FiveM won't open or gets stuck on launch: how to fix it on Windows

You click the FiveM shortcut and nothing happens. Or the launcher opens, sits on a progress bar forever, or asks you to pick your GTA V folder every time. This guide covers the causes, from the quickest checks to a full repair.

If FiveM opens and then crashes, that is a different problem: see FiveM crashes on startup.

#1. Start it the right way

Use the FiveM shortcut on your desktop or Start menu, not an old GTA V shortcut or an exe from another folder. FiveM updates itself on start, and starting an old copy of its files can leave it half updated.

Check the basics too:

• Close any FiveM process left in Task Manager (FiveM.exe, FiveM_GTAProcess.exe) and start again.
• Restart the PC. A stuck process from a previous crash is common.
• Make sure the drive where FiveM is installed has free space.

#2. Select the right GTA V folder

On first start, or after you moved the game, FiveM asks for your GTA V folder. It must point to the folder that contains GTA5.exe.

Typical places:

• Steam: inside the steamapps\common folder, in Grand Theft Auto V
• Epic Games: the folder you chose in the Epic library settings
• Rockstar Games Launcher: usually inside a Rockstar Games folder, Grand Theft Auto V

Pick the game folder itself, not a parent folder, and not a folder with a copy of the game you extracted from a download.

If FiveM keeps the wrong path, you can make it ask again. Close FiveM, then delete this file:

%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\CitizenFX.ini

On the next start it asks for the path again. This file stores your game path, so you will select it once more.

If FiveM reports that it cannot find the game, it is almost always the wrong folder, a game that is not installed, or one that is not fully updated. Verify the files with Verifying GTA V files.

#3. Sign in to your game launcher

FiveM needs the launcher of the platform where you own GTA V to be installed, up to date, and signed in.

• Steam: open Steam and sign in before you start FiveM.
• Epic Games: open the Epic Games Launcher, sign in, and let it finish any update.
• Rockstar Games Launcher: sign in, accept any new terms or updates shown in the launcher window.

A launcher that is waiting for an update, a login or a terms screen can block FiveM silently. Open it, deal with the prompt, close it if you want, and start FiveM again.

#4. Repair the FiveM.app folder

If FiveM does not start at all, or the same error returns, its application folder may be damaged. Reset it. Do not delete it first, rename it, so you can go back:

Stop-Process -Name FiveM, FiveM_GTAProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Rename-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\FiveM\FiveM.app" "FiveM.app.old"

Start FiveM from its shortcut. It downloads its files again and recreates the folder. You will need to select your GTA V folder, and some local settings come back to default.

If it works, you can delete FiveM.app.old later. If you want a cleaner reinstall, uninstall FiveM, remove the FiveM folder in %localappdata%, and download the installer again from the official FiveM site.

Tip: always download FiveM from the official site only. Copies from other places can be modified or old.

#5. Antivirus and firewall

Security software can block the updater or the game process. Add %localappdata%\FiveM to your antivirus exclusions, and allow FiveM through the firewall. Look in the antivirus history for blocked FiveM files, and restore them.

#6. Windows updates and overlays

An unfinished Windows update, or an old Windows build, can stop FiveM from starting. Install pending updates and restart.

Also close overlays and tools that hook into games, such as the Discord overlay, MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner. They can freeze the launch. FiveM crashes on startup lists them in detail.

#7. Stuck at a progress bar

If the launcher stays at "updating" or a percentage never moves:

• Check your internet and any VPN.
• Wait a few minutes. The first update after a long time is large.
• Clear the cache with How to clear the FiveM cache.
• Rename FiveM.app as in section 4.

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