Error Code 9 - Rockstar Social Club, GTA 5 [SOLVED]

[plentywheels]

I've been going bonkers trying to get past this 'error code 9', from the Rockstar Social Club component. Like so many people, I''ve long since moved my 'My Documents' folder to elsewhere on another drive on my computer. 'Error Code 9' Can indeed be traced back to having done this. But this you probably already know, having searched the internet already. Many people have found the solution in reverting it back to original state using 'Windows Explorer'. This post is for those of you that are STILL stuck with error code 9, having exhausted all the solutions elsewhere on the internet. For me, like everyone else, I got the game working by reverting the 'My Documents' folder back to C:\Users\plenty\Documents , as it originally was.
I did this by;
1 Uninstalling Rockstar Social Club.
2 Deleting Rockstar Social Club Folder in

C:\Program  Files\Rockstar Games\Social Club

3 Deleting Rockstar Social Club Folder in

C:\Program Files x86\Rockstar Games\Social Club

4 Open Windows Explorer
5 Right Click My Documents, under 'Libraries', & selecting 'Properties'
6 Changing the location back to C:\Users\$UserName\Documents [substitute '$Username' for whatever username you are on your computer].

7 Downloading & Reinstalling the latest version of Rockstar Social Club from:

https://support.rockstargames.com/hc/en-us/articles/200146066-Manual-Link-to-Social-Club-Application-Download

- Click whatever link you find there.

This worked for a couple of days, then the game failed to load again. None of the help posted elsewhere worked for me.
If you've established that at one point you changed the destination folder 'My Documents', & have tried & failed to change it back - then you'll have to make the changes directly in the registry, not trust Windows Explorer to make them by proxy. This is what to do;

Click Start, & in the 'Run' Box, type:

Regedit

Now, once in 'Regedit', you need to click through & find this key in your registry;

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

Now, right click the key named 'Personal', & select 'modify'
Under the heading 'value data', you must type the path to what was the original path to your Documents folder, ie;

C:\Users\$Username\Documents

Click OK.
Now, repeat the process, this time looking for;

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Do the same as before - find 'Personal' & modify it to show the correct path to your original 'My Documents' folder.
Save it - & get out of Regedit quick before you do any serious damage to your system!!!

Let me tell you, a lot of pain & suffering went into bringing you this solution - I was going crazy - especially seeing as I'd already seen the game running. I just couldnt understand it. As a new user to Rockstar, you are NOT allowed to post anything on their website for one month!! How crazy is that?? And as for getting a refund from Steam for an expensive game that I was unable to play - well, it's near to impossible, as far as I can tell. That Social Club from Rockstar is some janky load of rubbish software - luckily I figured this out before I sent my PC through the window next to me in frustration! Hope this helps someone!

[plentywheels]

Also, lots of feedback from other people elsewhere on the internet seeking support from Rockstar Support, saying that all they get back from them, if anything at all - is cut & paste instructions from solutions you've already read! I spent money that I don't have on a fresh new graphics card specifically to play this game, followed by £40 on the game itself that ultimately I was unable to play for several days due to this ridiculous issue with their 'Social Club', that is anything but social, if you can't even converse with them or their community for a month!

[plentywheels]

If like me, you've already experienced a few hours of playing the game before the dreaded 'Error Code 9' returned, then you NEED TO BACK UP YOUR GAME FILES that are in the Rockstar folders, else you'll lose all your progress. Top tip should you not have done this, like me; "Press left & right mouse buttons similtaneously during the games cut scenes to by-pass them.

[Samini]

it didnt help :(

[DarkMatter]

this works

GTA V Social Club fix

"Entrust Root Certification Authority - G2"

Import this certificate into the trusted root certificate authorities:
http://www.entrust.com/get-support/ssl-certificate-support/root-certificate-downloads/

Right-click entrust_g2_ca.cer and select Install Certificate, then choose Place all certificates in following store and then Browse and select Trusted Root Certificate Authorities


Credits got to EN at https://support.rockstargames.com/hc/communities/public/questions/206795147-Socialclub-laucher-wont-load-Can-t-access-Single-player-or-Online-PC-

[Budmun]

Thanks very much. Realy work)

[Christopher]

I created a reg file so i can easily switch the default save location of the documents folder

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders]
[insert value here]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders]
"Personal"="C:\\Users\\%USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\"

1. copy that to notepad, replace %USERPROFILE% with your (windows) username

2. find [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders] in regedit (start > regedit.exe) and change the "Personal" value to C:\Users\[your windows username]\Documents then File > Export

2.5 (skip if knowledgeable) you need the hex string of the text that is the path of the value for Personal in User Shell Folder because it is an Expandable String Value rather then just a String Value, so to do this you will need to edit the value then save the text value then save the registry file and copy the hex value for the registry file you are making.

3. edit the file you saved and copy
["Personal"=hex(2):43,00,3a...74,00,73,00,00,00]
to replace [insert value here]

4. save as (all files) Default Document Location.reg

you could also make another one for the location you want it to be in when you aren't playing the game, like E:\\Documents\\ for example.

I Submitted a Ticket to Rockstar about this issue.

[B1-66ER]

It didn't work.

[bbs540]

Oh man, you are a true hero. I tried everything and couldn't figure it out, and I'm even a computer major. Kinda made me nervous when you said to go to the registry keys lol but seriously, thank you man.

[Rodgers]

Another fix is to reinstall the game so it realocates itself to the folder you choose

[manager]

Thank u dude, this saved my pc and my wallet. For me deleting files was enough (i deleted them before but smh that didnt help idk)