GTA IV not working on Windows 8

By Royalty
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Royalty

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After I upgraded my system from Windows 7 to Windows 8, my GTA IV game stopped working. Each time I click "Play", it will just keep loading at the loading screen. It will never complete. I've waiting more than 30 minutes before and it's still loading. Anyone might know how to fix this?

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1120280-gta-iv-not-working-on-windows-8/
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Royalty

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Works fine here, however I had read reports that it's best to get the Games for Windows Live client installed and updated and log into the client at least once to alleviate any problems, which is what I did and all GFWL games work fine.

Thanks but when I use GFWL, it shows up nothing for my "Downloads" or inventory or whatever. What is it supposed to do?

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08993

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Thanks but when I use GFWL, it shows up nothing for my "Downloads" or inventory or whatever. What is it supposed to do?

Nothing, it's just a glorified authentication agent. The pre install and pre login is just from http://lmgtfy.com/?q=gfwl+windows+8 - as I said worked for me.

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ArialBlue

Posted
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You can get GFWL disabler for GTAIV, kill GFWL, kill Rockstar Social Club, and remove a large chunk of the main menu by removing the dumb "social" features.

In the end, you can end up with a ****-poor PC port without any inbreed social features.

I recommend doing that if possible. Speeds up Click Icon -> Load Menu time.

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Royalty

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Nothing, it's just a glorified authentication agent. The pre install and pre login is just from http://lmgtfy.com/?q=gfwl+windows+8 - as I said worked for me.

I've looked through every single thread on Google about what you Google'd as well as looked at "gta iv forever loading" on Google. Nothing. Just nothing to resolve this.

  • 2 months later...
Apprentice

GiLL7486

Posted
Posted

I had the same issue. Sounds silly but the solution that worked for me was to download and install either Microsoft Flight or Age of Empires Online. Both are on Steam or you can just download from their respective sites. Either one will do.

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Guth

Posted
Posted

is your game fully updated?

Updating fixed it for me, if you have updated then try this > http://support.rocks...or-gta-iv-on-pc

Also try this > http://www.gtaforums...howtopic=534929

The reason I think installing another game works for some people is that it updates requirements that GTA needs also.

I have to launch game from social club too, it wont launch from desktop shortcut (it did on win 7 though)

Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

Because it's so dependant on emulating Kevin Bacon, you might need to add both the launcher and game EXE to the firewall exceptions list. I have seen it get stuck at various pre-game screens because it doesn't always prompt for access.

If Steam has reinstalled GFWL via the setup scripts, reinstall the MS distributed setup version over the top. Games like Halo 2, GTAIV and FlatOut Ultimate Carnage have their own woefully outdated redistributable version that tends to break it.

  • 8 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Grand Master

game_over

Posted
Posted

I had the game working perfectly on windows 8 and when I upgraded to 8.1 yesterday it gets stuck on the loading screen. I have tried a few things so far but the same problem is still here.

Anybody seen this problem and can help me?

You manage to get this working i've just impulse purchased it on steam sale and it's not working :(

Grand Master

game_over

Posted
Posted

Managed to get it working, thought i'd post fix since this page comes up on Google when searching..

 

 

 

I encountered 3 separate issues trying to run GTA IV on Windows 8.1
1. Game wouldn't load at all after clicking Play within Social Club
2. Game get stuck with a black screen
3. Game gets stuck on loading screen

I managed to get it going again with the following steps, i reverted my install and ran through it again to verify, i wasn't able to work out which step fixed what, so your best bet to follow each step and hopefully it works for you as well :)

1. Install GTA IV from Steam as normal.

2. Try to launch the game, copy the serial, and let it install its dependencies (WLFG, SecuROM, etc..).. once complete it will bring up social club.

3. Create an account for social club and/or login.. from this point it should be failing to work? If so, read on...

4. Go to Programs & Features and uninstall any Windows Live for Games Redistributable's (there will definitely be at least one)

5. Install the following redistributable: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=201134

6. Go to http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live and login with your gamer id / windows live ID. it will ask you to accept new terms.

7. Restart

8. Launch windows live gaming app and login with your gamer id / windows live id

9. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Grand Theft Auto IV\GTAIV\

10. Right click GTAIV.exe, go to properties and click on Compatibility

11. Tick 'Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and change it to Windows 7.
(maybe do gta4Browser.exe and gtaEncoder.exe for good measure I've not extensive tested yet)

12. Back to steam try to launch the game again, it should bring up Social Club, login again if need be and click Play..

13. The game should now load... on first play it will bring up windows game thing again and ask you to sign to save progress, you will need your cd key again. good luck.
Grand Master

+jamesyfx Subscriber²

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Games for Windows Live is being retired soon, so I'm not sure how GTA IV will operate once it's been shut down. You won't be able to play the game after that point since there's no way for it to authenticate. Some games are jumping to Steamworks and things like that.. I've not heard anything about GTA following suit. Which would be catastrophic for it.. and other games still on that platform.

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