How to fix error #x41 in Modern Warfare 2

Hamza Khalid
Modern Warfare 2 operator

Modern Warfare 2 players are encountering the #x41 error while trying to hop into a match, and we’ll go over all the different workarounds that you can use to this fix this issue.

With Season 2 of Modern Warfare 2 well underway, players are checking out all the fun content that arrived in the update, including a new Battle Passnew weapons and a competitive Ranked Play mode.

However, many players are reporting a strange error message appearing when they try to play the game. If you’re wondering how to fix error #x41 in Modern Warfare 2 then we’ve got you covered.

How to fix Modern Warfare 2 error #x41

The #x41 error in Modern Warfare 2 can pop up for a variety of different reasons, such as the game files being corrupted, your graphics drivers being outdated, or the game simply needing to be reinstalled.

We’ll go over every single workaround that players have used to resolve this issue, and hopefully one of these will fix the Modern Warfare 2 error #x41 for you.

Ghost in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2The #x41 error has been causing problems in Modern Warfare 2 Season 2.

Restart the game

The first thing that you should try in order to fix this problem is to close and then relaunch Modern Warfare 2. Hopefully, you will no longer have to face error #x41 after Modern Warfare 2 is booted up again.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Press the home button on either your Xbox or PlayStation controller, and head back to your console’s main screen.
  2. Select Modern Warfare 2.
  3. Press Start.
  4. Select Close Application.
  5. Restart Modern Warfare 2.

Verify the Modern Warfare 2 game files

If you’re playing on PC, you can check whether or not your Modern Warfare 2 game files have become corrupted or damaged. So, simply verifying the integrity of the game files through Steam should resolve the issue.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open Steam and visit your Library.
  2. Select Modern Warfare 2.
  3. Right click the game and select Properties.
  4. Select Local Files.
  5. Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.

Update your graphics drivers

One reason that you might encounter this problem is that you’re currently using an outdated graphics driver. You can try updating the graphics driver and then seeing if it resolves the issue.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Right-click the Start Menu and select Device Manager from the Quick Access Menu.
  2. Double-click on Display adapters.
  3. Right-click the active dedicated graphics card.
  4. Select Update driver and then click Search automatically for drivers.
  5. Wait for the system to check for available updates.
ghost operator walking in mw2Outdated graphics drivers can cause the #x41 error in Modern Warfare 2

Disable Steam Overlay

Overlay software like Steam Overlay may cause this error to appear in Modern Warfare 2. Try disabling the software before running the game.

Here’s how you can disable the Steam Overlay

  1. Open up the Steam client.
  2. Head to your Library.
  3. Right-click on Modern Warfare 2 and select Properties.
  4. Go to General and make sure the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game checkbox is unchecked.

Disable Windows Defender

Windows Defender will attempt to defend your system against unknown software, and this can sometimes block some of the Modern Warfare 2 game files. So, we recommend disabling the antivirus before launching the game.

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings.
  2. Go to Update & Security and select Windows Security.
  3. Click Open Windows Security and head to Virus & threat protection
  4. Select Manage settings and turn off Real-time protection.
  5. Restart your system and launch Modern Warfare 2.

Check the Modern Warfare 2 server status

You might be encountering error #x41 in Modern Warfare 2 because there is an issue with the servers. You can check the server status by visiting the Activision Support Twitter page or the Infinity Ward Twitter page.

mw2 operator shooting enemy
You may run into error #x41 if the Modern Warfare 2 servers are down.

Reinstall Modern Warfare 2

If none of these other methods have worked then the only way to solve the problem may be to reinstall Modern Warfare 2. Just make sure that you’ve deleted the Call of Duty title’s game files and folders before reinstalling it.

This method is the one that will take the most time, as you’ll need to wait for the entire game to reinstall before you can see if it worked. However, if there is a problem with any of your game files, this can fix it.


For more Modern Warfare 2 guide, check out these ones as well:

Best Modern Warfare 2 PC settings | Best Modern Warfare 2 controller settings | Best mouse and keyboard settings for Modern Warfare 2 | How to level up fast in Modern Warfare 2 | Best guns in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Assault Rifles in Modern Warfare 2 | When is the next Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 Double XP event? | 10 most popular weapons in Modern Warfare 2 | Best audio settings for Modern Warfare 2

Image Credit: Activision

About The Author

Hamza is a Content Creator & Publisher at Charlie INTEL, who graduated from Bahria University with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. He's spent the past few years covering news and guides for various video games, including Call of Duty and Apex Legends. He loves digital art, movies, and comic books. You can contact Hamza at [email protected].