Yeah, this crash pops up from time to time around the community. Since the error it’s tied to ShaderPreprocessor, it suggests the engine is failing to load up shader data, either from the cache, or the pipeline itself. This could be caused by corruption, or missing elements. Let’s take some steps to resolve this startup failure here:
First of all, clearing that cache due possible corruption, simply go to your engine’s local data, and delete the following folders (they will be re-created on the next startup):
Next, we can repair your current install, for any missing elements. Open the Library in Epic Launcher, check the dropdown menu of your UE version, and click on “Verify”. This process should restore any missing modules tied to the shader pipeline.
Finally, just in case, update yout GPU drivers. The best approach is to use a free uninstaller, then download the latest drivers for your card. If developer drivers are available, please use those, they are best suited for engine work.
If the problem remains active after these steps, then the last resort is to perform a full uninstall/reinstall of all Epic software:
Uninstall the engine, launcher, asset packs, etc
Open the registry directory HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Epic Games\Unreal Engine\Builds, and delete any build entries
Delete the folders %userprofile%\AppData\Local\UnrealEngine and %userprofile%\AppData\Local\UnrealHeaderTool
After that, no elements related to UE should be left in your system
Now, reinstall UE launcher from scratch, and only add the latest version of the engine
After the process is complete, test opening a blank project
