How to fix launch issues in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War (won't launch, crashes on startup)

If you're having trouble starting your Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (Multiplayer & Single-player), here are the fixes to get rid of launching and crashing problems.

I will present a few methods that you can use to fix the issue. If you follow all the steps correctly then you will most likely be able to open Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War on your PC without any problem. So please take your time and read the guide carefully.

Troubleshoot crashing & launching issues in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War

The most common solutions:

1. Repair your game files

Missing and corrupted game files can cause crashes or launch issues in Call of Duty: BOCW. So you should use the repair tool in Battle.net desktop app to repair your game files.

• Open up your Battle.net launcher
• Click the icon of Call of Duty: BOCW
• Click on the Options
• Then select the Scan and Repair
• After that click the Begin Scan

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2. Update your graphics drivers

Ensure that you are using the latest GPU drivers from NVIDIA or AMD before running COD Black Ops Cold War.

• NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/
• AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support

Tip: It's good practice to uninstall your older graphics drivers with DDU. Unsure how to use the DDU? I’ve got you covered, check out this guide.

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3. Close the background applications

Third-party programs running in the background can interfere with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. So you should close programs running in the background such as EVGA Precision X1, AutoHotKey, MSI Afterburner, RTSS Rivatuner, Fraps, etc.

Also, you can try performing a clean boot. Follow these steps to clean boot:

• Type msconfig in the Windows search bar.
• Press Enter key
• Go to the Services tab.
• Select “Hide all Microsoft services”
• Then click on the “Disable all” button.

• Click the OK button.
• Restart your computer.

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4. Run as administrator

Run your Battle.net Desktop app and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War as administrator.

• Navigate to the folder where Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is installed (by default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War)
• Right-click on the BlackOpsColdWar.exe application
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the "Run this program as an administrator"
• Click OK button.
• Go back to desktop and right-click on Battle.net app shortcut
• Select Run as administrator

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5. Link Battle.net account to Activision account

This method will work for you if you cannot connect to servers. You may get an error message that says "Disconnected from server" when you try to play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This error may be due to your Battle.net account not being linked to your Activision account. Follow the steps to fix it:

• Sign in to your Battle.net account in your web browser.
• Sign in to your Activision account in the same web browser.
• Go to the "ACCOUNT LINKING" section
• Select "Link With Battle.net Account"
• Click the CONTINUE
• Then complete the account linking process.

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6. Fatal Error

When you start Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, you may receive the following error message:

"Fatal Error. Unfortunately, the application has unexpectedly stopped working. Try a 'Scan and Repair' might solve the issue. If the problem persists, please reach out to the online support. Error Code: 0xC0000005 (0x0) N"

In this case, verifying the game's file integrity (Method #1) and updating the graphics drivers (Method #2) should be the first things to try. If the problem persists, you should try this workaround shared by Redditor onibmmals, or reinstall Windows.

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I hope this article helped you to resolve crashing/launching issues in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. If the game still won't launch, please share your PC specs with us by leaving a comment in the section below.