I think there are some confusion with the renaming solution.
Go to your Overwatch folder, find the Overwatch.exe.
Once you find it, rename it to Overwatchtest.exe.
Then make a shortcut from that renamed file to your desktop.
Then use that shortcut to launch the game.
If you did correctly, it will require to enter your email and password.
Notice:
If a new patch or update comes out, you need to delete the old Overwatchtest.exe and make a new one from the already downloaded file(launcher will download a new one automatically).
Warning!
If you rename the overwatch.exe file, then go to your launcher and start the game like you normally do, it wont help. The launcher will download overwatch.exe and it will keep crashing again and again.
I use this “solution” with EVGA RTX 2080 XC for 2 weeks now. No crash at all.
I spoke to soon. My game just crashed. So must have been a fluke that it went so long with out crashing after I upgraded to the higher tiered EVGA RTX 2080.
I know some games with the new RTX cards currently require to use lower settings or turn off settings completely. Like ARK you have to use low settings for shadows and turn light shafts off in order to stay in game otherwise it crashes in 5 min. Messing with these settings might help, will try it.
So I’ve been experimenting a bit, because ever since renaming my overwatch.exe the game has not crashed, but hasn’t felt quite “right” somehow. I think it’s because of some optimization the nvidia profile does that I’m not getting because I renamed.
Basically, movement feels choppy, and it very visible stutters when strafing left/right past a vertical line like a pole or a hanging wire or something. When using the original overwatch.exe it is smooth so it must be something in the nvidia profile. Any idea what it could be? Could I somehow selectively enable parts of the profile to test?
Thanks for much for your patience as I know that dealing with these crashes for so long without any updates can be upsetting. It’s never fun to be left out of the loop.
Just to touch base with everyone, renaming the Overwatch file has been largely successful as it prevents the Nvidia profile from making changes and as previously mentioned, we’re working with NVidia to get this issue sorted out. Here are those steps again:
Open your Overwatch installation folder (C:\Program Files (x86) by default)
Right click the Overwatch application file and choose Rename
Rename the file to OverwatchTest
Double click the renamed file to launch the game manually
For those who are still getting Rendering Device Lost errors after the rename, you most likely have a separate problem entirely than the Nvidia profile problem. There are many different causes for the Rendering Device Lost which is why this problem was so difficult to figure out in the first place. If renaming the Overwatch file doesn’t help, we suggest going through these steps. If they don’t help, create a new thread with the steps you have tried, or create a support ticket so we can investigate these cases individually.
So you open up your post with the above then you proceed with giving no update or anything other really than 'hey, try the same work around’s we’ve been suggesting since Nov/Dec 2018.
Oh and if you are still getting the issue after these workarounds… it’s probably still not us!
I understand you are not fixing this issue directly and you are working the forums but really… think about what you post before posting it.
Address things like the person who apparently got a response to say that this whole thing is actually down to Nvidia to fix and not Blizzard. Is that the case? If so what exactly was found to indicate it’s purely from Nvidia so people can contact Nvidia or update the threads on their forums with this info?
Zero transparency!
_
Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.
nowiwantthisstrikethrough: TL;DR: Solution - Remove all the Nvidia garbage with DDU and then reinstall graphics drivers only without Geforce Experience.
I got told by Overwatch support to run DDU and then install the Nvidia drivers without Geforce Experience.
I’ve played 3-4 hours I think and haven’t had a crash so that seem to work. So Geforce Experience seem to be the problem.
Now the secondary question is whatever it’s some other functionality provided by Geforce Experience which causes this or whatever it’s their automatic configuration of games and whatever installing it without that is enough to not have an issue or not. One may want to have Geforce Experience for other things after all.
But yeah, that seem to solve the issue for me. The settings set by Geforce Experience was complete garbage for both the two games I’ve tried it with anyway. Negative impact (too high settings and hence crappy performance.)
Hey guys same issue, Running a 2070 on ultra @ 144hz, crashes are random and unpredictable, I’ve tried most of the solutions here and someone in-game told me to turn off shadowplay, that worked for a bit but unfortunately I’m still getting crashes randomly on this brand new build, Sucks and disappointing really. Sometimes i can play for 2 hours and then crash sometimes I crash a lot sometimes I don’t at all… Anyone got any other ideas I can try?
Well that only seem to have worked for some hours and all I did was play arcade.
To push my luck I changed the frequency of RAM to 3200 MHz and RAM voltage 1.36 volt and SOC 1.00 volt and tried a comp game but it lost rendering device again.
And as said before I’ve played with no RAM OC before the supported one (2933 MHz) and with Geforce Experience installed and then it’s crashed multiple times so I guess Geforce Experience isn’t the problem and solution.
… and now I’m down to SR 23xx (season high 28xx.)
Wonder if I should try the RTX 2060 card instead to maybe figure out if it’s the card or just everything all the time.
Have a GeForce RTX 2080, have been following this thread since december and have not had this issue after deleting the profile in Nvidia Inspector for 3 weeks now. Renaming seems to work as well until a new update comes and they create a new Overwatch.exe in the programfiles(x86) folder.
Hey guys same issue, Running a 2070 on ultra @ 144hz, crashes are random and unpredictable, I’ve tried most of the solutions here and someone in-game told me to turn off shadowplay, that worked for a bit but unfortunately I’m still getting crashes randomly on this brand new build, Sucks and disappointing really. Sometimes i can play for 2 hours and then crash sometimes I crash a lot sometimes I don’t at all… Anyone got any other ideas I can try?
This thread is only for RTX users who can fix the issue by renaming Overwatch.exe to something else, like OverwatchTest.exe. If you tried that and are still getting the rendering device lost crash, then you are having a different issue and need to start a new thread.
It makes sure NVidia’s profile doesn’t change any setting for Overwatch.
It is unfortunate you made other changes because it is possible the renaming method may have worked for you. I have seen lots of solutions by others but it is always wise to only try one method at the time or try what a company tells you to before making other changes. Other changes can to easily lead to more problems.
Only change I have is not having Geforce Experience installed.
I have used the Test.exe too by now but I’ve also had crashes but possibly from launching through Bnet so I’m not willing to state that renaming the exe doesn’t work.
Guess I could try some competitive and see. The Blizzard support told me I could play Quick play to try but I’m not interested in playing useless games. I’ve played some arcade but that too feel like garbage. I want to play competitive but I don’t want crashes and I don’t want to get punished for doing so.
I have put my memory OC back somewhat in that I run DCOP + 3200 MHz with 1 volt SOC but that’s been pretty stable before but yeah as is my memory controller is running out of spec (not because that caused the problem before but because running it without spec doesn’t remove the crashes anyway so …)
Hey, so this might be a little off topic but since Wednesday I’ve been experimenting this kind of crashes with my GTX 1080Ti. I’ve tried a lot of different solutions without finding a way to fix it. I updated my drivers, reinstalled the game two times, did the paging file thing, put every of my GPU settings to default ect… Renaming the .exe file did allowed me to play like 4 games but my game crashed again. By the way the game was working pretty well before the day of the first crash.
Reposting this for visability. If we had any more information for you we’d certainly share it, but for now the options are to use the rename method and if that DOESN’T work, you want to contact us directly for individual troubleshooting. The quote above explains why this is.
