PES 2021 Crash Fix on PC – Black Screen, Freeze & Errors

If you are experiencing crashes in eFootball PES 2021 Season Update, you are not alone. Many players still face problems such as:

PES 2021 crashing on startup

Black screen after launch

Freeze during match loading

Sider.exe crash

“Steam has stopped working”

Random crash to desktop (CTD)

Stadium Server errors

Graphic mod crashes

In this complete troubleshooting guide, we will explain the most effective ways to fix PES 2021 crash issues on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Why Does PES 2021 Keep Crashing?

Most crashes happen because of:

• Broken mods
• Corrupted save files
• Old graphics drivers
• Incompatible Sider modules
• Incorrect Stadium Server setup
• DirectX problems
• Low virtual memory
• Antivirus blocking game files

The good news is:
most PES 2021 crashes can be fixed in under 15 minutes.

1. Run PES 2021 as Administrator

One of the simplest fixes is running the game with administrator privileges.

Steps

1. Go to your PES 2021 installation folder
2. Right-click:
   • PES2021.exe
   • Settings.exe
   • sider.exe
3. Click Properties
4. Open the Compatibility tab
5. Enable:
   • “Run this program as administrator”
6. Click Apply

This fix often solves:

• startup crashes
• black screen
• Steam permission errors

2. Delete Corrupted Save Data

Corrupted save files are one of the biggest causes of crash-to-desktop issues.

Save Folder Location

Documents\KONAMI\eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE

What To Do

1. Backup the folder first
2. Delete:
   • system data
   • edit data
   • corrupted save files
3. Launch the game again

If the game starts normally afterward, the problem was caused by damaged save data.

3. Disable Problematic Mods

Many crashes happen because of incompatible mods.

Especially:

• old facepacks
• broken gameplay mods
• outdated Sider modules
• incorrect stadium IDs

Common Mod Conflicts

4. Fix Sider Crash Problems

If your game crashes after installing Sider, check your sider.ini configuration.

Common Causes

• wrong livecpk order
• missing modules
• outdated Lua scripts
• unsupported stadium map

Recommended Fix

Disable modules one by one:

lua.module = "StadiumServer.lua"  lua.module = "Camera.lua"  lua.module = "Scoreboard.lua"

Test the game after disabling each module.

This helps identify the broken plugin.

5. Update Your Graphics Driver

Outdated GPU drivers can cause:

• black screen
• random freezing
• DirectX crash
• lag spikes

Update your graphics card driver:

• NVIDIA users → install latest Game Ready Driver
• AMD users → install latest Adrenalin Driver
• Intel users → update integrated graphics driver

6. Install DirectX and Visual C++ Redistributables

PES 2021 depends on several Microsoft runtime libraries.

Install:

• DirectX End-User Runtime
• Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable

Missing runtime files often cause:

• startup crash
• missing DLL errors
• sudden close after splash screen

7. Verify Steam Game Files

If you are using the Steam version of PES 2021:

Steps

1. Open Steam
2. Go to Library
3. Right-click PES 2021
4. Click Properties
5. Open Installed Files
6. Click:
   Verify integrity of game files

This can repair:

• corrupted executables
• missing files
• damaged game assets

8. Increase Virtual Memory

Low virtual memory can cause PES 2021 to crash during:

• loading stadiums
• replay scenes
• high graphics usage

Recommended Settings

• Minimum: 4096 MB
• Maximum: 8192 MB

Especially important for:

• 8GB RAM PCs
• heavy graphics mods
• UHD stadium packs

9. Disable Antivirus Temporarily

Some antivirus programs falsely detect:

• Sider
• gameplay DLLs
• mod injectors

This can block the game from launching.

Add exclusions for:

• PES 2021 folder
• Sider folder
• download folder

10. Use Compatible Stadium Server Versions

Many users install incompatible stadium packs.

Recommended

Always match:

• Stadium Server version
• Sider version
• game executable version

Mismatched versions often cause:

• loading freeze
• match crash
• infinite loading screen

Best Stable Setup for PES 2021 in 2026

For the most stable experience:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does PES 2021 crash before match starts?

Usually caused by:

• broken stadium
• invalid facepack
• incompatible gameplay mod

Why does PES 2021 show black screen only?

Possible causes:

• DirectX issue
• GPU driver problem
• fullscreen conflict
• corrupted settings

Can mods permanently damage PES 2021?

No. Most mod-related crashes can be fixed by:

• deleting mods
• restoring backup files
• reinstalling Sider

Final Thoughts

Even in 2026, eFootball PES 2021 Season Update remains one of the best football simulation games for modding communities.

Most crash issues are caused by:

• incompatible mods
• outdated tools
• corrupted save data

By following this guide carefully, you should be able to fix almost every PES 2021 crash problem on PC.

If you still experience issues, check:

• your Sider setup
• stadium compatibility
• GPU driver version
• Windows updates

Happy modding and enjoy the game.