Dragon Age: Inquisition is an expansive RPG acclaimed for its tactical combat, expansive world and engrossing lore. However, some players experience an immersion-breaking issue where the game randomly quits to desktop without warning.
This abrupt crash to desktop can occur during gameplay, conversations, fast travel or even when sitting idly at Skyhold. Thankfully, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to stop Dragon Age Inquisition from crashing and sending you back to your Windows desktop.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover all the likely causes and solutions to fix the Dragon Age Inquisition quit to desktop error for good so you can get back to closing those Fade Rifts in peace.
Key Takeaways:
- Update Graphics Drivers, DirectX, Visual C++ Runtimes, Windows
- Change Inquisition Priority to High in Task Manager
- Tweak Graphics Settings – disable Vsync, lower quality
- Clean Boot Windows to check for conflicts
- Update/Verify Game Files, Repair Origin
- Edit Config Files to unlock FPS, disable Origin In-game
- Don’t Run on Low Power (Battery) Mode
- Check for Overheating Issues
- Reinstall or Upgrade DirectX
- Perform a Clean Reinstall of the Game
Follow these steps in order and Dragon Age Inquisition should run smoothly without crashing.
Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated, corrupted or incompatible graphics drivers often cause games to crash unexpectedly. Download the latest drivers for your NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics card from official sources.
Also update your motherboard/chipset drivers and BIOS to improve system stability for gaming.
Update DirectX and Visual C++ Runtimes
DirectX handles key multimedia functions and outdated versions lead to crashes. Go to official Microsoft website and update DirectX to the latest release.
Visual C++ Runtimes are also required dependencies – make sure they are updated through the Microsoft VC Redist updater tool.
Update Windows
Windows Updates contain crucial bug and compatibility fixes for apps and games. Go to Windows Update and install all Important/Recommended updates.
Change Inquisition Process Priority to High
Open Task Manager > Details tab > Right click DragonAgeInquisition.exe > Set priority to High.
This allocates more CPU resources to the game, reducing crashes. Can also help with stuttering.
Tweak Inquisition Graphics Settings
Open Video/Graphics settings menu:
- Set Graphics Quality to Low or Medium if High crashes
- Disable Vsync for higher, uncapped FPS
- Lower Screen Resolution if needed
- Disable Ambient Occlusion, Anti-aliasing
- Turn off Shadows
- Set Pre-Rendered Frames to 1
This reduces graphics load to minimize instability and crashes. The game may still look decent on lower settings.
Perform Clean Boot
Clean Boot Windows in selective startup mode to check for crashes:
- Hit Win + R and type “msconfig”
- Go to Services tab and check “Hide All”
- Enable only Core Windows Services + Nvidia/AMD Graphics
- Go to Startup tab and disable all entries
- Restart PC and test game
If Inquisition stops crashing, a background app/service conflict was the issue. Enable startups selectively until finding culprit.
Update or Verify Game Files
If game files are corrupted or missing, unpredictable crashes can occur.
Either reinstall the game, or use Origin’s Repair feature to check and restore missing/corrupted files.
Edit Config Files
The config files contain helpful tweaks to boost FPS and stability:
C:\Users\Username\Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age Inquisition\Settings
- Change MeshLODSettings to 0 or -1 to unlock FPS cap
- Set vysnc to 0 to disable
- Change FullScreenOnStartup to 1
- Change SinglethreadedRendering to 0
C:\Users\Username\Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age Inquisition\Save
- Change DrawDebug to 0
- Change DisableMultiCoreRendering to 0
- Change EnableHighResTimer to 1
Boot.ini file
Add -enable -benchmark at end
This enables extra debugging data but can help identify causes of crashes.
Don’t Run on Battery/Low Power Mode
Gaming laptops especially default to lower performance Battery Saver modes on power disconnect which can induce crashes in heavy games.
Change power plan to High Performance and make sure your laptop uses the Nvidia GPU when gaming for stability.
Check for Overheating Issues
Excessive heat buildup causes games to crash unexpectedly. Monitor your PC temperatures with a system utility while playing.
If CPU or GPU is over 85-90C, take steps to improve cooling – clean intake fans, reapply thermal paste, don’t block vents etc. Undervolting GPU can also help lower temps.
Reinstall DirectX
If crashes persist, try downloading the DirectX Redist from official Microsoft website, completely uninstalling previous versions, then doing a clean reinstall of DirectX.
Perform Clean Reinstall of Game
As a last resort, backup and delete the game data folder along with all local content and config files through Revo Uninstaller.
Then do a clean reinstall of the latest game version and apply patches. Test for crashes.
FAQ
Why does Dragon Age Inquisition keep crashing randomly?
Common causes include outdated graphics drivers, CPU/GPU overheating, background app conflicts, corrupted game files, and software incompatibilities.
How can I stop Dragon Age from crashing on Windows 10?
Update Windows and all drivers to latest versions, lower graphics settings, disable Vsync, clean boot to check for conflicts, update game files, and tweaking config fixes most Windows 10 issues.
What graphics settings cause Dragon Age Inquisition to crash?
Excessively high quality settings like Ultra draw distances, High MSAA, and High ambient occlusion are demanding and can cause crashes on some systems. Lower these settings.
Why does Dragon Age Inquisition crash when loading into Skyhold?
Skyhold is resource intensive and crashes can happen when loading in. Try lowering graphics settings, updating drivers, changing priority to High, verifying files to fix loading crashes.
How can I fix Dragon Age crashing on launch?
For launch crashes, update Windows, graphics drivers, DirectX, C++ runtimes, change game to High priority in Task Manager, add -noborder launch argument, and reinstall dependencies.
Conclusion
Random and frequent crashes to desktop can ruin the experience of an expansive RPG like Dragon Age. Thankfully following this troubleshooting guide should resolve the pesky Dragon Age Inquisition quit to desktop error once and for all.
Don’t forget to update all your drivers, reduce graphics settings, perform clean boot checks, optimize the game config files, monitor system temps, reinstall Direct X and game files, and troubleshoot any software conflicts.
With some dedicated testing and tweaking, you can get back to enjoying a smooth and stable gameplay experience in Dragon Age Inquisition. No more crashes interrupting your critical mission to seal the Breach!
Let us know if any other specific solutions worked for fixing Dragon Age Inquisition crashes on your PC!
