Minecraft is one of the most popular action-adventure sandbox games of all time and despite being over a decade old, the game’s popularity isn’t dwindling. However, massive popularity doesn’t guarantee seamless performance and that’s true for Minecraft as well.
Just like everything else tech, Minecraft also has its fair share of random bugs and glitches that keep causing problems from time to time. In this article, we’re taking a look at Minecraft exit code 255, its causes and what you can do to fix the problem.
What causes Minecraft exit code 255?
The 255 exit code is generally shown when the game crashes while running. There are three types of 255 codes that further describe the issue.
- Error 255 Crash: The general 255 code which indicates the game ran into an issue while running and crashed. Generally happens when the game is unable to handle input data.
- Error 255 Memory Leak: Memory leaks can cause the game to run extremely slowly and usually stem from deallocation in a non-C++ program.
- Error 255 Logic Error: Caused by data handling bugs in the game’s source code.
Also read: Minecraft error 422: Should you download it?
How to fix Minecraft exit code 255?
Here are nine fixes that should help you fix Minecraft exit code 255.
Restart the game
Restarting the game or your PC (or console) is also a good idea. Sometimes temporary bugs in the game won’t let you load into worlds or crash while loading a certain biome. In such cases, restarting the game or your PC can potentially resolve the error.
Run Minecraft as an administrator
Running Minecraft with administrator privileges can help you get around any permission issues that might hamper the game’s functionality, especially regarding writing data on your drive, which can lead to such crashes. Try running Minecraft as an administrator to see if that fixes the problem.
Reinstall the launcher
Another thing you should do is remove the existing Minecraft launcher from your computer and download it again from Minecraft.net. Make sure to get the right flavour depending on your OS and platform. Once the download is complete, install the launcher and try logging into your Microsoft account again.
Also read: How to enable network discovery in Windows 11?
Repair Visual C++ Runtime
Repairing the Visual C++ Runtime library can fix any corrupt or damaged files triggering the error.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.
Step 2: Find the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (2012 and onwards), select them and click the Change button. Follow along with the instructions to repair the library.
Restart your computer and try running the program again.
Reinstall Visual C++ Runtime
If repairing the C++ libraries didn’t help, try reinstalling them from scratch to see if that resolves your problem.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.
Step 2: Find the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (2012 and onwards), select them and click the Uninstall button.
Head to Microsoft’s support to download and install the latest Visual C++ Runtimes and install them.
Also read: How to make the taskbar transparent in Windows 11?
Check your hard drive
Problems with your storage drive can also cause Minecraft to lose access to the files it needs to run the game, causing crashes. If that’s the case, run a disk scan to check your drive and take appropriate action.
Check out this detailed guide to know how to run a disk checkup on Windows.
Update your graphics drivers
Outdated graphics drivers often cause problems with video output in some games. Check to make sure you’ve got the latest graphics drivers.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type in devmgmt.msc and hit enter.
Step 2: Scroll down to find Display adaptors — double click it to expand and see all your graphics cards.
Step 3: Right-click on your graphics cards and select Update driver.
Step 4: Select Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows will automatically download and install any updates that are available.
Restart your PC, and the display should be fine.
Also read: How to fix Discovery Plus error 0C-C009?
Run an antivirus scan
Sometimes your antivirus can flag a Minecraft game file as a false positive and quarantine it, causing the game to lose access to the files required to load a certain world or specific biomes. In such cases, running an antivirus scan can reveal the actual culprit.
Here’s how you can run a full scan on your PC using Windows Security.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Windows Security. Click the corresponding search result.
Step 2: Click Virus & threat protection.
Step 3: Click Scan options.
Step 4: Select Full scan and click Scan now to start scanning your PC for malware.
Restart your PC before launching the game and it should run just fine.
Update Windows and Minecraft
Updating the game and your OS can also help resolve the issue by eliminating any underlying bugs hindering functionality.
Check out this guide to quickly update Windows or pause updates if it's hindering your game. You can also check out this guide to update Windows 10 from Command line and Powershell. If you're facing issues while updating Windows 10, go here.
Also read: Minecraft launcher is currently not available in your account: 3 Fixes
