Unable to launch RDR2.exe

[Gustwave]

I've purchased the Red dead Redemption ultimate edition on friday (20/03/2020) in STEAM store, have, since then, been trying to RUN THE GAME, but I can't even LAUNCH it, because it keeps giving errors on launch.

1- When I try to launch it trough steam, it simply opens and closes the the rockstar launcher, by itself.

2 - When I try to run it via rockstar launcher itself, it first gives me an error saying :
"Red Dead Redemption 2 exited unexpectedly
Please, click Retry below to enter the game again, or click Safe Mode to launch the game with Reduced Graphic Settings
If you continue have problems playing the cagem, please contact Rockstar Games customer service at https://support.rockstargames.com"
If I retry it or try to run it in safe mode, I get:
"Unable to launch RDR2.exe If you continue have problems playing the cagem, please contact Rockstar Games customer service at https://support.rockstargames.com"

Here are some thing I've tried already:
1 - Do all windows possible windows updates (my windows version is windows 10 version 1909)
2 - Update all my GPU drivers (RX 5700, current instaled radeon driver version: 20.3.1)
3 - Uninstall the GPU drivers using AMD cleanup removal tool.
4 - Uninstall 3rd party antivirus
5 - Add firewall/windows antivirus exceptions to steam/rockstar folders
6 - redownload/reinstall RDR2 from steam and rockstar launcher from rockstar website
7 - Run the game through steam with -windows/-windowed arguments
8 - Check event viewer for errors, nothing found.
9 - When I try to run RDR2.exe by itself (in steam folders) as admin/regular user, it pops me a windows error saying " The code execution cannot proceed because MF.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.". I've tried all the ways to fix this(running sfc/scannow on cmd and /restorehealth too) but no success...

Any ideas on how to fix this issue?
Thanks!

My specs:
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro N 64-bit (10.0, Build 18363)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz (8 CPUs), ~4.0GHz
Memory: 32768MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 32708MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 12
Card name: AMD Radeon RX 5700

[AntiqueGamer]

Sadly this is a common occurrence and the game fails because of what is generally considered to be hardware issues - the game basically does not like the hardware/software with emphasis on drivers environment. I see from your description that you know what you're doing and have updated all drivers but this may not solve the issue for the 'hardware' issue is the key.

I've had plenty of people on my friends list purchase the game with really high-end machines who have tried for weeks to get it to run and they have gotten error messages with the most common one being due to the game not liking the processor or the graphics processor. Honestly, I could spent the next hour citing all of the processors that the game won't as yet run on, and the ones that do.

I for example have an older gfx card, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and the game runs on it just fine. I also use a Intel processor. Since I don't work for Rockstar technical support I cannot tell you if your processor and graphics card is on the 'difficult' list. Perhaps you should contact them. Contacting Nvidia isn't worth doing as ultimate you have already downloaded their latest product and it has failed to work for you. You have my sympathies.

[Gustwave]

Originally posted by AntiqueGamer:

Sadly this is a common occurrence and the game fails because of what is generally considered to be hardware issues - the game basically does not like the hardware/software with emphasis on drivers environment. I see from your description that you know what you're doing and have updated all drivers but this may not solve the issue for the 'hardware' issue is the key.

I've had plenty of people on my friends list purchase the game with really high-end machines who have tried for weeks to get it to run and they have gotten error messages with the most common one being due to the game not liking the processor or the graphics processor. Honestly, I could spent the next hour citing all of the processors that the game won't as yet run on, and the ones that do.

I for example have an older gfx card, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and the game runs on it just fine. I also use a Intel processor. Since I don't work for Rockstar technical support I cannot tell you if your processor and graphics card is on the 'difficult' list. Perhaps you should contact them. Contacting Nvidia isn't worth doing as ultimate you have already downloaded their latest product and it has failed to work for you. You have my sympathies.

Hi @AntiqueGamer, thanks for your quick response...

It's absolutely outrageous for a customer(gamer or not) to expend over £50 in a game, download over 100 gb installation pack, and not be able to play because of such hardware issues not mentioned in any official channels...
It's seems like a lame bad implementation from rockstar's portability from consoles to PC. That's unacceptable.
And even worst, the "tries" that you make the game to ACTUALLY RUN, count for the steam "2 hours refund time period". No words to describe how ridiculous this is.

Anyway. After going through rockstar logging files, and checking what was happening, I realized that the point 9 here on the original post was crucial. That ended up leading me to this support post: https://support.rockstargames.com/articles/204933118/How-to-Resolve-Dependency-MFREADWRITE-DLL-is-missing-Please-reinstall-the-game-errors-on-GTAV-for-PC, which, fixed my issue(at least the game is running now)

It took me ~ 3 hours to find the error and the article. I imagine how frustrating should be to a person without pc knowledge who just wants to buy and play the game, have to open a ticket and wait 48 aways for a response. Way to go Rockstar.

But I'm glad the community here is active and helpful, and hope this help any other folks there.
Thanks again for your time bro.

TLDR: https://support.rockstargames.com/articles/204933118/How-to-Resolve-Dependency-MFREADWRITE-DLL-is-missing-Please-reinstall-the-game-errors-on-GTAV-for-PC

[Knight]

"It took me ~ 3 hours to find the error and the article. I imagine how frustrating should be to a person without pc knowledge who just wants to buy and play the game, have to open a ticket and wait 48 aways for a response. Way to go Rockstar."

That is exactly what happend to me.. It took two days to get "help" from the Rockstar Support site, and it took them 1-2 days to respond to my reply's, none of the possible solutions Rockstar gave me worked. So I did what i had to, Submit a refund.. Maybe one day they sort their ♥♥♥♥ out, I hope Take-Two Interactive will order them to do just that. At the moment I just feel grossly ignored as a gamer and fan of Rockstar Games.

[Ghost]

this is what it works for me:
right click on the rockstar launcher - properties - compatibility tab and mark "run as administrator" just the rockstar launcher not the game or crash
deactivate the antivirus
and that it the game should run from steam

[lamacra]

What helped for me was to manually install the launcher and the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ "social club"
I allso had to set the game in windows 8 compatibility mode (i´m using win10 :) but that error is now gone (after weeks)

[Bop]

Similarly, anyone have managed to fix the Activation Error upon game startup?

[RatTrap]

Originally posted by Ghost:

this is what it works for me:
right click on the rockstar launcher - properties - compatibility tab and mark "run as administrator" just the rockstar launcher not the game or crash
deactivate the antivirus
and that it the game should run from steam

If you remember can you explain how you did this? Ive tried everything ive seen suggested before and honestly this may be my last resort before I give up and accept the fact that rockstar can't make a properly working game

[mVpeazy ☣]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ i am not the only one.. I try anything the last 10h..

maybe this thread helps me, i inform you

[mVpeazy ☣]

i tryed literally anything..

at the and i put on windows 7 compatibility mode, cause windows 8 compatibility mode did not work for me AND turned all EXEs (louncher and gameexe) in administration mode.

Now it works.. and realy i did anything else before

[POWEREN]

i am still here :((((

[Conner Rich]

1 month for fix it, But have noting. GG

[spaz]

sorry for reviving this dead post but just simply running steam as an admin and nothing else worked for me

[Archon]

How is this crap still broken...... three years later.... come on this is soooo disappointing . cant get it to work and Rockstar support is useless.....

[Reka]

im still stuck