Borderlands 2 — Common Errors & How to Fix Them
When a Borderlands 2 error is fixable and when it is grounds for a refund.
Last updated 2026-09-25 · evergreen reference
Most Borderlands 2 errors are fixable in under an hour. This page tells you which ones are, and which ones mean you should stop troubleshooting and ask the store for a refund instead. Online titles add a second category: anti-cheat and connection failures that look like crashes but are not.
Errors, causes and fixes
Start from the symptom that matches yours.
"Ran out of video memory"
What is happening: PhysX at High generates particle and fluid data faster than the engine’s memory manager can retire it.
Fix: Lower PhysX to Low or Medium first — it is the primary culprit. Then reduce Texture Quality and View Distance.
Memory exhaustion on long sessions
What is happening: Borderlands 2 is a 32-bit application, so it can address only about 2 GB of RAM by default.
Fix: Apply a 4 GB patch (LAA flag) to the executable. Back up the original file first — you are modifying a binary.
Microlag and stutter on Windows 10/11
What is happening: Fullscreen optimisations interfering with UE3.
Fix: Right-click Borderlands2.exe in Binaries\Win32, open the Compatibility tab and disable fullscreen optimizations.
Co-op will not connect
What is happening: The game uses UDP ports 50000–65535, which most routers do not unblock by default.
Fix: Add a firewall exception for the game, open those UDP ports, or add the -tcp launch argument to force TCP. Verify the game cache and reboot Steam as well.
Items falling through the world
What is happening: A PhysX-related physics bug.
Fix: Set PhysX to Low or Disabled. Community reports consistently point at this setting.
.NET Framework Client Profile reinstalls every launch
What is happening: The install folder is read-only, so Steam never records that the prerequisite completed.
Fix: Uncheck read-only on the installation folder, or add a DWORD named NET40Redist with value 1 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Valve\Steam\Apps\49520.
The order to work in
Cheapest and most reversible first.
1. Rule out the universal causes
Verify game files, update the GPU driver with a clean install, and close overlays, recorders and RGB utilities. Across every engine, these three resolve the largest share of crashes before you touch anything game-specific.
2. Match the fix to the symptom
A crash that happens in the same place every time in Borderlands 2 is usually asset or configuration damage — a cache, a config file or a mod. A crash that happens at random intervals is far more often a driver, an overlay, thermals or unstable memory tuning.
3. Change one thing, then retest
Load the same save, visit the same area and repeat the same action. If you change five settings at once you will never learn which one mattered, and you will end up reinstalling a game that did not need it.
When to stop fixing and ask for a refund
Troubleshooting has a deadline.
Store windows are short
Steam refunds within 14 days of purchase and under 2 hours of playtime, though documented technical faults can sometimes be accepted past that. Microsoft Store and Epic follow similar 14-day or 2-hour rules with their own exception paths.
Evidence changes the outcome
A denied refund can sometimes be overturned if you attach crash logs, a DxDiag and the steps you already tried. Contact store support with the evidence rather than filing a bare request.
Account actions are not refundable
If the failure is a ban from online cheating or a modified client, no store will refund it. That category is separate from a game that simply will not run.
Related pages
This is an independent player reference and is not official documentation for Borderlands 2. GameFixPro does not host or link to copyrighted assets. Modding guidance is for single-player use only — never use mods in online multiplayer. Verify current requirements, prices and policies with the publisher before acting.