0x1857a200 Fortnite

Fortnite Constant Crashing with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION - Complete Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 3 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

To resolve Fortnite's constant crashing with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_ACCESS_VIOLATION, perform a clean reinstall of your graphics drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The error "Unhandled Exception: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION reading address 0x..." is a fatal memory access violation in FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe. This error occurs when the game process attempts to read from or write to an invalid memory address, typically 0x00000000 or another non-permitted location like 0x1857a200 as shown in the crash log. The primary affected platform is Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit systems. This error manifests across multiple Fortnite Battle Royale versions, particularly following major game engine or content updates. The frequency classification is common, especially after driver or Windows updates. The severity impact is game-breaking, resulting in immediate and often repetitive application termination. The exact error codes present are "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION reading address 0x1857a200" and the crash threads "PoolThread 10" and "RHIThread," indicating a rendering hardware interface thread failure.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates abruptly during gameplay or loading screens with a "Fatal error!" dialog box. The error message "Unhandled Exception: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION reading address" displays a specific hexadecimal memory address. The crash log indicates the failure occurs within the "FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe" process and references threads "PoolThread 10" and "RHIThread." The crash is immediate and does not allow the game to recover or continue. The desktop returns to focus after the error dialog is dismissed. No in-game warning or performance degradation precedes the crash in most instances.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Incompatible, corrupted, or outdated GPU drivers (particularly NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver versions 531.x and 535.x, or AMD Adrenalin Edition 23.x) contain memory management faults that conflict with Fortnite's anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) and DirectX 12 runtime. Why this causes the problem: The driver fails to properly allocate or deallocate video memory, leading the RHI thread to request access to an invalid memory address. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Overclocking profiles applied to the CPU, GPU, or RAM (including XMP/DOCP) introduce system instability that corrupts data in the game's memory space. Why this causes the problem: Unstable clock speeds or voltages cause bit flips in memory, resulting in pointer corruption and subsequent access violations. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or incomplete game installation files, specifically within the "FortniteGame\Content\Paks" directory, lead to failed asset loading. Why this causes the problem: The game engine attempts to reference an asset that is missing or corrupt, causing a null pointer dereference. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Background applications with overlay or injection capabilities (Discord Overlay, MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner, Xbox Game Bar, screen recorders) hook into the game process incorrectly. Why this causes the problem: These hooks interfere with the game's rendering pipeline and memory calls, leading to access violations in the RHI thread. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Failing system RAM or VRAM produces correctable errors (ECC) or uncorrectable errors that corrupt the game's addressable memory space. Why this causes the problem: Physical memory corruption directly leads to access violations when the CPU attempts to read the corrupted address. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The game's launch options in the Epic Games Launcher or incorrect graphics settings within Fortnite (e.g., DirectX 12 rendering on an unsupported GPU) force an unsupported rendering path. Why this causes the problem: The engine executes instructions incompatible with the hardware, resulting in illegal memory operations.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clean Graphics Driver Reinstallation

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection for driver download. Steps:

Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from guru3d.com and the latest stable GPU driver from NVIDIA or AMD's official website. Do not use beta drivers.
Disconnect your internet cable or disable Wi-Fi to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing drivers.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. Access this by pressing Windows Key + R, typing msconfig, going to the Boot tab, checking "Safe boot" with "Minimal" selected, and restarting.
Run DDU. Select your GPU vendor (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel) and choose "Clean and restart."
After the restart, install the previously downloaded graphics driver package. Select "Custom (Advanced)" installation and check "Perform a clean installation."
Re-enable your internet connection and restart your system normally.

Technical Explanation: This process removes all remnants of previous driver installations, including registry entries and leftover files that cause memory allocation conflicts with Fortnite's rendering thread. Verification: Launch Fortnite and enter a Battle Royale match. The game should run for an extended period without the EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION crash. Verify the driver version in NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings.

Solution 2: Verify Game File Integrity

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-30 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher installed. Steps:

Launch the Epic Games Launcher.
Click on your profile icon in the bottom left and select "Settings."
Scroll down to the "Manage Games" section.
Find Fortnite and click the three dots (...) under it.
Enable the "Verify" option. The launcher will scan and repair any corrupted or missing files in the installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite).
Allow the process to complete and download any required repairs. Restart the launcher.

Technical Explanation: This command triggers the Epic Games Launcher to compare local files against the official manifest, replacing any files with mismatched checksums, thus resolving crashes caused by corrupt PAK files. Verification: The launcher displays "Verified" next to Fortnite. Launch the game and monitor for the specific access violation error.

Solution 3: Disable Conflicting Overlays and Background Software

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher completely via the system tray.
Disable the Discord overlay: Open Discord User Settings > "Game Overlay" > toggle "Enable in-game overlay" to OFF.
Disable the Xbox Game Bar: Press Windows Key + I, go to "Gaming" > "Xbox Game Bar," and toggle it OFF.
Exit any hardware monitoring/overclocking software like MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision, or RivaTuner Statistics Server.
If you use GeForce Experience, open it, go to Settings (the gear icon), and toggle "In-Game Overlay" OFF.
Launch Fortnite directly from the Epic Games Launcher.

Technical Explanation: Third-party overlays inject DLLs into the game process, which can interfere with memory addresses used by Fortnite's RHIThread, leading to access violations. Verification: Run Fortnite. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to confirm no overlay processes (e.g., DiscordOverlay.exe, GameBarFTServer.exe) are running alongside the game.

Solution 4: Reset Fortnite Graphics Settings and Launch Options

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

In the Epic Games Launcher, click the three dots (...) next to Fortnite and select "Options."
Clear any text in the "Command Line Arguments" field. Click "Apply."
Navigate to the game's configuration folder: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Delete or rename the following files: GameUserSettings.ini and Engine.ini.
Launch Fortnite. The game will generate new default configuration files. Set your graphics settings to a lower preset (e.g., "Performance" or "DirectX 11") initially.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted or overly aggressive graphics settings in the INI files can push the renderer into an unstable state. Resetting them eliminates configuration-induced memory errors. Verification: The game launches with default settings. Check that the crash does not occur on the lower preset, then gradually increase settings to identify a stable configuration.

Solution 5: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic and System File Check

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 20-40 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type mdsched.exe, and press Enter.
Select "Restart now and check for problems." Your system will reboot and run a comprehensive RAM test.
After restarting and logging in, check the Event Viewer for results: Press Windows Key + R, type eventvwr.msc, go to Windows Logs > System, and look for an event source named "MemoryDiagnostics-Results."
Next, run a System File Check: Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search "cmd," right-click, "Run as administrator").
Execute the command: sfc /scannow. Allow the scan to complete and repair any corrupted system files.
Restart your computer.

Technical Explanation: The Windows Memory Diagnostic tool identifies failing physical RAM modules, while sfc /scannow repairs corrupted Windows system files (like DirectX libraries) that can cause application-level access violations. Verification: Memory Diagnostic reports "No memory errors were detected." The SFC scan outputs "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations" or confirms repairs.

Solution 6: Perform a Clean Boot and Isolate Software Conflict

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
In the System Configuration window, go to the "Services" tab.
Check "Hide all Microsoft services," then click "Disable all."
Go to the "Startup" tab and click "Open Task Manager." Disable every startup item.
Click OK and restart your computer.
After booting, launch only the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite. If the crash does not occur, re-enable services and startup items in groups to identify the conflicting software.

Technical Explanation: A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, isolating the conflict between Fortnite and a non-Microsoft background service. Verification: Fortnite runs without crashing in the clean boot state. The conflicting software is identified when the crash recurs after re-enabling a specific service group.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for updating graphics drivers, but wait 48 hours after a new driver release to confirm no widespread issues with Fortnite. Disable automatic driver updates via Windows Update using the "Show or hide updates" troubleshooter tool from Microsoft. Perform a monthly verification of Fortnite game files through the Epic Games Launcher. Monitor system temperatures using hardware monitoring tools to ensure thermal throttling does not induce instability. Create a restore point before making any significant changes to system settings or installing new software that may include overlay components.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error persists with identical memory addresses across multiple crashes. Provide the full crash log, which is stored at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs. Include your complete system specifications (CPU, GPU, RAM, OS build) and a detailed timeline of the crash events. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help. Escalation is necessary when the error suggests a persistent hardware fault identified by diagnostic tools.