certain assets to remain cached from the launcher pre-load and fails when they are missing.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clear Epic Games and Fortnite Cache

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Fortnite and Epic Games Launcher must be fully closed. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter to open the Local AppData folder.
Locate and delete the entire EpicGamesLauncher folder.
Within the same directory, locate and delete the entire FortniteGame folder.
Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Epic\ and delete the EpicGamesLauncher folder (Note: ProgramData is a hidden folder; enable "Hidden items" in View options).
Restart the computer. Upon reboot, launch the Epic Games Launcher. It will recreate necessary files and may require you to log in again.

Technical Explanation: This procedure forces the launcher and game to regenerate all cached data, configuration files, and web cache from a clean state, eliminating corrupted shader or asset data that causes the initial hang. Verification: After the system restart, launch Fortnite. Navigate to the Locker and preview an item. The preview should load without a 60-second freeze or subsequent application hang.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean GPU Driver Reinstall

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection to download driver. Steps:

Download the latest GPU driver from the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA or AMD). Do not use Windows Update.
Download and run the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) utility from www.guru3d.com.
Boot Windows in Safe Mode. Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, go to the Boot tab, check "Safe boot" with "Minimal" selected, and restart.
In Safe Mode, run DDU. Select your GPU vendor and click "Clean and restart."
After the automatic restart, install the previously downloaded GPU driver package. Select "Custom Installation" and check "Perform a clean installation."

Technical Explanation: A clean installation removes all previous driver files, registry entries, and profile settings that may contain corrupted shader cache or conflicting configurations responsible for the VRAM allocation hang. Verification: Open the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Software to confirm the new driver version is active. Launch Fortnite post-reboot and test item preview functionality.

Solution 3: Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
In the list, uninstall every instance of "Microsoft Visual C++ 20XX Redistributable" (both x86 and x64 versions from 2015 through 2022).
Download the latest combined Visual C++ Redistributable installer from the official Microsoft website.
Run the installer as Administrator. It will install all necessary versions.
Restart the computer.

Technical Explanation: This ensures all required runtime libraries for the Unreal Engine and Epic Games Launcher are present and correctly registered, resolving missing function calls during initial asset loading. Verification: The system will restart. Verify the install by checking for the reappearance of the Visual C++ entries in appwiz.cpl. Launch Fortnite to test.

Solution 4: Disable Full-Screen Optimizations for Fortnite

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

Navigate to the Fortnite executable. Default path: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe.
Right-click the .exe file, select Properties.
Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
Check the box labeled "Disable full-screen optimizations."
Click Apply, then OK.
Repeat these steps for the EpicGamesLauncher.exe located in its installation directory.

Technical Explanation: This Windows feature can interfere with the game's exclusive full-screen rendering, particularly during the initial handoff between the launcher and the game, which can exacerbate the hang condition. Verification: The setting is applied permanently. Launch the game and test the item preview. The change may reduce overall stuttering as well.

Solution 5: Adjust Virtual Memory (Pagefile) Settings

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

Press Windows Key + Pause/Break to open System settings, or search for "View advanced system settings."
Click Advanced system settings, then under Performance, click Settings....
Go to the Advanced tab and click Change... under Virtual memory.
Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."
Select the drive where Windows is installed (usually C:).
Select "Custom size." Set Initial size (MB) to 1.5 x your total RAM (e.g., for 16GB RAM: 16384 MB x 1.5 = 24576). Set Maximum size to 3 x your total RAM (e.g., 49152).
Click Set, then OK, and restart the computer.

Technical Explanation: A static, sufficiently large pagefile prevents memory allocation failures during the game's initial high-demand asset loading phase, which can cause a hang if the system attempts to request more memory dynamically. Verification: After restart, you can confirm the settings in the same menu. The crash on first launch should no longer occur.

Solution 6: Verify Fortnite Game Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-20 minutes Success Rate: Low (but essential baseline) Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher installed. Steps:

Open the Epic Games Launcher.
Click on your Library.
Locate Fortnite, click the three dots (...) below the game title.
Select "Verify."
The launcher will scan all game files and download/replace any that are missing or corrupted. Do not interrupt this process.
After completion, restart the launcher and launch the game.

Technical Explanation: This process compares the local game file checksums with the official Epic Games server manifest, replacing any corrupted or altered game assets that may fail to load correctly on the first attempt. Verification: The launcher will display a "Verification complete" message. Launch the game to test the initial item preview.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, implement a regular maintenance schedule. Manually clear the Epic Games Launcher cache (%localappdata%\EpicGamesLauncher) monthly. Configure Windows Update and GPU driver updates to manual review, allowing for testing of new versions before widespread adoption. Disable any third-party "game optimization" or system cleaning software from interacting with the Epic Games Launcher or Fortnite processes. Monitor the size and health of the system pagefile, ensuring the drive hosting it maintains at least 20GB of free space. Consistently shut down the Epic Games Launcher via its system tray icon before turning off the PC to ensure proper process termination.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the crash persists across multiple Windows user profiles. Required diagnostic information includes the latest Fortnite crash logs from %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs and the Windows Event Viewer logs for Application errors related to FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe. Provide a complete DxDiag report and system specifications. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help. Escalation is necessary only after confirming the issue is not related to local hardware failure, which requires manufacturer diagnostics.