Separate-process renderer for GTA IV called b-bridge

b-bridge by gutbash is a separate 64-bit renderer based on RTX remix and DXVK which frees GTAIV.exe RAM formerly allocated for rendering.

 TL;DR It is a godsend for big modpacks.

"b-bridge moves the entire Direct3D 9 device into a separate 64-bit process. The game keeps a thin 32-bit `d3d9.dll` that forwards every call over a shared-memory channel to a 64-bit server, which renders through DXVK on Vulkan. On the test system this returned about 880 MB of address space to the game and held frame time at parity with in-process DXVK, allowing a 5 GB texture-pack stack to run where the same install previously crashed within minutes."

Using DepotDownloaderMod to manually update your Steam games

• Get DepotDownloaderMod and unpack it anywhere (+ install required .Net runtime if you don't have it on your system). 
• Get manifests for your game and put them into DepotDownloaderMod folder. Encrypted manifests obtained with SMD will do as long as you have valid depot keys.
• Unpack _download_depot_bat-cs.rin.ru.7z (password is at the end of filename after -) with sample depot keys supplemental file to DepotDownloaderMod folder. 
• Edit _download_depot.bat (game_folder, game_id variables)
• Drag manifest files you want to download onto _download_depot.bat in File Explorer or launch _download_depot.bat from command line with depot files as arguments like
  
  _download_depot.bat *.manifest

Playing GTA IV with achievements

PC version of GTA IV was originally shipped with Games for Windows Live (GFWL, later Xbox Live) achievements. In latest Complete Edition GFWL was removed and replaced with Rockstar Games Social Club (RGSC) and Steam achievements. This guide will help you to play whatever version of GTA IV you might have with achievements. 

Obviously this guide is not for legit game which already has Steam and RGSC overlay with achievements. However, legit game users still might find this guide useful.

Popular scenarios

1. Playing Complete Edition fully offline using custom achievement overlay
2. Playing downgraded 1.0.7.0 or 1.0.8.0 version offline with achievements
3. Playing Complete Edition on Steam without Rockstar Game Launcher using native Steam overlay 

Corrupted savegame in GTA IV

How a save gets corrupted

It is related to modding or using a trainer. 

I got a corrupted save after 25 missions (after Roman’s Sorrow) when I was making a Russian translation of mission names frequently modifying .gxt file and using SNT’s Mission Help a lot. 

How to know if your savegame is corrupt

Symptoms of a corrupted savegame are:

Универсальная русификация GTA IV, EFLC, Complete Edition

Для чего вам может понадобиться данная русификация

• Вы используете EFIGS версию игры, которая хорошо поддерживает нужные вам моды (например, для локализованных версий GTA IV и EFLC сложно найти scripthook, а также многие кастомные .asi моды поддерживают только наиболее популярные EFIGS-версии GTAIV.exe и EFLC.exe);
• Вам не нравится мат и корявые названия миссий в других самопальных переводах этой игры;
• Вы не знаете английского и хотите русские названия миссий;
• Вы знаете английский, но в последнее время западное вам как-то не катит, и вам хочется чего-то необыкновенно богатого, великого и могучего.

Особенности пакета

• Поддержка всех EFIGS и локализованных RUS версий GTA IV и EFLC включая последнюю Complete Edition
• Русификация интегрированных GFWL эпизодов TLAD и TBOGT в базовой игре GTA IV 
  
  

Episodes from Liberty City integrated as GFWL DLCs in GTA IV

Contents

Why you may want this

What is needed
HOW-TO
Appendix

Alternative tools

Troubleshooting
References

Why no "Shweine" at the start of GTA IV?

The first song playing in Roman’s car at the start of  GTA IV is "Schweine" by Glukoza. However, during recent playthrough I didn’t hear it so I researched this issue using Parik’s AudioMetadataTool. 

Here’s why you may not hear the song

1. You have latest Complete Edition with cut radio

How to downgrade GTA IV Complete Edition to EFLC

So you've got latest GTA IV Complete Edition on Steam/Rockstar Launcher or Fitgirl repack and you want to turn it into original binary-identical EFLC (Episodes From Liberty City). This downpatch made in ISXPM in conjunction with official Rockstar EFLC Patch 2 or 3 (both included in the package) does just that.

Create multiple GTA IV instances for downgrade or modding

This article is for modding enthusiasts who want to save disk space while maintaining several copies of GTA IV. It can also be useful to create a single separate copy of game folder for downgrade.

Reducing space taken by GTA IV copy folder 1

General barebone_iv.bat usage. 1

Example usage scenarios. 1

How to make copy for 1.0.0.0 rollback. 1

How to make copy for 1.0.4.0 downgrade with old radio downgrader 1

How to make copy for classic 1.0.7.0 downgrade with official Rockstar Patch 7. 1

How to make copy for simplified 1.0.7.0 express downgrade with ZolikaPatch. 1

Overall space savings. 1

Portable GTA IV on PC

The guide is updated in May 2026 and this method now works for any GTA IV PC version.

1. Preparation for GTA IV Complete Edition 1.2.0.X
2. Preparation for GTA IV 1.0.0.0 - 1.0.8.0
3. Launching your portable game with portableIV.bat script
4. portableIV.bat

ENB with DXVK for GTA IV

What GTA IV version to use for ENB

Version 1.0.4.0

·        Better performance, better look

·        CONS: on some GPUs/drivers may initialize graphics and load game very slowly, no FusionFix

Version 1.0.6.0+ or EFLC

·        Has more robust video initialization routine. May work better than 1.0.4.0 for some GPUs/drivers.

·        New shadows implementation, better look but GPU-demanding.

·        FusionFix v1.10 works

In general you may use any GTA IV version. The guide was successfully tested on:

·        GTA IV 2020 Complete Edition properly downgraded* to 1.0.4.0 and 1.0.7.0. *Vanilla 2020CE 1.2.0.X without downgrade may also be used but for AMD GPU make sure that enbseries.ini has ForceNVidiaCard=false or else ENB won't be able to initialize display.

·        GTA IV Razor1911 original release upgraded to 1.0.4.0 and 1.0.7.0

Antialiasing with DXVK and GTA IV

This guide may be useful only for 1.0.4.0 or older versions of the game. For later versions including 2020 Complete Edition you should try FusionFix which has many more native AA settings.

The antialiasing method described below is very simple and uses older Sweetfx that is based on injectSMAA. 

• SweetFX antialiasing works for fairly modern GPUs e.g. very good at rx580, OK at gt730. 
• It is not CPU hungry and works without significant fps degradation even on 2-core Athlon X2. 

Latest Reshade may also be used for Vulkan antialiasing but it is harder to install/configure and at the moment it works only in global mode e.g. it will affect all games that output through Vulkan. 

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

How to run GTA IV offline

Overview.. 1

XlivelessAddon is the preferred method to run GTA IV – game starts through GTAIV.exe. 1

Step-by-step guide. 1

Example - installing and running a retail DVD version of GTA IV or EFLC. 1

Example - Vice City Nextgen Edition. 1

Obsolete methods – game starts through LaunchGTAIV.exe. 1

Razor1911 SecuROM crack. 1

Reloaded crack. 1

RGSC  GTA 4 Crack. 1

XLiveless. 1

How to fix choppiness and stutters in GTA IV

TL;DR - to fix GTA IV stutters if your GPU supports Vulkan try DXVK method, if it doesn't support Vulkan then go to 4-step DxWrapper method (should help in all other cases). Do not combine methods below, use only one of them! If you are still not satisfied with gameplay then you may have to read the rest of the article and/or downgrade to version 1.0.4.0