Self Protection Failed Error Code 4 X360ce 2021 -

Do not uninstall your controller driver yet. Follow these fixes from simplest to most thorough.

Now for the most important part—how to fix it. Follow these solutions in order, as they go from the most common and effective to more advanced troubleshooting.

Alex discovers that in 2021, this error usually stems from one of three "villains":

A widely reported source of this specific error is a conflict with a piece of software called . If you have this installed, it will almost certainly cause x360ce to crash with this error. Beyond this, the causes can be grouped into a few categories: self protection failed error code 4 x360ce 2021

If you previously used an older x360ce (pre-2020), your folder is likely polluted.

Yes. Antivirus software, firewalls, and Windows' own security features can sometimes block x360ce's drivers. Try temporarily disabling them to test if this is the cause, but remember to re-enable them immediately after.

I ran into the while trying to use x360ce (2021) today. The error usually appears when x360ce tries to apply its DLL files to a game, but something blocks it. Do not uninstall your controller driver yet

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The 2021 version of x360ce relies heavily on virtual driver emulation (specifically the ViGEmBus driver) and global hooking mechanisms to inject controller inputs into your games. When the application launches, it attempts to access protected system directories and memory spaces to ensure it isn't being modified or interfered with by malicious software. Error Code 4 specifically triggers due to:

Simply turning off real-time protection is often insufficient because Windows Defender will silently quarantine suspicious elements the moment they attempt to modify an active process. Follow these solutions in order, as they go

If your game is a , you must use the 64-bit version of x360ce and generate a 64-bit DLL.

To disable these, open Windows Security, navigate to the section, click Manage settings , and toggle off Tamper Protection and Smart App Control .

If all else fails, the beta nature of version 4.x might be the issue. The older, more stable version 3.x works differently (using .dll files in the game folder) and can be a reliable fallback.