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GTA 5 not launching or working on Windows PC

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If GTA 5 is not launching, opening, running or working on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, then this post is sure to help you fix the issue.

GTA 5 is an addition to the Grand Theft Auto game series published by Rockstar Games. It is quite a popular game amongst gaming enthusiasts and million of gamers love playing it. While it works smoothly for most users, some gamers have reported being unable to launch GTA 5 on their PC. This issue can be really frustrating as it prevents you from playing the game when you really want to. If you are one of those encountering the same problem, we got you covered. In this post, we are going to discuss all the working fixes to resolve GTA 5 launch issues.

GTA 5 Not Launching on Windows PC

What causes launch issues with GTA 5 on PC?

Here are the possible causes that make you unable to launch the GTA 5 game:

  • You are likely to experience the issue in case the game files associated with GTA 5 are corrupted or damaged.
  • Outdated or faulty GPU drivers are known to cause launch issues with games including GTA 5. So, make sure you have an up-to-date graphics driver.
  • If you are using an overprotective antivirus suite, it can prevent GTA 5 from launching. You can investigate this by disabling your antivirus temporarily.
  • The problem might also lie with the corrupted installation of game launchers. If the scenario is applicable, try reinstalling Rockstar Games Launcher and Social Club.

GTA 5 not launching or opening on PC

If GTA 5 failed to launch on your Windows PC, you can use the below methods to fix the issue:

  1. Run the game as administrator.
  2. Verify the integrity of GTA 5 game files.
  3. Update GPU drivers.
  4. Reinstall Visual C++.
  5. Delete the cache files.
  6. Disable your antivirus suite.
  7. Disable your NVIDIA device.
  8. Reinstall the Rockstar Games Launcher and Social Club applications.

1] Run the game as administrator

The first thing you should try to fix the problem is to launch GTA 5 with administrator rights. The problem might be caused if the game is missing the due administrator privileges to launch properly. So, running the game as an administrator should resolve the issue. This has proven to be successful for a lot of affected users and might just work for you as well.

Firstly, close processes related to GTA, Steam, and Rockstar Launcher from Task Manager. After that, right-click on Steam’s executable and select Run as administrator. Similarly, you can launch Rockstar Launcher as an administrator. Then, try opening the GTA 5 game in Steam and see if it launches fine.

If this fixes the problem for you, well and good. You will have to run the game with administrator access every time you relaunch it. Instead of that, you can make Steam and Rockstar Launcher always run as an administrator by following the below steps:

  1. Firstly, go to the Steam executable and right-click on it.
  2. Now, select the Properties option and navigate to the Compatibility tab.
  3. Next, turn on the checkbox associated with the Run this program as administrator option.
  4. Then, press the Apply > OK button to save changes.

You need to use the same procedure for Rockstar Games Launcher if you use it to launch GTA 5.

In case this method doesn’t work for you, we got some more working fixes that will resolve the issue for you.

2] Verify the integrity of GTA 5 game files

In case you are dealing with damaged or broken GTA 5 game files, the game will not launch properly. If the scenario is applicable, the Steam users can fix the problem by using the Verify integrity of game files feature. This feature basically scans for the corrupted and missing game files and replaced them with good ones. So, try using it and see if it fixes the problem for you.

Here are the steps to repair the damaged or corrupted GTA 5 game files:

  1. First, open Steam, click on LIBRARY and locate the GTA 5 game from the list of your purchased and installed games.
  2. Now, right-click on GTA 5 and select the Properties option.
  3. Next, go to the Local Files tab and press the Verify integrity of game files button. Let Steam proceed with the game verification process and wait until the process is done.
  4. When done, try launching the game now and see if the issue is fixed.

3] Update GPU drivers

For any extensive video game, graphics cards and drivers play a crucial role. It is always necessary to make sure sure you have up-to-date GPU drivers to get the best performance out of your hardware. Outdated and faulty drivers cause problems in launching a game or trigger crashes. So, check whether or not your graphics drivers are updated. If not, update all your graphics drivers by going to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional Updates.

You can also use a free driver updater to automatically update all your drivers including GPU drivers. And as an alternative, you can also visit the official device manufacturer’s website and get the latest driver updates from there.

After updating your graphics drivers, reboot your system and try launching the GTA 5 game. See if the game can be launched now.

If you have updated GPU drivers and you still are unable to launch GTA 5, move on to the next potential fix.

See: Fix Epic Games Launcher not displaying properly or appears blank.

4] Reinstall Visual C++

All the games require Microsoft Visual C++ to execute properly. Try downloading and installing the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++ from Microsoft’s website. In case the above solutions didn’t work for you, you can give it a shot and see if this method works for you.

5] Delete the cache files

There are some temporary/ cache files associated with every game. In case you are dealing with corrupted game files associated with GTA 5, it can cause problems in launching the game. Hence, you can try clearing the cache file for GTA 5 and see if it resolves the problem. Here are the steps to do that:

  1. First, open the Run dialog box using Win+R hotkey and enter %ProgramData% in it.
  2. In the opened windows, locate and open the GTA 5 folder and delete only the cache files associated with the game.
  3. Next, in the File Explorer’s address bar, enter %appdata% and then look for GTA 5 folder and delete the folder.
  4. Now, restart your PC and check if you are able to launch GTA 5 correctly.

Read: Far Cry 6 not launching on Windows PC.

6] Disable your antivirus suite

If GTA 5 still doesn’t launch on your PC, there are chances that your antivirus is preventing it from launching. In case you have installed an overprotective third-party antivirus, disable it and then check if you are able to launch the game. If yes, you can be sure that the problem was caused by your antivirus.

Now, turning off antivirus permanently or uninstalling it will invite viruses and malware to your system. Hence, what you can do is whitelist GTA 5 through your antivirus by adding the related executables to your antivirus. You can open the Exclusion/ Exception options in your antivirus settings and browse and add GTA 5 to it.

7] Disable your NVIDIA device

If you use NVIDIA devices or drivers on your system and you are dealing with launch issues with GTA 5, there might be some compatibility issues with NVIDIA cards. Some users have reportedly fixed the problem by disabling the NVIDIA card. So, you can also try disabling the NVIDIA card and see if fixes the problem for you.

See: Minecraft Launcher won’t open on Windows PC.

8] Reinstall the Rockstar Games Launcher and Social Club applications

In case none of the above solutions work for you, there are high chances that the installation files associated with the game launcher are corrupted. So, the last resort is to reinstall the Rockstar Games Launcher and Social Club applications.

Simply uninstall both apps by going to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. After that, make sure to delete all the remnant files by going to the following locations:

C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\Rockstar Games 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockstar Games 
C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games

Next, reboot your PC and download the installer for Rockstar Games Launcher and Social Club and install the apps back on your PC. Once installation is complete, try launching the GTA 5 game and see if the problem is fixed.

Why is Rockstar Launcher not working?

If Rockstar Launcher is not working on your PC, there might issue with your outdated graphics drivers. Or, there might be some internet connectivity issues, software conflicts, antivirus interference, or you are dealing with the corrupted installation of Rockstar Games Launcher. You can try running the launcher with admin access, disabling your antivirus, updating GPU drivers, or reinstalling the launcher to fix the problem.

How do I uninstall Rockstar Launcher?

You can uninstall Rockstar Games Launcher by opening the Settings app using Windows+I hotkey. Then, you can move to the Apps tab and click on Apps & features. From the list of your installed apps, select Rockstar Games Launcher and then tap on the Uninstall option. After the launcher is uninstalled, you can completely remove it by deleting the installation folder and remnant files from your system.

That’s it!

Now read: Failed to start game (app already running) – Steam error on Windows PC.

KomalSrivastava@TWC

Komal has done M.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering. She is a keen follower of the Windows ecosystem & a technical writer since the last six years. She loves finding solutions for day-to-day tech problems.