FiveM crash: Window Watchdog / game hangs then closes

Fixable on your PC

Window Watchdog

FiveM's watchdog closed the game because it stopped responding. A frequent cause is antivirus software injecting into the game process.

Why it happens

Some antivirus suites load their own DLLs into running programs to monitor them. FiveM treats the resulting stall as a hang and shuts down. The crash report often lists an antivirus DLL near the top.

How to fix it

Open the crash report and look for DLL names from your antivirus (for example Bitdefender's 'atcuf' or 'bdhkm' modules).
Add exclusions for the FiveM folder and for the FiveM game process in your antivirus.
If your antivirus has an 'Advanced Threat Defense' or behavior-monitoring feature, add FiveM as an exception there too.
Close overlay tools that inject into games (old RivaTuner versions, screen recorders) and test again.

Still broken?

Temporarily disable the antivirus for one session to confirm. If the crash stops, it's the antivirus — keep the exclusions and contact their support.

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FiveM stuck on "Loading add-on data files"

The loading bar freezes while FiveM loads server content. Almost always a corrupted cache or antivirus blocking the files.