Alex Ruben
How To Fix Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut Error: Faulting Application GhostOfTsushima.exe Code 0xc0000005
If you’re trying to run Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT and keep hitting that annoying exception code 0xc0000005, you’re not exactly alone. Sometimes, this error pops up out of nowhere and just wrecks your gaming flow, especially if you’re excited to dive into Iki Island or whatever’s on your playlist. Honestly, it can be super frustrating because it messes with launching the game or even crashing mid-play. But good news, most of the time it’s fixable with a few tweaks and checks. This thing can be caused by everything from driver issues, conflicting settings, broken files, or even some weird system hiccup. So, here’s a step-by-step rundown of some stuff that’s worked for folks—including myself—on resolving that 0xc0000005 error and getting back to gaming. Expect to do some troubleshooting, but it’s usually not too complicated, and you don’t need to be a tech genius.
How to Fix Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT Error Code 0xc0000005
Ensure your system and game files are in good shape
First things first—making sure your game files are intact helps a lot. Corrupted files can trigger access violations like this. So, verify the integrity of the game files through Steam or your launcher. For Steam users, right-click on the game in your library, go to Properties, then Local Files. Click Verify Integrity of Game Files. Wait until it checks everything—it might flag some corrupted files and replace them automatically. On Epic or other launchers, look for a similar option in the game’s settings. Sometimes, that alone fixes the problem because it replaces dodgy files that crash the exe.
And oh, making sure your game is up to date helps too. Patches often fix bugs that cause these access violations. So, check for any updates via Steam, GOG, or the official launcher before messing around with other stuff.
Method 1: Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers
This one’s pretty common—graphics drivers can be a major culprit for memory access errors. If your GPU drivers are outdated, corrupted, or mismatched, they can cause 0xc0000005 crashes, especially with games that push just a little more. So, head to your graphics card’s official page—NVIDIA Drivers or AMD Drivers—download the latest stable version, and install it. Choose the custom/clean installation option—this will wipe out the old drivers and install fresh. After that, restart and see if the game loads fine.
If you’ve recently updated drivers and things got worse, maybe try rolling back to a previous version. Sometimes some newer driver updates are just not playing nice with certain hardware or game engines. Just keep in mind, you need to uninstall the current drivers first—use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) for a clean wipe if things get messy.
Method 2: Check for Windows Updates & System Files
Because of course, Windows has to make things harder than necessary. Run Windows Update to get all those patches, bug fixes, and security updates. It’s simple—go to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates. Install everything available; it might fix underlying system bugs that mess with game memory.
Also, run SFC /scannow in an elevated command prompt or PowerShell (Windows + X, then choose Windows Terminal (Admin)). This will scan and repair corrupted system files, which could be messing with your game’s memory access permissions. Sometimes, corrupt Windows files cause weird crashes, so it’s worth a shot.
Method 3: Disable Overlays, Background Apps & Conflicting Software
Stuff like Discord overlay, Nvidia ShadowPlay, Steam overlay, or even some antivirus overlays can interfere with game memory operations. Try disabling all overlays first—right-click on Steam, then select Settings, go to In-Game and turn off Enable the Steam Overlay. Do the same for Discord, Nvidia GeForce Experience, or other overlay apps. Relaunch the game and see if it still crashes.
Also, close background apps that might be watching or interfering—like screen recorders or system monitoring tools. Less clutter in the system means fewer chances for conflicts.
Method 4: Run the Game as Administrator & Compatibility Mode
Sometimes, Windows just needs a nudge to give the game proper permissions. Right-click the game’s executable (or launcher, like Tsushima.exe), select Properties, go to Compatibility, and check Run this program as administrator. Also, toggle Disable fullscreen optimizations. Some folks report that the game runs more stable in compatibility mode for older Windows versions—try Windows 8 or 7 if you hit a wall. Because why not, right? It’s worth a shot.
Method 5: Check Antivirus & Firewall Settings
Antivirus or firewall software blocking certain game files can trigger access violation errors. Make sure to add your game’s folder and executables to the exceptions list—sometimes called “allowed apps” or “whitelist”. For Windows Security, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat protection. Then, under Manage Settings, add exclusions.
Also, check if Controlled Folder Access isn’t stopping the game from writing files. Disable it temporarily during gaming sessions if needed.
Method 6: Clean Install or Reinstall the Game
If nothing else works, sometimes a full reinstall gets rid of lingering corrupted files. Uninstall the game, delete any remaining folder in your installation path, and then reinstall fresh. Using a tool like Steam’s verify files beforehand ensures you don’t reinstall corrupted data.
After reinstall, launch the game as administrator and see if the error persists. Sometimes, this resets everything, especially if the crash was caused by bad files or incomplete updates.
Extra tips & common pitfalls
Keep your graphics drivers, Windows, and game updates coming—these patches often fix bugs specifically tied to errors like 0xc0000005. Also, watch out for hardware conflicts—disabling or disconnecting USB devices, external drives, or peripherals that aren’t needed might help if you’re getting crashes during gameplay. And if you’re running on integrated graphics, double-check you’re forcing the game to use your dedicated GPU in the graphic settings menu.
Finally, some people have had success toggling Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling. Turn it on or off in Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Sometimes, this setting helps stabilize memory access.
Summary
- Verify game files through your launcher (Steam, Epic)
- Update or roll back graphics drivers
- Ensure Windows is fully updated & repair system files
- Disable overlays and background apps that might conflict
- Run game as administrator & try compatibility modes
- Check antivirus exclusions & firewall settings
- Reinstall the game if it just keeps crashing
- Keep everything updated—hardware, software, OS
Wrap-up
These steps cover most common causes for the 0xc0000005 error with Ghost of Tsushima. It’s kind of a pain to troubleshoot, but generally, one of these solutions will do the trick. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of patience to identify what’s messing up your setup—be it outdated drivers, corrupt files, or conflicting software. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours of frustration and gets you back in the game. Fingers crossed this helps!