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If the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare closes or will not open on your Windows PC, work through the low-risk checks first: close overlays and background apps, check the game’s listed PC requirements and ventilation, update your graphics driver, then repair the game files in the launcher you use. Activision documents these steps, but none is a guaranteed fix; a startup crash can have different causes on different PCs.
Confirm which Modern Warfare and launcher you have
This guide covers the original PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, not Modern Warfare II or Modern Warfare III. The game’s support hub links to its crash guidance and older PC troubleshooting guide: Activision’s Modern Warfare support hub.
Note whether you start the game through Steam or Battle.net. The file-repair procedure differs by launcher. Another release may have different specifications and support instructions.
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Try the low-risk checks first
- Close unnecessary programs. Exit background apps, overlays, input-remapping software, and recording software, then try launching again. Activision warns that these programs can interfere with starting or playing the game, even when they are not visibly running at launch.
- Check ventilation. Make sure the PC has adequate airflow and is not obstructed. Activision includes ventilation among its recommended checks for crashes.
- Update the graphics driver. Install an appropriate current driver using the graphics-card maker’s official update method, then restart Windows and test the game.
- Compare your PC with the game’s listed requirements. Activision’s original Modern Warfare PC specifications page currently displays these minimums; its publication date is not shown, so treat them as page-listed requirements rather than proof of compatibility with every current configuration.
| Component | Activision page-listed minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit, version 1709 or higher |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 / GTX 1650 or Radeon HD 7950; 2 GB video memory |
| DirectX | DirectX 12.0-compatible system |
| Drive space | 175 GB |
Meeting these listed minimums does not establish that a particular PC is free of software or configuration problems. Do not buy hardware or a utility based only on a startup crash; diagnose the machine first.
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Repair game files in Steam or Battle.net
Activision’s PC guide recommends the repair option for the launcher where the game is installed. These checks can find or replace damaged or missing files, but they do not guarantee that a crash will be fixed.
| Launcher | Repair option |
|---|---|
| Battle.net | Use Scan and Repair for the game. |
| Steam | Use Verify integrity of game files for the game. |
For Steam’s general guidance on games that fail to launch, see Games do not run after “Preparing to Launch”. The launcher-specific advice for this game is also in Activision’s PC Troubleshooting guide.
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Isolate software conflicts if the crash continues
If the game still closes, change one thing at a time so you can tell whether the result changes. Start by closing nonessential programs and testing again. Activision’s troubleshooting guide, last updated October 27, 2019, also documents the following suggestions; because that guidance is old, check that any app-specific instructions still apply to your current software.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →- Temporarily disable or close nonessential utilities that may interact with games, then test the launch. The guide specifically names NZXT CAM, MSI Afterburner, and Razer Cortex as programs to disable.
- If background software remains a plausible cause, use Activision’s clean-boot guidance to test Windows with a reduced set of startup services. Restore the normal startup configuration afterward.
- The guide recommends adding the game folder as an antivirus exclusion. Only consider this narrowly for the verified game folder, and follow your security provider’s current instructions. Do not permanently disable antivirus or other protections.
- Activision also says to re-enable ASLR if it has been disabled. Do not change security settings without understanding what was changed; if you did not disable ASLR, this suggestion may not apply.
These are troubleshooting possibilities, not evidence that any named program or security setting is causing your specific crash.
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Allow for first-boot shader work, then record where launch fails
Activision’s October 27, 2019 PC guide says shader preloading is important during the first boot and that starting the game while it is in progress may affect performance. This is not a promise that waiting will fix a crash that occurs before the game opens. Let any visible shader-preloading process finish before testing gameplay.
If the game still will not start, record details that can distinguish a file, software, or configuration issue:
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- Which launcher you use and the exact error message, if one appears.
- Whether the failure occurs before a window appears, at the splash screen, during shader loading, or after reaching the main menu.
- Your Windows version, CPU, GPU, RAM, and graphics-driver version.
- Any recent driver, Windows, or software changes, and whether closing nonessential apps or repairing files changed the result.
Check for a current issue or get configuration-specific help
Activision’s crash article, updated March 5, 2024, says PC crashes commonly occur while launching the game or during public multiplayer matches. That makes its checks relevant to startup failures, but does not identify the cause on an individual PC. The support hub’s inspected known-issues entry was updated June 21, 2024 and described a PlayStation 5 installation-suspension issue; it does not establish a current PC startup-crash incident. Check the live Activision support hub for current guidance, and report an unlisted issue there if needed.
Steam notes that some launch problems depend on unique hardware or software configurations and may require an individual technician. Its general launch troubleshooting page is a starting point if the Steam steps do not resolve the issue.
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