An Unreal Process Has Crashed — UE-FactoryGame | Fix It

Guide / By

The ue-factorygame crash message often clears after file checks, a renderer swap, and cache resets.

If you hit this crash in Satisfactory, you’re not alone. The good news is that the error message is broad, so the best path is a short set of checks that rule out the usual culprits in a clean order. Start with the quick, low-risk steps. Then move into the changes that touch drivers, graphics APIs, and local game data.

If the crash started after an update, test a renderer flag, then cache.

This guide is written for Windows PC players using Steam or Epic. It stays practical: what to try, what each step proves, and what to keep or roll back if the game still drops out.

What This Crash Message Usually Means

That crash dialog is Unreal’s crash handler telling you that the game process exited in a way it couldn’t handle. When you see an unreal process has crashed — ue-factorygame, start by narrowing the trigger with one change at a time.

Think of it as a trigger, not a diagnosis. The job is to narrow the trigger down by changing one variable at a time. That way you don’t end up with three changes at once and no clue which one did the work.

Common patterns you can spot in two minutes

  • Check the crash timing — A crash before the menu often links to files, shader cache, or renderer flags.
  • Watch save loading — A crash during load can point to mods, a damaged save, or a config clash.
  • Note in-game timing — A crash after minutes leans toward drivers, overlays, heat, or unstable clocks.

An Unreal Process Has Crashed — UE-FactoryGame On PC With Quick Checks

Run these in order. Each step is safe, quick, and easy to undo.

  1. Restart the PC — Close the launcher, reboot Windows, then try again to clear stuck driver state.
  2. Disconnect extra controllers — Unplug pads, wheels, and adapters for the first test run.
  3. Close overlays and recorders — Exit Discord, GPU overlays, capture tools, and performance HUDs for one launch attempt.
  4. Remove GPU and CPU overclocks — Set clocks back to stock, then test once.
  5. Check free storage — Leave space on the Windows drive so shader rebuilds can finish.

If the game launches after these checks, add your usual tools back one at a time. When the crash returns, you’ve found the trigger.

Verify Game Files And Repair A Broken Install

Corrupt or partially updated files are a top cause of the UE-FactoryGame crash dialog. Verification replaces damaged files without touching your saves.

Steam file check

  1. Open your Library — Find Satisfactory in Steam.
  2. Open Properties — Right-click the game, then pick Properties.
  3. Verify files — Go to Installed Files, then click Verify integrity of game files.

Epic file check

  1. Open your Library — Find Satisfactory in the Epic Games Launcher.
  2. Open Manage — Click the three dots on the game row, then choose Manage.
  3. Run Verify — Click Verify and let it finish.

If verification finds and replaces files, try a fresh launch right after. If it keeps finding the same files on every run, reinstalling to a new folder can be faster than chasing a loop.

If verification finishes with no changes yet the crash persists, reinstall to a new folder. Avoid tools on the install path. Also whitelist the folder in your antivirus for a test, then turn it on.

Switch Graphics API And Clear Shader Caches

Many UE-FactoryGame crashes are tied to the graphics API path your build is using. A driver update, a Windows update, or a game update can shift what works on your system. Testing another API is one of the highest-value moves you can make.

Try a different renderer

On Steam, add a launch argument in the game’s Properties. On Epic, add an additional command line argument in the launcher settings for that game.

  • Use DirectX 11 — Add -dx11 and test one launch.
  • Use Vulkan — Add -vulkan and test one launch.
  • Remove old flags — If you already set flags months ago, delete them and test with none.

When you find an API that boots clean, keep it for a while. Then revisit later if a driver update fixes the original path.

Clear Satisfactory shader and pipeline cache

Shader data can get out of sync after patches, then the first render pass trips the crash handler. Clearing the cache forces a rebuild on next launch.

  1. Open the local save folder — Press Win+R and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\.
  2. Delete DerivedDataCache — Remove the DerivedDataCache folder if it exists.
  3. Delete pipeline cache files — In the same folder, delete any *.upipelinecache files you see.
  4. Launch once and wait — First load can take longer while shaders rebuild.
When It Crashes What It Often Points To First Fix To Try
Before the menu Files, shader cache, renderer flag Verify files, then try -dx11
While loading a save Mods, save damage, config clash Disable mods, then test a new save
After a few minutes Drivers, overlays, unstable clocks Update drivers, close overlays, stock clocks

Reset Local Settings Without Touching Saves

If Satisfactory used to launch and now crashes right away, a local config file can be the reason. This is common after you switch GPUs, change monitors, move from one major game build to another, or flip to a new graphics API. Resetting config forces the game to rebuild clean defaults.

Your save files live in a separate folder, so a config reset won’t wipe progress if you only touch the config directory. Still, it’s smart to copy your save folder to a safe spot before you change anything.

Back up saves first

  • Open SaveGames — Press Win+R and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\SaveGames.
  • Copy the folder — Paste it to Desktop or another drive.

Reset config

  1. Close the game and launcher — Quit Steam or Epic fully.
  2. Open the config folder — Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor or %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\Config\Windows.
  3. Rename the folder — Change WindowsNoEditor to WindowsNoEditor_old.
  4. Launch the game — Let it build a fresh config folder.

If this fixes the crash, your old config had a bad value. You can copy your input binding files back one at a time if you want to keep custom binds.

Driver And Windows Fixes That Stop Repeat Crashes

When the crash happens after a driver update, after Windows updates, or after you switch from one GPU to another, you can get stuck in a loop. These steps are the ones that tend to break that loop without turning your setup upside down.

Update graphics drivers the clean way

Use the vendor installer, pick the custom path if it’s offered, and choose the clean install option when you suspect a messy update. A clean install resets driver profiles that can clash with Unreal titles.

  • Install the latest NVIDIA driver — Use the official driver download page, then choose Custom install and tick the clean install option.
  • Install the latest AMD driver — Use AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition installer and let it detect the right package for your card.

Turn off the Steam Overlay for one test

Overlays can hook the renderer and crash games that are already on the edge. Disable it for one run to prove or rule it out.

  1. Open Steam Settings — Go to Steam, then Settings, then In-Game.
  2. Toggle Overlay off — Turn off Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
  3. Launch and test — If the crash stops, keep overlays off for Satisfactory.

Repair Windows system files if crashes spread to other games

If multiple games started crashing around the same time, system file corruption can be part of the story. Microsoft documents a built-in scan and repair flow using DISM and SFC.

  1. Open an admin terminal — Search for Command Prompt, then Run as administrator.
  2. Run DISM — Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and let it complete.
  3. Run SFC — Type sfc /scannow and wait for 100%.
  4. Reboot and test — Restart Windows, then launch Satisfactory again.

Save, Mod, And Log Steps When It Crashes On Load

If the game reaches the menu yet crashes when you load a world, shift your attention to saves and mods. A single mod that no longer matches your game version can crash the load step even when the base game is fine.

Test without mods

  1. Disable all mods — Use your mod manager to turn off everything.
  2. Launch the base game — Start once with no mods active.
  3. Load a fresh session — Create a new save and walk around for a minute.
  4. Re-enable one at a time — Add mods back in small batches until the crash returns.

Find the log that matches the crash

Logs help you see whether the crash is tied to a plugin, a missing file, or a renderer fault. On Windows, Satisfactory logs live in the local app data folder.

  • Open Logs — Press Win+R and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\FactoryGame\Saved\Logs.
  • Sort by date — Open the newest FactoryGame.log after a crash.
  • Scan the last lines — Look for the last loaded module, map, or plugin name before the exit.

When one save crashes and others load

If only one world crashes, copy that save file, then test it on a second PC account or after a clean config reset. If it still fails, the save may be damaged. A backup from a prior session can be the simplest fix.

Crash Fix Checklist You Can Run In Ten Minutes

Use this as your quick pass. It’s designed so you can stop early when the game boots clean.

  1. Reboot Windows — Clear stuck launcher and driver state.
  2. Verify game files — Repair damaged files in Steam or Epic.
  3. Try -dx11 — Switch renderer for one launch attempt.
  4. Clear DerivedDataCache — Force a shader rebuild.
  5. Reset config folder — Let the game rebuild defaults.
  6. Update GPU drivers — Install the latest vendor driver with a clean option if needed.
  7. Disable overlays — Test with Steam Overlay off.
  8. Test without mods — Load a fresh save with all mods off.
  9. Check the newest log — Match the crash time to the last lines in FactoryGame.log.

If “an unreal process has crashed — ue-factorygame” still shows after you run the checklist, capture the log folder and the crash report folder, then file it on the developer QA site with your hardware specs and what you already tried. That gives the devs the best chance to spot a known signature fast.

One last tip: once you get a stable launch again, avoid stacking changes. Keep your working renderer flag, keep your driver version noted, and add mods back slowly. That keeps the next crash from turning into a guessing game.