GTA 5 went live about twenty minutes ago, but already an unexpected problem has emerged. Some users are seeing the message "the Rockstar update service is unavailable (code 1)" when trying to install the game, or else the launcher is crashing to desktop. Rockstar Support has already released a workaround for the issue, which is caused by Windows usernames with unconventional characters.

Basically, if the Windows username you're using features any characters not included in this handy list, then you'll need to sign in with another user account, or else create a new one. It's only a temporary solution – Rockstar is working on a fix as we speak – but if you can't wait to get started, it's good enough.

Simply changing your Windows username won't work, Rockstar reports, and if you do choose to use a different account in the meantime, you're advised to restart your PC before continuing.


An Update on Steam “So far, GTA 5 is a string of anxious ‘still unpacking’ tweets. We’re still unpacking it too, and we’ll see how it runs on the LPC when it launches.” It seems like the encryption of the 60GB worth of data was a bit too heavy, resulting in a lot of waiting for owners of the highly anticipated title.

Posted: Apr 13, 2015 9:52 pm
Related Forum: Grand Theft Auto Forum