Game freezing

[waystogaming]

Hello,

I am experiencing an issue where my HP laptop freezes during the Fortnite loading screen. The system becomes unresponsive and requires a forced restart.

When the freeze occurs, Windows Event Viewer shows the following errors at the exact time of the crash:

Warning:
"The driver \Driver\WUDFRd failed to load.
Device: USB\VID_04F3&PID_0C00
Status: 0xC0000365"

Critical:
"The server Windows.Gaming.GameBar.PresenceServer.Internal.PresenceWriter did not register with DCOM within the required timeout."

I have already tried:

• Updating Windows

• Updating graphics drivers

• Disconnecting unnecessary USB devices

• Disabling Xbox Game Bar

The issue still occurs and only happens when launching Fortnite. Other applications work normally.

I believe this may be related to HP-provided USB, chipset, firmware, or BIOS components. I would appreciate guidance on whether a BIOS change, chipset/USB driver reinstall, or another fix is recommended.

[Kuroi_Kenshi · Accepted solution]

Hi @waystogaming,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP laptop freezes during the Fortnite loading screen, requiring a forced restart, and Event Viewer shows USB driver and GameBar timeout errors. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Identify the USB device causing the WUDFRd error
The device ID USB\VID_04F3&PID_0C00 typically relates to an internal USB device such as a fingerprint reader, touchpad, or webcam.
Open Device Manager → Human Interface Devices / Biometric Devices, locate the device, and temporarily disable it, then test Fortnite again.

Reinstall HP chipset and USB drivers
Download and reinstall the HP chipset driver and USB controller drivers for your exact laptop model from HP’s support page.
This refreshes the low-level drivers that manage internal USB devices.

Update or reinstall the touchpad / biometric driver
If your system has a fingerprint reader or precision touchpad, reinstall its driver from HP.
These devices commonly trigger WUDFRd errors when they fail to initialize under load.

Disable USB power management
Go to Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers.
For each USB Root Hub, open Properties → Power Management and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

Disable HP background services temporarily
Open Services, then temporarily stop HP-related services such as HP Hotkey, HP Analytics, or HP Presence (names vary by model).
Test Fortnite to check whether an HP utility is triggering the freeze.

Turn off Windows Game Bar background components fully
Even if Game Bar is disabled, some services remain active.
Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Xbox Game Bar → Advanced options and set it to Never run in background.

Check BIOS version and power-related settings
Enter BIOS (usually F10 at startup) and load Default Settings, then save and exit.
If your BIOS is not on the latest stable release, update it using HP’s official BIOS package.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[DavidWilley35]

It sounds like the freezing issue on your HP laptop during the Fortnite loading screen is likely related to the USB driver or Game Bar services, as indicated by the Event Viewer errors. Since you’ve already updated Windows, graphics drivers, disconnected unnecessary USB devices, and disabled the Xbox Game Bar, the next steps I’d suggest are:

1. Reinstall or update HP chipset/USB drivers directly from the HP support site to ensure full compatibility with Fortnite.

2. Check BIOS updates for your laptop model sometimes USB or system stability fixes are included in firmware updates.

3. Try running Fortnite with only essential USB devices connected, and consider temporarily disabling background apps or overlays that might conflict with the game.

I faced a similar experience while playing multiplayer games like where certain drivers and system settings caused freezes. Testing optimized versions or updated builds really helped improve stability, so checking your system setup could make a big difference here as well.