Alex Ruben
How To Fix RDR2 FitGirl Repack Crashes During Startup or Mid-Game
If RDR2 keeps crashing right when you start or during gameplay—yeah, it’s frustrating, especially with a repacked version like FitGirl’s. Sometimes, Windows security flags the game files, or there’s a bad patch inside corrupted files, or just some weird permissions glitch. Whatever the reason, there are a few methods that have worked for folks, including a couple that involve tweaking Windows security or replacing certain game files. These steps can help stabilize things so you don’t get an instant crash after launching.
Basically, the goal is to make sure your game files are all in order, Windows Security isn’t blocking anything, and your game folder is properly excluded from scans. Not sure why, but sometimes even after applying fixes, problems can still pop back up. It’s annoying, but these tricks are worth a shot especially since the repack might not have patched all potential causes of crashes.
How to Fix Red Dead Redemption 2 Crashes on a Repack
Disable Windows Security Real-Time Protection
This is kind of weird, but Windows Security sometimes hates modded or repacked games and flags key files as threats. That can cause the game to crash at launch because Windows is blocking or restricting some files behind the scenes. Turning off real-time protection temporarily usually helps because now Windows won’t interfere.
- Press the Windows key, type Windows Security, then hit Enter.
- Go to Virus & threat protection.
- Click on Manage settings.
- Toggle off Real-time protection. You might get a warning, but just confirm.
On some setups, this has to stay off longer than you’d like—just remember to turn it back on later, cause of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Download and Replace Game Files
This step is a bit more manual, but it’s often needed especially when the repack isn’t perfect. Downloading a fix pack or patched files from a trusted source—like the easy-to-parse Winhance GitHub repository or other community sources—can help replace corrupted or missing game files.
- Download the fix files from a valid link. Here’s an example: Download Fix Files. Sometimes, it may be a ZIP or RAR archive.
- Once you’ve got the file, right-click and choose Extract to. Pick a folder you can remember (like Desktop\RDR2_fix).
- Open that folder, and select all files inside, then right-click and hit Copy.
Replacing the Original Game Files
This is usually where things get a bit dirty, but it really can stop crashes caused by corrupted game data.
- Navigate to your game installation folder. Typically, it’s located at C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Paste the new files you copied earlier into this folder. When Windows asks if you want to overwrite existing files, agree and select Replace the files in the destination.
- Sometimes, you might need to do this for specific files like DLLs or config files, depending on what the fix contains.
This step basically refreshes problematic files and can stop crashes linked to file corruption or version mismatches. Sometimes the game simply refuses to launch properly because of bad files, so replacing them can wake it up.
Re-enable Windows Security & Set Exclusions
After replacing files, it’s critical to turn Real-Time Protection back on—because leaving it off is a security risk. Plus, Windows Security might interfere again if it detects the game folder.
- Go back to Windows Security.
- Click Virus & threat protection, then Manage settings.
- Toggle Real-time protection back on.
- Now, to prevent Windows from repeatedly messing with your game, add your game folder as an exclusion:
- Inside Virus & threat protection, scroll down to Add or remove exclusions.
- Click Add an exclusion > Folder.
- Navigate to your game install directory (e.g.,
C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2) and select it.
Launching the Game & Additional Tips
Once all that’s done, just double-click your RDR2 shortcut to see if it runs without crashing. Usually, if you’ve replaced the files and set exclusions, the game should load normally. Still, some issues might need a graphics driver update or running as administrator. And yeah, keeping your Windows and GPU drivers updated is always a good idea, even if it feels like overkill sometimes.
Extra Tips & Common Troubleshooting
- Check if Windows has any pending updates—sometimes, they cause weird compatibility issues.
- Update your GPU drivers—from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel—outdated drivers are a common culprit for crashes.
- If the game still crashes, try verifying integrity via the Rockstar launcher or the platform you’re using, if applicable.
Wrap-up
Applying these steps has been a reliable fix for many crashing issues in repacked versions of RDR2. The most important parts probably are turning off security temporarily, replacing those corrupted files, and making sure Windows stays out of your way going forward. Expect that on some setups, you might need a restart or two to get everything synced up. But overall, this should get honest with you: fixing repack crashes is sometimes a game of trial and error, but these fixes are pretty solid if you’re banging your head against repeated crashes every time you try to start the game.
Summary
- Disable real-time protection temporarily.
- Download and extract the fix files from a trusted source.
- Replace the game files with the cleaned or patched ones.
- Re-enable security and add the game folder as an exclusion.
- Launch and see if the crashes stop.
Final thoughts
If this gets one step closer to making RDR2 stable again, that’s a win. Crashes are a pain, but sometimes all it takes is a little manual cleanup. Fingers crossed this helps some poor soul out there trying to enjoy their game without constant interruptions. Good luck, and hope you get to ride into the sunset without more crashes.