Plugins

FiveLaunch supports two ways to handle FiveM.app/plugins per client. This matters because some popular injectors/config systems assume plugins live at a specific physical path.

How FiveLaunch manages plugins

Mode 1: junction (linked folder)

• FiveM.app/plugins becomes a junction to the client’s plugins folder.
• Fast and simple.
• Some plugins (especially ReShade-related tooling) will resolve the “real” path and may read/write into the client folder directly.

Mode 2: sync (copy/sync mode)

• FiveM.app/plugins stays a real folder.
• FiveLaunch copies the client’s plugins into FiveM.app/plugins at launch.
• While the game is running, it only syncs a small set of “safe” config files back to the client.
• When the game exits, it finalizes sync of safe files.

If you’re troubleshooting weird plugin behavior, try switching the client’s pluginsMode to sync.

Plugins that commonly fail (and why)

ReShade

ReShade is the #1 case where the mode matters.

What can go wrong

• Config paths break: ReShade can store paths like PresetPath, EffectSearchPaths, TextureSearchPaths in ReShade.ini. If those paths were written assuming FiveM.app/plugins is the real location, junction mode can make it resolve to the client folder instead.
• “It’s installed but doesn’t load”: If ReShade/addons locate resources relative to a physical path, resolving into the client folder can confuse them.
• File sync expectations: Some setups expect that config/preset files update “next to FiveM.exe” or inside FiveM.app/plugins. Junction mode can make those edits land somewhere unexpected.

Best fix

• Use pluginsMode: sync (copy/sync mode) so ReShade sees files physically inside FiveM.app/plugins.

Where to find diagnostics

When plugins are enabled, FiveLaunch writes ReShade-related debug output per client:

• %APPDATA%\FiveLaunch\clients\<clientId>\settings\reshade\diagnostics.log

This is the first thing to attach to an issue.

ReShade addons (e.g. shader packs / helper DLLs)

Addons that:

• resolve paths aggressively (realpath),
• assume a specific working directory,
• or read/write additional .ini / .log files at runtime,

are more likely to behave in sync mode.

ENB

ENB is not a typical “FiveM plugin folder” tool; it generally hooks the game’s graphics DLL chain and expects to live alongside the target executable.

Common reasons ENB fails in FiveM

• Wrong injection target: FiveM’s launch flow and wrapper executables can differ from a vanilla GTA install.
• Hooking conflicts: Other overlays/injectors can prevent ENB from attaching.
• File placement expectations: ENB usually expects files in the game root, not FiveM.app/plugins.

Recommendation

• Treat ENB as “best effort” on FiveM. If you attempt it anyway, keep a clean backup and test with pluginsMode: sync for any plugin-folder components.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

1. Close FiveM and GTA V.
2. Switch the client’s pluginsMode to sync.
3. Launch once to let FiveLaunch seed FiveM.app/plugins.
4. Verify ReShade loads and that your preset paths still make sense.
5. If still broken, attach diagnostics.log from the per-client settings/reshade folder to a GitHub issue.