Modern Warfare 3 Error Code 0x887a0005 [FIXED]

Playing Modern Warfare 3 on my computer was tough. This annoying error code, 0x887a0005, stopped me from joining multiplayer games. It happened randomly during loadouts or when maps were loading. Sometimes, the game just wouldn’t go past the starting screen. Many others had the same problem but needed help figuring out why. Here are some of the fixes I’ve come up with to tackle the issue.

Whether you are launching or playing, your game will crash, and you will have an error message pop up stating, “DirectX encountered an unrecoverable error.

Key Highlights

Here are the methods I tried to solve the error code 0x887a0005 issue on MW3:

Adjusting voltage and frequency using HWiNFO and MSI Afterburner.
Running Steam as an administrator.
Reinstalling the NVIDIA driver.
Turning off XMP.

Tip: Before trying the slightly complicated methods, I recommend first trying basic methods like verifying files, restarting PCs, and updating Windows.

Undervolting Your GPU

msi afterburner undervolting — Undervolting GPU using MSI afterburner – [Image captured by eXputer]

Warning: If you don’t have experience undervolting your CPU/GPU, I suggest you skip this step or seek professional help from a technician. Also, processes like overclocking or undervolting may void your hardware warranty.

If your PC crashed while playing Modern Warfare 3 with a DirectX error 0x887a0005, it probably happened on big maps like Zombies or the Campaign’s Open Combat Missions.

The issue is related to a bug in the driver or software that’s causing this issue. The key to resolving this issue is to undervolt. Here’s How:

Use HWiNFO during a 3DMark Time Spy benchmark to note maximum GPU core voltage and clock values.
Access MSI Afterburner Curve Editor and locate the closest point to stock voltage and frequency.
Lower voltage by 10-20mV in MSI Afterburner, match it to the stock core clock and adjust subsequent points.
Run a 30-minute 3DMark Time Spy stress test to check stability; gradually decrease voltage until instability occurs, settling on the last stable setting.
Monitor temperature drops post-undervolting, potentially reducing noise and solving issues like Modern Warfare 3 crashing.

This will essentially stop the crashing if it was happening due to high temps.

Running Steam as Administrator

steam as admin for mw3 — Running Steam With Administrative Privileges – [Image captured by eXpuer]

Sometimes, Steam does not have full permission to run on your PC, which gets it stuck on the “checking for update” screen and shows the error code 0x887a0005.To resolve this issue, you can simply run Steam with administrative privileges. According to Steam forums, other players have also fixed this issue with MW3 by simply running Steam as an administrator.

Here’s how you can do this:

Right-click on the Steam icon.
Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
Go to > “Compatibility” tab in > Properties window.
Check the box “Run this program as an administrator.”
Click > “Apply” > “OK” to save the changes.

If running Steam as an administrator doesn’t work, you can also try running Modern Warfare 3 as an administrator. Here’s an eXputer guide on running your games as an administrator in case you need help on the matter.

Reinstalling Graphic Drivers

delete and re-install gpu drivers mw3 — Removing Graphic Drivers – [Image captured by eXputer]

Precaution: This method will remove any custom settings you’ve made in the Nvidia/AMD control panel and your GeForce Experience software. It is best to take a mental note of the settings before proceeding forward.

The next step in troubleshooting MW3 error code 0x887a0005 in Modern Warfare 3 is to reinstall your GPU drivers. Now, uninstalling the GPU drivers through the Windows app manager isn’t going to cut it. To do a clean reinstall, you’ll have to first uninstall your GPU drivers through Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).

You can download DDU by visiting the Guru3D website.
After you’re done, download the latest version of your GPU driver by visiting the Nvidia Geforce Driver website or the AMD driver support website.
Now, you must run it in Safe Mode. The quickest way to boot your Windows up in Safe Mode is by:
Boot Into Safe Mode (Image by eXputer)
1. Press WIN + R > Type MSCONFIG
2. MS Configuration Window will open > Go To Boot Menu > Check Mark Safe Mode.
3. Click on OK and Restart Your PC.
In Safe Mode, go open up DDU and select driver type as GPU and then your Nvidia/AMD GPU on the right-hand side.
Now click on Clean and Restart. Now that the process is happening, I suggest you repeat Step 3 and uncheck the safe mode option, as, for some people, the PC will reboot into safe mode again if not manually selected.
After your PC reboots, simply install the driver you downloaded in Step 2 and reboot your PC again.

Doing this will install a fresh GPU driver on your system and remove any corrupted driver file that was causing the MW3 issues. Now, boot up the game and start playing.

If you want more performance out of your PC, I suggest doing an additional step and configuring your new driver optimally. Check out our Best Nvidia Settings or Best AMD settings guide if you want help doing this.

Disabling XMP

disable xmp from bios for mw3 — Disabling XMP from BIOS – [Image captured by eXputer]

Lastly, you can try disabling XMP to fix those persistent crashes linked to error code 0x887a0005 in Modern Warfare 3. XMP allows memory modules to run faster than the default settings, aiming to enhance overall system performance.

However, some games like MW3 aren’t compatible with this and crash instead. Hence, to disable XMP in BIOS, here’s what you need to do:

Restart your computer and access the BIOS by pressing a specific key during startup (commonly Del, F2, F12, or Esc).
Look for settings related to overclocking or advanced settings.
Find the XMP setting, often labeled as “XMP,” “DOCP,” or “EOCP.“
Select the XMP option and choose “Disabled” or “Off” to turn off the XMP profile.
Save changes and exit BIOS to restart your computer.

My Thoughts On This Modern Warfare 3 Error

There aren’t any official announcements on Twitter or official game forms from developers on fixing this issue. So, I suppose until they release an official patch fixing this issue, the workarounds I’ve mentioned above will have to do for now.

This isn’t a persistence issue for players concerned and will be resolved with the first few error-fix methods I’ve mentioned in this guide.

However, if things don’t work out for you by the time you’ve tried every fix above, I suggest you contact Activision’s MW3 support and explain your problem. I’m confident they’ll be able to pinpoint the issue and give you the best solution possible.

Check out some more error fix guides for Modern Warfare 3 on eXputer:

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