Download the latest drivers for your NVIDIA or AMD graphics card.
If nothing else works:
The error typically points to the main single-player executable being blocked or unable to initialize required resources.
While Advanced Warfare remains a high-energy entry in the franchise, these persistent "ship.exe" errors reflect the ongoing challenge of preserving aging software on rapidly evolving hardware. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare user reviews - Metacritic
Advanced Warfare was designed for at least quad-core systems. If you are running an older dual-core CPU, the game may fail to launch without a community-made "Dual Core Fix" patch that modifies the executable. For a visual walkthrough of these troubleshooting steps: How to FIX Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Not Responding! YouTube• Jan 4, 2026