Fix: Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error [Easy Methods]

Battleye is a service that is used to safeguard against in-game cheating and hacking by most popular multiplayer games nowadays and it basically scans your computer and gives the go-ahead after making sure that you aren’t using Cheats. However, a lot of people have been getting the Failed to initialize Battleye Service: Generic Error message when they try to start Fortnite and PubG.

We have also seen that some people are getting the “Failed to Initialize BattlEye service: Windows-Test signing Mode not Supported and the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Driver Load Error (1450)” message during startup. In this article, we have compiled some methods that you can utilize to fix these error messages completely and after following through, you will be able to play your games normally.

Why is Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error Triggered?

After digging through some basic troubleshooting mechanics, we came to know that the following are some of the most popular reasons due to which the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service issue is triggered.

• Admin Permissions: In certain situations, if you haven’t granted the admin permissions to the BattlEye launcher and Fortnite, the BattlEye service might encounter issues while trying to access your system files. Therefore, it is important that you grant it admin permissions just in case your system is preventing it from accessing files and causing the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error.
• Game Already Running: In some cases, the user might exit out of the game but due to conflicts, the game might still be running some of its services in the background and if this is the case with you, you will encounter the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service error because your anti-cheat software will detect multiple instances of the game running on your computer.
• Corrupted Game Files: If your game files have been corrupted due to a storage failure, you will run into this error because all the game files need to be properly intact in order for Fortnite and PubG to run properly. You can verify your game files from the launcher to counteract this issue.
• Outdated Drivers: If you haven’t updated your drivers in a while, you will run into the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service error because your computer will be unable to properly run the newer version of the game on older software.
• BattlEye Service Issue: If the BattlEye Service hasn’t been properly installed on your system or if it has been corrupted, you will run into the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service error. You can either reinstall the BattlEye Service completely or try to repair it and check to see if doing so helps you in fixing this error.
• Antivirus Software: If you have installed third-party antivirus software on your computer or even if you are using the default Windows Defender, chances are that you might run into the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error. The antivirus might be preventing Fortnite and PuBG from connecting to their servers and BattlEye from verifying that your computer isn’t running hacks.

Now that you have been made familiar with some of the most common reasons due to which this error occurs, we can finally move on towards implementing the fixes.

Before you Start:

1. Make sure to completely restart your computer, remove the power cable, and let it sit for at least 15 minutes so that it has been completely power cycled.
2. Closeout of all instances of the game that you are running such as Fortnite or PubG, Epic Games Launcher, Steam or BattlEye Service and they try to run the game.
3. Press “Windows” + “R” to open the run tab, type in “%AppData%” and press “Enter” to get into the application data window. In here, Press “Ctrl” + “A” to select all files and “Shift” + “Delete” to remove them from your computer. Also, Open the run prompt again and type in “%Temp%” and press Enter. Remove all files from this folder as well and check to see if the game runs normally now.

   

4. Make sure that you have enough space on your Storage Device.

Fixing the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error

Solution 1: Reinstall BattlEye Service

1. Make sure to completely exit out of the  BattlEye Service, Steam, Epic, and the game that you are trying to run.
2. Open the game installation folder if you have set a custom one, if not, navigate to the following location.

   This PC> Local Disk C> Program Files> Fortnite> FortniteGame> Binaries> Win64> BattlEye

   This PC >> Program Files(x86) >> Steam >> steamapps >> common >> PUBG >> TSLGame >> Bianaries >> Win64 >> Batteye

3. Inside this folder, double-click on the “Uninstall_BattlEye” Batch File.
4. Confirm the prompt and after it has finished uninstalling, go back to the “Win64” folder.
5. Right-click on the “ForniteClient-Win64-Shipping” executable and select the “Properties” option.
6. Inside Properties, click on the “Compatibility” tab, and from there, check the “Run this program as an Administrator“.

   

7. Also, check the “Run this Program in Compatibility Mode For” option, and from the dropdown, select the “Windows 7” option.
8. After removing BattlEye Service and providing Admin permissions to the game, launch Epic Launcher and sign-in with your credentials.
9. Click on “Library” and click on the “three dots” next to Fortnite.
10. From the menu, click on the “Verify” option and wait for the game-file verification step to be completed.

    

11. After the game finished verifying the files, check to see if you are able to run it properly and if the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error has been fixed.

Solution 2: Allow Through Windows Defender and Firewall

1. Press “Windows’ + “R” to open the Run prompt.
2. Type in “windowsdefender:///” and press “Enter” to launch into the Windows Defender window.

   

3. Inside here, click on the “Virus and Threat Protection” option, and in the next screen, select the “Manage Settings” button under the “Virus and Threat Protection” heading.

   

4. Scroll down and click on the “Add or Remove Exclusions” option.
5. Click on the “Add an Exclusion” button and select “Folder”.
6. Point to the game installation folder.
7. Go back to the main Windows Defender Window and this time, select “Firewall & Network Protection” from the left side.
8. Click on the “Allow an App Through Firewall” option.

   

9. Select the “Change Settings” option in the next window and provide admin permissions on the prompt.
10. From the list, click on the “Allow another app” option.
11. Point to the BattlEye Service which should be installed in the same location as it was in the first step but we have listed the address below regardless.

    This PC> Local Disk C> Program Files> Fortnite> FortniteGame> Binaries> Win64> BattlEye

12. Point to the “BEService_x64” and then click on “Add” again.
13. Click on OK to exit out of this window and make sure to also add exclusions in any third-party software that you might have installed.
14. Check to see if by doing so, you are able to fix the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error.

Solution 3: Fixing Through Command Prompt

If you get the Failed to Initialize BattlEye service: Windows-Test signing Mode not Supported Error while trying to launch the game, you can fix it by turning the Windows Test Signing Mode Off using the following method.

1. Press “Windows” + “R” to open the Run prompt.
2. Type in “cmd” and press “Shift” + “Ctrl” + “Enter” to provide administrative privileges.

   

3. After launching the cmd, type in the following command and press “Enter” to execute it.

   bcdedit.exe

4. After executing this command, type in the following and press “Enter” again.

   bcdedit /set testsigning off

5. In the end, execute the following command.

   bcdedit /set nointegritychecks off

6. Exit out of the command prompt and restart your computer.
7. After the restart is completed, check to see if the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Windows-Test signing Mode not Supported error has been fixed.

Solution 4: Deleting Epic Games Files

If you are getting the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error with Fortnite Season X, you can try to delete some Epic files and then check to see when Epic automatically replaces them, if the error is fixed.

1. Navigate to the following location on your computer. (Might Differ if you installed Epic on a custom location).

   This PC> Program Files(x86)> Epic Games> Launcher> Portal> Binaries> Win64

2. Inside this folder, press “Ctrl” + “A” to select all files and then press “Shift” + “Delete” to remove all files.
3. After deleting these files, restart your computer and try to start Epic.
4. It will automatically replace these files and install itself again.
5. Check to see if doing this step allows you to fix the Failed to initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error.

Solution 5: Install BattlEye Manually

1. Press “Windows’ + “R” to open the Run prompt.
2. Type in “appwiz.cpl” and press “Enter” to open the app management window.

   

3. Right-click on the BattlEye Service in this window and select the “Uninstall/Change” option.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to completely remove this app from your computer.
5. After removing it completely, download battlEye service from here.
6. Install the executable on your computer and check to see if this fixes the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service: Generic Error.

Solution 6: Update Device Drivers

1. Download DriverEasy from here.
2. Run the executable and install the software on your computer.
3. After installing, make sure to run a scan and check to see which drivers are outdated or missing.
4. Install the missing drivers using the instructions on your screen and check to see if the error is fixed.

Solution 7: Uninstalling FaceIT Anticheat

1. If you are using any other Anticheat software on your computer, it is recommended that you try and uninstall FaceIT Anticheat.
2. For that, Press “Windows” + “R” to open the Run prompt.
3. Type in “appwiz.cpl” and press “enter” to launch into the application management window.

   

4. Inside this window, scroll down and right-click on the “Faceit Anticheat” software.
5. Select the “Uninstall/Change” option and remove this program from your computer.
6. Check to see if doing so fixes the Failed to Initialize BattlEye Service error.

Hopefully, the error might have gone by now but if you need further assistance, contact here.