Error Code 8001 / 8004

What are errors 8001 and 8004?

These errors are typically due to a permissions issue in the game's install folder. You may be unable to VERIFY the game or fully install. If the game completes the install process, it may crash instantly when run.  Try the below steps to troubleshoot these permissions errors.

Run the RSI Launcher as an Administrator

While the RSI launcher should in most cases already have the proper permissions to do what it needs to do, there are circumstances where something may have failed in this regard.  To make sure that the launcher has the permissions it needs to install the game properly, making certain it has administrator rights to write where it needs to can help.

• Exit the game and the RSI Launcher.
• Ensure all instances of the RSI Launcher have stopped via the Windows Task Manager.  
  • Right-click on a part of the Windows Taskbar.
  • Select Task Manager from the menu.
  • End any RSI Launcher related processes that are found.
• Right-click on the RSI Launcher shortcut or app icon.
• Select Run as administrator from the menu.
• Confirm any User Account Control prompts to allow this.
• Attempt to run the launcher and install the game again.

Check your folder Permissions

We have typically seen the following options solve this issue.

• Navigate to your game install directory. This is usually C:\Program Files\Roberts Space Industries\StarCitizen using default installation settings.
• Right Click on the StarCitizen folder and select Properties
• Ensure the following (allow) permissions exit on this folder:
  • Administrators (YOURCOMPUTER\Administrators)
    • Full Control
    • Modify
    • Read & Execute
    • List folder contents
    • Read
    • Write
    • Special Permissions 

• Users (YOURCOMPUTER\Users)
  • Read & execute
  • List folder Contents
  • Read
  • Special Permissions

If the above permissions are not set, or you are still experiencing the issue you'll need to set these permissions and propagate them to the underlying folders.

Manually Create the Game Folders

In the case the above doesn't work, we have had some reports that manually creating the necessary folders to install the game to has worked to help players clear this particular error hurdle.  Follow these steps to do this:

• Navigate to your Roberts Space Industries folder.
  • By default, this should be in <install drive>/Program Files/Roberts Space Industries.
• There should be two folders here: RSI Launcher and StarCitizen
  • If there is no StarCitizen folder, right click in an open space in the window, select New > Folder and rename it to StarCitizen.
• Open the StarCitizen folder.
• Right click in an open space in the window.
• Select New > Folder
• Rename this folder to LIVE.
• Attempt to run the launcher and complete the game install again.

Set Folder Permissions

If you're missing some of the above settings, at the above menu select the Edit button, place a checkmark in the Allow column for any missing permissions from the above list and click OK. 

If the above settings are in place, but you're still receiving either of these errors in your launcher log, you'll need to completely delete your Star Citizen installation and reinstall.

You can find the instructions for doing so here.

Check Anti-Virus Whitelist

Should the above solutions not work, check within your anti-virus program and make sure that the StarCitizen.exe file has been added to the program's whitelist.  If you are unsure how to do this, visit the help/support section of the website for your chosen anti-virus program.