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Downgrading#

You may want to downgrade your game to 1.0.8.0 or older retail patches, mainly for mod compatibility. The Complete Edition supports a smaller number of mods, and mainly doesn't support ZolikaPatch, Liberty Tweaks and other script mods (ScriptHookDotNet mods are possible).

Go through each big section to complete the downgrading or only Downgrading the radio section if you're not interested in downgrading the game.

Downgrading the game#

Notes#

  1. 1.2.0.59 is the Complete Edition, also known as the latest Steam or Rockstar Games Launcher version. It removes support for multiplayer and Games for Windows - LIVE, while adding the Rockstar Games Launcher (and it's DRM) and the Social Club overlay (with it's achievements). The amount of supported mods is also more limited in this version - most mods made before 2020 are built for 1.0.8.0 and 1.0.7.0.
  2. 1.0.8.0 is the latest retail patch, with ZolikaPatch and multiplayer support. This version is best for mod compatibility.
  3. 1.0.4.0 is an older retail patch with full ENB compatibility, as well as old shadow algorithm - considered better by some of the community. A lot of things listed on the guide won't work with 1.0.4.0 however - and I don't provide support for it. On linux, if using NVIDIA and not using the NVK driver, you may experience some issues with this version or it's mods.

Which downgrader to choose?#

It depends vaguely on your goals. If you want something as simple as pressing two buttons - go with mine. If you want something more in-depth - go with ItsClockAndre's.

Comparison
  • means "Partially" or "Not as good".
Advantages Gillian's ItsClockAndre's
Downgrading to 1.0.8.0 and 1.0.7.0
Downgrading to 1.0.4.0
Simplicity
Lightweight
Optional GFWL support
Radio downgrading

I've made my own downgrader for my own purposes. I don't intend this to be a replacement to Clonk's, nor in any way necessarily superior - simply my own alternative. Though, it does offer a few benefits - it attempts to keep the mods up-to-date and doesn't let you do "stupid" downgrades with the toggles logic. You can also just open it, select your folder and press Downgrade without toggling anything else.

Usage
  • Go to the Releases page.
  • Download GTAIVDowngradeUtilityWPF.zip.
  • Unpack the archive in any desired folder.
  • Open the tool.
  • Select your game folder.
  • Toggle anything if your heart desires to. Defaults are fine, but you may want to disable the GFWL toggle.
  • Press Downgrade to, well, downgrade. It will automatically download and install everything.

This downgrader is online-based and only downloads what you choose to download. It replaces more files than Zolika1351's downgrader, making it harder to restore an installation if you haven't made a backup, but it also makes this downgrader closer to a true retail version. This downgrader may bundle outdated files. This downgrader also has an option to downgrade to 1.0.4.0.

Installation
  • Create an antivirus exclusion for your game folder (optional, but highly recommended).
  • Go to the GTAForums page and download the latest version.
  • Extract the archive, run IVDowngrader.exe with administrator rights.
Offline mode

You can set up downgrader up for offline use instead. Download the files from here and extract them into the Downgrader\Data\Temp. Run LaunchInOfflineMode.exe instead.

  • Follow the instructions in the application. Be sure to read the warnings at mod selection.
  • If setting up for GFWL support, see multiplayer. If not, make sure the xliveless mod is enabled.

If you somehow missed this step, set up Ultimate ASI Loader to get rid of GFWL.

Launch options need to be moved to commandline.txt after downgrading.

After downgrading, always launch the game using PlayGTAIV.exe or Play button on Steam. Additionally, your game folder can be moved elsewhere if you desire so.

Downgrading the radio#

Over 50 radio station tracks were removed from the game in April 2018 due to expired licenses. We can restore them, however.

Installation
  • Go to the Various GTA Downgraders website and scroll to the bottom of the page.
  • Download the Radio Restoration mod for GTAIV CE.
  • Extract the GTAIVCERADIORESTOREINSTALLER.zip into any empty folder.
  • Run IVCERadioRestorer.exe and follow the in-app instructions. Pick to install FusionFix if you didn't install it beforehand (install manually on older patches).
What's the difference between only pre-cut Vladivostok and pre-+post-cut?

Rockstar added new tracks to Vladivostok to replace the cut ones. Pre-+post-cut keeps these alongside the restored cut ones, while only pre-cut songs cuts them out, only keeping the restored ones.

Downgrading the savefile#

If you've already started playing on the Complete Edition, you may want to downgrade your savefile to retail version.

Instructions
  • First, locate your savefiles in Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\Profiles(id)\. They're named SGTAxxx.
  • Upload the one you want to convert to GTASnP.
  • Expand the Modifications tab.
  • Pick 1.0.8.0 IV / 1.1.3.0 EFLC and older in Downgrade Version.
  • Pick the slot you want to save your savefile as. You'll download your converted savefile.
  • Place it at C:\Users(user)\AppData\Local\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames\user_(id)\.

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