Alex Ruben
How To Fix theHunter Call of the Wild Error: theHunterCotW_F Has Stopped Working on PC
How to Fix theHunterCotW_F Has Stopped Working Error on PC
It’s kind of annoying when you get that error popping up randomly, right? It happens to quite a few players, especially after updating Windows or the game itself. Usually, it’s some mismatch or file corruption, maybe a driver glitch, or conflicting settings. This guide throws out a mix of common fixes and some less obvious stuff—so if one method doesn’t work immediately, try another. The goal is to get your guns reloaded and back out into the wild without crashing. Not sure why it works, but those tweaks sometimes make all the difference. Let’s dig in, and hopefully, this shaves off a few hours of head-scratching.
Step-by-Step Guide to Troubleshoot the Error
Change Launch Options in Steam
This one’s a classic. Sometimes the game just doesn’t play nice with certain display modes, so telling Steam to launch it differently might do the trick. Open Steam, go to Library, right-click on theHunter: Call of the Wild, select Properties. Under General, find Launch Options. Try entering commands like /borderless, /windowed, or /fullscreen.
On some setups, windowed mode can bypass weird fullscreen conflicts, especially if your GPU or display drivers are acting up. After setting that, hit close and start the game to check if it reverts to a stable state. Sometimes, on certain machines, this fails the first time, then works after a quick reboot.
Disable DLCs to Avoid Conflicts
If certain DLCs are bugged or incompatible with your current setup, they might cause crashes. In Steam, in the Properties menu of the game, go to DLC and uncheck everything. The most notorious offender is often the Revontuli Coast. Launch the game again after turning off DLCs and see if it stays stable. This is kind of a hit-or-miss fix, but worth trying before diving into deeper file tinkering.
Modify Steam Cloud Synchronization
Sometimes, Steam Cloud syncing corrupts saved files or causes mismatches. In the same Properties panel, under General, uncheck Keep games saves in Steam Cloud for theHunter: Call of the Wild. Launch and test. If this helps, great—if not, you can toggle it back. On one setup it worked, on another… not so much. It’s a quick toggle that can prevent file conflicts.
Delete Specific Game Files (Backup First)
This might sound drastic, but sometimes game files or cache get corrupted. Navigate to:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Avalanche Studios\theHunter Call of the Wild\SavesBefore deleting anything, back up those files. Then delete:
reserveworlddata_adfsteam_autocloud.vdfplayerinformation_adf
This forces the game to regenerate fresh save data and config files. It’s easy to mess up if you’re not careful, so back up the folder first. Sometimes, these files act flaky because of a failed update or a bad save.
Unplug Controllers & External Devices
Some players reported that having a controller plugged in was causing the crash. Kind of weird, but try disconnecting all non-essential peripherals—controllers, racing wheels, extra USB hubs—and then run the game. Reconnect peripherals after loading in. Might just be a USB conflict or driver issue causing some input to crash the game.
Adjust Display Settings in Config Files
Directly editing config files can sometimes bypass launcher or in-game bugs. In the same folder as the saves, find settings.js. Open with Notepad or Notepad++, then look for:
"DisplayFullscreen": 1Change it to:
"DisplayFullscreen": 0This switches the game to windowed mode, which can sidestep fullscreen rendering errors. Save and relaunch. Not sure why it helps sometimes, but on some setups, this is a quick fix for crashing on startup.
Delete the Entire Settings Folder
If fiddling with individual files doesn’t help, try deleting all your settings. Find the Settings folder—usually in the same directory as settings.js—and back it up somewhere safe, then delete it. Restart the game; it will recreate default configs. It’s inconvenient because settings reset, but it’s worth a shot if everything else fails.
Remove or Disable Mods
Mods are fun but can really cause instability after updates. If you’re running mods, try removing them. Just delete or disable mod files, then start the game. If it runs fine, you know where the culprit is. Many crashes are linked to incompatible or corrupted mods.
Allow the Game in Antivirus & Firewall
Overzealous security software might block certain game processes. Check your antivirus—especially Windows Security—and add theHunter executable to allowed list. For Windows Defender, go to Settings > Virus & threat protection > Manage ransomware protection > Controlled folder access, and add the game folder. Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Run as Administrator & Compatibility Mode
Sometimes, Windows permissions are the culprit. Right-click the game shortcut or executable, select Run as administrator. Also, under Compatibility tab, set it to run in Windows 8 or 7 mode, and disable Full-screen optimizations. These tweaks can fix permission or driver compatibility issues, especially with certain graphics cards.
Verify Integrity of Game Files on Steam
If corruption or missing files are suspected, this is the easiest fix. In Steam, right-click on the game, select Properties, go to Installed Files, and click Verify Integrity of Game Files…. It scans and automatically replaces corrupted or missing files. Usually works because of updates messing with files.
Update Graphics Drivers
A big culprit for game crashes is outdated or buggy GPU drivers. Head over to your GPU manufacturer’s site—Nvidia or AMD—and download the latest driver. Use their clean install options. On some setups, a driver update causes issues, so you might consider rolling back if problems started after a recent update.
Set the Game to Use Dedicated GPU
If you’ve got both integrated and dedicated graphics, make sure the game uses the latter. Open Graphics Settings in Windows, find the game executable, and set the preferred GPU. This can prevent crashes linked to hardware conflicts.
Increase Virtual Memory (Paging File)
If your PC’s RAM is maxed out or the game needs more memory, increasing virtual memory might help. Search for View advanced system settings > Performance > Settings, go to Advanced. Under Virtual Memory, uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, select your drive, and set a custom size—something like 1.5x your RAM. Not perfect, but it can help avoid out-of-memory errors.
Update BIOS (For the Brave)
This involves flashing your motherboard firmware—definitely not for the faint of heart. Check your motherboard manufacturer’s website for instructions and latest BIOS updates. Be sure your system is stable and your power supply reliable during this process. It’s a last-ditch effort, but some crashes are caused by outdated BIOS compatibility issues.
Uninstall & Reinstall the Game
Sometimes, the cleanest solution is just to wipe everything and start fresh. Uninstall the game, delete leftover files from the installation folder, reboot, then reinstall—preferably on an SSD. This ensures no corrupted files are hiding, and the game starts on a clean slate.
Additional Tips & Common Troubleshooting Reasons
Make sure your PC meets the game’s minimum requirements and isn’t overheating. Keep graphics drivers, Windows, and your game updated. Check temperatures if crashes spike during heavy gameplay. Avoid running too many background apps that steal resources, especially when gaming. Sometimes the simplest fix is giving the game some breathing room with updated drivers and clean files—but hey, troubleshooting can be a journey.
Wrap-up
Following these steps should help fix the theHunterCotW_F has stopped working error for most setups. It’s not always the same solution, but a combination of tweaks usually does the trick. Keep backups before making big changes, and patience is key. Hopefully, this saves someone hours of frustration and gets the game back into your hands quickly.
Summary
- Try changing launch options in Steam
- Disable conflicting DLCs
- Modify or delete config files (backup first!)
- Unplug controllers & external devices
- Run in windowed mode or tweak game configs
- Verify game files on Steam
- Update or roll back GPU drivers
- Allow the game through antivirus/firewall
- Run as admin and set compatibility mode
- Reinstall if nothing else works