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[GUIDE] GTA IV on Windows 7 64Bit (2013)
How to play GTA IV with Daemon Tools & Windows 7, 2013
GTA IV was always a little buggy and rocky as a PC port, but you can still get it working on Windows 7 64bit with Daemon. Though a lot of this information may be common knowledge to the average Daemon Tools user, I found it increasingly difficult to install GTA IV on my new computer and I hope that some other confused soul can find this guide and can get their game working too.
Its about time a fresh 2013 guide was released that covers the process and provides solutions to common errors encountered during GTA IV install.
Please note this guide does not promote or condone usage of cracks or illegal copies of the game. You must own a legitimate copy of GTA IV for this to work, and the guide assumes you wish to run an un-altered copy with no physical disc in your drive.
Remember that you must delete any backups you have of GTA IV if you intend to sell or give away your retail copy.
Requirements:
- A genuine retail DVD copy of GTA IV
- A copy of Daemon Tools Pro (trial is fine) which you can later replace with the free Lite version if you wish
- An optical drive that supports DPM processing; most modern optical drives that are sold in retail boxes support this. To find out if your drive supports it, continue with the guide as the problem will surface immediately if this is the case.
Installing the game:
It is highly recommended you install GTA IV using the discs and your optical drive. Though you could choose to emulate with Daemon, it is known that the software can cause CRC errors during install (and in my experience has done). Hitting the 'retry' button tends to fail.
After install be sure to activate your game online upon first launch, using your retail key.
How to fix GTA IV install CRC errors
If you are experiencing a CRC error, write down each file that reports the error (including its file path) to Notepad and hit the 'ignore' button. The installation will continue. After it has finished, go into "C:\Program Files(x86)\Rockstar Games\GTA IV" and delete the files you have written down. Go into the GTA IV disc, into the GTA IV folder and run setup.exe (for example E:\GTA IV\setup.exe). Select the 'repair installation' option. The installer will work quickly and will replace any files that previously failed to install.
All files should now work, but if you experience a CRC error again, repeat the process until all files have smoothly crossed over. It is very unlikely that you will get a CRC error during repair. If this happens repeatedly, you may have a damaged disc.
If you wish to install GTA IV using Daemon, expect for there to be more CRC errors than typica;. The installation process simply requires mounting of disc 1, then removing disc 1 and mounting the disc 2 iso. It is unusual for any other conflicts to occur.
If you are having many CRC errors, or are experiencing general system instability, you may wish to look into running Memtest86 to perform a check on your system RAM in case you have faulty hardware. Though this is unlikely, its best to be on the safe side.
Preparing & copying discs:
> Insert retail DVD 1 into the optical drive
> Launch Daemon Tools Pro
> Press the 'Make Disc Image' button tab at the top of the interface (has icon that looks like a disc with a floppy in front)
> At the top of the dialogue that appears ('Device: DVD-ROM' dropdown box) select the real optical drive with the retail disc in
> Under the 'Image' tab in the middle of the dialogue, for output select MDX image
> Under the 'Device' tab in the middle of the dialogue, tick the checkbox 'lock media during grab'. Press the 'Profile' dropdown box and select 'New SecuROM'.
> Click the start button. DPM processing will begin; if it fails, your optical drive does not support this feature and you can not make the backup. Consider using another computer or borrowing an external drive.
> The process will start and may take up to half an hour at 12x read speed. Allow it to finish.
> Repeat the process for disc 2 then continue below
Before playing the game & after the install:
It is important you download all of the GTA IV patches released by Rockstar. Installing only the last patch, 1.0.7.0, will not give you full coverage from previous bugs. Combined the patches are about 200-300mb total (between 25mb and 100mb each).
Only use patches made by Rockstar. You can download the official patches below:
1.0.1.0 - gta-downloads.com/en/gta4/patches/9058-gta4-pc-official-patch-1-version-1010.html
1.0.2.0 - gta-downloads.com/en/gta4/patches/9081-gta4-pc-official-patch-2-version-1020.html
1.0.3.0 - grandtheftauto.filefront.com/file/GTA_IV_Patch_1030;98877
1.0.4.0 - gamefront.com/files/13914788/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_PC_Patch_v__1_0_4_0
1.0.5.0 - grandtheftauto.filefront.com/file/GTA_IV_1050_Patch_15;106885
1.0.6.0 - gamefront.com/files/16112405/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_v1_0_6_0_PC_Patch
1.0.7.0 - support.rockstargames.com/entries/484496-grand-theft-auto-iv-patch-7-title-update-v-1-0-7-0-english-1-0-6-1-russian-1-0-5-2-japanese
If any of the links are down, google "gta iv patch 1.0.*.0" and please help post mirrors in the topic.
Install them in order of 1 to 7. If any of the installers fail to run, make sure there are no broken or uninstalled Windows updates on your system as this can cause software installers to go haywire. If the problem persists, redownload the file as it has probably become corrupt (yes this has happened to me after DLing 1.0.7.0 from Rockstar).
Play the game:
> OPTIONAL: Navigate to the installation folder(usually "C:\Program Files(x86)\Rockstar Games\GTA IV") and set both the launcher exe and GTAIV.exe to run using Vista SP2 compatibility (right click > properties > compatibility). This isn't necessary for everyone, but for some 64bit 7 users has proven to alleviate launch problems. I recommend you do it just in case.
> OPTIONAL: Consider downgrading to Daemon Tools Lite if you are unable to purchase a copy of Pro at this time. Emulating the disc will still work fine.
> Mount the disc in Daemon to an SCSI virtual drive (you may have to create this drive first)
> Use the shortcut to open GTA IV in start menu or desktop
> Wait until the social club dialogue appears, it may take several seconds; select 'Play (Offline)'
> Wait for the game to start; your cursor should momentarily turn to that of a spinning disc. It may take up to 10 or more seconds for GTA to start, wait patiently.
> The screen should blackout as GTA IV launches
If errors occur, consider running GTAIV.exe and the launch exe using Vista SP2 compatibility (right click > properties > compatibility) as advised above in the guide.
If problems persist, make sure you are using no mods, cracks, or DLL edits whatsoever-- you only want to be running a clean version of GTA IV for best results. All mods you use at your own risk, they may cause problems.
Please feel free to post issues here so it can be solved for the next person.
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