[Switch] Minecraft gives error - “The software was closed because an error occurred”

I was redirected here from my own ticket, so I thought I'd give my own input as well.

Like Marvin said, playing on an alternate profile does completely remove all issues for me, including the long load time at startup. However, the home button fix doesn't work for me on my regular profile, and I'm not keen on the idea of abandoning my worlds on my regular profile just for Minecraft. I'm also going to answer the questions you asked Charleigh, just in case.

• This started immediately upon updating. I had issues with lagging (especially on the starting menu and during autosaves) and I was unable to join friends' worlds (Realms worked, though I'd usually disconnect within five minutes of playing) but I was capable of actually playing the game.

• I have three worlds in total, one of which is with the Deep Sea Mashup pack. I received the pack for free, from the news channel. The third world hasn't been touched at all, as I made it after updating when testing the glitch, and I haven't been able to get into it at all.

• As I said before, I have the Deep Sea Mashup, but that's the only texture pack I own. I only use it on one world. If it counts, I also own the Mario template that came with my game, but it isn't listed in my settings and I've never used it.

• In my last session, I was building a house in Peaceful mode. This was in a regular world, not in the one with the texture pack.

• I do have a Microsoft account. I've tried playing both logged in and out of it, and the result is the same no matter what.

Thank you for the extra information. We are working at trying to reproduce and fix the issue, thanks for your patience while we try and get this resolved.

My daughter is experiencing this during every session lately.  I don't know when it started or at what update, but I've tried archiving, redownloading the game to the Switch to no avail.  She has the natural texture pack downloaded but never uses it and just downloaded the Advanced Dragons world. 

She's trimmed the data down to 4 saved worlds but that doesn't seem to have helped.  On other profiles on the same console, it seems the Minecraft worlds are being backed up but her's are forever "waiting to upload".

She is logged into a microsoft account since we like to play cross platform.

[Nintendo Switch: MC Bedrock v1.12.0] I am able to play minecraft on my switch, but I have two problems. 1. The game doesn't save for long periods of time, and 2. The game crashes before it gets a chance to save and I lose most of my progress. The game freezes for a brief moment before it displays the error message. I also checked for any corrupted data, but fortunately it hasn't found any.

I experience similar issues like this every time I try to play, though it's almost never directly on startup.

My Minecraft will start up just fine, and play mostly fine for an hour or two and then crash without warning. Freezing occasionally happens as well and is always followed immediately by a communication error (though I believe the error is directly related to the freezing itself). I can end up losing anywhere from 15-30 minutes worth of progress and 7/10 times will either duplicate items that were on my person or lose items in my surroundings (like boats and tamed mobs), which may have caused a storage issue with my last world as it was suddenly at 400mb after one crash.

The crashing has happened in all Survival worlds I've tried to, and it doesn't appear to be related to any particular items, terrain, or coordinates as it has happened in multiple biomes and locations. They frequently happen with the Natural Texture Pack and the Chroma Hills texture pack. They occur with the basic textures as well, but not as quickly or as often (recent test let me go around 5 hours before a crash hit with the normal texture pack). I don't pay attention enough to see if they happen during auto-saves or not.

In attempts to resolve this issue, I've tried: 

• Checking for corrupted data (none is ever found).

• Re-downloading the game without deleting saved data (done two different times).

• Deleted saved data, deleted the game, and then re-downloaded it.

The crashing got worse for me AFTER the 1.12 update was released. I had previously experienced very minimal crashing and was otherwise able to play the game just fine.

Out of nowhere yesterday this started happening to us. We cant play for more than a minute or two without it closing. Every other game is fine. We re-downloaded and checked for corrupt files. Nothing. 

This bug is more accurate to what I've been experiencing. Minecraft hasn't been playable for me since this started happening, which is extremely unfortunate. This started occurring a couple weeks ago and got progressively worse until I can't even launch the software anymore without it crashing. This should be a very high priority bug.

Is this still an issue for players in 1.12.1?

I just updated Minecraft but it still does the same thing. I also tried restarting my switch and tried it but it still says error.

Yes, it is still an issue after the update. 

Yeah nothing has changed... game still crashes when generating, joining, or saving a world. Also crashes when going from handheld to TV mode in Switch

I found a fix for me! I went to settings >data management > delete save data and deleted my save data for all of my users. I know I didn’t have as memorable of worlds as some but it’s better for Minecraft to actually work than keep the worlds. So I suggest trying it if you guys haven’t already.

If you have a copy of the world available, you might like to upload a copy of it for investigation.

• On Windows 10 you can use the Export world feature.

• On Android or iOS you need to use a file explorer to navigate to Device storage > games > com.mojang > minecraftWorlds

• On Xbox or Switch the only way is to upload it to a Realm, and then download the world on Windows 10 or Android/iOS. (Please do not purchase a Realms subscription just to provide a world to us - but if you have a Realm already this may be a viable option if you wish to do so.)

If the world is larger than 10MB you can upload the world to OneDrive or a similar file sharing site, and then share the link.

This seriously needs to be solved. I can report the very same issues listed by OP. Please, this is a high priority bug.

The issue occurs for me on the world load when the screen says "Loading Resources", then it crashes with the "software was closed because an error occurred" message.  Only happens on primary user account (so far).  When I go into other user accounts, loading and saving worlds works fine.  It's intermittent for me, and it only occurs on the world load, never (yet) mid-game.  I received the error yesterday, not today, and it's been intermittent that way for a month+.  I have a video from yesterday (191 MB .mov, so can't upload) where I produce the error on world load, Close the Software from Switch home screen, go into another user and load and save a world successfully, close the software again, go back to primary user, and reproduce the error again on world load.  This morning it works, and I don't know what triggered that - the Switch being off overnight, playing another game in the interim, or what....  All Switch updates, all Minecraft updates, files stored on local Switch memory not card, Data Management found no corrupted files.

10/2 Edit: It has started happening for me mid-game sometimes.  The issue may be related to the skin, when the issue occurs at world load I think I have a workaround where I Edit the world and it says you must change your skin and I change it to Steve and then it loads.  My daughter sometimes uses the chicken skin.

Now the crash occurs before I even reach the main menu! Once the white screen with the Mojang logo appears, the game crashes a few seconds afterward. 

I'm having same issue as in description. This issue is only with the one of the Switch profiles, with other profiles game is playable. The profile with issue is linked to Microsoft account, others are not.

Before it was possible to enter main menu and play the game after several minutes waiting of black/white screens. After the latest update (1.12.1) it will start with black screen, turn to white and then the Mojang boot windows appears. After that Switch will give error "The software was closed because an error occurred." So with the latest update the game is not playable at all.

UPDATE 30.10.2019:

With update 1.13.0 it was possible to open game once. Still with the the black/white screen booting routine and several minutes waiting.. All the worlds were there and working..

After I closed the software and tried again the error message came again..

The same is happening to me! I paid for the city texture pack, it was working fine, but now my world doesn't load! Also the normal texture pack doesn't work and obviusly I want to use the texture pack for what I paid. 

This needs to be solved ASAP. We can't play Minecraft! In my case, I can't even join a friend's server or to mineplex for example.

At least let us get the Java version in NS for free if we will continue with this problem that has more than 2 months.

Will this be resolved anytime soon?? This issue has been ongoing and my kids are getting restless. The game takes so long to load. Also starting a new world just for them to work on it a few hours and then boom; it crashes with “The software was closed because an error occurred”. You can't expect us to keep creating a new world just so that in a few days it crashes.
I looked into purchasing the version for my Mac, but paying $27 is ridiculous when I already own the game for the Switch.

The very least you can do is give us the PC/Mac Version for Free since Minecraft for switch is not working.

Same thing is happening to me. If I switch switch users I can play but lost my online account/purchases (because they're on my main account) which no longer works and crashes upon opening. I can't play anymore with anything I paid for. I can only start a new world on a new switch profile without any of my purchases or saves.

We (my wife and I) had been unable to play this game together during the last major bug (re: MCPE-41479) which prevented my loading of this game for five to six months and now we're in the same situation with this bug. We (my wife and I) have a combined playtime of 600+ hours on the Switch alone, not including the PS4 and PS3 versions of the game we both own. We are paying for a realm, of which we just reupped two or three weeks ago. This is getting ridiculous - we just want to play.

Weirdly like the last error she is able to login with her Switch just fine and, with my Switch, I am unable to go past the white loading screen without the error occurring. She plays undocked on Wifi, I typically play docked while wired. Yes, I did check if Wifi and undocked would work, as well as all the steps listed above by the original poster (including cleaning save data and game files). Nothing changed, nothing worked.

My wife still plays just fine.

The same thing happens to me too. Every time I try to open an old world (my son plays with the Switch off line - no realms but we have an account microsoft) the words "The software was closed because an error occurred." and can't play. Each time he begin a new world. it is practically unplayable. I wouldn't want to buy the realms subscription and it doesn't seem right. I saw the previous comments and the same thing happens to me. Please fix the problem

Update:

After hearing no updates on this bug for a week (minus the above report), I decided to do some looking. I read on another report for iOS (MCPE-53936) this user was experiencing the same or a similar issue we're experiencing with the Switch. I gave the suggested steps a go and now I'm able to login.

If anyone performs these steps, be prepared: you will lose everything you have saved: any world, your login data, everything.

According to the user, they deleted their user's save data. I did the same thing by going to System Settings -> Data Management -> Delete Save Data. Choose Minecraft. On the next screen (if multiple users) 'Delete Save Data for <user>'.

After deleting the user's save data, I went to the main menu. I entered the game and the main menu appeared. Since I was logged out of a Microsoft account and could not use my intended feature (Realms) I logged back in. After logging in, things looked fine. I turned off the Switch just to make sure things wouldn't go wonky and, after turning it back on, loaded Minecraft. It went to the menu and logged into my account no problem. I'm now in my realm and there are no (current) issues.

Important: Since I pay for a realm and have no worlds or usable data on my Switch, losing my data doesn't matter to me. If my wife had to do this, as she just said, she'd quit playing. Period.

Something to note for bug squashing: before deleting the save data on the Switch, a menu is brought up showing each user (with their save data size). The save data for my user was over 700mb. The save data for the other two users on the system (who have no problems playing on their own devices) is 577mb. Now that I've deleted this data for my user, I am also at 577mb. Not sure if it's relevant but it is something curious.

Still happening on 1.13

this is the same as my post, MCPE-54627

The game worked fine for a few minutes, but sadly, it soon began crashing again. 

Same issue here. Brand new Switch and physical copy of the game bought a few days ago. Minecraft and Switch both updated to latest version. No SD in system. Only playing offline, so no login.

Was working fine for a few days, but now no saved worlds load - just get "An error has occurred". Can't create new worlds - same error message.

Any news that this is fixed in 1.13.1?

Last time it used to load longer and it loaded successfully until it crashes when I launch it 😞

I have 1.5 GB of Save Data and it is probably why it crashes a lot or the Save Data is corrupted but there is no corrupted data and I remembered that I downloaded a world from my realm and my WiFi turned off and it started crashing

Still in issue on 1.14

Can confirm still not fixed on 1.14 here either.

After seeing the Nintendo switch logo at the initial start screen, the screen goes to a blank screen for over 2 minutes, sometimes more, and then you get the error "The software was closed because an error occurred". Sometimes you make it past that blank screen and get to the Mojang logo screen only for the game to lock up there and give the same error. If you make it past the Mojang logo screen and make it to the play menu, it will lockup there and then give you the same error. If you’re lucky to make it past that point and get into the world selection screen, the game fails to load your world and gives the same error. Every time the game fails to load and you get the error, "The software was closed because an error occurred", you're kicked back to the Switch home screen and have to try all over again.

I've contacted Nintendo support on this issue, they were not able to help me find a solution and advised me to contact Mojang.

Our details:

Minecraft Digital Download Version from Nintendo eShop

System Memory 14.0 GB free space

MicroSD Card 55.0 GB free space

Minecraft Ver.1.14.1

Check for corrupted data came back “No corrupted data was found. If the problem still occurs, try redownloading the software.”

Redownloading the software failed to resolve the issue.

I’ve done a lot of troubleshooting of this issue. Through all the troubleshooting I've come to find that the issue seems to be with the save file. If you delete the save file and start fresh, Minecraft will load (within 15 seconds) and work fine, but you've lost all the worlds you’ve created, and after a while (a few months of play and multiple new worlds) the issue returns. I'm not sure if the save file gets corrupted, or if it gets too big to load properly, but the game become unplayable. All attempts to delete content (e.g., worlds, skins, texture packs) from the save file have been unsuccessful in correcting the issue. Only deleting the save file and creating a new one allows the game to function normally.

I have also noticed that the save data fails to Auto backup to Nintendo Online like all our other games. Attempting to force the backup also fails.

The games save file size on our console said it was 1GB and even if I deleted worlds or other content from the save file it still said it was 1GB. When starting fresh after deleting the save file, the file size was less than 1GB. Currently after deleting our save file (on 12/16/2019) and starting a new one (for the second time), our save file is 706 MB and the game loads and plays with no issues. I have my own switch and a copy of Minecraft, but I don't play nearly as much as my son and only have two worlds that I play in. My save file is less than 1GB in size and I have not had any issues playing or loading up the game. I have no idea if it's a save file size issue or not, but this is what we've experienced.

My son gets very disappointed when he can’t load the worlds he wants to play and even more sad when I have to delete all of the worlds he's created and start from a fresh save file. But its the only way that I've found to get him playing again. And now his friends are having the same issue.

I hope I've included enough information to give you an idea of what we're experiencing.

Looks like crashes

And now my sons new world is doing this as well. ANOTHER one he has spent countless hours building. How is this still happening?

Months of no answers, people opening new tickets with similar issues and still NOTHING.

Still completely broken on 1.14.1.

Yup I'm about to rage quit...

My son is experiencing the same issue. We have tried reinstalling the game and deleting his saved data. Sometimes that works and he can load a new world, but in general it does nothing and he gets the "error has occured" when trying to create or load a world. This has been going on for a while and he is unable to play the game.

My son just got a switch for Christmas. He loves this game and is now running into this issue and basically can't play the game at all. I can't believe this has been a known issue for month is still not fixed!!

I am suffering from this error as well, and so it sounds like buying a new physical copy, as was my original plan, won't help matters. I can also confirm this is happening in 1.14.1.

Things are now even worse. Can’t even get to the point of trying to load a world as it both says I need to download the Mario theme (which is included!) and gives the error message:

Account error. There is an error with you account. You will be unable to use the marketplace until we have resolved the issue.

Same error as reported here: https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/WEB-1597

How do I get a refund for this game? It’s clearly not working, hasn’t for months, and isn’t going to be fixed.

Another user here on a Switch (purchased for Christmas). Was able to play for about 2-3 hours and now the game won't load a world. New world lasted about 15 minutes before the generic error comes up and kicks you out.

Is it possible to get an ETA on a fix for this?

Tried both physical / downloaded copies, checking for corrupt data, etc but seeing that this has been around since July 2019 (related issues show one started in August 2018) it's a little concerning how long this will render the game unplayable.

If there's anything more needed to help test patches/fixes/etc, please let me know. More than happy to help on that side. Have a web development background and would love to help.

I just got this. If i sign into my microsoft account everything works fine and i have no problems loading worlds. Not sure why.

Bought the digital version of the game and had been playing for several hours other the past few days. Went to load the game today and got the same error occurred message and a game crash.

Tried deleting all files and the game then re-installing, tried restarting the Switch, made sure everything is up to date and checked for corrupt files with nothing showing but it still crashes every time I try to create a new game.

Scanned over various forums for a solution but anyone with this problem for past few months appears to be getting nowhere.

It was September the last time someone replied, it would be appreciated if someone could address issue!

@Marina your reply was a godsend.

Since we just got the Switch/Minecraft, I hadn't setup a Microsoft account. That seems to have made all the difference in the world. Have successfully played twice for an hour each time.

Second time I had to log back into the Microsoft account which was annoying but hopefully it'll keep us logged in if we stay under the same Nintendo Online account since that's not something that changes often.

Hoping that also helps Mojang track down the bug.

@everyone that still can't play, try using your Microsoft account (creating one if you need to) and use the https://aka.ms/remoteconnect login approach on the opening screen and report back. That helped me at least play the game right now.

The microsoft thing worked for us in the beginning, but now it doesnt. In fact, we found we could play longer once logged out.

@Lindsay sorry to hear!

Hoping we can hear from Mojang soon.

Mojang team.  I think I have found a workaround for this issue to avoid this error from happening using my Nintendo Switch running the latest build of Minecraft.  I noticed that this most frequently happened when I copied a world and then attempted to play in that world immediately.  At first I thought it was because the copy was corrupted but I noticed that if I didn't play the game until the next day, then I could successfully go into that world.  It got me to thinking that perhaps something in the background was happening which caused the system to throw the error.  The only thing I could think of was the automatic backups to the cloud.  So I turned off the auto-backup to the cloud in the Switch main menu settings for my Minecraft and went back into Minecraft to see if I could then go into a newly copied world.  And viola, I was able to get into the world with no issues.  So now I turn on the auto-backup when I'm done playing Minecraft and allow it to complete overnight.  If I ever plan to copy a new world to play immediately, or if I find that the error just "randomly" presents itself, I close Minecraft, go the main menu of the Switch and turn off the auto-backup to the cloud setting.  That "workaround" seems to do the trick for me.  I don't think that it has anything to do with my internet connectivity as I'm using an ethernet hard wired adapter into my home network and internet test shows a consistent 40 Mps down and 15 Mps upload during the tests (my actual internet home connection is 300 Mps down and 20 Mps up consistently tested using speedtest.org.  So I suspect that the 40 down and 15 up is just a limitation of the switch testing mechanism.)  So bottom line, perhaps there is something with the game tripping over the console backup (happening in the background) which is generating the "The software was closed because of an error" message.

I hope that helps.

Thanks

This issue has made the game unplayable on the Switch for months. Someone needs to update us

@Dave D - That's interesting. I might just have to try that myself. For me, my game usually crashes when I'm saving and quitting. Sometimes it is successful, sometimes not. Even worse, sometimes when it crashes I lose some progress (sometimes upwards of a half hour, which is unacceptable!). But the auto-backup thing is a good suggestion, and I'll try turning that off to see what's going on.

Please Mojang, focus on game-breaking glitches like this before implementing any new features!

Update: I was playing on my Switch after updating to 1.14.30, and lo and behold I had the game crash on me not once, but twice in just the span of 45 minutes. One was when I tried to open the settings menu, the other just after I clicked save and quit in my world. Please add 1.14.30 to the list of affected versions for this bug.

Still affects 1.14.60.

This happens, it’s saying because a bug occurred, when I launched Minecraft it showed no GUI, so it has to kick me out, there’s a a lots of bugs in minecraft