How do I rebuild Starfield shaders without deleting saves or settings?

After changing GPU drivers, Starfield now freezes or closes while loading. A full reinstall feels excessive.

Which caches can be cleared safely, what should be left alone, and how long should the first launch be allowed to compile around DLSS or FSR, borderless mode, save sync, and city CPU load?

Use a narrow shader-cache recovery:

1. Exit Starfield and the launcher completely.
2. Use Windows Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → DirectX Shader Cache. Do not delete save folders or random folders inside the game directory.
3. Reboot after a GPU driver update.
4. Verify the game files in Steam, EA app, Battle.net, Epic, or the game launcher.
5. Start the game with overlays and overclocking tools disabled.
6. Leave the first launch alone while shaders rebuild. It can stutter more than normal at first.

For Starfield, watch DLSS or FSR, borderless mode, save sync, and city CPU load. If the crash happens at the exact same percentage every time, verify files and test a clean GPU driver install before repeating cache clears.