This is one of the strangest and most frustrating computer issues I've had and I've tried everything I can think of with nothing helping or hinting at what the issue is.

About a month ago, I bought Watch Dogs 2 - once I tried to start a new game, it crashed with no error message to the desktop just as the loading-screen went away and the game was supposed to start.

Since then several games that have previously worked (Far Cry Primal, Just Cause 3 and Mirrors Edge Catalyst), crash in the same spot (just as a game (loaded or new) is about to start).

I thought it was the latest graphics driver and indeed, nvidia did issue a quick fix because of an issue that seemed to affect Watch Dogs 2 just around that time, but having tried 5 different drivers (3 new and two old that I know worked on my other games) this obv isn't the issue.

I've tried running the games with low settings, disconnected all other monitors and peripherals, fiddled with v-sync, resolutions, windowed/full screen and just about every other setting.

Tried all the stuff that googling similar issues would suggest: turned off Ansel and the dvr-recording thingy that the x-box app for Windows 10 enables, tried DirectX11 and 12, and obv uninstalled/re-installed the games.

MemTest says my memory is fine, running Heaven Benchmark and FurMark show no problems or artifacts and temperatures well within where they should be for both CPU and GPU.

No hardware-changes since the games used to work and no overclocking of any components.

Only thing I've got left atm is a suspicion that it was the Windows 10 Creators Update that screwed me - it would fit somewhat with the time of it being installed, but since I don't have very weird hw-combinations it's strange it should just affect me. Also I'm past the 10 days limit, so I can't go back to a pre-creators update version.

Anyone have any idea of other things to try?

Windows 10
nVidia GTX 1070
i7-4790K

You should run chkdsk as well just to rule out the hard drive, but I would guess lol win10.

Yea, I've done all the chkdsk, dxdiag and that stuff too.

Guess I'll just have to wait for the next windows update and hope for a miracle.

No idea what this is, can you not try a system restore to a point before this?

There are none - I think creators update deleted them all.

I've done a fair bit of googling for how to go back to pre-creators update windows, but it seems unless you go back within 10 days, you're basically screwed.

lol win10

Yea, but on the plus-side, Rocket League is one of the few games still working so things could be worse

You're far more tolerant than I am. I was having problems with steam not updating and running and wanted to play merely one game. I reformatted and reinstalled my entire operating system trying to fix it.

i see you turned off xbox dvr, did you turn off game mode? (is that ansel or is ansel a different recording thing?) either way - search for settings, then click gaming, then game mode and turn it off.

you could also try re-installing your video card driver after uninstalling with ddu. sometimes driver issues aren't completed cleared up just by re-installing. http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/...-download.html

Have you tried reinstalling one of the games? Didn't read full OP

Thanks but yes, all that game-stuff is off. Ansel is something nVidia uses for making screenshots which gives a lot more options than just regular screenshots.

As an aside, there's so much **** being put on top of games these days, it's no wonder things crash. Windows has its own recording and whatever else that's 'integrated' into the game, nvidia has it's own for recording and screenshots, Steam has it's own overlay and, for Ubisoft/ea/whatever-games, they have a separate overlay for origin/uplay/whatever. I turn most of it off as soon as I know about it, but then there's an update and it's switched back on again.

And DDU was used for most of the driver changes. I typically don't use it when just upgrading regularly, but when going back to older drivers and/or have problems, I'll use it.

Have you physically removed and reseated the GPU and RAM? I would suggest it.

Updating this to bring some closure

Just found out what caused this after having tried unsuccessfully to get these games to work after every windows/nvidia-update.

Turns our my graphics card was faulty, but somehow it only showed up in these 3-4 games until a week or so ago when starting up any game caused both the game and my other monitors to break out into white spots.

Replaced it with a 1080ti and everything works again. Will be getting the 1070 replaced since it's just over a year old but not sure what I'll do with that now since I'm sticking with the 1080