Rainbow Six Siege Keeps Freezing and Crashes – How to Fix both

Video games are a funny thing. It’s a hobby that can create hours of entertainment each day, and yet it seems to be one of few entertainment fields that can cause immense frustration. This issue only becomes highlighted when one of your favourites - Rainbow Six: Siege - keeps freezing, refuses to work and crashes.There are several reasons this could be. Unfortunately, it could be any number of these issues and even more. That’s what makes this issue so hard to pin down, to ensure that the game goes back to its working state. Do be mindful that these tips may not work 100% of time for 100% of people.On the flipside, though, these methods could still work exceptionally well for you and fix any crashes or freezes that you come across in R6: Siege.

Method 1: Add an Exception to Anti-Virus & Disable Firewall

Anti-virus software and firewalls are beautiful creations. They prevent some of the nastiness that the internet brings to your computer, but the pesky things can end up blocking the wrong programs. This is why it’s key to add an exception to your anti-virus and disable your firewall – albeit temporarily – where you can.Adding an exception to an anti-virus is a very simple step and can usually be done from the anti-virus software on your PC.Load it up and look for a “Programs Exception” tab or button. It will vary greatly from each anti-virus available, so it’s not possible to be pin-point accurate with how it might look. Once you’ve located your version, it should ask for you to select a file. Find where Rainbow Six: Siege is downloaded in your PC’s files and select the entire folder that it is contained in.From now until you switch anti-virus providers, the game will no longer be blocked by your anti-virus software.This next tip is one you should only do when you’re playing Rainbow Six: Siege and nothing else.

Should you disable your firewall while playing R6?

Disabling your firewall and searching the internet can spell disaster for your PC, so be careful and turn it back on when you’re finished.Most anti-virus software comes with a firewall and can easily be turned off through the software. It will remind you that you should keep it on, but if it’s only off temporarily, it shouldn’t cause any issues. Once it’s switched off, give Rainbow Six: Siege a go and see if it’s solved the issue you’ve been having.

Method 2: Ubisoft Support Recommended Fixes

You can look all over the internet to find several different fixes and workarounds for this game and its freezing or crashing issue, but no one knows the game better than the developers. On the Ubisoft support page, there are several different methods to be utilised that should hopefully do the trick.

Run Uplay as Admin

Running something as an administrator is a classic fix to many issues and the reason behind this is because when a program is an administrator, it has the highest possible priority. This can mitigate the freezing or crashing issue you’ve been having.The quick way of doing this is by right-clicking on the Uplay shortcut and then select “Run as Administrator”, but the more permanent method can be found below:

1. Go through to the Windows search bar at the bottom-left of your screen (on Windows 10) and type in “Uplay”. Before hitting enter, select “Open file location” to the right.
2. Inside the folder will be the Uplay application. Right-click on it and go to the “Properties” section at the bottom of the drop-down list.
3. With the properties window now open, navigate to the “Compatibility” tab and go towards the bottom. An option should be un-ticked that reads “Run this program as an administrator.” Check the box by clicking on it and close out of properties.
4. From now on, whenever you open Uplay, it’s going to ask if you want to run it as an admin, which just might result in fixing these issues.

Install Windows Updates

Sometimes, all you need to do is a quick Windows update. The operating system for your PC can be the issue for several problems, so it’s worthwhile to make sure all of the updates are installed.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or through the search bar at the bottom-left of your screen (on Windows 10.) Type: “Check for Updates” and then hit enter. This will open the Windows Update page.
2. There should be a “Check for updates” button that you’re going to want to press and any recent updates will now show up.
3. Hit the “Download” button once the updates have popped up and then simply wait for them to finish. Afterwards, it will automatically install the rest of the updates for you.
4. Once the download is complete, its status will now read as “Pending restart.” Do as it says and give your PC a quick restart to complete the install and see the fruits of your labour.

Deactivate SLI, Multiple Monitors, & Run at Stock Settings

This fix will only apply to individuals that have a dual-card SLI setup, multiple monitors, or are overclocking their hardware.It’s suggested that those running a dual-SLI setup is to not run the SLI, as it can cause potential issues with Rainbow Six: Siege. The same can be said for multiple monitors, so it’s worth trying to unplug a monitor to see if that does the trick.When it comes to overclocking it’s suggested that any overclocking that is done to the CPU or GPU is stopped and returned to the default stock settings. It may just do the trick and is at the very least worth giving a try for those of you running an overclock.

Clear Temporary Files

Over the years, temporary files are going to find themselves on your PC and it could eventually slow things down to some degree.As suggested by Ubisoft support, it’s worth giving them a quick deletion to see if it solves your problem.

1. To make things nice and simple, hit the Windows key on your keyboard and type in “Run” for the search box; followed by pressing enter.
2. Inside the box, type in “%TEMP%” and hit enter. This will open up a new file explorer window, with all of the temporary files that are currently on your computer.
3. Click inside the file explorer window, press CTRL+A to select all of the files and then press delete.
4. After that’s done, all of the files will be deleted and removed from your PC and this shouldn’t be a fix you need to do for a while!

Disable Background Applications

This fix is quite the long-haul fix in comparison to the other ones that Ubisoft has recommended, but may just very well be the fix that you need!

1. Head towards the search bar at the bottom-left corner of your screen (on Windows 10) and type in “MSCONFIG”. Follow that up by pressing enter and wait for the System Configuration window to open.
2. Click onto the “Services” tab, make sure that the “Hide all Microsoft services” is checked and then press the disable all button. This will turn off all non-vital programs on your PC, one of which could be the cause for any issues. Hit apply and then select the option to “Restart” and wait for your PC to come back online.
3. After the restart is complete, load up the game and give it a couple of test games to see if that’s fixed the issue. In that case, the problem is quite likely one of the programs that you had just turned off and you’re going to want to trial and error some of them on and off to see the route cause.

Verify Game Files in Uplay

A quick and simple fix is through verifying game files through the Uplay client. Thankfully, this one is quick and easy and usually doesn’t take too long to do.

1. With the Uplay client already open, click onto the “Games” tab and then locate Rainbow Six: Siege. You can also search through the search bar.
2. Once it’s been located, click on the game and scroll down until the “Properties” button has been revealed. Click on that and scroll down the page, until you find the “Local files” segment. There will be a “verify files” button that you should press.
3. Uplay will now automatically go through all the files; scanning and checking to see if any files are lost or weren’t properly installed.
4. Once the scan is complete, it will either tell you that all game files were successfully validated – meaning everything is fine. If not, the launcher will then ask your permission to download the missing files, which you should do.
5. Once that’s done, you’ll be good to go!

Method 3: Alternate INI File & Run as Admin

An issue that players have found in the game relatively recently is something located in the game’s INI file. Hidden in that file is an unlocked frame-rate. Having that frame-rate unlocked means that the game can vary its FPS from 60 to 120 or pretty much any number it likes. Whenever it goes over that threshold, though, it becomes unstable, leading to both crashes and freezes if unlucky.After the INI file has been changed, there are still a couple of extra settings that can be changed for the desired fix also. Starting with the INI file:

1. Open up file explorer, head to “Documents” and amongst that list of folders should be one labelled “My Games.” Inside that folder will be Rainbow Six: Siege and from there will be a long-string of numbers and letters in the form of a folder. Head inside that folder to locate the INI file.
2. Double-click the INI file and scroll down through the new window about 3/4ths of the way down. Underneath “Display” is the FPSLimit option, which should already be 0. Erase the number 0 and put 60 instead. If the PC is still struggling, 50 is also an option.
3. Press CTRL+S to save and then close out of it. Run the game after doing that and see if the game’s performance is a little more stable and without those pesky freezes or crashes.

On the possibility that didn’t work, there is another option for you to try, but this one involves going through Steam to change the settings.

1. Go into Steam and head towards your “Library.” Find Rainbow Six: Siege and then click on it to have it highlighted. Right-click the game and select the “Properties” option at the bottom of the drop-down box.
2. Once the box has opened, click on the “Local Files” tab and select the option that reads “Browse Local Files.” Once selected, it will open a brand-new file explorer window. Scroll down to the very end of the file explorer to see “RainbowSix.exe” and “RainbowSix_BE.exe.”
3. Right-click on “RainbowSix.exe”, select “Properties” and a new window will open. Click on “Compatibility” and then enable the checkbox for compatibility mode. You’ll then be able to select several options from a drop-down box and the suggested one is “Windows Vista (Service Pack 2). While still on that page, enable “Disable fullscreen optimizations” and “Run this program as an administrator.”
4. Go through the same motions with “RainbowSix_BE.exe” and get to the “Properties” window and “Compatibility” tab. Only select the option to “Run this program as an administrator,” since Battle Eye doesn’t appreciate any other changes.
5. Finally, once all of that is done, load up Siege and see if these new limits have improved your overall experience with the game and see if that’s fixed your problem.

Method 4: Reinstall the Game

Another classic option for those at the end of their tether with this issue is to simply cut your losses and reinstall the game. This isn’t an ideal situation for most because it means you’re going to have to re-download Rainbow Six: Siege, a game that’s around 75GB’s. For a lot of people, this is going to be a slow and arduous process to re-download the game and all of its files.Ideally, this would be one of the last steps on this list, due to just how long it can take to finish – especially for those with rough download speeds already. The reason it’s a recommended step, however is due to the fact that sometimes it will just magically work and fix all of the issues you’ve been having. Sometimes an update to a game can be installed, but for whatever reason may end up missing a file or two. Any loss of data isn’t going to allow the game to run properly.It’s an accident that can happen for whatever reason and doesn’t always have a legitimate excuse in the first place. Unfortunately, in the instance where you’ve tried every other method, a quick uninstall and then a long re-download could be the answer to your woes. By doing this, it gives your system a clean slate to work from and it is highly unlikely to lose another random file during its download process.

Method 5: Update Drivers

Old, out-dated GPU drivers have been a classic reason for game’s to not perform properly for years and will be the case for a long-time to come. Hardware requires up-to date drivers to communicate with PC software and when they’re not up-to date, it can cause a communication error. This can result in visual glitches, freezes, performance issues, and crashes. This can be remedied easily, though.Below, you’ll find the recommended steps to up-date AMD and NVidia graphics cards:AMD:

1. Go to the AMD website and click on the “Drivers & Support” tab at the top of the screen. Click on the “Download Now” button to install AMD’s GPU updater, known as AMD Radeon Software: Adrenalin.
2. Run the package/installer and go through the install set-up – it will only take a few minutes to set-up completely.
3. Once it’s downloaded, open up the program and make sure that you are on the “Home” section of the program. This is where you will find the options to update your drivers if they are out-dated.
4. Click on the “Check for Updates” button on the upper-right side of the program and wait for it to finish. If it finds a new driver, press the newly-lit download button.
5. Wait for the download to finish and the install to complete. Your monitor may turn black or flash for a few moments, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s to be expected.
6. Once the install is finished, you’re all good to go!

NVidia:

1. Head towards the NVidia website and click on the tab that reads “GeForce Experience”. Click on the download now button and run through the installer – it will only take a couple of minutes to install.
2. Once downloaded, open the GeForce Experience program. Then go and click on the “Drivers” tab that is located in the upper-left part of the program.
3. Make sure that you click the “Check Updates” button. This will ensure that the software has detected the latest drivers for the graphics card.
4. Click on the big green “Download” button and then wait for the download to finish.
5. After the download has finished, you can choose between Express Installation and Custom. It’s recommended that you do express, unless you have some things you wish to tinker with.
6. The screen may flicker or turn off during the install, but it’s to be expected, so don’t be concerned. Once the install is finished, you’re all set and will have the most up-to date drivers.

Method 6: Restart Your System:

For the longest time, the phrase “turn it off and then back on again” has been cemented in tech culture. Why would this age-old advice still hold up today? The simple answer is that it just works. Simply turning on your PC, PS4, or Xbox One can solve whatever issues you were having with Rainbow Six: Siege and might be all you ever need to do.Read on below to discover the optimal way to restart your system to make sure that Rainbow Six: Siege is behaving how it should be. It should also help prevent any crashes, as well as freezes after a good, clean restart:Xbox One:

1. Make sure the controller is connected to your Xbox One, so press and hold the Xbox logo on the controller to make sure it and your Xbox One is on. Wait for the console to load-up and then pick up your controller. On the controller, press the Xbox button to open up the guide.
2. From the guide, keep going right until the “Cog” icon is highlighted on white. Then go down to the “Settings” options and press the “A” button.
3. Once the settings menu has opened, go down to the selection that reads “Power & Startup.”
4. After you go into this section, you will now have two options to choose from: “Turn Off & Restart” or “Power Mode & Startup.” Select Turn Off & Restart.
5. Wait for your console to naturally turn itself off and restart after selecting that option and then give the game a try. Hopefully that has fixed any issues for Rainbow Six: Siege on Xbox One.

PlayStation 4:

1. Make sure your controller is connected to the PS4 by pressing the PlayStation Icon on the controller and ensuring the PS4 is already turned on. Wait for the console to completely start-up before doing anything and pick up your controller.
2. On the controller, hold the PlayStation icon until the “Quick Menu” shows up on your screen.
3. After that, keep pressing down until the “Power” section of the menu is highlighted and press right to cycle through your new options.
4. From this, highlight the “Turn Off PS4” option and then press “X” on the controller and wait for the PS4 to power off completely.
5. Once the PS4 is turned off, it’s recommended to wait around 30 seconds to 1 minute before turning it back on. With a bit of luck, this will be all you need to do to get Rainbow Six: Siege back up and running again.

PC:

1. Assuming that your PC is already turned on and Steam is loaded up, you’re going to want to close out of Steam. That, and whatever other windows you have open.
2. Take your mouse and go into the bottom-left corner of your monitor with it. There you will find the Windows logo, which is what you’re going to want to click on.
3. Once you click on that logo, another window will open. Just above that logo you will see a familiar power icon. Click on that and wait for the sub-sequent box to follow on from the right.
4. The three options that will show up are: Sleep, Shut Down, and Restart. Click on the last one, “Restart” and wait for your PC to turn off and then begin the restart process.
5. Upon completion of this restart, give Rainbow Six: Siege another go and see if this has fixed any freezes or crashes you’ve previously been experiencing.

Method 7: Check Hardware Compatibility & Minimum Requirements

Here’s the kicker: no one ever wants to be told that their hardware is no longer up to the challenge of running their favourite games. At times, all it takes is a new update to spell the end of some older hardware, which is why it’s best to be aware of the minimum requirements for the game as of 2020.

Minimum Requirements:

• Operating System – 64-bit Version of Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10

• Processor – Intel Core i3 560 @ 3.3 GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0GHz

• RAM – 6GB

• Video Card – NVidia GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD5770 (1024 MB VRAM)

• Hard Drive – 61GB’s

• DirectX – 11

• Sound – DirectX Compatible Sound Card (Latest Drivers)

• Supported Controllers – Compatible with X-Input

• Multiplayer – Broadband Connection with 256 KPS Upstream

These are the current minimum requirements for Rainbow Six: Siege, as listed on the Ubisoft Support website for July, 2020. As the game becomes older, its minimum requirements could possibly become higher, depending on updates, however. The last 4 elements of the minimum requirements aren’t too important, but your RAM, CPU, and GPU definitely are.Having an older CPU or GPU can cause that hardware to work overtime, causing overheating and potentially long-term damage. When hardware overheats, it’s being overworked and is going to cause hardware to run less-efficiently, resulting in possible freezes, crashes and may even mean the death of a CPU or GPU if careless.RAM typically isn’t known to burn out, but simply not having enough can mean your PC is struggling to catch up to the action that’s happening on screen, causing constant freezes.Look at what you’ve got in your PC already and see what you can upgrade. It can be an expensive venture if you’re required to upgrade multiple parts, but it can result in a smoother experience for you overall. Plus, your PC will thank you for it!Do be aware, however, some users have reported that despite having the minimum system requirements, they’re still struggling with these problems. There’s the possibility of it being another issue, so don’t assume it’s all hardware-related.

Method 8: Close All Programs Possibly Causing Interference

You may already have the minimum requirements for the game, but are still experiencing the freezing or crashing issue while playing. In which case, the problem could very well be other programs that are open in the background and taking too many resources. It’s easy to forget just how many programs are open in the background, like Discord, Skype, and Chrome. Chrome especially is a memory-hog and can easily use between 10-20% of your RAM if it’s left open – even more so with multiple tabs.If you’re still struggling with freezes or crashes in-game, try closing any additional programs that are running in the background. You’ll be surprised at just how much they take from your machine, even when you’re not actively using them.A good tip is to do CTRL+Shift+ESC: this will open Task Manager. From there, the processes tab should be your first option. On there, it will give you percentages for every program currently running on your PC and the effects on its hardware. End some processes before your next game and see just how much it can improve the game’s overall performance!

Method 9: RegEdit to Disable GameMode

After a little bit of extra research, another potential fix is through the RegEdit function. The reasoning behind the fix is a little confusing, but a lot of reports have stated how effective this method has been. It can also help prevent any crashes you’re experiencing as well.The reason you might need to trawl through the RegEdit function is due to an issue with a previously removed feature, called “Game Mode.” Previously, this setting could easily be turned off, but this is no longer the case. This setting being on can even end up affecting FPS, so it really is worth turning off - just in case.You’re going to be making some changes to the registry editor, so be sure to follow along with the next few steps closely. Just to ensure that nothing goes wrong for either your game or PC:

1. For the first step, head into the Windows search bar - found towards the bottom of your screen, along the taskbar. In the search bar, type “run” and a new window should pop up. In that box, type-in “RegEdit” and hit enter.
2. Registry editor will load and you’ll be met with several options. Click the folder that reads “HKEY_CURRENT_USER” and then the folder that says “System.” Head into “GameConfigStore” and look for the “GameDVR_Enabled” option and change its value to 0.
3. Once that’s done , go through to the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” folder, followed by “SOFTWARE.” A lot of folders will pop-up, but they’re alphabetical, which makes them easy to navigate. The next folder you want is one labelled “Policies”, which will then finish on “Microsoft” and then “Windows.”
4. Right-click the “Windows” folder and create a brand-new “Key” and name it “GameDVR.” After that’s done, right-click on the GameDVR key and select “Create DWORD 32-bit.”
5. You’re going to want to rename that value to “AllowGameDVR” and the value should automatically be set to 0. If for whatever reason it isn’t already 0, double-click on it and change its value manually.
6. Now, to finalise, go back through the folder that reads “HKEY_CURRENT_USER”, go to “Software”, then “Microsoft,” and finally “GameBar”. There should be an option in there that’s called “AllowAutoGameMode” and its DWORD value should be set to 0.
7. After all of that is done, give your PC a quick restart and that should hopefully be fixing some of the issues that you’ve currently been having with the game.

A fair number of people have reported this as a working fix for their ailments with Siege, even since it became an issue back in 2018. As has been previously stated, though, make sure the steps are followed to the letter, due to the type of changes that can occur to your PC in the registry editor.As was previously stated, unfortunately these methods aren’t 100% effective for everyone, but usually one or more will do the trick. Give each of them a try until you’re happy with the end result. You don’t necessarily have to do these in order, but it’s recommended that you reinstall the game as a last resort, due to just how long it can take to download fully.In short: try turning your system off first and foremost, and then look into updating recent drivers. After doing that, move onto closing redundant programs and see how the game performs. If that hasn’t helped, add an exception to your firewall for the game and double-check the minimum requirements for the game to ensure that you’re not encountering any problems there. Don’t forget to give all of the Ubisoft recommended ones a fair chance, since the results might surprise you.Once you’ve exhausted all of those options, give the game a clean reinstall and you’re bound to find success with at least one or more of these methods!