Fix GTA V Social Club failed to initialize, error code 17 – CodePre.com (2023)

If you seeSocial Club failed to initialize, error code 17error trying to startGrand Theft Auto V (GTA V)game on your Windows PC, this guide will help you fix the error. When activated, you will see the following error message:

Social Club failed to initialize. Error code: 17. Press OK to view an online support article to help resolve the issue. Press CANCEL to exit.

If you are also facing the same error then follow the fixes we have listed in this guide. But, before that, let's try to understand what can potentially trigger this error.

What causes the Social Club initialization error when starting GTA V?

The reasons causing the error may vary for individual affected users. Here are some of the possible reasons that cause the error:

• Lack of proper administrator rights can trigger the error. So, try starting Social Club as administrator and see if it fixes the error for you.
• The error can also be caused by corrupted game settings. If the scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix it simply by resetting the game settings.
• In case you are using an overprotective third-party antivirus package, it can interfere with your game and cause this error. You can disable your antivirus or whitelist it from Social Club to resolve the error.
• Corrupted installation of the Rockstar Games Social Club app can also cause this error. In that case, you should be able to resolve the error by starting with a fresh installation of the app.

There may be other underlying reasons for the same error. In either case, you should be able to fix it by following the solutions below.

Here are the methods to fix Social Club initialization error (Error Code 17) when launching GTA V on Windows 11/10 PC:

1. Start the Social Club again with administrator privileges.
2. Reset the game settings.
3. Include Social Club in the white list of your antivirus.
4. Set the correct date and time.
5. Change Steam Profile Name.
6. Uninstall and then reinstall Social Club.

1]Restart the Social Club with administrator privileges

In some cases, the reason for this error may be due to a lack of administrator privileges to run the game. If the scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the problem simply by running Social Club with administrator rights. For that, follow the steps below:

1. First of all, just open File Explorer and navigate to the location where the subprocess.exe executable file for Social Club is located. By default, you'll find it in the following location:

    C:Program Files (x86)Rockstar GamesSocial Club

2. Now, select the subprocess.exe file and right click on it.
3. Then, in the context menu, choose theExecute as an administratoroption to run it with admin access.
4. After that try to open GTA V and see if the error is fixed. If so, you will have to create the same process each time you want to open the game. However, you can skip to the next step to make sure you always run Social Club as administrator.
5. Just right-click on the executable and select the Properties option.
6. Then go to the Compatibility tab and select the Run this program as administrator check box.
7. Finally, click the Apply > OK button to apply the changes.

If this fixes the problem for you, great. In an unfortunate case, you have no luck with this method, please proceed to the next solution in the guide.

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2] Reset game settings

If the Social Club Failed to Initialize (Error Code 17) error occurs due to corrupted game settings, you should be able to fix it by resetting your game settings. This method has proven to fix the error for many affected users. However, remember that applying this method will remove all your customizations and reset the player settings to default.

This is how you can reset game settings for GTA V:

1. First of all, open File Explorer by hotkey Win+E and click View > Show > Filename Extensions option.
2. Now, go to the GTA V folder; You will most likely find it in the following location:

   C:Users<USERNAME>DocumentsRockstar GamesGTAV

   Replacewith your username.

3. Next, locate the settings.xml file in the old location and rename its extension to something else, eg .old. This will basically force the game to ignore this config file and generate a new one from scratch.
4. After that, you need to go to the GTA V profile folder:

   C:Users<USERNAME>DocumentsRockstar GamesGTAVProfiles<PROFILEFOLDER>

5. Then locate the cfg.dat and pc_settings.bin files and repeat step (3) and rename them.
6. Finally, reboot your system and launch GTA V at the next startup. Hopefully it will resolve the error for you.

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3] Whitelist Social Club in your antivirus

If you are using an overprotective third-party security suite, the error is likely caused by your antivirus blocking communication between the Social Club and the Rockstar game server. In case the scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the problem by disabling or uninstalling your antivirus. However, that is not what we generally recommend as it can put your system at risk. Therefore, another way to avoid antivirus interference is to whitelist it in Social Club. You will most likely find the Social Club executable in the following locations:

• C:Program FilesRockstar GamesSocial Club
• C:Program Files (x86)Rockstar GamesSocial Club

Depending on your antivirus, the whitelist, exception, or exclusion settings may be in a different location.

After whitelisting Social Club via your antivirus, restart Social Club and open the GTA V game, and see if the error is now fixed.

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4]Set the correct date and time

In some cases, another reason for this error can be outdated date and time on your system. You are likely to experience the error if the server's date and time do not match the end user's date and time. So, set the correct date and time on your system based on your time zone and try launching the GTA V game to see if the Social Club Failed to Initialize error is fixed now.

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5]Change Steam Profile Name

In case you launch GTA V via Steam and get the error, it is possible that Social Club is causing the error if your Steam account contains special characters. In that case, you can try to edit your profile name by going to the Edit Profile section. This may not sound convincing, but some affected users have fixed the error using this method. So, you can also give it a try.

After changing the profile name try launching the game and see if the error is fixed now.

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6] Uninstall, then reinstall Social Club

If none of the above solutions work for you, you may be dealing with a corrupt Social Club installation. So, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Social Club app and see if it fixes the problem for you. Several affected users have reported that this method was successful.

You can uninstall the Social Club app through Settings > Apps > Apps & features. After uninstalling it successfully, download and install it again on your system and try to launch the GTA V game. Hopefully, you will not get the same error again.

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How do I fix GTA 5 launcher error?

If you encounter a GTA 5 Launcher error, it could be caused by corrupted game files, issues with the beta client, or outdated graphics or sound drivers. Now, to fix it, you can try to check the game files for GTA 5 on Steam, run the game in compatibility mode with admin privilege, unsubscribe from Steam beta, or reinstall the Social Club app.

Why is Rockstar Social Club not available?

There could be several reasons why you are getting the “Rockstar Game Services are unavailable” error when opening the GTA V game. It could be due to your antivirus interfering with the game, corrupted DNS settings, or router issues. In some cases, the error can also be caused by Rockstar Games servers being down at the time.

How to repair GTA game files?

You can try scanning and repairing GTA game files through Steam. Steam provides a dedicated feature called Check Game Files Integrity that helps you replace corrupted, broken or missing game files with good ones. To use this option, open the Steam client and click on the LIBRARY option and search for the GTA game. Then, right-click on the game, choose Properties, go to the LOCAL FILES tab, and tap the Verify integrity of game files button. Then it will check and restore healthy game files.

That's all! I hope this guide helps you to get rid of “Social Club failed to initialize” error when starting GTA V.

Now read:Error starting game (application is already running) - Steam error on Windows PC.