FACEIT Anti-Cheat: Fix the Restart Loop by Disabling the Wi-Fi Adapter

FACEIT Anti-Cheat can get stuck repeatedly asking you to restart to "complete the installation." On affected machines, disabling the onboard Wi-Fi adapter stops the loop and lets the Anti-Cheat launch normally.

Symptoms

When you launch FACEIT Anti-Cheat (or a protected game), a dialog appears reading "You need to restart your computer to complete the installation." Restarting does not resolve it — the same prompt returns on the next launch, and the Anti-Cheat never finishes initializing. This repeats indefinitely (the "restart loop").

This has been observed on Windows 11, including the 25H2 update.

Cause

FACEIT Anti-Cheat loads a kernel-mode driver at boot and uses DMA remapping as one of its protections. The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module built into many AM5 gaming motherboards (commonly a MediaTek part) is not compatible with DMA remapping. On these boards the Anti-Cheat never registers the installation as finished, so it requests another restart on every launch.

Removing the wireless radio from the equation — by disabling or physically removing it — allows the Anti-Cheat to complete setup and start normally.

Affected hardware

Any motherboard with an onboard Wi-Fi module can be affected. Boards confirmed to show this behavior include:

• Gigabyte B650M GAMING WIFI
• ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
• MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI (MS-7D75)

Solution: disable the Wi-Fi adapter (Device Manager)

This is the quickest fix and the method verified to resolve the loop.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.
3. Expand the Network adapters section.
4. Find your wireless adapter (for example, "MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 …" or "Realtek Wireless LAN …").
5. Right-click the wireless adapter.
6. Select Disable device.
7. Confirm the action if prompted.

Relaunch FACEIT Anti-Cheat. The "restart to complete installation" prompt should no longer appear.

Alternative methods

Use these if you prefer to disable the radio at the hardware level, or if Device Manager isn't suitable.

Disable Wi-Fi in BIOS

1. Power on and tap Delete to enter BIOS Setup.
2. Switch to Advanced Mode (often F2).
3. Open the Settings tab and look under Onboard Devices or Integrated Peripherals.
4. Set the Wi-Fi / Wireless Module option to Disabled, then save and exit.

Note that many Gigabyte B650 boards do not expose a Wi-Fi toggle in BIOS. If you can't find one, use the Device Manager method above or remove the module.

Remove the Wi-Fi module

If no BIOS option exists, the wireless card can be physically removed. It is an M.2 E-key module, usually near the rear I/O under a small cover or heatsink, secured by a single screw with two antenna leads attached. Disconnect the antenna leads, remove the screw, and slide the card out. Only do this on a machine that is powered off and unplugged, and follow standard ESD precautions.

Verify the fix

1. Reboot the machine (diskless clients should boot into the sealed image).
2. Launch FACEIT Anti-Cheat.
3. Confirm it initializes without showing the "restart to complete installation" prompt.

Notes

• Apply the same fix to any other machine exhibiting the restart loop.
• As a longer-term path, check for BIOS updates on affected boards (for example, the B650M series). A firmware update may add wireless controls or resolve the underlying incompatibility.
• Updating the onboard Wi-Fi driver to the latest version is FACEIT's remedy for the related "Incompatible driver detected" connection error — but for the restart loop specifically, disabling the radio is the reliable fix.

Updated on: 24/06/2026