Borderlands 2 Fatal Error on Windows PC: 6 Ways to Fix It

Borderlands 2 fatal error can appear when the game crashes during startup, before the main menu loads, or when entering a campaign.

This guide analyses the possible causes and explains the most useful fixes.

Why Does Borderlands 2 Show a Fatal Error?

Borderlands 2 is an older PC game. Steam’s current store page still lists legacy components such as DirectX 9.0c, Microsoft .NET 4, and Visual C++ Redistributables from 2005, 2008, and 2010 among the software included with the original PC installation.

When an older game runs on a modern Windows installation, several things can cause a startup crash:

• Corrupted game files
• Corrupted .ini configuration files
• Missing or damaged runtime components
• Dolby DAX/Atmos conflicts
• Third-party overlays
• Incorrect permissions

Microsoft also notes that older programs can encounter compatibility problems on newer Windows versions because of changes in operating-system architecture, security features, and system requirements.

Fix 1. Verify the Integrity of Steam Game Files

The missing or corrupted games files should be the first cause that leads to the Borderlands 2 fatal error when joining game. It usually occurs when the installation is interrupted or the abnormality during the downloading.

So, you can try verifying the integrity of Steam game files. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1. Open your Steam client, and then navigate to the LIBRARY tab.

Step 2. Right click the Borderlands 2 game from the listed games and click on Properties.

Step 3. Navigate to the LOCAL FILES tab and click on the VERIFY INTERITY OF GAME FILES option.

Now, you can restart the Steam client and check if you can play the game smoothly without bl2 fatal error.

1 File Failed to Validate and Will Be Reacquired [Solved]

When verifying integrity of game after game crash, you may receive “1 file failed to validate and will be reacquired”. This post shows solutions to this issue. 

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Fix 2. Regenerate the Config Files

As you might know, most video games often store the Config files and save files in the My Documents directory. You can find it in the user account folder. However, once these Config files get corrupted or bad, the games you are running may be crashed.

To fix Borderlands 2 fatal error, you can try renewing the Config files. It is simple to operate. For that:

Step 1. Press the Win + E keys to open the File Explorer and then make your way to the My Documents directory folder.

Step 2. Navigate to the Borderlands 2 folder, and then you can make a backup of the same game files and delete the rest of the files.

Step 3. Run the game again and see if the fatal error Borderlands 2 is fixed or not.

Fix 3. Run Borderlands 2 as an Administrator

The insufficient permissions can also trigger the Borderlands 2 fatal error when joining game. For that, you can try running it as an administrator, which will entitle you with privileged rights. To do so, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Open you Steam client and navigate to eh Library section.

Step 2. Right click on the Borderlands 2 game and select Properties option.

Step 3. Go to the LOCAL FILES tab, and then click on BROWSE LOCAL FILES to open the installation directory of the game.

Step 4. Now, right click the executable file and select Run as an administrator from the drop-down menu.

Fix 4. Turn off the Dolby DAX API Service

The Dolby DAX API service is used to control the Dolby Atoms components on your system. Sometimes, this services can also lead to some issues with video games such as Borderlands 2 and Call of Duty. So, turning off the service might fix the fatal error Borderlands 2 at Startup. Here’s how:

Step 1. Press Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box, and then type services.msc and hit Enter.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, right click the Dolby DAX API service and select Properties.

Step 3. Change the Startup type to the Disabled from the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Click Apply and then click OK button to save the change.

Fix 5. Switch to Other Installation Directory

As mentioned above, the permission restrictions are responsible for the bl2 fatal error. If you installed the Steam games in the Program files of your Windows drive, it is very likely to be vexed by the restricted permission issue.

To fix this error, you can switch to other installation directory folder. For that, you can create a new folder on your computer and then move the entire Steam game folder into the new folder. Then you need to create a shortcut on the desktop or pin it to the Start menu again.

Fix 6. Check Other Installed Applications

Other programs on your computer can sometimes conflict with *Borderlands 2*. For example, TeamViewer and Discord’s in-game overlay are known to cause issues.

If you use TeamViewer, try uninstalling it to see if the error persists.

For Discord users, please disable the in-game overlay feature in the Discord settings.

If you have third-party antivirus software installed, it may also be causing interference. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus and checking if the game runs correctly. If it does, you should add *Borderlands 2* to your antivirus software’s exclusion list or whitelist. You might also consider switching to a different antivirus program if necessary.

Bottom Line

If you encounter Borderlands 2 Fatal Error on Windows 11/10, don’t immediately reinstall the game. Try the solutions above to solve it.