Alex Ruben
How To Resolve the Infinite Loading Screen Issue in GTA 5 on PC (2025)
Dealing with that never-ending loading screen in GTA 5 on PC is beyond annoying. Sometimes it’s because of corrupted files, mods gone rogue, or system glitches — basically, anything that messes with how the game boots up. If you’ve tried everything and still get stuck, this guide’s got a few tricks based on what’s actually worked for people (including… occasionally, on some setups, stuff that didn’t work immediately but after a reboot). The goal here is to get GTA 5 to start smoothly again without all the frustration.
How to Fix the Infinite Loading Screen in GTA 5 for PC
Locate the GTA 5 Installation Folder
The first step is to get to where GTA 5 is stored on your PC. This usually means digging into the folder where the game was installed, often in Program Files or wherever you used the launcher to put it.
- Right-click on the GTA 5 shortcut on your desktop or start menu.
- Select Open file location. It takes you directly to the folder where the game is installed.
If that doesn’t work, you might need to locate it manually — often in C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\GTA V or similar, depending on your setup.
Find the Update Folder
Once you’re inside the main game folder:
- Look for the update folder — sometimes it’s hidden a bit, but it’s usually there.
- Double-click to open it.
This is where the game keeps the patch files. Sometimes they cause issues if they’re corrupted or mismatched with your current version.
Copy the Needed Files from the Update Folder
This is kinda weird, but a lot of people fix this crashing issue by replacing or resetting some core patch files.
- Select
update.rpfandupdate2.rpfinside that folder. - Right-click and choose Copy.
This helps when these files get corrupted or don’t load properly, causing the endless loading loop.
Paste Files into the Mods Folder
Okay, this part’s crucial. GTA 5 supports modding via a mods folder — but it needs to be created if it’s not there yet. The idea is to override the game’s default files safely without messing up everything else.
- Go back to the main GTA 5 directory.
- If there isn’t a mods folder, create one manually — right-click, New > Folder, call it mods.
- Inside mods, create an updates folder — just like the one in the main directory.
- Open that updates folder and paste the files you copied earlier.
This effectively replaces the problematic update files with a clean copy, which can fix the infinite load problem, especially if it’s caused by outdated or corrupt patches.
Launch the Game Using the Correct Method
This is probably the most overlooked part — launching GTA 5 the right way with the plugin hook.
- Back in the GTA 5 main folder, find the executable for RAGE Plugin Hook. It’s what loads mods and helps bypass certain launch issues.
- Double-click it to launch the game. If you don’t use this and launch directly from the Rockstar launcher, it can sometimes ignore the mod files or cause conflicts.
Doing this might seem like a workaround, but for modded setups or troubleshooting, it works pretty often. Just keep in mind, the failed load sometimes happens after Windows or the game update, so using the plugin can sidestep some of that.
Extra Tips & Common Troubleshooting Ideas
Here’s where it gets kinda messy. Sometimes, even after these steps, the game can still hang. Here are a few things to fiddle with:
- Make sure your game is fully up to date, especially if Rockstar or Steam released a patch. Check in the launcher or in Steam > Library > GTA 5 > Properties > Updates.
- Try disabling mods temporarily to see if one of them’s causing the hang-up. Sometimes, a bad mod can interfere with game startup, especially if it’s outdated or incompatible after an update.
- Check system files for corruption — run
sfc /scannowin Command Prompt (Admin). Yeah, it’s a bit old school, but it can catch weird Windows issues that might affect loading.
Summary
- Find GTA 5 installation folder, usually in Program Files or where you directed the installer.
- Open update folder inside it, copy
update.rpfandupdate2.rpf. - Paste those into a new mods/updates folder in the main directory.
- Launch GTA 5 via RAGE Plugin Hook instead of directly from Steam or Rockstar launcher.
- Check for updates, disable mods if needed, and verify your system integrity if problems persist.
Wrap-up
Honestly, it’s a bit of trial and error, but messing around with the update files and launching through the plugin often pulls GTA 5 out of that infinite load loop. Not sure why, but at least it’s a practical fix that doesn’t require a full reinstall (at least most of the time). Just keep in mind that this approach works better if you’re not heavily modded, or if you’re okay with temporarily removing some custom files to troubleshoot.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Good luck, and happy gaming!