A surprising number of users report that a simple reboot clears a file lock held by a background process (often OneDrive or Windows Search). Reboot, launch nothing else, and try the game.
This forces the game to create fresh, uncorrupted profile data.
If you tried to create a profile previously and it got stuck, there is likely a "zombie" file blocking the new attempt. You must delete the old profile data folder.
720 folder.This bug is rarer on consoles but does happen. The fix is simple:
The “Creating profile data” stuck screen almost always traces back to a damaged or inaccessible save folder. Deleting the local profile data (back it up first!) and disabling cloud sync until a fresh save is generated resolves the issue for 95% of users. Ensure admin rights and antivirus exclusions to prevent recurrence.
The "Creating profile data" stuck screen in Watch Dogs 2 is typically caused by corrupted local save files, sync issues with Ubisoft Connect, or Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) conflicts. Quick Fixes for PC
If you're stuck on this loading screen, try these steps in order:
Clear Local Save Files: Deleting existing local data often forces the game to regenerate the profile. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames\[User ID]\3353 and delete or move the files in this folder before restarting the game.
Run as Administrator: Close the game, Ubisoft Connect, and Steam completely. Right-click the Steam executable and select "Run as Administrator," then launch the game from your library.
Verify Game Files: Right-click the game in your library (Steam or Ubisoft), go to Properties > Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files to repair missing or corrupted data.
Bypass Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC): Create a desktop shortcut for WatchDogs2.exe (found in the bin folder of your installation). Right-click the shortcut, go to Properties, and add -eac_launcher to the end of the Target field. Note that this may disable online features. Console Fixes (PS4/Xbox)
Power Cycle: Completely shut down your console and unplug it for 30 seconds. This clears the system cache and can resolve profile loading loops.
Sync Clock Settings: Ensure your console’s date and time are set to "Set Automatically" via the internet.
These tutorials provide visual walk-throughs for fixing loading and launch issues in Watch Dogs 2:
Getting stuck on the "Creating profile data" screen in Watch Dogs 2
is a known, persistent bug usually caused by the game being unable to write to your save directory or a conflict with its anti-cheat software. Direct Troubleshooting Steps
Clear Existing Saves: Manually delete the local save folder to force the game to create a fresh one. Navigate to:C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames\[Your User ID]\3353Back up any existing files, then delete them and restart the game.
Check Folder Permissions: Ensure your "Documents" folder isn't set to Read-only. Right-click the My Games\Watch_Dogs 2 folder, go to Properties, and uncheck Read-only.
Fix Anti-Cheat Errors: A full system shutdown (not just a restart) can often reset the Easy Anti-Cheat service, which is frequently responsible for splash screen hangs. watch dogs 2 creating profile data stuck
Verify Game Integrity: Use your launcher (Steam or Ubisoft Connect) to verify the integrity of the game files to ensure no core data is corrupted.
Administrative Access: Run both the game executable (WatchDogs2.exe in the bin folder) and your launcher as an Administrator to bypass permission blocks. Why This Happens: Informative Review
The issue stems from the game's outdated communication with modern Windows architecture (especially Windows 11) and Ubisoft’s legacy launcher systems.
Directory Conflicts: If your Windows username contains non-English characters, the game often fails to recognize the path to your save files.
CPU Incompatibility: On newer Intel processors (12th Gen+), the game's multi-threading can cause it to hang; some players find stability by disabling Hyper-Threading in the BIOS.
Ubisoft Connect Sync: The "Creating profile data" step is where the game tries to handshake with cloud saves. If the Ubisoft Connect Launcher is struggling to sync, the game will sit on this screen indefinitely.
Watch dogs 2 "Creating profile data" forever : r/CrackSupport
Here’s a short text you can use to report or describe the issue:
I’m stuck on the “Creating profile data” screen in Watch Dogs 2. The game freezes at this step and never progresses. I’ve tried restarting the game and my console/PC, but the screen remains stuck. Please advise on steps to fix this or confirm if there’s a server-side issue causing profile creation to hang.
Would you like a longer version for a forum post or support ticket including platform, troubleshooting steps you've tried, and system specs?
(Note: related search suggestions may help.)
To fix the "Creating profile data" freeze in Watch Dogs 2 , you should first try deleting your local save game folder, as this often forces the game to rebuild corrupted profile data. Core Troubleshooting Steps
Clear Save Data: Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames\[User ID]\3353 and delete or move the files inside. Deleting the game folder in your Documents can also reset these settings and allow the game to proceed.
Verify Game Files: Use your launcher (Steam or Ubisoft Connect) to verify the integrity of the game files. This restores any missing or corrupted data that might be stalling the profile creation process.
Run as Administrator: Ensure both the game executable and your launcher (Ubisoft Connect) are running with administrator privileges.
Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC): The game may hang if the EAC service isn't properly initialized. Go to the EasyAntiCheat folder in your game's installation directory and run EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe to repair or reinstall it. Common Community Workarounds
Disable Overlays: Turn off in-game overlays from Discord, Steam, or Ubisoft Connect, as they are known to cause startup crashes and freezes.
Launch Manually: If stuck on the splash screen, try launching Ubisoft Connect separately as an administrator while the splash screen is visible, which can sometimes "push" the game past the hang. A surprising number of users report that a
Bypass Easy Anti-Cheat (Offline Only): Some players have success by adding -eac_launcher to the game's launch options (shortcut target), though this disables multiplayer features.
Save Path Correction: If you are using a specific version where save paths are hardcoded, you may need to edit the CPY.ini file in the game's bin folder to point SavePath to your actual Documents\My Games directory. Community Perspectives
Players have shared specific folder adjustments that finally worked for them:
“Bro, I tried deleting the game folder in the documents and everything worked.” Steam Community · 1 year ago
“Once you find the folder where your new saves are located, I had to turn off read-only, and turn off compression and then it finally loaded my saves.” Reddit · r/CrackSupport · 9 years ago
Watch dogs 2 "Creating profile data" forever : r/CrackSupport
To fix the "Creating profile data" stuck screen in Watch Dogs 2
, you generally need to address either a file permission issue or a corruption in the temporary save/profile folders. Primary Fix: Clear Save/Profile Folders
Most users find that deleting the existing (often corrupted) profile files allows the game to successfully "create" a new one. Delete Local Save Folders:
Navigate to your documents: Documents\My Games\Watch_Dogs 2.
Delete or move this entire folder to your desktop as a backup. Delete Ubisoft Connect Save Cache:
Go to your installation directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames).
Locate your user ID folder and find folder 3353 (the ID for Watch Dogs 2). Delete the contents of this folder.
Relaunch: Start the game again. It should now proceed past the screen to create a fresh profile. Secondary Fix: Administrative Privileges
The game may be stuck because it doesn't have permission to write the profile data to your hard drive.
Ubisoft Connect: Right-click the Ubisoft Connect shortcut → Properties → Compatibility → check "Run this program as an administrator".
Game Executable: Go to the game's bin folder, right-click WatchDogs2.exe, and also set it to Run as administrator. Additional Troubleshooting If the screen persists, try these community-verified steps:
Verify Game Files: In Steam or Ubisoft Connect, right-click the game, go to Properties, and select Verify Integrity of Game Files to fix missing .dll files related to Easy Anti-Cheat. Delete the entire 720 folder
Update GPU Drivers: Ensure your graphics drivers are current, as outdated drivers can cause hangs during initial data loading.
Launch without EAC (Offline Only): If you only want to play single-player, you can bypass the loading hang by adding -eac_launcher to the game's Launch Options in Steam or Ubisoft Connect.
Are you playing through Steam or the Ubisoft Connect launcher?
Watch dogs 2 "Creating profile data" forever : r/CrackSupport
Getting stuck on the "Creating profile data" screen in Watch Dogs 2
is a common issue typically caused by corrupted save files, permission conflicts, or outdated launcher data. Primary Troubleshooting Steps Delete Corrupted Save Data (PC):
Navigate to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames\[Your User ID]\3353.
Delete the files within this folder. Note that this may reset your local progress, but it often allows the game to bypass the stuck screen. Run Steam/Ubisoft as Administrator: Fully close Steam and Ubisoft Connect.
Right-click the Steam (or Ubisoft Connect) shortcut and select Run as administrator.
Launch the game from your library. This ensures the game has permission to create and write the profile data files. Verify Game Files:
On Steam: Right-click Watch Dogs 2 in your library > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
On Ubisoft Connect: Go to the game's page > Manage > Verify files. Clear Ubisoft Connect Cache:
Close the launcher and navigate to its installation folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher). Delete the cache folder and restart the launcher. Advanced PC Fixes
: Often, the game is unable to create or write the profile file because it lacks system permissions. Navigate to your game installation folder (usually under .../Steam/steamapps/common/Watch_Dogs 2/bin Right-click WatchDogs2.exe and select Properties Compatibility tab, check Run this program as an administrator Apply and restart the game. Save Path Configuration (Mainstream Fix for Cracks/Repacks) : If you are using a non-standard version of the game, the file often points to a directory it cannot access. folder in your game directory. Locate and open with Notepad. Find the line SavePath=%DEFAULT_CPY_DIR% Change this to a specific local path, such as
SavePath=C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\My Games\Watch_Dogs 2 Save the file and relaunch. Delete Existing (Corrupted) Save Data
: If you have played before, a corrupted save file might be preventing the profile from loading. Navigate to
C:/Program Files (x86)/Ubisoft/Ubisoft Game Launcher/savegames/[User ID]/3353 Backup and then the files in this folder. Restart the game to allow it to generate a fresh profile. Network & Security Workarounds
If nothing works, Ubisoft’s profile creation routine has a known race condition with multi-monitor setups and high refresh rates. Temporarily:
This forces the game’s initial render thread to complete faster, unblocking the file I/O thread. Yes, it’s absurd. Yes, it works for some people.