STAR WARS™: The Old Republic™ launcher troubleshooting guide

How to launch SW:TOR

SW:TOR has two different launchers.

The direct download launcher, downloaded from swtor.com.
The Steam launcher, if you play through Steam.

Both launchers give you access to the game and your game progress as long as you use the same account. Identifying which launcher you’re using will help with troubleshooting.

General error messages

If you’re getting an error message in the launcher, use CTRL + F to search for it on this page and find the solution.

Run SW:TOR and the launcher as an administrator.

You need to run the launcher as an administrator so it can update the game files on your hard drive.

Only a single instance of this application can run.

Use Task Manager (Press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC or press the Windows key and X then choose Task Manager) to find swtor.exe or launcher.exe. If you see them in the list, select each one, then click End Task. Now, try the launcher again.

Network Error. Check your internet connection.

This could mean there’s an issue with your internet connection or that software on your computer (like a firewall, a VPN, or an antivirus program) is stopping the launcher from connecting to our servers.

Direct download client error messages

Error downloading patch data. Retrying…

This means the launcher can’t pull data from our servers. It will keep retrying until it connects or until you close the launcher. This could be due to a server outage or a problem with your internet connection, which can be caused by a firewall, VPN, or anti-virus program.

An error occurred updating. Repair.

1
Click the Settings cog on the launcher.
2
On the Settings screen, click the Repair button, then click Save.

The Repair button is clickable if you’re logged into the launcher and it detected an error. If the repair doesn’t work, there may be a problem with your hard drive or your system’s memory. Go down to the next section and try the troubleshooting steps there.

Reliable source serving corrupt data

This error message only appears in your launcher logs. It means that the data you downloaded is corrupted. In most cases, this happens because of a problem with your system’s RAM or hard drive.

How to switch launchers

If you switch launchers, you’ll have to download the entire game again.

To switch launchers uninstall the one you currently use. The steps to remove all versions of the launcher are the same:

1
Make sure you’ve logged out of the game completely.
2
Go to Add/Remove programs on your computer.
3
Scroll down the list to Star Wars: The Old Republic and select it.
4
Choose Uninstall.
5
Confirm you want to uninstall and wait for the uninstallation to complete.
6
Restart your computer before downloading a new launcher.
This makes sure your old files are completely deleted and won’t interfere with the new installation.

Software conflicts

Firewall and antivirus

Sometimes when the launcher updates, your antivirus or firewall can mistakenly flag it or the main game program file as a danger. You need to add launcher.exe and swtor.exe to the exception list for both programs. If you already had them on the list, remove them and add them again.You’ll find instructions on how to do this for your antivirus and firewall on their manufacturers’ websites. If you’re using the Windows Firewall, choose your operating system from the list below to find instructions on the Microsoft website.

Other software conflicts

Check that the date and time on your computer are both correct for your current time zone.
Disable your screensaver.
Extend the time it takes for your computer to go into sleep mode.
Close any programs you have running in the background while you’re patching.

Troubleshooting your network

If you’re connecting from work, college, a hotel, or another closed network, check with a network administrator to see if the network is configured to allow you to access the game. The following TCP ports and port ranges need to be available for you to connect to SW:TOR.

80
8995
12000-12999
20000-30000

If you use a VPN to connect to the internet, you need to make sure that the game can use the SW:TOR TCP port ranges listed above.