RSI Launcher 2.17.0 went out on September 9, 2026, and it is aimed squarely at downloads that fail partway through. Each download phase now runs in its own subprocess, so a crash in one stage no longer takes the whole launcher down, and network errors are retried automatically. If your last attempt to install Star Citizen ended in an error code, this is the version to try again on.
CIG also reorganised the error codes so support can tell what actually went wrong. The launcher is the program that installs and updates the game, and its error numbers are the first thing anyone asks for when a download breaks, so the full list is below with plain-language meanings.
What changed in 2.17
The launcher installs from the RSI website. Since version 2.0.0 you can get the log file by clicking GET LOGS in the application settings, or find it under your Windows user folder in AppData, Roaming, rsilauncher, logs. Attach it when you report a problem.
- Every download phase runs in a separate subprocess, so one crash does not kill the application
- A retry mechanism handles network errors instead of failing outright
- Error codes have been regrouped by stage, so the number tells you which part of the process failed
- The error handling list at the bottom of the release thread has been updated to match
Known issues and the fixes CIG suggests
Bugs go to the Launcher project on the RSI Issue Council, and general feedback to the release thread on Spectrum. CIG also keeps a support article on the most common workarounds for Error 2000 and the 50XX family.
- A black rectangle at the bottom right of the screen: turn off the overlay notification in your notification settings
- A flickering launcher background: turning off accessibility settings partly mitigates it, and CIG links a community workaround in the thread
- The launcher sometimes fails to create the StarCitizen and Live folders, which shows up as Error 2000, 5008 or 5010: create the folder yourself and run the launcher as administrator
- LCH-1030: the launcher stops your screen saver from starting
- LCH-1958: a download that loops forever; CIG cannot reproduce it and asks you to report it
- Language and proficiency settings can fall out of sync if you use the Guide System on Spectrum and in the launcher at the same time
Error codes 2000 to 3006: installer and initial download
The 2xxx range covers installing and uninstalling the launcher and game files. The 3xxx range is the first download step, which CIG labels NMD, and most of those codes point at corrupted download metadata.
- 2000: general installer failure, the catch-all
- 2001: could not fix file permissions
- 2002: cancelling the install failed
- 2003: not enough disk space, detected while calculating the install size
- 2004: uninstall failed because permission was denied
- 2005: uninstall failed because files were in use by the game, Easy Anti-Cheat or antivirus
- 2006: uninstall failed for an unknown reason
- 3000: catch-all for the initial download
- 3001: invalid MD file, meaning corrupted download metadata
- 3003: invalid MD file header
- 3004: verification header not found
- 3005: unmapped, unknown error
- 3006: disk full during the initial phase
Error codes 5000 to 5021: disk and file problems
The datapatcher is the part that downloads and writes the actual game files, so the 5xxx range is the largest. This first group is about your disk and the files already on it.
- 5000: disk full during the update phase
- 5001: write permission or access denied
- 5002: game files conflict because a file is in use
- 5004: corrupted game files
- 5006: failed to copy a downloaded chunk
- 5007: unknown error
- 5008: not all files downloaded successfully
- 5009: input/output error
- 5010: P4K error, a problem with the game’s main data archive
- 5011: invalid argument type
- 5013: installer exception
- 5014: standard error
- 5019: cancellation error
- 5021: error 21, the drive’s sector size is not supported
Error codes 5003 to 5045: network and download problems
Manifest errors, 5003 and 5030 to 5035, happen while the launcher fetches the list of files it needs. Download errors, 5005 and 5040 to 5045, happen while it fetches the files themselves. The two groups mirror each other, so the same cause produces a code from each pair. A last set of generic network codes sits alongside them.
- 5003: manifest catch-all
- 5030 and 5040: access denied because your IP address changed, typically a VPN turning on or off or a switch between networks mid-download
- 5031 and 5041: access denied because the link expired or is invalid
- 5032 and 5042: HTTP error from the content delivery network, such as 404, 500 or 503
- 5033 and 5043: DNS resolution failed
- 5034 and 5044: TLS or SSL error, which CIG associates with proxies, antivirus and a wrong system clock
- 5035 and 5045: connection reset or timeout
- 5005: unknown network error during file download
- 5015: could not resolve host
- 5016: failed to receive handshake
- 5017: too many files failed after the maximum retries
- 5018: generic network catch-all
Error codes 8001 to 8005 and what to try first
The 8xxx codes come from the elevated helper the launcher runs for tasks that need administrator rights, so they usually mean Windows blocked something.
For the folder-creation errors CIG’s advice is to create the StarCitizen and Live folders yourself and run the launcher as administrator. For the network pairs, a VPN or network change during the download is the first thing to rule out. Whatever the code, keep the number and the log file, because the Issue Council and support will ask for both.
- 8001: permission not granted, meaning the Windows UAC prompt was declined
- 8004: could not create a directory
- 8005: could not fix permissions
What this means for new players
If you are installing Star Citizen for the first time, update to launcher 2.17 before you start, because the retry logic and the per-phase processes address the most common way a first install fails. Keep one stable connection for the whole download and do not toggle a VPN partway through, since errors 5030 and 5040 are exactly that. If it stops on Error 2000, 5008 or 5010, create the StarCitizen and Live folders yourself and run the launcher as administrator. Keep the error number and the log file from GET LOGS, because they are what support and the Issue Council will ask for. Our Star Citizen referral code guide explains how the 50,000 UEC signup bonus works and how to apply code STAR-6WPK-3K56 before you enlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the installer’s catch-all failure. CIG says one common cause is the launcher failing to create the StarCitizen or Live folders; create them manually and run the launcher as administrator.
5008 means not all files downloaded successfully and 5010 is a P4K error in the game data archive. CIG lists both alongside 2000 as symptoms of the missing-folder problem, so try creating the folders and running as administrator.
Access denied because your IP address changed during the download, usually a VPN turning on or off or a switch between networks. Keep one connection for the whole download.
Each download phase runs in its own subprocess so a crash does not kill the launcher, network errors are retried automatically, and the error codes were reorganised by stage.
Click GET LOGS in the launcher’s application settings, or open the rsilauncher logs folder under AppData, Roaming in your Windows user profile.
Source: RSI Launcher 2.17 Release Notes. Details come from CIG’s RSI Launcher 2.17 Release Notes and error handling list, posted on Spectrum on September 9, 2026.
