Capcom has just released the Monster Hunter Rise PC demo today, much to fans’ discontent. It’s not because the Monster Hunter Rise demo has lower graphical fidelity (I mean, it is a Switch port, what do you expect?), but because players are encountering black screens and crashes that prevent them from enjoying the demo.
So far it’s still not clear what caused the problem. Capcom also hasn’t released any statement regarding the crash issue people are currently encountering. However, several people seem to have found some solutions that, while maybe not helping every possible PC setup out there, are still worth a try if you haven’t already. [Update: Here’s Capcom’s official statement and troubleshooting guide regarding the demo issues]
Possible Fixes for Monster Hunter Rise Demo Crash
1. Launch the Game in Windows 8 Compatibility Mode
Reddit user CoachSalmon suggested trying to run the game in Windows 8 compatibility mode, especially if you’re running Windows 10 LTSC. Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click the Monster Hunter Rise Demo on your Steam Library, choose Manage > Browse local files.
- Right-click MonsterHunterRiseDemo.exe, choose Properties.
- Go to the Compatibility tab.
- Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and choose “Windows 8” from the drop-down menu
- Click OK/Apply.
2. Turn Off Anti-Virus or Add Monster Hunter Rise Demo Folder and Files to the Exclusion List
Both several Steam users and the official Capcom Customer Service found that anti-virus software may be blocking the game executable from running due to a false-positive error. To avoid this, you can try to turn off your anti-virus while running the game. Or add all the game’s files and folders to the anti-virus and firewall whitelist/exception/exclusion lists. If they previously were already added to the list, try removing and re-adding them. You can try adding these three directories to your whitelist:
- MonsterHunterRiseDemo.exe Default Location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\MonsterHunterRiseDemo
- Steam.exe Default Location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
- Steam AppData Default Location: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Steam
Each antivirus has its settings, but these seem to be proven methods for specific programs:
BitDefender (from TREofWAR)
- Go to Protection > Advanced Threat Defense > Settings > Manage Exception.
- Chose All Exceptions, then click Add Exceptions.
- Add MonsterHunterRiseDemo.exe. Save your settings.
- Start the game.
ESET Antivirus (from Fussy Eater)
- Go to the Setup/Advanced Setup menu.
- Select Computer Protection.
- Select the gear icon at Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS).
- On the Deep Behavioral Inspection tab select “Edit” on “Exclusion”.
- Add the Monster Hunter Rise demo path and click OK.
3. Reinstall or Rollback Your GPU Driver
Most games (and the Capcom Customer Service) suggest you update your GPU driver in case of an error when launching a game. However, an acquaintance of mine who was experiencing crashes when running the Monster Hunter Rise demo claimed he managed to get into the main menu by rolling back his driver. You can download the drivers for AMD graphic cards and NVIDIA on each respective official site. Or you can also use the Display Driver Uninstaller program to help to reinstall/rolling back your driver.
4. Disable Display Adapters if You Have More Than One Active
- Open the Start menu and search for “Device Manager”.
- Look for “Display adapters”, then click on the menu item to expand the list. You should see the name of your GPU.
- Disable them — except your dedicated GPU (the one you’re using most of the time).
- Restart your PC.
Related
Monster Hunter Rise Won’t Get PC-Switch Cross-Save or Cross-Play
I hope those methods help you if you are experiencing black screen and crash issues when running the Monster Hunter Rise PC demo. Monster Hunter Rise is now available on Nintendo Switch and will be released on PC on January 12, 2022.