Approved By: [QA Lead Name] Date: [Current Date]
Fixing the "Fatal Error! QA_APPROVED_BUILD_JANUARY" in Batman: Arkham City
If you’re trying to dive back into Arkham City only to be stopped by a "Fatal Error! QA_APPROVED_BUILD_JANUARY" message, you aren’t alone. This common crash often happens during the initial "Searching for Downloadable Content" screen or right after the opening logos.
Here is a breakdown of the most effective community-verified fixes to get you back in the cowl. 1. Delete the WB Games Documents Folder
The most frequently successful fix is to clear out your local configuration and save data folder. Sometimes corrupted settings files in your user profile cause the crash. C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\WB Games\ Delete the entire Batman Arkham City GOTY
This may reset your in-game settings, but Steam Cloud should restore your actual save progress once the game successfully launches. 2. Run as Administrator
The game or its launcher may lack the permissions needed to access certain system files. Go to the game’s installation folder (usually
Steam\steamapps\common\Batman Arkham City GOTY\Binaries\Win32 Right-click BatmanAC.exe BMLauncher.exe Properties Compatibility Run this program as an administrator and hit Apply. 3. Adjust Exploit Protection (Windows 10/11) Approved By: [QA Lead Name] Date: [Current Date]
Modern Windows security features can sometimes interfere with older executables. Turning off specific exploit protections for the game executable has helped many users. Search for Exploit protection in your Windows Start menu. Program settings Add program to customize Choose exact file path Navigate to your BatmanAC.exe and add it. Scroll through the list of protections and them to turn them (specifically focusing on Control Flow Guard/CFG). 4. Toggle Steam Cloud
For some players, the error is triggered by a sync issue while the game "Searches for DLC". disabling Steam Cloud in the game's library properties, then relaunch. Alternatively, some users found success by disabling and then re-enabling it to force a fresh sync. 5. Verify Game Integrity
If files are missing or corrupted, Steam can automatically redownload them.
The message "Fatal error! QA_APPROVED_BUILD_JANUARY_2011" is a generic crash notification in Batman: Arkham City
that often indicates corrupted configuration files, permission issues, or software conflicts. The date in the error refers to the game's internal build version and is not necessarily indicative of an outdated game. Common Fixes
Users have successfully resolved this error using several methods:
Delete Configuration Folders: This is one of the most effective solutions as it forces the game to regenerate fresh settings. The Batman Arkham City game, developed by Rocksteady
Navigate to your Documents folder and delete the entire Batman Arkham City GOTY or WB Games folder.
Run as Administrator: Granting higher permissions to the executable files can bypass certain launch failures.
Go to the game's installation folder (typically .../Binaries/Win32/) and set both BatmanAC.exe and BmLauncher.exe to Run this program as administrator in their Properties > Compatibility tab.
Disable DX11 and PhysX: High-end graphical features like DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX are known to cause stability issues in this specific title.
Open the BmLauncher.exe, go to Settings, and turn off PhysX and DirectX 11 Features.
Modify Exploit Protection: On Windows 10 and 11, "Exploit Protection" settings can interfere with older games.
Search for Exploit protection in the Windows Start menu, go to Program settings, add BatmanAC.exe, and override/disable all protection settings for it. Log Excerpt (If Applicable):
[Engine] Initializing
Verify Game Files: Use your game launcher (e.g., Steam) to check for missing or corrupted data by right-clicking the game in your library and selecting Properties > Local Files > Verify integrity of game files. Technical Context
Wwise Audio: If the error mentions Wwise, it may be related to audio driver conflicts. Updating your sound drivers or lowering the game's audio quality might help.
MSVCR90.dll: Some crashes are tied to the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Runtime Library. Reinstalling this runtime can fix low-level operation errors.
This specific error usually appears on the PC version (Steam, Epic Games, or older GFWL builds) and is linked to compatibility, configuration files, or missing software dependencies.
The Batman Arkham City game, developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is a critically acclaimed action-adventure game. Despite its success, issues such as a fatal error in the QA approved build have been reported. This document aims to discuss this specific issue.
Initial analysis of the crash dump suggests the following potential causes (to be confirmed by Engineering):
Log Excerpt (If Applicable):
[Engine] Initializing...
[Core] Loading Level: _Init_BatCave
[Error] FATAL ERROR: Assertion failed! File: ./UnrealEngine3/Source/... Line: 4521
[Error] Access violation reading location 0x00000000
This fixes 90% of "QA Approved" errors.