Settings

This page covers every setting in FiveLaunch: the global app settings, and the per-client link options that control what happens at launch.

Where settings live

FiveLaunch stores its data in its own directory. On Windows that’s:

• %APPDATA%\FiveLaunch\settings.json: global app settings
• %APPDATA%\FiveLaunch\clients.json: client profiles and their options
• %APPDATA%\FiveLaunch\clients\<clientId>\...: per-client storage
• %APPDATA%\FiveLaunch\backups\: the central backup store

Tip

Use the in-app buttons (Open client folder / Open FiveM folder / Open CitizenFX folder) instead of browsing to these by hand; they always land in the right place.

App settings (global)

gamePath

What it is: A manual override for the location of your FiveM.app folder.

Used for: Finding the real FiveM folders and files (mods, plugins, citizen, and FiveM.app/settings.xml).

Default: If unset, FiveLaunch uses the standard install location %LOCALAPPDATA%\FiveM\FiveM.app.

Common issues

• Wrong folder selected: point it at the FiveM.app directory itself, not the parent FiveM folder, or linking and launch will fail.
• Moved / custom install: set gamePath to your custom FiveM.app path.
• Permissions / antivirus: if file operations fail with access errors, run FiveLaunch as admin once, or whitelist the install folder.

Updates

FiveLaunch updates itself in place. When a new build is available it shows an Update available badge; clicking it downloads and restarts the app. You only install manually for the very first release. See Support for details.

Client settings (per profile)

Each client has a set of link options that control what gets linked or synced at launch.

mods (boolean)

Points FiveM’s FiveM.app/mods at the client’s own mods folder (via a junction).

Common issues

• OneDrive / cloud-synced installs: junctions inside a cloud-synced directory can behave oddly.
• File locks: Windows locks files while FiveM/GTA run; close both before switching.

plugins (boolean)

Enables per-client handling of FiveM.app/plugins. If off, FiveM uses whatever is already there.

pluginsMode (junction | sync)

Applies only when plugins is on.

junction (default): FiveM.app/plugins becomes a junction to the client’s plugins folder. Fastest and simplest; some tools resolve the real path and read/write into the client folder directly.

sync (copy mode): FiveM.app/plugins stays a real folder. Client plugins are copied in at launch; while the game runs, only a small set of safe config files sync back; the rest is finalized on exit.

When to use which: junction for most setups; sync for ReShade/add-ons or anything that hard-requires files physically under FiveM.app/plugins.

Plugins, ReShade & ENBWhich mode to pick, and what breaks.

citizen (boolean)

Links the client’s citizen folder into FiveM.app/citizen.

Danger

Linking citizen can easily break FiveM if the client copy is incomplete. Keep it off unless you know exactly what you’re doing and have a backup.

gtaSettings (boolean)

Applies the client’s gta5_settings.xml by writing it to every location FiveM/GTA may read:

• %APPDATA%\CitizenFX\gta5_settings.xml (primary for FiveM)
• %LOCALAPPDATA%\CitizenFX\gta5_settings.xml (some installs)
• FiveM.app/settings.xml (some launch flows)

FiveLaunch writes the real settings file directly (it does not link or junction it), so the values you set are the exact bytes the game reads.

To stop the game overwriting them, FiveLaunch runs a short enforcement loop after launch that re-applies the client settings if something changes them.

Validation & repair (v2.6+)

GTA is unforgiving about its settings file: if it’s missing, truncated, or contains an invalid value or an unexpected structure, the game silently throws the file away and regenerates auto-detected defaults. That was the root cause behind the old “FiveLaunch reset all my settings” reports.

As of v2.6, FiveLaunch validates and repairs the document every time you save it and again right before it’s applied on launch:

• Every value is checked against a schema (booleans must be true/false, enums must be values the in-game menu actually writes, resolutions/numbers must parse). Anything invalid is replaced. As of v2.7 the schema mirrors real game-written files, including hidden below-menu values like -1 quality from low-end configs — those are kept, not “repaired” away.
• Missing settings are filled in so the document is always structurally complete (including the version node the game needs).
• Repairs prefer your current live game settings, then fall back to the template, so an unconfigured client inherits your real settings instead of a hardcoded default.
• Writes are atomic and verified (temp file, then rename, then read back), so the game never sees a half-written or truncated file.

When you save in the GTA settings editor, any fixes are listed back to you so you can see exactly what changed.

Common issues

• Settings reset to defaults: FiveM can still rewrite settings after launch. FiveLaunch re-applies for a short window, but if yours keep resetting, check:
  • fivem_sdk.cfg under %APPDATA%\CitizenFX\ (FiveLaunch backs it up and removes it when applying settings)
  • external “optimizer” tools
  • read-only / permission problems on the target files
• Empty or invalid XML: a malformed settings file makes GTA/FiveM regenerate defaults. FiveLaunch now repairs this automatically before applying, but a file that another tool corrupts after launch is outside its control.

GTA settings XML referenceEvery element, allowed values, and what each one does.

citizenFxIni (boolean)

Keeps %APPDATA%\CitizenFX\CitizenFX.ini synced with the client’s copy while the game runs.

Common issues

• %APPDATA% can’t resolve (rare): then it can’t sync.
• Edits not sticking: another tool (or FiveM) can rewrite the INI; the sync is best-effort.

Pure mode (Off | Level 1 | Level 2)

Passes FiveM’s anti-tamper flag to the game on launch: nothing for Off, -pure_1 for Level 1, -pure_2 for Level 2. Only enable it for servers that require a specific pure level; the wrong value can block you from connecting.

Importing GTA settings

FiveLaunch can import a gta5_settings.xml from:

• Your real GTA V settings: Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\settings.xml is read first (resolved through the Windows known-folder API, so OneDrive-redirected Documents folders work too — Steam, Rockstar, and Epic installs all use this same file), then FiveM/CitizenFX copies like %APPDATA%\CitizenFX\gta5_settings.xml as fallbacks
• A template XML shipped with the app

The template includes configSource=SMC_USER, which is important: it stops GTA from auto-detecting hardware and wiping your manual settings on the next launch.

In the settings editor, each option shows the exact name and values the in-game menu uses (v2.7), so you can match it against GTA’s own settings screen.