Arma 3 is a famous military shooting game for single and multiplayer. This extremely realistic game provides 40 varieties of weapons and about 20 options for vehicles in the game. However, amid all these amazing features, many players have been encountering referenced memory error while playing the game. If you are also dealing with the same issue, you have come to the right place. We are bringing you a perfect guide that will help you fix Arma 3 referenced memory error.
How to Fix Arma 3 Referenced Memory Error in Windows 10
RAM-related issues or technical issues with your Windows PC can often wreck your gaming experience while playing Arma 3. Referenced memory error can be often encountered on different Windows PC in various forms. Generally, the error depends upon PC configurations and is related to issues with RAM. The error usually arises while downloading software or running games like Arma 3. As different reasons can cause referenced memory error on your PC, let us discuss them briefly down below:
- A corrupt game files is one of the main reasons behind the error showing up on your computer.
- If RAM sticks are failing on your system, this error can transpire in your PC.
- Insufficient paging files on your PC can also cause the referenced memory error.
Now that we are familiar with the causes behind the error, we can now begin with the methods that can help you to fix Arma 3 referenced memory error issue.
Method 1: Diagnose RAM Frequency
In case your RAM is failing, it can lead to Arma 3 referenced memory error. Therefore, running a diagnostic tool to check the memory of RAM is important. Also, timely checking of the frequency of RAM is essential to ensure lagging issues in your PC and to update it with a higher frequency one in case it is failing. You can check out our guide on How to Check RAM Frequency on Windows 10 for the detailed and step-by-step description of the method.
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Method 2: Enlarge Virtual Memory File
Running Arma 3 can take a toll on your PC and it might find it difficult to deal with the heap dumps generated by the game. This issue can be resolved by enlarging the virtual memory file that helps to control these heap dumps by Arma 3.
1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type sysdm.spl in the given field and press the Enter key to open the System Properties window.
3. Switch to the Advanced tab and click on Settings… under the Performance section.
4. Select the Advanced tab and click on Change… as shown below.
5. Uncheck the box for Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives.
6. Then, select the desired Drive and click on the Custom size radio button. Set the following parameters as instructed below:
- Initial size (MB): 3500 MB
- Maximum size (MB): 7000 MB
7. Then, click on Set to save the changes, as highlighted.
8. Finally, reboot the PC and check if the memory could not be read error is resolved or not.
Method 3: Run SFC and DISM Scan
Running SFC and DISM scans repairs corrupt files from the Windows registry of your system and hence helps to fix Arma 3 referenced memory error. Read our guide on How to Repair System Files on Windows 10 to know more about these two tools. Once the scans are completed, restart the PC and check if the instructions at 0x referenced memory issue are resolved.
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Method 4: Adjust NVIDIA Control Panel Settings
In case you are using an NVIDIA graphics card, you can resolve the referenced memory error by tweaking its control panel settings. Follow the steps mentioned below to change the settings of NVIDIA:
Note: This method is only for NVIDIA graphics card users.
1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control in the given field and press the Enter key to open the Control Panel settings window.
3. Then, click on NVIDIA Control Panel.
4. Click on Manage 3D settings.
5. In the Program Settings tab, select desired program from the Select a program to customize drop-down field.
6. Then, choose the Integrated graphics option from the Select the preferred graphics processor for this program drop-down field.
7. Finally, click on Apply from the bottom to save the changes.
Method 5: Update Graphics Driver
An outdated or wrong graphics driver can be another reason why the instructions at 0x referenced memory error is showing up on your PC while launching Arma 3. Therefore, update your graphics driver with the help of our guide on 4 Ways to Update Graphics Driver in Windows 10.
Also Read: 5 Ways to Fix GTA 5 Game Memory Error
Method 6: Update Windows OS
Updating your Operating System is also essential when it comes to running Arma 3 without the memory could not be read on your system. It helps in resolving issues with corrupt files and repairing them. Therefore, updating Windows is essential and you can do so with the help of our guide on How to Download and Install Windows 10 Latest Update.
Method 7: Perform Clean Boot
Unnecessary applications running in the background or third-party processes can be a reason for trouble with referenced memory which eventually blocks Arma 3 from running on the PC. Performing a clean boot on Windows helps in closing all these processes or any problems causing this issue. You can check our guide on Perform Clean boot in Windows 10 and implement the same for your system to resolve the memory could not be read error.
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Method 8: Reinstall Arma 3 & Remove Corrupt Files
As discussed above, corrupt remanent files can be one of the reasons for the instructions at 0x referenced memory error. Players can face Arma 3 crashing while playing it. So, the best solution possible for the issue is to reinstall the game and remove any corrupt files present with the data that can affect its installation.
1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type appwiz.cpl in the given field and press the Enter key.
3. In the Programs and Features menu, locate and right-click on Arma 3 program from the list and click on Uninstall/Change from the context menu.
4. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
5. Now, press the Windows + E keys together to open the File Explorer application.
6A. Then, navigate to the following path:
\Users\*YOUR USERNAME*\Documents\Arma 3
Note: Here YOUR USERNAME is an example. You can replace it with the actual username.
6B. Navigate to the following path if you are using Steam to open the game.
\Program files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 3
7. Now, locate and right-click on the Arma 3 folder and click on Delete, as shown.
8. Then, proceed to restart your PC.
9. Download the Arma 3 game on your PC and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
10. Finally, launch the game using the installer (Steam) in Administrator mode. See if this method fixed the memory could not be read error for you.
Method 9: Restore Windows
If you want to run your PC without Arma 3 referenced memory error then you can also opt for restoring your system. You can perform this method without losing your data with the help of system protection which creates and saves restore points on your computer. To know more about it, you can check our guide on How to use System Restore on Windows 10.
Also Read: Fix Invalid Access to Memory Location Error in Valorant
Method 10: Reset Windows
Resetting the Windows PC is the last resort if you keep on seeing the memory could not be read error even after trying out all the above-stated methods. This method will delete all the applications and drivers installed on your default OS drive except for the pre-installed ones. So, backup all your important data into an external drive or cloud storage before performing this method and create a system restore point as well. You can reset your PC and even get to keep your data. For that, check out our guide on How to Reset Windows 10 Without Losing Data.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. How can I check the health of my RAM?
Ans. You can check your RAM health by running a Windows memory diagnostic tool on your system.
Q2. What is a reference memory?
Ans. Reference memory is a long-term memory of your system that generates a reference to the memory to have an approach to commanded information.
Q3. Why does RAM get damaged?
Ans. RAM of your system gets damaged if it is removed while the system is powered up or while the motherboard has residual charged and RAM is removed.
Q4. Can the RAM be repaired?
Ans. Yes, the RAM can be repaired by a competent technician who has expertise in repairing computers and their hardware.
Q5. How can I fix RAM?
Ans. You can fix RAM by clearing its cache, restarting your system, updating the software to its latest version, and deleting unused extensions.
Recommended: Manage Virtual Memory (Pagefile) In Windows 10
We hope that our guide helped you in fixing Arma 3 referenced memory error. Let us know which one of the methods was the most helpful in doing so. If you have more queries about the topic or suggestions about any other topic, leave them below in the comments section.