SOLVED: FF14 Launcher Error [9 Ways To Fix it]

Final Fantasy XIV has risen from the ashes of its once-failed launch way back in 2010. Today, the game is bustling with content and tip-top features for players to explore. However, as enjoyable as the famous MMORPG is today, certain issues, such as the FF14 launcher error, impede playability from time to time. 

In case you’ve been affected by what is certainly an irksome bother, keep on reading to discover what can be done to get rid of the problem promptly. We’ll go through community-curated potential solutions along with some of our own tested ones. Let’s dive right into the article with no further ado then. 

What Is The FF14 Launcher Error About? 

This isn’t the first time we’ve come across an error pertaining to Square Enix‘s well-grounded MMO. In fact, the FFXIV Launcher Error 30413 has also bothered its fair share of players, although only momentarily. The FF14 error at launcher scenario, however, is a different beast that can spring up due to multiple different factors. 

 At times when you cannot use the game’s launcher to play the title, the error prompt will say, “A technical issue has occurred,” thereby making it impossible to proceed from there on out. In other scenarios, a briefing page pulls up whenever you try hitting the “Play” button. The latter also leads to an impasse as an end result. 

No matter the number of restarts you attempt, the issue persists and doesn’t hint at going away on its own anytime soon. Some report that they cannot even log into the launcher, making the scenario even harder to figure out. With that said, a handful of workarounds can be approached to get the better of the matter at hand. 

Let’s take a deep dive into everything that can help you resume playing Final Fantasy XIV again. The following section is going to take it from here.  

9 Ways To Fix Launcher Error In FF14

What entails ahead is our round-up of all the different ways the FF14 Steam launcher error can be resolved. Make sure to replicate the forthcoming instructions diligently for the best results.  

Run Final Fantasy XIV As An Administrator 

We’re going to start off with an exceedingly simple yet effective solution. Many players make this common mistake of not running the game in administrator mode thereby limiting themselves from living the game’s core experience.

Surely no one wants that, so it’s best that you get into this basic fix first before getting into the more complicated ones. If it works, you’ll be saving tons of time and effort.

Running Final Fantasy XIV, let alone any program as an administrator is nothing difficult. All you have to do is make a couple of clicks and you’ll be golden. The following steps are going to illustrate the process. 

1. The first step is to locate the desktop client of Final Fantasy XIV. You can use the Windows Search bar to double down on your search or even the File Explorer if you know the path. Once you’ve done that, right-click on it to reveal more options. Click on “Properties” to get to the next step.

   

2. You might be wondering yourself: why not click on “Run as administrator” straight away and try launching the game as it is? That would work too, but if we’re opting for a more permanent solution. Therefore, click on “Advanced” in the subsequently opening window to get to the next step. 

   

3. Once done, you should be seeing another small-scale window. This is where you’ll be able to check the box “Run as administrator.” Click on it and then finalize by selecting “OK.” Doing so should do the job for us. 

   

    

That’s about it for the first fix on the list. However, there’s one more facet surrounding the fix at hand that you have to be wary of. Some users have suggested running the “ffxivboot.exe” file as an admin which is something that exists in the installation folder of the game. 

Look for it using the File Explorer system app and repeat the same process outlined above for it. With some spell of luck, you’ll now be able to fire up the MMO without the launcher error popping up.

Go ahead and start Final Fantasy XIV now to see whether the issue has gone away. In the case that it has not, read on for a host of other tip-top solutions. 

Turn Off DirectX 11 On Your Windows PC

There’s another potential solution that has been working wonders for users. It appears that turning off DirectX 11 or DX11 one of the latest Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allows a PC to establish effective communication between the media-oriented hardware of the PC with the rest of the operating system. 

To put it into simple words, the software at hand makes it possible to get your video games to have sound and video. Unfortunately, DirectX 11 isn’t quite cutting it right for Final Fantasy XIV players, so we’ll have to try turning it off and confirming whether that does something for the launcher error at hand.

You’ll find the setting to disable the famous API within the “Config” button in the FFXIV launcher. Click on it and it will be painless to discover the ability to disable DirectX 11.

Once done, reboot the launcher and try logging in. If everything went well, you should be able to enjoy the title perfectly now. On the flip side, continue reading from the next subtitle since there are plenty of potential fixes that we’ve yet to try.   

Delete The Pertinent “ECT” Folder

The extensive Final Fantasy XIV community has come forward with a robust fix that should help you get back on your feet in the game. There’s a distinct “ECT” folder within the game’s main directory that’s thought to host trial data within. This is utterly useless for users who’ve bought the game, and the folder is creating trouble as well.

If you’re playing the game through Steam, open Valve‘s famous game client, head over to the “Library” section, and locate Final Fantasy XIV in the side panel. As soon as you’ve done that, right-click on the game, open up its “Properties” and click on “Local Files.” You should be able to see the “Browse” button accordingly then.

Follow the annotation in the screenshot below to get to the main files folder of the title. You now should be able to find the “ECT” folder quite easily. Simply look for it yourself or use the in-app search bar to cover ground quickly. 

After locating the folder in question, delete it. The final step is to launch the game which has to be working swimmingly now. You will be prompted to link your Steam account primarily, but that should only take a couple of minutes. As soon as you’re done, the FF14 launcher error will have been resolved.  

Change Your Steam Username

In the case that the method above didn’t do the trick for you, there’s another rather odd way of getting Final Fantasy XIV to work. Prepare to bid your Steam username farewell if you had a fond likeness for it since this potential fix warrants you to change exactly that. However, let us take a step back here.

Only attempt what we have here if your username comprises special characters, such as $, %, ^, _,  or anything of the like. Alter those with plain characters and the rest should be easy to follow through. Do note that we’re talking about the Display Name in our case and not Steam ID.

Official word has it that the latter cannot be changed unless you create a new account. Therefore, dive right into switching your display name and confirm whether that works.  

Disable Windows Firewall Momentarily

Some users across Final Fantasy community forums seem to claim that the antivirus software of their Windows PC is hindering the launcher’s ability to run properly. This, of course, is definitely not set in stone, so we have to test the theory out and confirm its genuineness ourselves.

If you’ve got the Windows Defender Firewall software up and running, toggle it off for a moment to potentially resolve the FF14 game won’t launch error on your end.

The following steps are going to clarify the exact process you can use to disable Windows Defender temporarily. That way, you’ll be able to launch the game to see whether it works normally now. 

1. Get started by searching for “Windows Security” in the Windows Search bar. Click on the application when it pops up to get to the next step.

   

2. Right after that, select the “Virus and threat protection” section to move forward. In the final step, you should be able to disable your Windows antivirus software.

   

3. In the final step, simply turn off the following features in the “Virus and threat protection settings” section. All you have to do is click on the respective toggle underneath each setting to disable it. This should be fairly simple to complete.

   

Great going so far! You’ve now properly disabled your operating system’s in-built antivirus. Feel free to launch Final Fantasy XIV now to confirm whether your efforts have paid off. If you still haven’t been able to alleviate the situation, keep on reading to try a bevy of other fixes.

Reset System Settings From The Game’s Launcher

Another trick in the bag has been suggested by a Redditor who managed to resolve the FF14 launcher an error has occurred issue all by themselves. What they recommended was going into the settings of your Final Fantasy XIV launcher and digging out the “Reset System Settings” button.

Click on the functionality and you’ll shortly be restoring the game’s settings to default. As soon as you’re done here, reboot the PC and try getting into the FFXIV launcher again. There’s a good chance that the universally acclaimed MMORPG will begin working just fine now. 

With that said, we still have a good deal of other solutions that can pay off once implemented. Find out what they are ahead. 

Try Connecting With A VPN

A Virtual Private Network or more colloquially known as VPN can practically solve the FFXIV launcher error for you as a number of player reports tell us. A VPN works by hiding your IP address and using another in place of it, primarily for keeping your connection secure and protected.

Other unofficial uses of a VPN include bypassing geo-blocked content and getting past the constraint of limited servers. Most high-quality VPNs come with a price tag, so you’ll probably have to shell out some bucks in this respect. However, there is a wide assortment of free VPNs that can get the job done for you too.

What you want here is to basically somehow finish downloading updates and get back to playing. A VPN can help you do that although it may reduce your download speed. Whatever the case, you’ll have to make do with the cards you’re dealt.

ProtonVPN and Windscribe both are two of the best free VPNs you’ll find. They’re fast, perform smoothly, and sport enough basic functionality to keep you hooked. Both options comprise a premium plan as well, should you be interested in buying one, but the base version should suffice for resolving the problem that we have here. 

A word of advice is due though. Most Final Fantasy XIV players have complained that the VPN option isn’t working for them. While that could be a genuine possibility, you should know why a VPN doesn’t work for players in most cases.

It’s recommended to connect from countries other than Australia or the United States for the best results. Singapore is a viable option to go with though. You’re free to try other countries as well but do avoid the aforementioned two. 

Start the game launcher and try getting into the main lobby. Everything should progress normally now and allow you to get back into FFXIV. However, in the case that not even using a VPN has come to fruition, you have to try other fixes.

Make Sure Your Windows Operating System Is Updated 

Having outdated software on modern-day devices never bodes well for their optimal functioning. The same is the case with Windows as an operating system.

Developers remain hard at work trying to ensure that the whole experience for Windows users always stays smooth, stable, and secure. The FF14 launcher error can result from an older version of Windows on your PC concurrently. 

One user has discussed how updating their device to the latest version of the operating system helped them get back online in Final Fantasy XIV. Therefore, it’s definitely worth a shot checking your Windows PC to see if any impending updates are waiting for your approval.

An easy way you can do that is by heading over to the “Settings” system app and selecting “Update and Security.”

You’ll see a button there called “Check for updates.” Click on that if you’re already not receiving a prompt telling you to update your device. If you no longer see “You’re up to date” after clicking on the aforementioned button, let the system download and install updates. 

You’ll probably need to restart your Windows PC so the update can come into effect. Launch the title again to see if updating the device has paid off. In the case that you still run into the issue, keep on reading to find more potential fixes to try out.

Reinstall Final Fantasy XIV  

If you’ve tried everything but nothing has worked so far, the time is nigh to give your game a proper uninstall. Most of the time, a reinstall generally fixes most problems related to a PC game. You can use a fresh start in this case and download all patch updates from the beginning for Final Fantasy XIV. 

This can be easily done by hovering over to the “Add or remove programs” section in your Windows Settings. Once you’re there, scroll down the list of installed applications and find Final Fantasy XIV. Click on the app to reveal more options and promptly select “Uninstall” to rid the system of the game. 

You can then proceed to install the game from whatever source you got it from first. We personally recommend shooting for Steam as it’s one of the most polished gaming platforms on the planet with a relatively less number of potential issues.

As soon as you’ve installed the game, try running it again and see if it updates normally now. Hopefully, the FFXIV launcher error 30413 has been resolved on its own.  

Takeaway

Final Fantasy XIV has seen a massive bump in overall gameplay mechanics and graphics following its re-release. It’s thoroughly a beautifully constructed game that’s more than just playable in 2022, which is almost 8 years after the title’s initial release.

This just goes on to show how timeless is the franchise of Final Fantasy, especially the MMORPG in question.  With that said, things can often go south when playing games online. One such instance of this prospect is the FF14 launcher error which manifests when there’s trouble downloading game updates and other patches.

You can tackle this issue using a bevy of solutions—all of which have been detailed in this guide. Follow the aforementioned fixes and you’ll definitely fix the launcher error yourself in no time. When you do, let us and other answer seekers know down in the comments section below. As always, eXputer wishes you happy gaming!