7 Ways to Fix the Rockstar Games Launcher Not Working on a Windows PC

Many players have the Rockstar Games Launcher required for playing the popular Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V games. However, the Rockstar Games Launcher doesn’t always work for some players. For example, a user said on Reddit: “Rockstar Launcher is not working. Every time I click on the launcher it does nothing.” Players can’t access that launcher or play games installed with Rockstar when it doesn’t work. This is how you can fix the Rockstar Games Launcher not working on Windows PCs.

Add the Rockstar Folder to Windows Security’s Exclusion List

Some players have fixed the Rockstar Games Launcher not working by adding that software to Windows Security’s exclusion list. Doing this excludes the launcher software from Microsoft Defender antivirus scanning. You can add the Rockstar Folder to the exclusion list for Windows Security like this.

1. Double-click the Windows Security icon inside the system tray area.
2. Click the Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Add or remove exclusions navigation options.
   
   

   The Add or remove exclusions option

3. Press the Add an exclusion button and select Folder.
   
   

   The Add an exclusion option

4. Choose the Rockstar Games folder in Program files and click Select Folder.

Set New Compatibility Options for Rockstar Games Launcher

Selecting new compatibility options is another fix for the Rockstar Game Launcher not working that’s worked for some players. To be more specific, this potential resolution sets the Rockstar Games Launcher to run in compatibility mode with administrator rights. You can select those options like this.

1. Right-click on the desktop shortcut for your Rockstar Games Launcher and select Properties > Compatibility.
2. Next, select the Run this program in compatibility mode for setting, and Windows 8 as the platform.
3. Click the checkbox with the Run this program as an administrator label to select that option.
   
   

   The Compatibility tab

4. To save the new compatibility options, click Apply and OK.

Rename the Rockstar Games Folder

1. Click the pinned File Explorer shortcut within the taskbar area.
2. Go to the Program Files (x86) folder.
3. Right-click the Rockstar Games folder to select Rename.
   
   

   The Rename option

4. Input _Rockstar Games and press Return.

Delete Rockstar Games Data Folders

Erasing Rockstar Games data folders is another player-confirmed way to fix the Rockstar Games Launcher not working. Applying this possible resolution might clear corrupted data causing software issues to occur. Try deleting Rockstar folders like this.

1. First, bring up File Explorer and navigate to This PC > Documents > Rockstar Games.
2. Right-click the Launcher folder to select Delete.
3. Next, right-click the Social Club folder and select Delete.
4. To activate Run, right-click Start and select the shortcut to open that accessory on the Power User menu.
5. Enter %localappdata% inside Run and click OK.
6. Open the Rockstar Games > Launcher subfolders.
7. Select all the contents within the Launcher subfolder by pressing Ctrl + A.
8. Right-click in any area of that folder and select Delete.

Flush the DNS Cache

Flushing the DNS cache might fix the Rockstar Game Launcher not working for some players. Executing that command for clearing DNS data is a standard network troubleshooting method. You can flush the DNS cache like this.

1. Press the Windows logo + S key combination to access the tool for file searching.
2. Enter a cmd search result and right-click the Command Prompt app found to select Run as administrator.
3. Input ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter to execute.

The ipconfig /flushdns command

Remove the OneDrive App

OneDrive is a pre-installed cloud storage app known to conflict with the Rockstar Game Launcher. Many users have fixed the Rockstar Game Launcher not working by removing that app. This is how you can uninstall OneDrive.

1. Open Run and input appwiz.cpl within that accessory’s text box.
2. Click OK to access the Programs and Features window.
3. Select OneDrive in Programs and Features and click Uninstall.
   
   

   The Programs and Features Control Panel applet

Reinstall Rockstar Games Launcher

If none of the above potential resolutions fix the Rockstar Games Launcher not working, try reinstalling the software. However, it’s recommended to uninstall that software more thoroughly by eradicating all leftover folders and data. You can uninstall Rockstar Games Launcher more thoroughly with the freely available IObit Uninstaller, as follows.

1. Open this IObit page and click Free Download.
2. Double-click the iobituninstaller.exe file downloaded to install IObit Uninstall.
3. Select the checkbox for Rockstar Games Launcher on the All programs tab.
   
   

   The All Programs tab

4. Click the bin button.
5. Next, select the Automatically remove residual files option.
6. Select Uninstall to confirm.
   
   

   The Uninstall option

7. Click Get Launcher > Download for Windows from this Rockstar page.
8. Open whatever folder contains the Rockstar-Games-Launcher.exe file.
9. Double-click the Rockstar-Games-Launcher.exe file and go through the setup wizard to reinstall the software.

The potential resolutions discussed here will often fix the Rockstar Game Launcher not working. They’re troubleshooting methods many users confirm to have kick-started the Rockstar gaming client on their PCs. If you need more possible solutions, try sending a support ticket by clicking Contact Us on this R Support help page.