Many players have reported the ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT crashes in Grand Theft Auto V. For example, this is what a GTA V player reported on the GTA forum: “So up until a day ago I had no problem playing GTA5, and now for some reason my game keeps crashing, and I get ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT as the error code.” That error typically occurs when starting, or shortly after launching, Grand Theft Auto V. This is how you can fix the Grand Theft Auto V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error on Windows PCs.
Delete the D3dcsx_46 and D3dcompiler File
A widely confirmed way to fix the Grand Theft Auto V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error is to delete the d3dcsx_46 and d3dcompiler DLL files. Then, you should also run the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer thereafter. This is how you can erase those files to apply the potential fix:
- First, go to the Program Files > Rockstar Games > Grand Theft Auto V folder in File Explorer.
- Next, right-click the d3dcsx_46 file to select Delete.
- Erase the d3dcompiler.dll file by right-clicking it and selecting Delete.
The d3dcompiler.dll file
- Click Download on this DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer page.
- Double-click on the downloaded dxwebsetup file in the folder containing it.
- Click I accept the agreement within the Installing Microsoft window.
The DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer window
- Then, press the Next button a couple of times to proceed.
Disable Overlays in Steam, Discord, and the NVIDIA App
Players confirm they’ve fixed the GTA V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error by disabling overlays. Do you have Steam, Discord, or the NVIDIA App installed on your PC? If so, turn off the overlay features in all of those software packages. Then, try playing Grand Theft Auto V again.
The Steam overlay setting
Undo GPU or Processor Overclocking
Have you applied any graphics card or processor overclocking? If so, that overclocking might be causing GPU issues to occur. Try restoring your graphics card or CPU to their default factory settings with whatever software you applied the overclocking. For example, MSI Afterburner has a Reset option that reverts all settings to default values.
Update Graphics Drivers
Players have also fixed the Grand Theft Auto V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error by installing new graphical drivers. This KG post explains how you can update NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD graphical drivers in different ways. When installing the latest NVIDIA driver for your PC, try selecting the Perform clean installation option as instructed on this Dell page.
The NVIDIA graphics driver page
Erase the Settings File for GTA V
Deleting the settings file for Grand Theft Auto V will reset the game’s graphical configuration to default. Invalid graphics configurations can sometimes cause Direct3D initialization issues to arise. So, try deleting GTA V’s settings file like this:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to a This PC > Windows > Users > Vizit Banger > Documents > Rockstar Games.
- Select the settings file in that folder by clicking on it once.
- Click the Delete option on Explorer’s command bar or Home tab.
The settings file
Update Your PC’s BIOS
Players also say they’ve fixed the Grand Theft Auto V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error by updating the BIOS for their PCs. However, updating the BIOS isn’t a routine troubleshooting method comparable to updating Windows. This Intel page provides guidelines for how users can update the BIOS on different PC models.
I hope one of the troubleshooting methods here fixes the Grand Theft Auto V ERR_GFX_D3D_INIT error for you. There’s a good chance one will because they’re potential fixes players confirm can work. If the error continues, consider sending a support ticket to Rockstar’s support service by clicking Submit a request on this help page.
