Fortnite : FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe - Bad Image 0xc0000428 even with clean new drive

[timeshifter]

On my custom built PC I've been playing Fortnite on a regular basis without issue for 2.5 years. Last night the game kept crashing. I could sometimes start a game, but eventually it'd crash. Not the whole PC, no BSOD. The program was still open. I'd see this error dialog:

Fortnite : FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe - Bad Image
is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support. Error status 0xc0000428

I worked through a number of fixes like sfc /scannow which did find and fix some things. I reinstalled (clean) video drivers. Did a verify of the game install. Reinstalled the game. Reinstall C++ libraries.

Finally I stuck a new SSD in and installed a new copy of Windows 10 21H2. Installed the game. Ran it. Same error!

The original drive is still connected, shows up as drive D, but I'm clearly running everything from new drive.

Possible causes I haven't ruled out
EasyAntiCheat seeing something on old drive and causing a crash
Memory error, bad RAM
Network issue

 

[nlinecomputers]

PSU, GPU, or memory.

 

[timeshifter]

PSU, GPU, or memory.

How would you rate the likelihood of those components, 33% each?

 

[nlinecomputers]

I have no way to answer that. It depends on the quality of the equipment to begin with.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Also

 

[timeshifter]

I did just about everything he shows in that video last night before I put in a new drive and did a clean install. None of those fixes should apply as far as I understand it since I'm working from a clean install of Windows and Fortnite.

 

[Sky-Knight]

That is an overly generic error, and the nature of it is literally impossible to troubleshoot if you're not the developer of the software in question.

The Youtube video is a collection of general fixes, that fail to resolve anything... Because again, this is a stack fault. The EXE itself is not running because of a low level issue. This is likely AV related, or a driver it doesn't like.

But as soon as you start mucking about with runtimes... you're off the reservation.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I did just about everything he shows in that video last night before I put in a new drive and did a clean install. None of those fixes should apply as far as I understand it since I'm working from a clean install of Windows and Fortnite.

Which is why I would be looking at hardware.

 

[Markverhyden]

How would you rate the likelihood of those components, 33% each?

1%, 60%, and 39% respectively.

Edit: the error code is rather generic. If you search just "Error status 0xc0000428" many hits reference certificate issues. I'd also flash/reflash BIOS and leave the old HD unplugged.

 

[timeshifter]

and leave the old HD unplugged

That's what I'm trying right now. Old HD is an NVMe drive, have to take the GPU out to get to it.

1%, 60%, and 39% respectively.

The GPU is an Nvidia RTX-3080 Founders Edition

 

[Markverhyden]

That's what I'm trying right now. Old HD is an NVMe drive, have to take the GPU out to get to it.


The GPU is an Nvidia RTX-3080 Founders Edition

I'd play around with RAM as well. If you have open banks maybe them over.

 

[timeshifter]

Clean run with only new drive and nothing else connect same error.

Along the way there’s been a few instances where the video flickers, blank and back. Rare but happened more than just during transitions.

I have a 4K 27” gaming monitor with a 15’ DP cable and the monitor is on an arm that moves. Wonder if it might be a cable issue or potentially handshake glitch.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I doubt it but I would try a new cable first.

 

[timeshifter]

I may not have another DP cable lying, but I could easily try HDMI to current monitor or a different one.

Low probability but easy to quickly test.

 

[timeshifter]

I've tried:

Windows Memory Diagnostics, no errors found
Different monitor with different DP cable
Different monitor with HDMI cable
Different GPU (GTX 1080 Ti) with original DP cable and monitor

At this point only things remaining are RAM issues (maybe timing or something), motherboard / CPU or networking.

Fortnite is a game that's played online. Once the game is loaded you're in what we refer to as the lobby. You can join parties with other players, etc there. So I'll connect with my buddy and we'll pick a game type then click play. Fortnite does some matchmaking and connects us (or me if solo) to a match. Don't think I've ever seen the error until after I've clicked play and it's connected to a match.

My Internet is AT&T fiber, have their modem BGW320-500 and am using a UniFi Security Gateway. The AT&T device is set up in their bridge or pinhole mode, been like that for 1.5 years.

 

[timeshifter]

Direct connect to AT&T gateway doesn't fix it. Nor does connecting my PC to my AT&T iPhone hotspot make a difference.

 

[timeshifter]

Direct connect to AT&T gateway doesn't fix it. Nor does connecting my PC to my AT&T iPhone hotspot make a difference.

 

[timeshifter]

Have an old system lying around with an i7-2600 at 3.40GHz and 8GB RAM running Windows 10 21H2. Popped the RTX 3080 in it and connected to my existing DP cable and gaming monitor, plugged in to the same network connection. No errors. Slow and unplayable as crap, but it worked.

So, I guess it's safe to say the following pieces are OK:
network connection
RTX 3080 card
DP cable
Gaming monitor

Remaining possible culprits
Video driver
RAM (timing, etc.)
PSU

Difficult to imagine faulty hardware, as the error is always the same.

 

[timeshifter]

I got it working!!

How? No clue.

After I proved that it wasn't my network by installing the game on an old computer (per the last post) I went back to my main computer. Still had the spare video card and running on the new clean install of Windows and Fortnite. The same setup that was giving errors now worked fine.

So I put the system back to it's original state. Not OK as the screen was flashing. I updated the video driver to match what I had on the clean install disk and then it ran fine.

During the early troubleshooting steps I went to Nvidia's site to get the most up to date stable driver

Download The Latest Official NVIDIA Drivers

Download the latest official NVIDIA drivers to enhance your PC gaming experience and run apps faster.

www.nvidia.com

They guided me to get 472.12. That was part of the problem on the original setup.

On the clean disk Windows installed 512.15. That produced the same error, until I had tried a different computer then came back to the clean disk and ran it again. And when I went back to the regular system I let Windows update the driver to 512.15.

 

[timeshifter]

You know how when something starts working again but you've got no explanation? And you know how it comes back and bites you in the ass? Me too.

It's doing it again tonight