How to Fix GTA 5 Crashes
Need help fixing your GTA 5 game that crashes or hangs at the loading screen? You've come to the right place but you need to follow all the steps.
Before we start
Don't reinstall your game. Not once, not twice, not ten times. It doesn't help at all. And don't run 2 or more versions of GTA 5 because it may cause conflicts but mostly because it's not necessary. You can play vanilla, modded, SP, GTAO, FiveM, or anything else with one installation.Make sure your Desktop PC or Laptop meets or exceeds the system requirements for GTA 5. Modding requires even higher requirements. Also ensure you have all the essential files required for modding properly updated and installed.
At the bottom of this article you'll find helpful links if you're unsure about having the right hardware and all the right files required for successful modding.
Step 1. First things First.
Spoiler Alert! If your game doesn't run properly without any mods installed, what we call in plain vanilla mode, the game will definitely not work with mods. Simple as that. So the first step is to disable all mods you have installed. This can be done easily by temporarily renaming the file dinput8.dll which you installed with Script Hook V. Rename it dinput8.bak. You'll find this file in the game folder where you installed GTA 5.
If your game runs without any mods, move to Step 2. If your game still crashes or hangs without any mods installed, then you have other options: you can do a verify integrity or try starting a new game. A complete listing of what can go wrong is found in Common Causes for Game Failures
Tip: if this isn't your first attempt at modding, the problem is likely the last change you made to your game: adding a mod or editing files or using an OIV installer.
Step 2. Disable your mods
Once you've ensured your game runs without mods, rename dinput8.bak to its proper dinput8.dll name. The next steps are ridiculously simple. You will rename or remove mods through a process of elimination.
Start by renaming your mods folder and see if it fixes the problem. If it doesn't, you know you have at least one problem with the mods folder. Could be a file you edited, a replacement you made, or an addon mod you installed such as a map, MLO, vehicle, or ped.
If you still have an issue with the mods folder renamed (disabled), do the same now with scripts. Rename your scripts folder temporarily and see if a script (or scripts) are causing your issues. If the game still crashes you need to now look at the files in your root folder where the game is installed.
This final round is to look at asi scripts or tools that might be breaking your game. Move these files out for testing purposes. If you choose instead to rename the asi files temporarily, change the asi file extension. If not, they will still load, giving you the false impression they were disabled. You don't need to rename asi files such as OpenIV, Heap, Packfile, and any trainers as they rarely cause issues.
Summary
That's as simple as it gets from a process perspective. If you need something more detailed here are the three best resources you'll ever need.
3. The Troubleshooting Video Series
4. Importance of GTA 5 Log Files
5. The GTA 5 Tool Kit - a free pdf format Guide
Further Reading
Want to make sure you've installed everything correctly? Read The New Modder's Checklist
Why is your system crashing in the first place? Read Why GTA 5 Crashes for Dummies and also read The 3 Reasons GTA 5 Breaks.
Need the basics? GTA 5 Mods Absolute Beginner FAQ
Want to become an expert on GTA 5 modding? Help others fix their problems?
