How to get rid of Grand Theft Auto 5 issues on Windows 10?

Meet Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, three very different yet lovable protagonist that are the centerpiece of GTA 5. The game starts out nine years in the past with Michael, Trevor, and Brad robbing a bank in North Yankton. Their escape plan goes wrong, however, resulting in the death of Brad, and the supposed death of Michael as well.

Many players have been complaining that the game has some issues. In this article, we are going to show you how to fix GTA 5 crashing issues.

Table of Contents

1. Make sure your PC meets the GTA 5 system requirements
2. Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable Pack
3. Launch Grand Theft Auto 5 in compatibility mode
4. Turn off non-Microsoft services
5. Disable your antivirus software
6. Verify the integrity of your game files
7. Make sure your graphics card driver is up to date
8. Reinstall Social Club
9. Uninstall Identity Cloaker
10. Reinstall the game

Solution 1. Make sure your PC meets the GTA 5 system requirements

Before you download and install any game on your PC, you need to make sure that its hardware meets the game’s requirements. This is also true for GTA 5. Note that GTA 5 has high system requirements. The game does not run on Intel’s Integrated HD graphics, so make sure you are using either NVIDIA or AMD.

Here are the system requirements:

Minimum requirements:

• OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2* (*NVIDIA video card recommended if running Vista OS)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
• Memory: 4GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
• Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
• HDD Space: 65GB
• DVD Drive

Recommended requirements

• OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
• Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
• Memory: 8GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
• Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
• HDD Space: 65GB
• DVD Drive

Solution 2. Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable Pack

This tool is required for many apps to run on your PC. Developers use Visual C++ Redistributables to create apps. This tool was developed by Microsoft, and it is called Redistributables because third-party apps are permitted to use and distribute it.

The Visual C++ 2008 redistributable pack is required for GTA 5 to run on your PC. So, you need to find and download the working version of Visual C++. Usually, this tool comes with the installation package of the programs that require it to function. You can go into the installation folder of GTA 5, find the setup for Visual C++ and install it. Also, you can search for Visual C++ in Google, and it will direct you to the official Microsoft page where you can download and install the latest version.

Solution 3. Launch Grand Theft Auto 5 in compatibility mode

Running the game in compatibility mode may help adjust some settings which prevent GTA 5 from launching. Windows 7 is one of the best and stable operating systems that Microsoft has created, especially when it comes to gaming. That is why mimicking the settings of Windows 7 may enable your game to run without any issues. Use the following instructions to run Grand Theft Auto 5 in compatibility mode:

• Click on the File Explorer icon on the taskbar.
• Navigate to GTA 5’s folder and right-click GTAVLauncher.exe, then select Properties from the drop-down menu.
• Go to the Compatibility tab and check the Run this program in compatibility mode for box.
• Now, select Windows 7 from the drop-down menu.
• Click Apply and OK to confirm the changes you made.

Solution 4. Turn off non-Microsoft services

Third-party apps may also be blocking GTA 5 from launching. It that is the case, you will have to perform a clean boot of your PC to disable all non-Microsoft services and check if the issue has been resolved. Here is how to perform a clean boot:

• Press the Windows logo key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Input msconfig in the search area and press Enter.
• Go to the Services tab and check the Hide all Microsoft services box, then click Disable all to switch off third-party apps and services.
• Navigate to the General tab and deselect the Load startup items box.
• Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. This will open the Startup tab in Task Manager. Disable all the items on the list.
• Go back to the System Configuration window, then click Apply and OK to save the changes you made.
• Once your PC restarts, try to run GTA 5 to check if the issue has been resolved. If yes, then it means one of the third-party services was preventing it from working. Now, the goal is to identify the culprit. To do this, you need to go back to System Configuration and enable the services one by one while trying to launch your game. The app or service which hinders the game from starting is the culprit. Once the culprit is found, you should uninstall or disable it completely.

Solution 5. Disable your antivirus

The job of your antivirus is to protect your system from invading viruses or malware. What happens when your antivirus starts detecting game files as potential threats? Of course, it will stop the files from performing their functions. In this case, your game will not be able to run. To fix this issue, you need to disable your antivirus temporarily. If it solves the issue, then you should consider changing your antivirus. We recommend that you download and install Auslogics Anti-Malware. This tool will not interfere with the normal functioning of your game files. It will also protect you from hackers, who want to gain access to your sensitive information, using viruses. You can schedule regular scans of your system to make sure that no viruses are lurking around. Also, the tool’s virus database is updated on a regular basis to keep your system always protected.

Solution 6. Verify the integrity of your game files

When using the Steam client, you have the option to check your game files for errors and replace them with good ones. This option is useful when your game files are corrupted. Here is how to verify your game files:

• Run the Steam client and log into your account.
• Go in the Library section, right-click Grand Theft Auto 5 and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
• Navigate to the Local Files tab and select Verify integrity of game cache.
• Now, Steam will replace any corrupted files, and your game will start working normally.

Solution 7. Make sure your graphics card driver is up to date

Graphics drivers are an important component for your games to run. If the drivers are outdated or missing, then your game will not start. Drivers work like the middle-man between the hardware and the operating system. We are going to show you the best methods to update your drivers:

Method 1. Download and install Auslogics Drivers Updater

Using Auslogics Driver Updater is one of the fastest and easiest ways to download and install all your drivers. It scans your system for all outdated and missing drivers and installs the manufacturer-recommend versions. You will be able to download and install all your drivers in just one click. Also, it solves the problem of downloading the wrong driver.

Method 2. Download the driver from the manufacturer’s site

GTA 5 requires either an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card to run properly. So, you can go to the manufacturer’s site and download the driver from the support section. To use this method, you need to know the exact name and version of the graphics device which is installed on your PC. Without it, you may download the wrong driver which may cause more harm to your PC.

Manufacturers have solved the problem of downloading the wrong driver by creating clients which notify the user when a certain driver needs to be updated.

Method 3. Update your graphics driver using Device Manager

Device Manager is a system tool which is used to manage all the devices which are installed on your PC. You can check the status of all the devices from here, and you will also be able to update your drivers using Device Manager. Here is how to do it:

• Right-click on the Start or Home button and select Device Manager from the pop-up menu.
• Double-click Display adapters to view the graphics devices which are installed on your PC.
• Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver.
• In the next window, choose the option to download the driver from the internet.

Solution 8. Reinstall Social Club

GTA 5 has an online multiplayer client called Social Club. The game developers have recommended that players should reinstall this client, and the startup issues may be resolved.

• Click on the Start or home button and input Control Panel in the search menu. Now, select Control Panel from the list of results.
• In the Control Panel window, select Uninstall a program. Now, you will see a list of programs installed on your PC.
• Click Social Club and select Uninstall.
• Restart your PC, go to the GTA 5 installation folder and install Social Club.

Solution 9. Uninstall Identity Cloaker

Many players have identified the Identity Cloaker as one of the reasons why GTA 5 is crashing. If the software is installed on your PC, you should uninstall it and check if the issues have been fixed. You can use the same method as above.

Solution 10. Perform a system restore of your PC.

The System Restore tool lets you revert your PC’s system to a previous date. This method is useful when your game was running well before, and then all of a sudden started crashing on startup. This may be an indication that some settings and system files have been changed, which is preventing the game from starting. That is why we recommend you to do a system restore. This process does not affect your personal files and folders. Instead, it reverts only system files and settings to the way they were at a specific time in the past. Restore points are required for you to perform a system restore. If you have not created them before, do not be worried because your computer automatically creates restore points when important changes want to take place. Here is how to perform a system restore:

• Click on the Start or Home button and type Recovery in the search box. Select Recovery from the list of results.
• In the Recovery dialog box, select Open System Restore, then click Next to proceed.
• In the next window, you will see the list of the points you can restore your system to. Select a point before you began experiencing the crashing issue and click Next.
• Follow the instructions of the wizard to complete the process.

Solution 11. Reinstall your game.

The final solution to fix the crashing issue is to reinstall your game. Make sure you back up all your saved game files before uninstalling GTA 5. Once you have reinstall it, try running the game again to see if the issue has been solved.

We hope that this article has shown you how to stop GTA 5 from crashing. Share it with others who encounter similar issues.

We appreciate your ideas and comments, and we are ready to answer all your questions regarding the above topic.