This error means that some of the installed game files are corrupted or there was a network issue while downloading the game. To fix this, follow the troubleshooting steps listed below.
Verify Game Files
Bad or corrupted game files can cause all sorts of problems, which include throwing errors like this one when attempting to download, update, or even play the game. Files can sometimes get corrupted during the patching process and does not usually point to any other specific problem with your computer or the game itself. Most often it can be due to brief connection interruptions during download, old hardware, or a short interruption in the installation process, but this is not an exhaustive list.
To make certain that the problem is not rooted in bad or corrupted files, the best troubleshooting step is to verify the game files are correct.
- Open and login to the RSI Launcher.
- Go to the Settings menu option.
- Select the channel (LIVE, PTU, etc.) of the version of the game giving the errors.
- Ensure the game install location matches where you installed the game.
- Click the VERIFY button.
- Allow the process to finish and re-download/install any needed files.
To avoid any further complications, it's best to allow the file verification process to finish before running any other resource intensive programs or apps on your computer.
Fix the Data.p4k File
Follow these steps if the data.p4k file is hanging around after a failed install:
- Go to your game install location.
- By default, this location will be C:\Program Files\Roberts Space Industries\StarCitizen\LIVE
- Find and rename the file data.p4k to data.p4k.part.
-
Right click the RSI Launcher app or icon and select the option to run as administrator.
- If the launcher was already running, fully exit the program and ensure the process has ended in the Windows task manager.
- Click the Install button.
This should restart the install process or show that the launcher is verifying game files. Allow the process to finish without interruption.
Delete and Reinstall the Launcher and Game
This would be the final step, which is to basically remove everything and start over. Given the size of the game, this will take considerable time and thus trying other troubleshooting steps should be completed first.
We have instructions on how to fully remove all related launcher and game files at this article:
How to Delete the RSI Launcher and Star Citizen
Adjust Download Speeds
This can also be related to network issues (below) or problems using a specific ISP. We have had frequent reports of this error from Starlink users in particular. Some users have reported some success with adjusting the download speeds within the launcher to help alleviate any possible issues with their ISP or network. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the RSI Launcher.
- Click the RSI in the top left to access the menu drop down and select Settings.
- Select Download from the options.
- Change Concurrent Download to a lower number, like 10 (default is Max).
- Change the download speed limit to 2000 KB/s.
Network Issues
These are hard to diagnose on our end, unless it is our end that is having the problem. Trouble along the tubes of the Internet anywhere between your computer and our servers can cause issues, and most of these are beyond our control to address.
Do what you can to ensure your home network is working properly, that our servers are also working properly, and that the above troubleshooting steps have been taken. Then beyond that you might need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if the problem continues. There are several sites online such as DownDetector that people use to report and monitor status of various ISPs and other online services.
If you are using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, you might be able to attempt to route yourself around any potential issues. Other times, the VPN service itself might be causing the trouble. Try temporarily disabling the VPN to see if that helps resolve the issue.
In the event that the RSI servers are having issues, generally the only fix for this is time and waiting for our teams to resolve the issue. Usually the RSI Status page will be updated when there is a major issue affecting our systems or the game.