Introduction to FiveM loading screen hangs occur when client-server

FiveM loading screen hangs occur when client-server handshake fails, resources exceed streaming capacity, or network paths block essential UDP traffic on ports 30110-30125. This guide provides systematic diagnostics and fixes for all three failure categories.

Immediate Diagnostics

Press F8 during hang to access console:

Connecting to server...
Handshaking with server...
Downloading content...

Stuck phase determines fix path.

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Scope

Covers: Network timeouts, resource streaming failures, cache corruption, authentication loops
Excludes: Server crashes, game installation issues, hardware failures
Target audience: Server administrators, mod developers, advanced users with console access

Success Metrics

• Connection established within 60 seconds
• All resources loaded without timeout
• Console shows no WARNING: or ERROR: entries
• Frame time remains <16ms post-load

Required Tools

• Administrative access to Windows
• F8 console enabled
• Network diagnostic privileges
• Text editor for configuration files

Proceed to Initial Diagnostics section for step-by-step resolution.

Initial Diagnostics

1. Identify Loading Stage

Press F8 to open console during loading. Check for:

Loaded @resourcename/client.lua (xxx ms)
Started resource resourcename
Creating script environments for resourcename

Last loaded resource indicates failure point

Last loaded resource indicates failure point.

2. Connection Timeout vs Resource Hang

Test Direct Connect:

connect serverip:port

If successful, issue is launcher-related. If not, proceed to network diagnostics.

Monitor Resource Loading:

-- Add to client console
resmon 1

Resources using >50ms indicate optimization issues.

Network-Based Solutions

1. DNS Resolution Fix

netsh int ip set dns "Local Area Connection" static 8.8.8.8
netsh int ip add dns "Local Area Connection" 8.8.4.4 index=2

2. MTU Optimization

Find optimal MTU:

ping -f -l 1472 google.com

Decrease by 8 until successful, then set:

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Ethernet" mtu=1492 store=persistent

3. Port Forwarding Requirements

Router configuration:

• TCP: 30120, 30110
• UDP: 30120, 30110
• FiveM Voice: UDP 30125

Client-Side Fixes

1. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

$fivemPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\FiveM\FiveM.app\FiveM.exe"
$bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($fivemPath)
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($fivemPath, $bytes)
(Get-Item $fivemPath).Properties["Compatibility"].DisableFullscreenOptimizations = $true

2. Clear Specific Cache Types

:: Server-specific cache only
for /d %%i in ("%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\server-cache\*") do rmdir /s /q "%%i"

:: Keep priv but clear everything else
move "%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\cache\priv" "%temp%\priv_backup"
rmdir /s /q "%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\cache"
mkdir "%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\cache"
move "%temp%\priv_backup" "%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\cache\priv"

3. Shader Cache Rebuild

Delete DirectX shader cache:

Delete DirectX shader cache:

rmdir /s /q "%localappdata%\D3DSCache"
rmdir /s /q "%localappdata%\NVIDIA\DXCache"
rmdir /s /q "%localappdata%\AMD\DxCache"

Server-Specific Issues

1. Resource Streaming Problems

For servers with large MLO/YMAP files:

-- server.cfg adjustment
set sv_streamingTickRate 120
set adhesive_cdnKey "your_cdn_key"
set sv_requestParanoia 0

2. Authentication Timeout

-- Increase connection timeout
set sv_endpointprivacy false
set sv_authMaxRetries 10
set sv_authMinTrust 5

3. Queue System Conflicts

Disable conflicting queue resources:

# Check for multiple queue systems
grep -r "deferrals" resources/

Keep only one queue system active.

Advanced Debugging

1. Network Trace Analysis

netsh trace start capture=yes tracefile=fivem.etl provider=Microsoft-Windows-TCPIP level=5
:: Attempt connection
netsh trace stop

Analyze with Message Analyzer for packet loss.

2. Resource Loading Order

Create __resource.lua in problem resource:

dependency 'baseresource'
client_script {
    '@baseresource/client.lua',
    'client.lua'
}

3. Memory Allocation Issues

For 16GB+ RAM systems:

-- citizen.ini in FiveM.app folder
[Game]
DisableOSVersionCheck=1
PatchLethalForce=1
HeapAdjust=2048

Platform-Specific Fixes

Steam Version:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Rockstar Games\GTAV" /v "InstallFolder" /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V" /f

Epic Games Version:

Delete

Delete %programdata%\Epic\EpicGamesLauncher\Data\Manifests cache files.

Rockstar Launcher:

<!-- commandline.txt in GTA V directory -->
-verify
-safemode

Timeout Prevention

1. Preload Assets Locally

-- client.lua in custom resource
Citizen.CreateThread(function()
    RequestModel(`prop_cs_cardbox_01`)
    while not HasModelLoaded(`prop_cs_cardbox_01`) do
        Wait(0)
    end
end)

2. Connection Retry Script

:retry
start "" "%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\FiveM.exe" +connect serverip:port
timeout /t 30
taskkill /f /im FiveM.exe
goto retry

Uncertainties

• Windows 11 memory integrity features may cause undocumented loading delays
• Cloudflare-protected servers require browser verification (no automated solution)
• Some ISPs throttle UDP traffic on non-standard ports unpredictably

Standards Reference

• CitizenFX Streaming Protocol v2.4.1
• RFC 4787 (NAT Behavioral Requirements for UDP)

Conclusion: Loading screen freezes typically stem from network path issues, corrupted cache, or server-side resource streaming bottlenecks requiring systematic isolation.