Hacking Grand Theft Auto IV: Part III

Another feature set provided by the Games For Windows API is various functions for “protecting” data (hashing & validating). GTA IV uses these functions to hash and validate its save files. I’m not exactly sure how these functions work exactly — other than the fact that the one we are interested in, XLiveUnprotectData, is called in a peculiar way.

It’s called twice, with five arguments, none of these arguments point at the save data itself, but at the 360 byte blob at the end of the save file. I suspect that this process is actually decrypting some memory rather than hashing the save itself, the end result is that a CRC32 hash of a part of the save is extracted, then compared against. By hashing the save and providing the valid CRC32 in the result of a replaced XLiveUnprotectData we can get past this validation, allow us to load other people’s saves as well as letting us modify our saves.

For the new version of the wrapper:

  • Multiplayer functionality of GTA IV is now forcefully disabled, to prevent usage of my wrapper to cheat in multiplayer. Yeah, sorry, I’m not going to encourage it.
  • Protected buffers have slightly changed to better organize them, they are a single block of data rather than two now (this is only really useful if you’re writing a trainer for use with my wrapper).
  • A new tool, CopyXLiveResources, is now provided to fix the invisible Games For Windows interface in-game. You do not have to use this tool if you do not want to.
  • Save validation is now disabled, you can load any save. Note: This will not magically fix any form of corruption on your save files if they are corrupted.

Note: the save validation “feature” of this version of my wrapper now potentially makes it incompatible with any other game, and previous version of GTA IV. This version of the wrapper was made with GTA IV 1.0.1.0 in mind, if there are compatibility issues with previous versions I have no plans to support them.

XLive Wrapper (1.2.0.7) for GTA IV (1.0.1.0)

I have only tested my wrapper locally. There could be unforeseen issues that I have not expected, if you experience any bugs feel free to comment this post.

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241 Responses to “Hacking Grand Theft Auto IV: Part III”

  1. YSS says:

    My problem is the following..
    I installed the patch 1.0.1.0, and have auto login activated (Windows Live)
    If i copy the two files into the gta iv main folder (with GTA IV.exe and so on) and i run the copyXlive…exe, the xlive.dll size is ~‎8,5 mb. I think thats ok so far..
    But if i want to start GTA IV, (from the folder with: GTAIVlauncher, GTA IV.exe and Social club) the game crashes… i will get kicked back to my desktop and a window appears with the following text inside: “GTA IV.exe has caused problem and needs to close”. I dont know what to do… 🙁

    My OS: Windows vista Home premium x64 (-bit)

    does anybody know the solution for that problem?
    Thanks in advance!

  2. DmxRabbit says:

    Hey im using the Pedor Crack. and i found your xlive thing for the windows live crap and i did everything to the book but when i start my game it just sits at the program to start GTA IV with pedros crack ?? anyone else have a better crack? i wanna play but i cant save any games because of the Live crap =[

  3. terry says:

    Hi i tried thei, but am getting a gta4.exe application error. It says that the gta4.exe cannot be loaded. I did not run any patch at this time.

  4. dsa says:

    damn bastard ruined the game i had to reinstal and i lost all the saves

  5. sunny says:

    what the fuck???game nt working after this damn xwrapper thing,u idiot

  6. Jeffo says:

    This stuff does NOT work.

  7. VladLV says:

    I reinstalled my Windows7 and forget to backup my Xlive folder. I only copied Rockstar Games folder with saves. This wrapper allowed me to load my save files on new installation.

    Rick, you and your wrapper saved my day! Using it with Win7 Ultimate x64, GTA4 v.1.0.3.0

  8. Aatish says:

    If some of you guys having’ crashing issue like me! that mean you have the updated version of game and the “xlive wrapper” only support 1.0.1.0. I have 1.0.4.0 and after the Xlive the game crashes so … i think either i should reinstall the game and update only till 1.0.1.0 or well wait for someone to update the xlive wrapper for latest version of GTA iV

  9. ammar says:

    man please help me i formatted my laptop and i forgot to copy the save ok it was not peoblem cuz i found the save in the internet but the problem that i did every thing what you said but when i am coping the xlive.dll to GTA folder the game not working it shows that it has a problem man what should i do please help me ok i have the game on disk D is it a problem ? listen when i delete the xlive.dll for the game folder i can play and i can find the save in the main but when i chose it they say the it has problem check your hard disk man please i am waiting the answer i am waiting an e mail from you or here in this site

  10. Nick says:

    Bloody hell this xlive thing is shit dosent do anything it just stuffs up the game!

  11. André says:

    Hi, I have a problem before and after install this hack tool and this was before I reinstall my OS. every time I am playing the game save 1 time and the second time the game says “failture, please check your hard drive” and I can’t save while I don’t restart my game. I already re-instaled my OS and my game but doesn’t work. please, anyone who knows how to fix it answer me. thank you.

  12. Kishore says:

    information are helpful………

  13. Jerico says:

    Could you update this tool. Would really help people since the 1.0.7.0 is out and some people might wanna continue their old save games.

  14. Bogdan says:

    Look i did what the readme says but it say FATAL EROR
    SO what do i DO?

  15. sfsfsdf says:

    It’s not work in 1.0.7.0 version :/

  16. demon says:

    if u have crashing problem like me, just remove the crack which you have copied while installing game, and then paste them again!! its better then reinstalling 🙂

  17. Gilgamesh says:

    Worked for me

  18. Jonny says:

    I FREAKIN’ LOVE YOU!!
    I stupidly deleted my windows live profile believing that was the cause of my spinning camera issue, but it ended up deleting my live saves which i luckily already had backed up. This was just what i could hope of finding. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. Gary says:

    This works brilliantly!

    Copy appdata/local/Rockstar Games and appdata/local/microsoft/xlive folders from your backup, and patch the game to the same version as before. Then run this tool to successfully load your save games. Thank you!

    p.s: i’m using windows 7 x64 and gta4 1.0.4.0.

  20. johny says:

    hi please i tryed this way but i didn t work , please if you can reply me on short–cut@hotmail.com , and tell what to do to play gta .

  21. Nowie says:

    Guys! It works!
    just read older Posts:

    You need to uninstall your games for windows live version (3.xx)
    Google and install Games for Windows live 2.0
    copy xlive.dll to your game dir.
    you can copy your old save games now
    start the game.
    do not allow GFWL to update.

    hf!

  22. Sir,
    I have successfully downloaded yr…. Xlive.dll file……… and Copied it to GTA GAME FOLDER……..
    when Started the game Windows LIve Account seemed to be disable………THIS MEANS THE XLIVE.DLL WORKED
    YOUR SOFTWARE WORKED …….
    BUT DEAR PLEASE GIVE ME THE LINK FROM WHERE I CAN DOWNLOAD OFLINE XLIVE USER SAVE FILES OF GAME GTA IV….
    KINDLY SEND THE LINK TO MY E-MAIL ID……..

    mohdijtaba.alavi7@gmail.com

  23. please give me the link from there i can download SAVE FILES FROM OFLINE XLIVE USERS OF GAME GTA IV

    I GOT STUCK ON THE MISSION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PAYBACK

  24. Hello the xlive wrapper is compatible in the 1.0.0.1 or 1.0.1.0 version i’m is in the 1.0.0.0 version of grand theft auto 4 i’m like to done a folder with the final save of gta IV please… post the save at this e-mail adress : jojopilou@hotmail.com

  25. register the e mail address in your friend category please

  26. ramnathan says:

    hi…i realy appriciate ur graet work.but is there any xlive wrapper for gta 4 v-1.0.2.0? (ofline xlive)…if it is kindly post them to my email id: ramanathanm90@yahoo.com.
    i hope u would respond to my request……

  27. noneed says:

    so do you have the old versions of xlive still available….I was using the one for 1.0.6 and it worked great. My harddrive crashed and I had to reinstall and now I have no way to play the game with fun (but obviously offline) cheats. So do you have the old xlive wrappers and can you please post them here?

  28. Shashank says:

    Hey man,I have Original GTA IV V1.0.0.0 And i want to use savegame so i downloaded one save game,as it says that coppy xlive.dll in GTA IV dir and Savegame in My Doc. Dir.It doesn’t work then i use copyxlivedirectory but still game not starts and when i remove xlive.dll, then it works. how to fix this, does xlive not work in original gta 4? or is there another version of it . Reply please

  29. peter says:

    Is there a hack that completes the story in Grand theft auto San andreas?

  30. i want to now how to hack grand theft auto 4 on the ps3

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    […]Hacking Grand Theft Auto IV: Part III « Rick’s Game Stuff[…]…

  32. v9dragon says:

    where is the fucking savegames folder…… can anyone tell me….

    Windows 7 x64 bit

  33. Angry says:

    How do i reverse this shit? my game wont start at all, just waited 13hrs downloading the game on steam and now im getting nowhere!

  34. Bas says:

    Thank you Rick, it worked for me but it taked a hour for me.. But after all it worked for me!

  35. BITW says:

    Rick, you are god ma man..! thanks a lot….

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