Fixing Errors and Crashes with a Clean Boot

Some programs can stop Guild Wars 2 from running properly—causing errors or even crashes that disrupt your experience. Common examples include Error 7 or 42, Exception: c0000005 (Out of Memory), and connection problems.

To figure out which program is causing the problem, you can change your computer's startup settings to prevent it from automatically launching programs. This is called doing a "clean boot." This process will not uninstall any applications from your computer, but will prevent them from automatically starting and consuming resources when the system boots up.

Performing a Clean Boot


To do a clean boot, follow the instructions for your operating system below.

 Windows 8 and 10 
 Windows XP, Vista, and 7 

  1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key.
  2. Type MSCONFIG to start a search.
  3. The first and only result should be the System Configuration app. Click on the app to launch the System Configuration Utility.
  4. Click on the Services tab.
  5. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services checkbox near the bottom of the window. DO NOT continue unless this box is checked.
  6. Click Disable All.
  7. If there are any critical services you need to run with Windows, re-check their individual boxes. This may include:
    • Wireless Connection Software
    • Mouse or Keyboard Applications
    • Security Applications
  8. Click the Startup tab and click the Open Task Manager link. This will display a list of all the applications you have set to start when Windows first boots up.
  9. Right-click on these applications one by one and select Disable.
  10. Once completed, click OK in the System Configuration window to save your changes. You will then be prompted to reboot your PC. Once you return to Windows, launch the game right away to test your connection.

Re-enabling Disabled Processes

To re-enable all of the processes that we disabled:

  1. Press and hold the Windows and R keys at the same time. This should open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type MSCONFIG and click OK. This should open the System Configuration Utility window.
  3. Go to the General tab and select Normal startup.
  4. Click OK and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

  1. Press and hold the Windows® and R keys at the same time. This should open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type MSCONFIG and click OK. This should open the System Configuration Utility window.
  3. Click on the Services tab.
  4. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services checkbox near the bottom of the window. DO NOT continue unless this box is checked.
  5. Click Disable All.
  6. If there are any critical services you need to run with Windows, re-check their individual boxes. This may include:
    • Wireless Connection Software
    • Mouse or Keyboard Applications
    • Security Applications
  7. Next go to the Startup tab and click Disable All.
  8. Click OK and restart your computer.
  9. Once you return to Windows, DO NOT start any other programs. Instead, launch the game and try logging in.

Re-enabling Disabled Processes

To re-enable all of the processes that we disabled:

  1. Press and hold the Windows and R keys at the same time. This should open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type MSCONFIG and click OK. This should open the System Configuration Utility window.
  3. Go to the General tab and select Normal startup.
  4. Click OK and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Additional Resources


If running the game after a clean boot does not fix the problem, here are a few other articles with resources to help you troubleshoot the issue: