Manual downgrade GTA IV to 1.0.4.0 or 1.0.7.0, Retail DVD version

Downgrade requirements and steps. 1

Running with XlivelessAddon 1

Appendix. 1

About SETTINGS.CFG file in 1.0.4.0. 1

Setting -availablevidmem.. 1

Manually unpacking GTA IV Rockstar patches.. 1

About ZolikaPatch express downgrade.. 1

Downgrade GTA IV to v1.0.0.0 retail DVD version.. 1

Reference links. 1

 

Disclaimer: This method is for advanced PC users and although it was extensively tested and works for me and many other users I do not take responsibility if your downgraded game does not start.

Once again - it is recommended to attempt the downgrade on a separate copy of GTA IV folder (the one that has GTAIV.exe), you may put this folder anywhere and name it as you wish. You must have write permissions to this folder and all its subfolders and files. If you are downgrading your main GTAIV installation DO make a backup first!

Downgrade requirements and steps

Direct downgrade 1.2.0.X -> 1.0.X.0 is supported. In general the downgrade works for any GTA IV with original pc\audio\config files and was successfully tested on

• 1.0.7.0 PROPHET release based and 1.0.8.0 Xatab and FitGirl repacks (have original radio),
• 1.2.0.32 FitGirl repack installed "With original music sets for radio" (has bundled old radio downgrader),
• 1.2.0.43 clean Steam version (needs old radio downgrader).
• 1.2.0.43 FitGirl repack (has bundled downgraded radio sfx data but needs older 1.0.X.0 audio config).

Remember that 1.0.4.0 does not support DLCs and if you need them you must also read the 1.0.7.0 section below and downgrade to 1.0.7.0 instead.

This method is for offline play only, if you need multiplayer you will have to replace XLivelessAddon with GFWL + Zolika's multiplayer addons/mods or GTAC.

If not specified otherwise all downloads are in this gdrive folder.

Downgrade radio

Key radio components are

1. Radio config in pc\audio\Config
   GAME.DAT16 defines stations available in the game with their tracklists, SOUNDS.DAT15 contains info about all audio tracks in the game including radio
   
2. Radio data in pc\audio\sfx
   radio_*.rpf sound files contain songs

Radio in 2020 Complete Edition has following modifications:
Radio config

• removed original songs from SOUNDS.DAT15 station tracklists;
• added 3 EFLC radio stations (RAMJAMFM, SELFREALIZATION, VCFM) to GAME.DAT16. This causes Concrete Jungle freeze (all 1.0.X.0 without third party fix) and failure to autoload latest savegame on launch (1.0.4.0)

Radio data

• removed original songs data from radio_*.rpf files;

For original radio experience you should restore both original radio config (station list, original tracklists) and original radio data (cut songs).

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Special note for FitGirl 1.2.0.43 Repack downgrade
This repack already has downgraded radio data for pc\audio\sfx - no need to download radio downgrader! You need to
a) Run bundled "Downgraded Stations with Old Vladivostok FM.bat" - it will place correct radio data into pc\audio\sfx.
b) Get original 1.0.X.0 radio config - download and unpack 10X0_audio_config.zip to GTAIV folder.

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Radio downgrader is not needed if the game already has original radio config and sound files installed e.g. 1.0.7.0/1.0.8.0 2014 Steam or repack.

·        Download, unpack to empty folder, delete common, tbogt,tlad subfolders, move what's left to game folder and run install.bat for GTA IV Complete Edition Radio Downgrader (RGL/Steam) old IVCEDOWNGRADE.rar ~637 mb. Note that you need old downgrader. The newest radio downgrader will not do for 1.0.x.0 downgrade - without third-party fixes or without original radio config it will freeze after Concrete Jungle mission as it has radio config for 2020CE with 3 EFLC stations.

Main steps for 1.0.4.0 downgrade

You may save some time and effort and download all-in-one 1.0.4.0 downgrade pack 1040_downgrade_AIO.zip (58 Mb). This pack includes open-source XLivelessAddon and Ultimate ASI Loader which may be flagged by antivirus, ignore it - it's a false positive. If your antivirus flags any files from this pack you may want to add your game folder to antivirus scan exclusion list. Unpack it to game folder, skip the main steps below and go to "Prepare to launch" section.

·        Set up InstallFolder value in registry to ensure smooth Rockstar patch installation - download _InstallFolder.bat, put it into game folder where GTAIV.exe is and run as Administrator (Right click in Explorer and choose "Run as administrator" in popup menu). If you don't have administrator privileges and can't set up InstallFolder in registry you will have to unpack the patch manually.

·        Obtain 1.0.4.0 patch GTAIV_MAINTENANCE_UPDATE_1040_EFIGS.exe (download gtaiv_patch_1040.zip) and install it. If InstallFolder on previous step was not properly set up in registry you must unpack the patch manually.

·        Install correct 1.0.4.0 fonts

·        Install Euphoria 1.0.4.0 ped fix

·        Install either XlivelessAddon (recommended) or Xliveless+SecuROM crack. Make sure to read Running with XlivelessAddon section below if you are planning to use XLivelessAddon's settings folder refirection feature

·        (For AMD GPU users only) Get and unpack to GTAIV folder fixed AMD water shader

Prepare to launch

·        Remove SETTINGS.CFG. For details read About SETTINGS.CFG file in Appendix.

• If you used 1040_downgrade_AIO.zip then run _SETTINGS_CFG.bat in game folder.
  
• If you installed patch exe by double-clicking it move to next step, the patch installer already removed SETTINGS.CFG.
  
• To remove SETTINGS.CFG manually run command
  move /y "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\Settings\SETTINGS.CFG" "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\Settings\SETTINGS.CFG.BAK"
  (Select this command, Ctrl-C, Win-R, Open: cmd, right click to paste the command and Enter to run it).

·        (Optional) add to commandline.txt
-norestrictions
-nomemrestrict
-noprecache

·        (Optional) convert your latest Complete Edition RGSC savegame to older format using https://gtasnp.com/ - upload your RGSC savegame and then download downgraded savegame by clicking Modifications / Downgrade version, select "1.0.8.0 IV / 1.1.3.0 EFLC and older". Put it into %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames

·        To avoid conflicts remove or move away from GTAIV folder dsound.dll, dinput8.dll, all .asi files from GTAIV folder and its plugins and scripts subfolders except XLivelessAddon.asi

·        Run the game through GTAIV.exe (recommended - see "Running with XlivelessAddon" section below) or LaunchGTAIV.exe (Xliveless+SecuROM crack). You may run LaunchGTAIV.exe or GTAIV.exe as ordinary Windows user e.g. clear checkbox "Run this program as an Administrator" on Compatibility tab for both LaunchGTAIV.exe AND GTAIV.exe

ATTENTION: on the first run of 1.0.4.0 GTAIV.exe may complain that you need to restart the system - it is normal, no need to reboot, just run the game again and it will always be starting OK later on.

If the game doesn't start with error "The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect..." it usually means runtime problem and you need to download and install vcredist_x86.exe from Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 redistributable.

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Downgrade to 1.0.7.0

This guide supports

1. Express downgrade with ZolikaPatch
2. Classic GFWL-compatible downgrade

Express downgrade with ZolikaPatch

Pros

• Quick and easy - you only have to run bundled PlayGTAIV.exe
• 2020CE game folder and file structure remains intact and downgraded exe may use 2020CE files directly
• Can use modloader in backported FusionFix to easily mod DLCs
• Has other advanced visual and QoL fixes
  
  Cons
  
• Relies on ZolikaPatch exclusive fixes and will not work without it
• ZolikaPatch is closed-source
• Without peer code review new features/fixes may inadvertently break critical game features e.g. cop sirens not working, drunk camera appearing

Steps for express 1.0.8.0 downgrade

1. Download ZolikaPatch and unpack it into game folder where GTAIV.exe is
2. Run PlayGTAIV.exe, it will offer express downgrade, click OK.
3. Launch through GTAIV.exe or PlayGTAIV.exe (Steam or RGL launcher)

For more info refer to section “About ZolikaPatch express downgrade” in Appendix.

Classic GFWL-compatible downgrade

Pros

• DLC folder structure is GFWL-spec compliant
• Game can be launched with DLCs using only open-source GFWL emus and tools (XLivelessAddon, catspaw xlive emu, legacy DLC unlocker)
  
  Cons
  
• Needs new DLC subfolder structure for DLC integration and older script.img
• modloader in backported FusionFix currently can't mod DLCs

For 1.0.7.0 classic downgrade all steps above for 1.0.4.0 downgrade must be used with following modifications:

• Obtain the official 1.0.7.0 patch (patch notes at https://support.rockstargames.com/articles/200145406/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-Patch-7-Title-Update-v-1-0-7-0-English-1-0-6-1-Russian-1-0-5-2-Japanese) instead of 1.0.4.0, install it by doubleclicking the exe if InstallFolder was set up in registry or unpack it manually.
• No need to copy 1.0.4.0 fonts, Euphoria fix
• No need to remove SETTINGS.CFG
• No need to add -noprecache if you go with DXVK renderer (recommended)
• Download DLC integration pack (20 Mb), extract it to GTAIV folder and run DLC.bat from there.

If downgraded game does not start there are probably newer 2020CE-compatible .asi files left that conflict with older exe, for example newer FusionFix will not work with 1.0.7.0 GTAIV.exe and it will just exit on start. Move away all .asi files except XLivelessAddon.asi from GTAIV folder and plugins subfolder and then when game successfully launches you may install 1.0.x.0-compatible .asi versions.

ATTENTION: without preliminary rollback to v1.0.0.0 or without third-party fixes switching DLCs on-the-fly may not work and the type of game you are starting or loading should be the same as running in current session. For example if during launch main GTA IV story was loaded then you can start only main GTAIV game using Game / New or load only savegames for main GTAIV - if you try to start new TLAD/TBOGT game or load a TLAD/TBOGT savegame the game may crash. If you want to start or load another type of game that is different from the type of currently running one you must select it first in the game startup menu during next GTAIV.exe launch. If startup menu is skipped by SkipMenu=1 in XLivelessAddon.ini you may hold Shift key during GTAIV.exe launch to display it. Alternatively you may set SkipMenu=0, start new game of desired type, then when you have a savegame you may set SkipMenu=1 back - on subsequent launches XLivelessAddon will skip menu and load your latest savegame.

Running with XlivelessAddon

XlivelessAddon has integrated XLiveless with GFWL DLC support, SecuROM patch, menu skip, VRAM detection fix - it is reported to yield fps gains as it avoids extra code from launchGTAIV.exe. It also supports redirection of settings storage - 1.0.4.0 settings will not conflict with existing SETTINGS.CFG left from later versions of the game.

How to redirect settings folder (allows later versions and 1.0.4.0 coexist on the same system)

·        Install XlivelessAddon, don't launch the game just yet;

·        To redirect settings

o   Create new subfolder settings1040 in GTA IV folder that you downgrade to 1.0.4.0;

o   Edit plugins\XLivelessAddon.ini and set
CustomSettingsPath = "settings1040"

·        Start the game through GTAIV.exe, if settings were redirected the game will create in settings1040\Settings files Limits.dat, SETTINGS.CFG, XString.dat.

ATTENTION: XLivelessAddon's CustomSettingsPath breaks Independence FM in EFIGS patches up to 1.0.4.0 (patch 4)! Folder {CUSTOM_SETTINGS_FOLDER}\User Music is created but files ufile.dat and utracks.dat there (scanned media DB) have zero length. Workaround is to use CustomSettingsPath with international version of patch 4 (patch 5) 1.0.0.4.

 

Appendix

About SETTINGS.CFG file in 1.0.4.0

File SETTINGS.CFG contains graphics and other game settings e.g. language. It is created/overwritten after every successfull game start/exit and is located by default at
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\Settings\SETTINGS.CFG

!!! IMPORTANT !!!!    GTAIV.exe 1.0.4.0 cannot load SETTINGS.CFG from later versions of the game and will quit on start after unsuccessful load attempts! Simplest solution is to remove/rename SETTINGS.CFG so that it is recreated on next launch but XLivelessAddon may work around this with custom settings folder – it allows later patches and 1.0.4.0 coexist on the same system.

This file has different sizes in different game versions:

·        1437 bytes in 1.0.4.0

·        1465 bytes or more in later patches

 

Successful start with absent or existing SETTINGS.CFG of correct 1.0.4.0 size

25/08/2020 18:44:29.900 Log started (xliveless 0.999b7)

...

25/08/2020 18:44:37.056 xlive_5270: XNotifyCreateListener (0x0000000000000001)

25/08/2020 18:44:58.906 [getSavefilePath]: 'C:\Users\anton\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames\'

 

Failed start with SETTINGS.CFG left from 1.0.7.0 or later versions

There is no line with [getSavefilePath] after 3 calls of XNotifyCreateListener.

Log is from debug version of Xliveless (xlive_d.dll put as xlive.dll in game folder).

 

Setting -availablevidmem

Although it is not required if -norestrictions is in commandline.txt (game may paint settings red but will run anyway) but it is highly advisable to specify -availablevidmem {correct value for your GPU} in commandline.txt. Without it game may use more conservative VRAM allocation and there may be more world-loading lags.

!!! ATTENTION !!! Do not use = sign in -availablevidmem! For example:
   -availablevidmem  30  (correct syntax)
   -availablevidmem=30  (incorrect syntax)

Apparently the meaning of this parameter changes from version to version (2020 Complete Edition expects VRAM size in megabytes but older versions expect some sort of multiplier) and the only way to find correct value for it is to experiment.  If game with -norestrictions parameter has too little VRAM detected it may fail to launch or it will have lots of game world missing e.g. no road textures and some buildings/other geometry missing.

Here are values that I tested for RX580 8Gb with 1.0.4.0

With -availablevidmem	0.7	GTA detects	2144 Mb
	0.9		2757
	33		2900
	40		3779 red warning about exceeding suggested limits for your system
	50		1652
	60		3621
	64		3589
	64.1		3896 red warning about exceeding suggested limits for your system
	64.2		106  RED – not enough VRAM
	64.3		412  RED
	80		3463
	90		1336
	100		3304
	110		1177
	120		3146

 

Manually unpacking GTA IV Rockstar patches

Unpacking patch 4 and older patches

• open official patch GTAIV_MAINTENANCE_UPDATE_1040_EFIGS.exe with 7-zip (do not run or double click the patch exe but run 7-zip and use menu to open the patch exe as you would open an archive file)
• go to $0 subfolder
• unpack all to GTA IV game folder

Unpacking patch 7 and other Microsoft Installer patches

• unpack official patch title_update_7_EN.zip
• Get update_unpack.bat, put it into title_update_7_EN folder that has .msi/.cab update files and run it from there
• Move all files and subfolders from opened GFWLTitleUpdateRoot folder to GTA IV game folder.

 

About ZolikaPatch express downgrade

Express downgrade option is offered only if 2020 Complete Edition GTAIV.exe and ZolikaPatch.asi present in the game folder.

ZolikaPatch’s PlayGTAIV.exe removes some 2020CE-specific .asi mods incompatible with older game executables and unpacks the following necessary files:

• vcredist_x86.exe - VC 2005 runtime (deleted after installation)
• GTAIV.exe - v1.0.8.0, it will replace GTAIV.exe v1.2.0.X in game folder
• xlive.dll - Ultimate ASI Loader

After downgrade the structure of 2020CE game folder and all data files and binaries (except v1.2.0.X GTAIV.exe) remain intact! Express downgrade became possible thanks to following ZolikaPatch fixes:

ZolikaPatch handles SecuROM and after v7.2 does everything that XLivelessAddon (supports fewer game versions though)
SkipLauncher - removes GTAIV.exe dependencies from other dll and exe files, allows direct launch from GTAIV.exe
LoadDLCs - loads TLAD and TBOGT from subfolders in game folder as in EFLC/2020CE (DLC integration pack/moving them to DLC subfolder is not needed)
NewFilesCompatibility - supports additional EFLC station icon files in radiohud.dat and script.img from 2020CE (DLC integration pack is not needed)

Other important ZolikaPatch fixes:

BenchmarkFix - fixes crash after benchmark
CutsceneFixes - fixes cutscene zoom and jitter at high fps
EpisodeSwitchFreezeFix - can load savegames/start new games of any type (IV, TLAD, TBOGT) at any time
HighFPSBikePhysicsFix - bikes don't slide at high fps

Downgrade GTA IV to v1.0.0.0 retail DVD version

Why you may need it

• To remove files added in later patches that may somehow interfere with whatever mod you intend to use
• To prepare your game folder for any official GTA IV Rockstar patch installation
• To get a feel for how old version runs on modern PCs

Steps

• Download Restore_GTAIV_to_v1000.zip (93 Mb) and unpack it to game folder where GTAIV.exe is
• Run restore1000.bat in the game folder
• (optional) Run _InstallFolder.bat in the game folder as Administrator (right-click it in Explorer and choose "Run as administrator" in popup menu). This ensures you will be able to install any official Rockstar patches afterwards by doubleclicking patch exe file.

After restore1000.bat finishes:

• For 1.0.7.0/1.0.8.0 source game with original radio sfx files (PROPHET/2014 Steam/various old repacks) the game folder will be identical to v1.0.0.0 installed from retail DVDs. Use MD5 checksums in retail_v1000.md5 to verify.
• For 1.2.0.x source game with cut radio (2020 Complete Edition/recent FitGirl repacks) radio sfx files in pc\audio\sfx will need to be manually downgraded to include cut songs that restored original radio config references. You may download original_radio_rpf.zip here (1.3 Gb) and unpack to game folder. DLC subfolders and DLC menu files are not deleted - if you don't need them delete subfolders TLAD and TBOGT manually.

Use XLivelessAddon or some other Xliveless/SecuROM solution to launch the game.

 

Reference links

·        [OUTDATED] How to Downgrade GTA IV to Version 1.0.4.0  speedrun.com

·        Downgrade to Patch 1.0.4.0 (Most/ Older Mods Work) steamcommunity.com