Some players have been struggling to install and play Grand Theft Auto 5, so we've rounded up some of the most common problems we've seen so far and included advice on how to resolve them where possible.
- Gta V Unrecoverable Fault Fix
- Unrecoverable Fatal Error Gta V
- Gta V Unrecoverable Fault Please Restart Game Fix
If your problem isn't listed, Rockstar's support page is being quickly updated with new issues, so keep an eye out there. Also—standard practice—check that your GPU manufacturer hasn't put out a new driver update, and make sure Social Club, Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1, and DirectX are up to date.
'The Rockstar update service is unavailable'
If you're getting 'the Rockstar update service is unavailable (code 1)' when trying to install the game, or the launcher is crashing to desktop. Rockstar Support has already released a workaround for the issue. It's caused by Windows usernames with unconventional characters.
Basically, if the Windows username you're using features any characters not included in this handy list, then you'll need to sign in with another user account, or else create a new one. It's only a temporary solution—Rockstar is working on a fix as we speak – but if you can't wait to get started, it's good enough.
Simply changing your Windows username won't work, Rockstar reports, and if you do choose to use a different account in the meantime, you're advised to restart your PC before continuing.
On launch Steam briefly displays 'installing' window, then nothing
Chris is reviewing GTA for us, and has had problems launching the game that are unrelated to the above Windows username error. Specifically, Steam displayed an 'Installing' window for a few seconds and then closed, after which the game wouldn't load. Fortunately, he's found a possible fix.
Open GTA 5's install directory, found by right-clicking the game in the Steam library, going to 'Properties', and clicking 'Browse Local Files' in the Local Files tab. From there, go into the 'Installers' folder and manually install the Rockstar Social Club through the installers found in that directory.
From there, it should load normally—although we think some of the problems are due to a Rockstar Social Club connection issue.
Nothing happens when trying to start singleplayer or multiplayer
Gta V Unrecoverable Fault Fix
This seems to be a problem affecting mobile GPUs. We've been unable to test it yet, but MustacheEmperor on GTA 5 Reddit proposes this solution.
'Open device manager, go to display adapters, and disable your nvidia device so only the intel card is enabled. After launching the game re-enable the nvidia card quickly. The game will then work. Seems like there's a compatibility problem with mobile nvidia cards.'
Unpacking problems
If you preloaded GTA 5 be aware that the unpacking process requires tons of spare hard drive space, and is quite slow. I needed about an extra 60GB of memory overhead above the initial 60GB for the game to fully install. Fortunately the file shrinks back down to 60GB when installation is finished, but if unpacking hangs, try making some more room on the HDD.
Social Club failed to initialise message
Rockstar's says: 'The most common cause for these errors is an incorrect installation of Social Club. If you are receiving one of these errors, we recommend uninstalling Social Club and then reinstalling it manually from this page.'
If you have the Steam edition, verifying the game cache can help—right click the game in Steam, go to properties, hit the local files tab and click the verify integrity of game cache button.
Rockstar also recommends running the game as administrator (right click Social Club, choose 'Run as Administrator') and checking that the Social Club is installed in the right place—Program FilesRockstar GamesSocial Club.
Infinite loading on Rockstar Social Club
Rockstar's advice: 'If you are stuck loading, auto-signin may have failed. Press the Home key and see if you can log in manually.'
If that doesn't fix it it seems that Social Club is struggling with launch demand. Repeated tries can get you in, but it's not likely to ease off until the demand reduces or Rockstar bolsters the system.
'Unable to detect Windows Media Player' issue
GTA 5 won't install without Windows Media Player, it seems. An easy fix. Open the Control Panel, go to Programs, then Turn Windows Features On or Off, and then check Windows Media Player in the Media Features folder. When you press OK it should install.
Don't run the benchmark
This is an odd one. The benchmark test loads a bunch of different timelapse landscape shots to test your rig, but also seems to launch the single player campaign at the same time. The first mission starts, then there's a nice shot of a mountain. Then a bridge. Then the game tells you that you've failed a mission and your only option is to Alt-F4 out. Best leave it alone for now.
These are some of the most common issues we've seen discussed around the web. Do you have a problem installing or launching GTA 5, have you encountered any workarounds that have helped you get into the game? Share your wisdom in the comments. Update: We hear that the benchmark works, but only if you beat the prologue and run it from in the game (not the initial menu) and are not in a car.
Rockstar outlines solutions and workarounds for some of the errors and problems players are running into.
Update: Rockstar has released the first and second patches for GTA V, and they resolve a number of problems, including the Windows username and Windows Media Player issues outlined below.
Original Story:Grand Theft Auto V has, at long last, finally been released on PC, but some unfortunate gamers are encountering issues that are preventing them from being able to play. At least a few of those problems have workarounds, which we've outlined below.
Unrecoverable Fatal Error Gta V
How to Avoid Losing Your GTA Online Cars
If you've transferred your GTA Online progress from the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions, you may lose your saved cars if you haven't played since December 2013. Unfortunately, to prevent this from happening, Rockstar says you'll need to log in to your character on console before initiating a transfer on PC.
As explained by Rockstar:
- Enter GTA Online on your PS3 or Xbox 360. If you have not played in a long time, you will be prompted to accept a Title Update.
- Pause the game
- Scroll to the 'Online' tab
- Select the 'Leave GTA Online' option
- The game will not save on the latest Title Update, and your vehicles will now transfer properly to PC.
Once you leave GTA Online, an orange save icon will appear in the bottom right corner. Once that disappears, your progress will be saved, and you're free to initiate the transfer to PC. There's no indication that Rockstar will be able to offer a fix that doesn't involve first saving your progress on console.
If you already transferred your character and have lost vehicles, Rockstar suggests you submit a support request.
Windows Account Names
Your Windows account name could be to blame if the game hangs while downloading an update or is giving you errors like, 'The Rockstar update service is unavailable (code 1).' This is because Windows account names that contain characters other than a number (0-9) or letter (uppercase or lowercase A-Z) will prevent GTA V from being able to install and run properly. This has resulted in the bizarre situation of Rockstar's support site hosting a list entitled, 'Supported Characters At Launch for Windows Usernames for GTAV PC.'
Rockstar is already working on a fix for this issue. In the meantime, you can deal with it by creating a new user account with administrator privileges and a name that consists only of the aforementioned characters. Unfortunately, simply renaming your account won't suffice if you already have an unsupported character in your name.
There's not yet any word on when the fix will be released, but Rockstar's support page will be updated with details when they are available, as well as with instructions on how to transfer your progress from a temporary Windows account to your permanent one.
Unable to Detect Windows Media Player
If you don't have Windows Media Player installed on your computer, you're likely running into an error during GTA V's installation that reads, 'Unable to detect Windows Media Player on your system. Please install Windows Media Player, then retry the installation.'
You can install it by following these instructions, courtesy of Rockstar:
- Open the Control Panel
- Click 'Programs'
- Click 'Turn Windows Features On or Off'
- In the resulting popup, make sure 'Windows Media Player' is checked under the 'Media Features' folder
- Click 'OK' and wait for Windows Media Player to install
Rockstar Social Club
Another problem brought to light by Rockstar's support site involves Rockstar Social Club. There are multiple error codes produced by the same issue, including the following:
- 'Social Club failed to initialize.'
- 'Social Club failed to load due to an incomplete installation. Please exit the game and re-install the latest version of the Social Club.'
- 'A newer version of Social Club is required. The updater may have failed. Please exit the game and install the latest version of the Social Club.'
Gta V Unrecoverable Fault Please Restart Game Fix
If you're receiving any of these, your best bet is to manually reinstall Social Club from right here. It's recommended that you ensure GTA V is not running when you do so--check to make sure that GTA5.exe, PlayGTAV.exe, and GTAVLauncher.exe aren't running in the task manager--and that you have administrator privileges.
Should that not fix the problem, Rockstar outlines some additional steps you can follow:
- Verify the Steam Cache (Steam version only):
- Load Steam.
- From the Library section, right-click on the game and select Properties from the menu.
- Select the Local files tab and click the Verify integrity of game cache.. button.
- Steam will verify the game's files - this process may take several minutes.
- Run GTAV as an Administrator
- Go to the install directory for GTAV PC
- Right click 'PlayGTAV.exe'
- Click 'Run as Administrator'
- Verify that you have the latest version of DirectX and Visual C++. The latest versions can be downloaded from here.
- If you are stuck loading, auto-signin may have failed. Press the Home key and see if you can log in manually.
- Temporarily disable antivirus/security, then uninstall if disabling does not work as a test. Be sure to reinstall and re-enable your antivirus after the test.
- Make sure that Social Club is installed to the correct directory (by default, this is: Program FilesRockstar GamesSocial Club)
- Filed under:
- Grand Theft Auto V
- PC
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