Rockstar launcher not launching

[RossDaSauceBoss]

I haven't played RDR2 or RDO in a while and finally decided to get back into it but my Rockstar launcher will not launcher. It shows up in my hidden icons tab but when I click on it, it only shows a exit option and even when I try to hit exit it will not close. Does anyone know of a work around to get Rockstar launcher to launch? Thanks

[jswarpaint]

This works for me but I did not have your problem had a constant launching window problem ... go to the laucher.exe file and right mouse click on it and choose Run as Administrator before I did this the launcher would launch but never completed launching ,,

This file is located at Program Files \ Rockstar Games \ Launcher - in this launcher folder is this exe file .. launcher.exe

Evidently when one clicks on play in steam the game actually runs the launcher.exe file instead of just starting the game .. one first has to go through the Rockstar launcher so how does this happen .. more than likely .. the launcher has to start .. how does this happen .. more than likely the launcher.exe file is run first at the very start before anything else when one clicks on PLAY in steam...

FYI after I RMB the launcher.exe file and choose Run by Administrator ... after that I could simply click on play to run it .. of course it ran fine until this last update - I only had to click on PLAY - but then after this update then I had to stumble across this fix ..

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Ensure that your RDR2 has updated from Steam.
Then when done (or know it's already been done already) go and click on Verify.
When done, go to the game folder and find the latest Launcher, right click that and click Run As Admin to reinstall it.

When want to launch RDR2 from Steam; launch Steam via Run As Admin.
Launch Rockstar Launcher via Run As Admin
Launch RDR2 from Rockstar Launcher.

[RossDaSauceBoss]

Originally posted by jswarpaint:

This works for me but I did not have your problem had a constant launching window problem ... go to the laucher.exe file and right mouse click on it and choose Run as Administrator before I did this the launcher would launch but never completed launching ,,

This file is located at Program Files \ Rockstar Games \ Launcher - in this launcher folder is this exe file .. launcher.exe

Evidently when one clicks on play in steam the game actually runs the launcher.exe file instead of just starting the game .. one first has to go through the Rockstar launcher so how does this happen .. more than likely .. the launcher has to start .. how does this happen .. more than likely the launcher.exe file is run first at the very start before anything else when one clicks on PLAY in steam...

FYI after I RMB the launcher.exe file and choose Run by Administrator ... after that I could simply click on play to run it .. of course it ran fine until this last update - I only had to click on PLAY - but then after this update then I had to stumble across this fix ..

So what sucks is that I am already running the rockstar launcher on Admin and I still can't launch it. I've even cleared my DSN caches too and nothing seems to help.

[RossDaSauceBoss]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Ensure that your RDR2 has updated from Steam.
Then when done (or know it's already been done already) go and click on Verify.
When done, go to the game folder and find the latest Launcher, right click that and click Run As Admin to reinstall it.

When want to launch RDR2 from Steam; launch Steam via Run As Admin.
Launch Rockstar Launcher via Run As Admin
Launch RDR2 from Rockstar Launcher.

Everything is updated and all but even on Admin my rockstar launcher will not launch or even show me a interface so I can't launch the game what so ever.

[jswarpaint]

I was completely out of the game and went to the launcher file and told it to run on admin - I guess that is what you did I started the game from the launcher ..

Anyway, they really messed up with the new update of tweaking the Bounty Hunting because everyone is having problems

[Bad 💀 Motha]

There was no update. It was just a mere security update for the EXE files and to address some RDO related crashing bugs. And a more updated bundled launcher with all the Rockstar games.

Seems your issues are the launcher.

Uninstall Rockstar Launcher and SocialClub from the PC.
Wipe any left overs from those afterwards within:
Documents > Rockstar Games
just the Launcher and SocialClub folders.

Same goes for %LocalAppData% > Rockstar Games

Then install the latest Launcher from the Rockstar Games website.

[Ghost_Bubba]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

There was no update. It was just a mere security update for the EXE files and to address some RDO related crashing bugs. And a more updated bundled launcher with all the Rockstar games.

Seems your issues are the launcher.

Uninstall Rockstar Launcher and SocialClub from the PC.
Wipe any left overs from those afterwards within:
Documents > Rockstar Games
just the Launcher and SocialClub folders.

Same goes for %LocalAppData% > Rockstar Games

Then install the latest Launcher from the Rockstar Games website.

This was the only solution that would work for me. Not a good sign when Rockstar's own launcher decides to break.

[Noctis Draconis]

Try this, I have,works perfectly..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKCvbHvc7_g

[Anmaril]

Stuff like this is exactly the reason why I haven't bought it yet and will not buy a title from this company. We don't need more launchers. It just creates issues down the line.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Ghost_Bubba:

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

There was no update. It was just a mere security update for the EXE files and to address some RDO related crashing bugs. And a more updated bundled launcher with all the Rockstar games.

Seems your issues are the launcher.

Uninstall Rockstar Launcher and SocialClub from the PC.
Wipe any left overs from those afterwards within:
Documents > Rockstar Games
just the Launcher and SocialClub folders.

Same goes for %LocalAppData% > Rockstar Games

Then install the latest Launcher from the Rockstar Games website.

This was the only solution that would work for me. Not a good sign when Rockstar's own launcher decides to break.

It's a simple and well known work-around. And it affects very few people.

I have configured tons of PCs with this game and over the entire course of the game being on PC have only had to do this maybe once or twice at best. It happens. But the launcher is just a login DRM really, when you own the game on Steam, nothing else, since Steam is the one who handles the game files download/verify and not the Rockstar Launcher; when you own the game on Steam.

So really all you are losing is your local saved Rockstar login and the Launcher settings you might have had set. Takes what, 5 minutes to address this on your own. No biggie.

And again, for RDR2 in particular, users should be launching Steam, then go and just X that out, then launch the Rockstar Launcher and launch RDR2 from the launcher. It still uses the files from Steam as well as any Launch Options in Steam you have have had set. However this is the true and proper way to launch RDR2 even when you own it on Steam. Launching RDR2 from Steam all the time actually creates a problem. As this method relies on a saved login cookie token from the Rockstar Launcher, which expires over time. Launching this game each and ever time via the Rockstar Launcher will avoid this issue.

[Anmaril]

No. Simple as that. No.
If your launcher doesn't work well with the platform you sell it on then ditch the launcher or the platform. Don't sell it there and sell people work-arounds. DRM always creates issues over time, always. I don't need a game with 2 DRMs. Simple as that. The customer has the power to decide not to support this corporate bs that wants you to buy an inferior product when pirates get the game without these issues.

As long as Rockstar wants you to use another launcher on top of Steam then I simply decide with my wallet against this practice. Have fun with your double launchers.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

There's nothing wrong with the launcher; it's the local profile on your PC that gets corrupted sometimes; it's rare but it happens. This profile is within the launcher files that gets create along the way within Documents > Rockstar Games.

Stop acting like this is the first thing on a gaming PC that's given you some trouble. If that's the case you haven't been doing this long enough.

[Anmaril]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

There's nothing wrong with the launcher; it's the local profile on your PC that gets corrupted sometimes; it's rare but it happens. This profile is within the launcher files that gets create along the way within Documents > Rockstar Games.

Stop acting like this is the first thing on a gaming PC that's given you some trouble. If that's the case you haven't been doing this long enough.

I have been doing this long enough to remember SecuRom and floppy disks. And if you too then you remember old DRM not working on newer systems. Why would a launcher or any other DRM be different today? To handle one DRM is bad enough, I don't need another vector that can cause issues years to come.

These issues, these potential problems are totally optional. This game doesn't need another launcher. And I am not accepting using theirs. Fine if you do, but don't assume other people are stupid because you are fine treated like that as a customer. Pirates don't need all this hassle. Why do we. I'm not accepting it and not buying into it. Simple as that.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

I get it and trust me, I don't like it either. Nothing is perfect and sometimes these folks making these software no matter what it is, always seem like their behind the curve. With the money Rockstar makes they have little to no excuses they could stand on.

It's like what do we have to do? Cmon Rockatar (and others) you know that Win11 is in and this is what more people will be using now and moving forward. Why would your Launcher or Games have issues on Win11, issues that don't exist on Win10... something is wrong somewhere and here you have a company worth multi-Billions of Dollars who can't do what a couple code writing kids could do in a couple days or weeks when it comes to testing and fixing bugs. Imagine if they hired a small number of people who could address the various bugs in GTAV or RDR2. Many of these bugs mind-you don't exist on the Console versions of these games.

While this Rockatar Launcher might still be fairly new to some folks, the SocialClub DRM Login requirements have been in place for a long time. Even GTA4 had that on PC when it first launched. It just looked different but the DRM was still the same.

Then you have some Steam games that need the EA Games client or the Ubisoft client. So again, nothing new here.

[Mr. Bungle]

I've been struggling with this issue for a week now, tried every possible solution I found online but this is what finally worked for me:

Uninstall R* Launcher and then manually download it from their official site: https://www.rockstargames.com/es/newswire/article/89k8a554534523/Download-The-Rockstar-Games-Launcher

It seems that when you uninstall the launcher and then try to run RDR2 from steam, the setup for the launcher that is brought up is somewhat corrupted and/or not updated. So downloading and installing the launcher from the offical web site gets you a cleaner and working version.