How to fix Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) Launcher not starting error?

This is the most common launcher bug and is reportedly associated with either corruption in the files, DNS issues, or network disruption. Here are some fixes you can try:

1. Restart your computer and the game completely. This will fix most errors.
2. Check your firewall settings/disable your Firewall. Sometimes, your Firewall can interfere with the Launcher. Make sure there’s either an exception for the Launcher or disable your Firewall temporarily.
3. Run the Final Fantasy XIV Launcher as an Administrator. To do this on Steam, head to your installation in the Steam Library and right-click it. Scroll down to Properties, and then in the box that pops up, click Local Files, and Browse… Ensure the ffxiv.exe file and any other applications are run as an Administrator by right-clicking them and selecting the option.

How to fix FFXIV Launcher not starting

Sometimes the Launcher won’t even start for players. This is incredibly frustrating as it prevents you from even being able to do anything or seeing an error message. Here are some fixes you can try:

Windows fix

1. Update Internet Explorer. On the Windows version of the Launcher, follow the same reinstallation steps. However, you may also need to update Internet Explorer, which some parts of the FFXIV Launcher use. To do this:
   • Check your Internet Explorer version. Open Internet Explorer, select the Help option in the menu bar, then select About Internet Explorer. Make sure the version is at least Internet Explorer 11.
   • If you’re running Internet Explorer 10 or earlier, download the latest version to the Microsoft Internet Explorer website.
2. Reinstall Final Fantasy XIV. Again, back up your User Data folders before you do this, as it stores your Hotbars and Options settings, and losing this will be incredibly annoying to remedy.

Steam fix

1. Verify the integrity of your installation. To do this, head to your Steam Library installation and right-click it. Next, scroll down to Properties, and then in the box that pops up, click Local Files and “Verify integrity of game files….” Once this has been completed, relaunch the game and see if it’s fixed.
2. Reinstall Final Fantasy XIV. First, make sure you thoroughly uninstall and then reinstall the Launcher. Remember to back up your User Data folders before you do this, as it stores your Hotbars and Options settings and will be a pain to redo if you forget.

Manually Update your FFXIV Launcher

If your Final Fantasy XIV launcher isn’t updating automatically, you’ll have to update the Launcher manually. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV – A Realm Reborn\ on your PC
2. Select FFXIV_BOOT.cfg and open it in the Notepad application
3. Look for BootVersionCheckMode 0 in the Notepad and change the 0 to a 1
4. Save and start the Launcher to force a manual update