Complete Guide to GTA V Updates

This guide will explain how to easily manage the GTA 5 updates. 

Before the Update

When you are ready to play GTA V, and you see the button says Update instead of Play, you need to follow these steps:

1. Backup your current update.rpf. This file/package has your dlclist.xml and your gameconfig.xml, along with other files that you might have edited, or files that OIVs installers or regular mods have changed. There are many data and metadata files in update.rpf that need to be backed up and possibly restored. If you don't have HDD or SDD space for the full rpf, then selectively backup files. 

2. Backup your current GTA5.exe. This will allow you to play modded while waiting for ScriptHookV to be updated. Remember that a new version of ScriptHookV is required after every single GTA 5 patch or update and it can take a few days to a few weeks for the update to be ready. Optionally, you can backup your current version of ScriptHookV, although the new ones will be backwards compatible.

After the Update

Next is what you need to do immediately after the update and why. Remember that you can't keep the game from updating without resorting to cracks or other non-recommended solutions. Also remember that despite your best efforts and desires, certain mods, particularly scripts, will no longer work after an update because the game engine (RAGE) has changed.

1. Update.rpf. Copy update.rpf and update2.rpf from the updated game to your mods folder. Remember that this will overwrite every single file in your existing update.rpf. This is why the backup is critical.

2. Restore.   You now need to restore certain files such as your dlclist.xml if you want your addons to appear. You should also restore your gameconfig.xml because it will have been replaced by the game version of gameconfig.xml which isn't adequate for any level of serious modding.  Restoring means extracting files from the old update.rpf. To do this simply rename update.rpf and place it back in OpenIV or, without renaming, place it somewhere else where there won't be a naming conflict.

3. Other updates.  Other mods, scripts, or files may need to be updated afterwards. This includes gameconfig.xml and Community Script Hook V .NET if you have it installed. 

4. Backup the Updated GTA 5.exe.  This is optional, but if you want to play while waiting for the new version of ScriptHookV, you should keep the new version of GTA5.exe too. This is because if you replace it with a previous version temporarily, you will need to do verify integrity or reinstall afterwards.

Read also:

GTA V 3095 - Recovering from Update

Avoiding GTA 5 Update Headaches

GTA 5 Updates FAQ - Need To Know

GTA 5 Still Crashing After Update?