GTA 4 crashes on startup, what should I do? Why does GTA IV crash on startup? Files, drivers and libraries

Unfortunately, games have flaws: stutters, low FPS, crashes, freezes, bugs and other minor and not so minor errors. Often problems begin even before the game starts, when it does not install, does not load, or does not even download. And the computer itself sometimes does weird things, and then in GTA 4 there’s a black screen instead of a picture, the controls don’t work, you can’t hear the sound or anything else.

What to do first

Download and run the world famous CCleaner(download via direct link) - this is a program that will clean your computer of unnecessary garbage, as a result of which the system will work faster after the first reboot;
Update all drivers on the system using the program Driver Updater(download via direct link) - it will scan your computer and update all drivers to the latest version in 5 minutes;
Install Advanced System Optimizer(download via direct link) and enable game mode in it, which will end useless background processes while launching games and improve in-game performance.

The second thing to do if you encounter any problems with GTA 4 is to check the system requirements. In a good way, you need to do this before purchasing, so as not to regret the money spent.

Minimum System Requirements Grand Theft Auto 4:

Windows XP, Intel Core 2 DUO, 1.5 Gb RAM, 16 Gb HDD, nVidia GeForce 7900 256 Mb

Every gamer should at least have a little understanding of components, know why a video card, processor and other things are needed in the system unit.

Files, drivers and libraries

Almost every device in a computer requires a set of special software. These are drivers, libraries and other files that ensure the correct operation of the computer.

You should start with the drivers for your video card. Modern graphics cards are manufactured by only two large companies - Nvidia and AMD. Having found out which product drives the coolers in the system unit, we go to the official website and download the latest driver package:

A prerequisite for successful operation Grand Theft Auto 4 is to have the latest drivers for all devices on the system. Download the utility Driver Updater to download easily and quickly latest versions drivers and install them with one click:

If Grand Theft Auto 4 does not start, we recommend that you try to disable your antivirus or put the game in the antivirus exceptions, and also check again for compliance with the system requirements, and if something from your build does not comply, then, if possible, improve your PC by purchasing more powerful components.

In GTA 4 there is a black screen, a white screen, a color screen. Solution

Problems with screens of different colors can be divided into 2 categories.

Firstly, they often involve using two video cards at once. For example, if your motherboard has a built-in video card, but you play on a discrete one, then Grand Theft Auto 4 may run for the first time on the built-in one, but you will not see the game itself, because the monitor is connected to a discrete video card.

Secondly, color screens occur when there are problems with displaying images on the screen. This can happen for various reasons. For example, Grand Theft Auto 4 cannot work through an outdated driver or does not support the video card. Also, a black/white screen may appear when working at resolutions that are not supported by the game.

Grand Theft Auto 4 crashes. At a specific or random moment. Solution

You play for yourself, play and then - bam! - everything goes out, and now you have a desktop in front of you without any hint of a game. Why is this happening? To solve the problem, you should try to figure out what the nature of the problem is.

If a crash occurs at a random moment in time without any pattern, then with a 99% probability we can say that this is a bug of the game itself. In this case, it is very difficult to fix something, and the best thing to do is just put Grand Theft Auto 4 aside and wait for the patch.

However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash.

However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash. In addition, you can download a Grand Theft Auto 4 save and bypass the departure location.

Grand Theft Auto 4 freezes. The picture freezes. Solution

The situation is approximately the same as with crashes: many freezes are directly related to the game itself, or rather to the developer’s mistake when creating it. However, often a frozen picture can become a starting point for investigating the deplorable state of a video card or processor.

So if the picture freezes in Grand Theft Auto 4, then use programs to display statistics on component loading. Perhaps your video card has long exhausted its working life or the processor is heating up to dangerous temperatures?

The easiest way to check the load and temperatures for the video card and processors is in the MSI Afterburner program. If you wish, you can even display these and many other parameters on top of the Grand Theft Auto 4 picture.

What temperatures are dangerous? Processors and video cards have different operating temperatures. For video cards they are usually 60-80 degrees Celsius. For processors it is slightly lower - 40-70 degrees. If the processor temperature is higher, then you should check the condition of the thermal paste. It may have already dried out and needs to be replaced.

If the video card is heating up, then you should use a driver or an official utility from the manufacturer. It is necessary to increase the number of revolutions of the coolers and check whether the operating temperature decreases.

Grand Theft Auto 4 is slow. Low FPS. Frame rate drops. Solution

If there are slowdowns and low frame rates in GTA 4, the first thing to do is lower the graphics settings. Of course, there are many of them, so before reducing everything, it’s worth finding out exactly how certain settings affect performance.

Screen resolution. In short, this is the number of points that make up the game picture. The higher the resolution, the higher the load on the video card. However, the increase in load is insignificant, so you should reduce the screen resolution only as a last resort, when everything else no longer helps.

Texture quality. Typically, this setting determines the resolution of texture files. You should reduce the texture quality if the video card has a small amount of video memory (less than 4 GB) or if you are using a very old one. hard drive, whose spindle speed is less than 7200.

Model quality(sometimes just detailing). This setting determines which set of 3D models will be used in the game. The higher the quality, the more polygons. Accordingly, high-poly models require more processing power from the video card (not to be confused with the amount of video memory!), which means this parameter should be reduced on video cards with low core or memory frequencies.

Shadows. They are implemented in different ways. In some games, shadows are created dynamically, that is, they are calculated in real time at every second of the game. Such dynamic shadows load both the processor and the video card. For optimization purposes, developers often abandon full rendering and add pre-rendered shadows to the game. They are static, because essentially they are just textures overlaid on top of the main textures, which means they load memory, and not the video card core.

Often developers add additional settings related to shadows:

Shadow Resolution - Determines how detailed the shadow cast by an object will be. If the game has dynamic shadows, it loads the video card core, and if a pre-created render is used, then it “eats” the video memory.
Soft shadows - smooths out unevenness in the shadows themselves, usually this option is given along with dynamic shadows. Regardless of the type of shadows, it loads the video card in real time.

Smoothing. Allows you to get rid of ugly corners on the edges of objects through the use of a special algorithm, the essence of which usually comes down to generating several images at once and comparing them, calculating the most “smooth” picture. There are many different anti-aliasing algorithms that differ in the level of impact on the performance of GTA 4.

For example, MSAA works head-on, creating 2, 4 or 8 renders at once, so the frame rate is reduced by 2, 4 or 8 times, respectively. Algorithms like FXAA and TAA work a little differently, achieving a smooth image by calculating only the edges and using some other tricks. Thanks to this, they do not reduce performance as much.

Lighting. As with anti-aliasing, there are different algorithms for lighting effects: SSAO, HBAO, HDAO. They all use video card resources, but they do it differently depending on the video card itself. The fact is that the HBAO algorithm was promoted mainly on video cards from Nvidia (GeForce line), so it works best on “green” ones. HDAO, on the contrary, is optimized for video cards from AMD. SSAO is the simplest type of lighting, it consumes the least resources, so in case of brakes in Grand Theft Auto 4 it is worth switching to it.

What to reduce first? Shadows, anti-aliasing and lighting effects tend to take the most work, so these are the best places to start.

Gamers often have to optimize GTA 4 themselves. For almost all major releases, there are various relevant forums where users share their ways to improve performance.

One of them is a special program called Advanced System Optimizer. It is made specifically for those who do not want to manually clean their computer of various temporary files, delete unnecessary registry entries and edit the startup list. Advanced System Optimizer does this for you and also analyzes your computer to find ways to improve performance in apps and games.

GTA 4 lags. Large delay when playing. Solution

Many people confuse “brakes” with “lags,” but these problems have completely different causes. Grand Theft Auto 4 slows down when the frame rate at which the image is displayed on the monitor decreases, and lags when the delay in accessing the server or any other host is too high.

This is why lags can only occur in online games. The reasons are different: bad network code, physical distance from servers, network congestion, incorrectly configured router, low Internet connection speed.

However, the latter happens least often. In online games, communication between client and server occurs through the exchange of relatively short messages, so even 10 MB per second should be enough.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has no sound. I can't hear anything. Solution

GTA 4 works, but for some reason does not sound - this is another problem that gamers face. Of course, you can play like this, but it’s still better to figure out what’s going on.

First you need to determine the scale of the problem. Where exactly is there no sound - only in the game or even on the computer? If only in a game, then perhaps this is due to the fact that the sound card is very old and does not support DirectX.

If there is no sound at all, then the problem is definitely in the computer settings. Perhaps the sound card drivers are installed incorrectly, or maybe there is no sound due to some specific error in our beloved Windows OS.

Controls don't work in Grand Theft Auto 4. Grand Theft Auto 4 does not recognize mouse, keyboard or gamepad. Solution

How to play if it is impossible to control the process? Problems with supporting specific devices are inappropriate here, because we are talking about familiar devices - a keyboard, mouse and controller.

Thus, errors in the game itself are practically excluded; the problem is almost always on the user's side. You can solve it in different ways, but, one way or another, you will have to contact the driver. Usually when connecting a new device operating system immediately tries to use one of the standard drivers, but some models of keyboards, mice and gamepads are incompatible with them.

Thus, you need to find out the exact model of the device and try to find its driver. Devices from well-known gaming brands often come with their own software packages, since the standard Windows driver simply cannot ensure the correct operation of all functions of a particular device.

If you don’t want to search for drivers for all devices separately, you can use the program Driver Updater. It is designed to automatically search for drivers, so you only need to wait for the scan results and download necessary drivers in the program interface.

Sometimes brakes in GTA 4 can be caused by viruses. In this case, it makes no difference how powerful the video card is in the system unit. You can scan your computer and clean it of viruses and other unwanted software using special programs. For example NOD32. The antivirus has proven itself to be the best and has been approved by millions of users around the world.

ZoneAlarm is suitable for both personal use and small businesses, capable of protecting a computer running Windows system 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP from any attacks: phishing, viruses, malware, spyware and other cyber threats. New users are given a 30-day free trial.

Nod32 is an antivirus from ESET, which has received many awards for its contribution to security development. Versions of anti-virus programs are available on the developer’s website for both PCs and mobile devices; a 30-day trial version is provided. There are special conditions for business.

Grand Theft Auto 4 downloaded from a torrent does not work. Solution

If the game distribution was downloaded via torrent, then in principle there can be no guarantees of operation. Torrents and repacks are almost never updated through official applications and do not work over the network, because in the process of hacking, hackers cut out all network functions from games, which are often used to verify the license.

Using such versions of games is not only inconvenient, but even dangerous, because very often many files in them have been changed. For example, to bypass protection, pirates modify the EXE file. At the same time, no one knows what else they do with it. Perhaps they embed self-executing software. For example, when the game is first launched, it will integrate into the system and use its resources to ensure the well-being of hackers. Or, giving access to the computer to third parties. There are no guarantees here and cannot be.

In addition, the use of pirated versions is, in the opinion of our publication, theft. The developers spent a lot of time creating the game, investing their own money in the hope that their brainchild would pay off. And every work must be paid.

Therefore, if any problems arise with games downloaded from torrents or hacked using one or another means, you should immediately remove the pirated version, clean your computer with an antivirus and a licensed copy of the game. This will not only protect you from dubious software, but will also allow you to download updates for the game and receive official support from its creators.

GTA 4 gives an error about the missing DLL file. Solution

As a rule, problems associated with missing DLLs arise when launching Grand Theft Auto 4, but sometimes the game can access certain DLLs during the process and, not finding them, crash in the most blatant manner.

To fix this error, you need to find the required DLL and install it on the system. The easiest way to do this is using the program DLL-fixer, which scans the system and helps quickly find missing libraries.

If your problem turns out to be more specific or the method outlined in this article did not help, then you can ask other users in our “” section. They will help you quickly!

Thank you for your attention!

Launching the GTA 4 game, unfortunately for many users, does not always go smoothly. It often happens that even on the first loading screen, the client suddenly simply turns off, but no errors occur. The player is reasonably lost in what is happening, and the desire to have fun open world Liberty City is slowly draining away.

To prevent this from ever happening, users are advised to read this material and always keep it at hand. Here are the most common problems in this direction, as well as ways to solve them.

System Requirements

Of course, at the time of 2018, it may seem stupid to look for the reason that GTA 4 crashes due to non-compliance with the minimum requested system parameters, but all possibilities should be considered. The project was released ten years ago, but at that time not every computer could handle it.

Inconsistency system requirements in GTA 4

To run with the lowest settings, you must have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a clock speed of 1.8 GHz, as well as an NVIDIA GeFore 7900 video card. These characteristics can be replaced by similar ones from other companies. RAM requires 1.5 gigabytes, and for greater comfort 2. The recommended processor is Intel Core 2 Quad at 2.4 GHz. If such characteristics are not a problem for the user, then the problem should be looked in other directions.

The game does not start with an error

If, when starting GTA 4, it says that the start is impossible due to missing files, then the problem is hidden in the depths of the antivirus. This is most often encountered by owners of a pirated version downloaded from a torrent. There are several ways to solve this. It is best to immediately add a file with the .exe extension to the firewall exceptions during installation and turn off the antivirus at the same time.

Adding a game to a firewall exception

After this, perform the same operation with the installed game client. Errors such as GTA 4 crashing or not starting should not occur after this. If the player has not done this, and after installation the antivirus has already sent the files to quarantine, then they can be restored. After which, be sure to follow all the steps described above. The essence of this problem is that OS defenders react inadequately to the medicine that allows pirated versions to work. They simply eat the pills, and therefore starting the game becomes impossible.

Even if the player has completed all the operations specified in the paragraph, it is better to launch it as an administrator. Extra care can save you the time of uninstalling, clearing all files, and reinstalling. Owners of the licensed version are not in danger of sudden loss of components due to the antivirus.

A little more about piracy

Fans of downloading games on torrent trackers often ask after installation the question of why GTA 4 crashes. Experienced users experience such problems less often, because they understand the downloaded files, know verified release authors, and carefully read the descriptions. First of all, when downloading the client to your computer, you should make sure that the tablet matches the new version and is current at the moment.

If the crack is too old, then it will crash when starting the game, and errors may not even be written. To do this, just carefully read the comments under the posted installation, especially those related to the tablet. You should never go to an unverified site and download any game for yourself. The player may create a bigger problem for himself than the fact that GTA 4 crashes at startup. Often, the authors of the release hide malicious programs under the guise of a tablet, and with the antivirus disabled, the average user will not even understand how to get them onto their computer. This may result in having to change the operating system. It is best to take a closer look at the comments, find verified authors of the release, and then problems with crashes, and especially viruses, will never arise.

Range of options

Every player will benefit from information about why GTA 4 crashes on startup and how to fix this problem. With the pirated version, the options have not yet ended, but the most common ones have been considered. License owners are luckier, because they don’t need to worry about running as an administrator, disabling the antivirus, or file integrity. It is enough that all the components necessary to run are present on the computer. This is first and foremost a service. Social Club from Rockstar Games, in which you must have your own account.

Social Club service from Rockstar Games

Secondly, the xlive.dll libraries that come with the Windows Live program. Now the utility is not relevant and there are versions without it, but it is worth mentioning the problems associated with it. If the integrity of all components is in place among the owners of the licensed version, then you can safely move on to the next version of why GTA 4 crashes after the splash screen. It should also be mentioned here that this often happens with the “Out of Memory” error.

Error when starting “Out of memory”

In this case, you just need to close all windows and reboot the device. This helps in most use cases. If the problem remains relevant, then the user can try to increase the paging file.

Problems with modifications

It's no secret that Rockstar Games has always been positive about the possibility of different authors changing their game. This happens solely at the request of the user, who can install modifications for himself. They can be aimed at improving graphics, physics, sound, translations, and even adding new content.

Mod for ultra graphics in GTA 4

That is why mods have always been very popular for this series since the days of GTA San Andreas. It’s just these additional files that often cause GTA 4 to freeze on the splash screen. A new launch will not help here, because most crashes, endless downloads and errors are associated precisely with the presence of modifications. The libraries XLiveLess, IVSpeedometr, ENBSeries and others are often used by authors, but it is because of them that problems arise. This is especially true for the first option, which is a loading module.

You can try to fix the problem by removing add-ons if the user still has backup copies of the files, as well as by returning the old asi-loader module. If none of this helps, then only a complete uninstall and a new installation will fix the situation. This time it's better. make the EXE file compatible with the current version of the operating system. This can be done through the “Properties” menu in the “Compatibility” tab.

Conclusion

If you can't start GTA 4 the first time, it greatly discourages you from playing, but you don't need to be upset. All of the above methods for solving problems affect 100% of cases, which is why sudden crashes and endless loading occur. Users, and especially owners of old personal computers, should be aware that they may encounter another error at startup. It will tell you that the operating system is outdated and needs replacement. This means that the player has Windows XP service pack 2 and needs an upgrade. There are two ways to solve the problem.

In the first, you can try to find a special file on the network that SP2 can change to SP3. If such an operation does not help, then the only way to immerse yourself in your favorite world of GTA 4 is to reinstall the entire operating system. Nowadays this can be seen extremely rarely, because in ten years technology has advanced significantly. Most users use Windows 7 or even 10, as evidenced by official statistics. In any case, problems with GTA 4 crashing can be easily solved, you just need a little patience.

Are you wondering how to run GTA IV, solve a problem, error, or perhaps run it on a weak computer? Then read on.

Errors when the game does not start

SecuLauncher: failed to start application. - Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Runtime Libraries are not installed (one of the reasons) - Download

RMN20 – (Windows Vista) requires Service Pack 1 or higher to continue;RMN30 – (Windows XP 64 / Server 2003) Requires Service Pack 2 or higher to continue;RMN40 – (Windows XP) Requires Service Pack 3 or higher to continue;
If you do not want to download and install multi-megabyte SP3, then the following solution will do:

1. Open "START" -> Run (Win + R) In the "Open" line write "regedit"

2. In the registry tree we look for " HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows"

3. In the window that opens, select the line "CSDVersion" and change the value " 0x00000200"(SP2) on" 0x00000300"(SP3)

4. Close the registry editing window
5. Reboot the computer. Now GTA 4 will think that you have Service Pack 3

Critical error RMN60- Launching the game from the wrong shortcut. Launch via LaunchGTAIV.exe / LaunchEFLC.exe

Critical error SMPA60 - Get started new game. The error occurs due to replaced vehicles saved at save houses

Critical error DD3D40 – D3D Error – Could not determine functionality devices. Please install the latest video card drivers and/or reinstall DirectX ;

Critical error TEXP10 – D3D Error – The functionality of the device could not be determined. Please install the latest video card drivers and/or reinstall DirectX ;

Critical error AE10 – There is not enough memory to run the game. Disable unnecessary programs and restart GTA 4 ;

Serial number 5372 not found in DLL xlive.dll- You don't have Games for Windows Live- Download the files from the archive and unpack them into the game folder

If none of the methods helped you, make sure that the game is installed correctly, there are no Russian letters in the path to the game and reinstall the game.

Problems with the game

Having dealt with the problems of launching the game, let's move directly to the game problems.

If you have a brick on gas, a drunk cell or a smoking car, then you're in luck - it protects the game from mods, cracks and other changes to the original files

If the problem is with DirectX, then download archive and install all the files from the folder - Redist.zip and (install all the files!)

Many people have encountered a problem where the game does not save progress

So this small FAQ will help you create an offline profile (without internet)

2. Let's start the game.

3. In the game menu, press the key [Home] , a window will come down from above Games for Windows, select the item [Create a new profile]

4. Select an item [Create a local profile]

5. Enter your profile name in English letters and press [Send]

6. Click [Ready] , press [Home] .

7. And that's it, you can play!

For STEAM

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Screen Resolution.

2 .In the window that opens, click Additional options.

3 .In the window that opens, in the Adapter tab, remember the parameter Available graphic memory, in my case it is 1792 MB.

4 .Now let's start manipulating the game, go to Steam, in the Library click on Grand Theft Auto IV RMB and select Properties. In the window that opens, in the GENERAL tab, click SET LAUNCH SETTINGS.

Windows 10 often doesn't want to run old games, and GTA 4 is no exception. Fortunately, this problem can be solved, because in most cases the causes of its occurrence are easy to detect and eliminate. You may just need to update some components.

The reason the game does not work may be outdated drivers, lack of necessary patches and DirectX, .NET Framework, Visual C++ components.

Method 1: Update Drivers

Drivers can be updated manually, using special programs or using system tools. Next, consider the update option using the DriverPack Solution utility, which downloads not only drivers, but also other useful components. For example, DirectX.

However, you can use other software tools to update or install drivers.

Method 2: Installing special files

If all the necessary drivers and components are installed on your computer, but the game still crashes, you need to download and copy the xlive files to the root folder of the game.

X-Live Games components moved to the game's root folder may help resolve the issue. If this solution does not suit you, then try the next one.

Method 3: Installing patches

The game may be missing the required patch. It can be downloaded from the official website and then installed.

Go to home page downloads.
Scroll down and find "Patches".

Now select GTA IV.

In the side menu, go to patch number 7.

Download the file according to the game language settings.

Unpack the archive and run the installer.

Follow the application instructions.

Timely installation of released patches is extremely important, because this is how developers fix critical errors. Therefore, always check for all important updates for the game and install them.

Method 4: Set Compatibility Mode

Try setting the compatible mode, perhaps because of it the game does not want to start.

In some cases, this method can solve the error, but still, a compatibility problem is not as common as missing required components.

Method 5: Search for compatibility issues

This method also helps eliminate the problem of GTA 4 not working, but in this case the system will automatically select the optimal parameters to launch the game.

Go to again "Properties" — "Compatibility".
Click on “Launch the tool...”.

The problem search procedure will begin.

Now select "Use recommended settings".

Next click on "Check the program...".

If everything starts normally, save the recommended settings with the button "Next".

Be sure to check the parameters suggested by the system to make sure the game is fully functional.

All current solutions to problems with launching GTA 4 Windows 10 were listed here, and now you know how to launch the game. In almost all cases, updating drivers and components, adjusting compatibility, and installing special patches helps.

If you are facing problems in GTA 4, the question has been asked: “why does GTA 4 crash on startup?” Having looked through the pages of the Internet, it was not possible to find anything, nothing at all, or they found something useless. This article describes all the most common errors and problems when launching and installing the game.

During installation, a window may pop up stating that your operating system is out of date. If you encounter such an obstacle, it means that your computer is running Windows XP service pack 2. What should you do? Reinstall Windows? Not required, but recommended. There is an installation file that turns SP2 into SP3. After these steps, the system is updated and ready to work with GTA 4. As you can see, Windows did not have to be completely changed. There is a minus - poor quality of the system in some cases, after the update. This manifests itself in slow work with files and applications.

Crashes on loading

The game is installed, but I can't play. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the licensed version does not cause any startup errors if all components are installed. These components can be Social Club (social gaming network from RockStar), xlive.dll (libraries installed with the Windows Live program). Try installing all recommended programs and libraries. If you have a pirated version, the problem may be with the game tablet itself. Reasons why the crack is incorrect:

It is not relevant. That is, the version of the game is much newer than the tablet.
Antivirus. The antivirus sees the hacked file as Trojan horse and deletes it.
Always disable your antivirus when hacking a particular game.
Incorrect program hack.

In addition to errors, Grand Theft Auto IV can simply be powerful for your hardware and notify you about this with different windows like: “Out of Memory”. Sometimes such problems are solved by restarting the PC.

GTA 4 crashes after the splash screen

This problem arises after making all sorts of changes and additions to the game. Solution: reinstall the application again.
P.S. To successfully install GTA 4, make sure the installation file is compatible with your system. To do this: Properties - Compatibility - select the system under which the PC is installed.