GTAV Mods Manager

Language: English | 繁體中文 | 简体中文

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1. Program Name

GTAV Mods Manager — a minimalist, safety-first mod manager for Grand Theft Auto V on Windows.

2. Authors

• SpaceSquare
• Claude Code

3. Introduction

GTAV Mods Manager automatically detects your Grand Theft Auto V installation, identifies mod file types, and deploys them to the correct game directories — while strictly protecting the game's core binaries. It is built for players who want to install mods quickly without risking their game files.

Highlights:

• Automatic GTA V path detection across Registry, Steam, Epic, and Rockstar.
• A Mod Auto-Installation Engine that recognizes .oiv, .asi, .dll, .lua, and folders.
• A safety guard that can never modify core game binaries, with double-consent verification and automatic backups before any change.
• Essential component checks (Script Hook V, Script Hook V .NET, OpenIV, .NET runtime).
• A minimalist dark UI built on golden-ratio proportions.
• Tri-language interface: English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese (default: English).

4. How to Use

1. Launch GTAV_Mods_Manager.exe (it requests administrator rights because mods are written into the game directory).
2. Detect the game path — click Auto-detect GTA V path. If detection fails, set the folder manually.
3. Check components — review the Script Hook V / Script Hook V .NET / OpenIV / .NET runtime status. Install any that are missing.
4. Install a mod — click Select File or Select Folder, review the detected file count, then click Install. The engine runs the safety gate, asks for double consent if existing files would change, requests administrator rights only if needed, backs up originals, deploys, and verifies (rolling back on any failure).
5. Manage installed mods — the Installed Mods list shows what you have installed. Use Edit to fill in details (Link, Mod Type, Spawn Name, …) and Uninstall to remove a mod and restore its backups.
6. Export to Excel — click Export to Excel to save an .xlsx with two sheets (Install Mods / Uninstall Mods) and a clickable Link column.
7. Choose an install mode in Settings (sidebar): Safe, Assisted, or Advanced. Add-on vehicles (a folder containing dlc.rpf) need Assisted or Advanced. Changing a setting asks you to confirm; enabling Advanced shows a mandatory risk waiver.
8. Switch language anytime using the EN / 繁 / 简 buttons in the sidebar.

A full walkthrough is in the User Manual.

5. Features

Feature	Description
Game Path Detection	Registry, Steam, Epic, and Rockstar auto-detection with manual override.
Mod Auto-Installation Engine	Recognizes .oiv, .asi, .dll, .lua, and folder structures; maps each file to its target directory.
Menyoo XML	Auto-detects the right menyooStuff subfolder for a Menyoo .xml, plus manual buttons to force Outfit / Spooner / Vehicle / WeaponsLoadout.
In-app Editor	Manually edit any game file as text (e.g. dlclist.xml, .meta) — .exe is always blocked; saves back up the original and require double-consent.
Install Helper	Read-only: inspects a mod folder, lists file types, shows README/changelog, and explains how to install.
SP → FiveM Converter	Converts single-player asset mods (vehicles, peds, weapons, maps) into a FiveM resource with a generated fxmanifest.lua. Reads unencrypted .rpf archives directly (including nested ones) — unpacks them and rebuilds resource headers automatically. Reads content.xml for accurate data_file types; detects and reports scripts and encrypted archives that can't be converted.
Copy Anywhere	Right-click any displayed text to copy it.
Safety Guard	Core binaries (.exe) can never be modified; overwrites/deletions require double-consent verification.
Automatic Backup & Rollback	Originals are backed up before changes; a failed install rolls back automatically.
Component Checker	Detects Script Hook V, Script Hook V .NET, OpenIV, and the .NET runtime, with official download links.
Script Hook V .NET Nightly	One-click download & install of the latest nightly loader files from the official nightly repository.
Mod Conflict Detection	Warns before install when a file is already deployed by another mod, listing the overlaps.
Enable / Disable Mods	Temporarily deactivate a mod (files moved to staging) and reactivate it later, without uninstalling.
Full Backup / Restore	One-click zip backup of the whole mods\ folder and double-consent restore.
Update Check	Checks GitHub for a newer release on startup (toggleable) and on demand.
Install Modes	Safe / Assisted (OpenIV) / Advanced (Auto-RPF, experimental). Add-on vehicles register/unregister in dlclist.xml.
Risk Gating	Every settings change needs an "I know what I'm doing" confirmation; Advanced requires a mandatory risk waiver.
Installed-mods Tracking	Records every install (with editable details) and keeps uninstalled history.
Excel Export	Exports installed/uninstalled mods to a styled .xlsx with a hyperlinked Link column.
Tri-language UI	English / Traditional Chinese / Simplified Chinese, switchable at runtime (default English).
Minimalist Dark Theme	Golden-ratio layout, low-chroma palette for comfortable use.
Logging	One log file per day for troubleshooting.

6. Installation

Option A — Use the packaged build (recommended)

1. Get the Packaged_Program folder containing GTAV_Mods_Manager.exe and the Localization folder.
2. Keep GTAV_Mods_Manager.exe and the Localization folder together (the app reads language packs from Localization next to the executable).
3. Double-click GTAV_Mods_Manager.exe and approve the administrator prompt.

No .NET installation is required — the build is self-contained.

Option B — Build from source

Requirements: Windows 10/11 (64-bit) and the .NET 8 SDK.

# From Source_Code/
dotnet build                                   # build the solution
dotnet run --project src/GTAV_Mods_Manager.App # run the app
dotnet test                                    # run unit tests

Package a self-contained single-file executable:

# From Source_Code/
dotnet publish src/GTAV_Mods_Manager.App/GTAV_Mods_Manager.App.csproj `
  -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true `
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true `
  -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true `
  -p:EnableCompressionInSingleFile=true `
  -p:DebugType=none `
  -o ..\Packaged_Program

This is the recommended build: a single ~73 MB .exe that runs on any Windows 10/11 machine with no prerequisites.

Optionally, build a much smaller framework-dependent version (~5 MB) for machines that already have the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime installed:

# From Source_Code/ — produces a folder of files; zip it for distribution.
dotnet publish src/GTAV_Mods_Manager.App/GTAV_Mods_Manager.App.csproj `
  -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false `
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true `
  -p:DebugType=none `
  -o ..\Packaged_Program_FrameworkDependent

The framework-dependent build will not start without the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime, so the self-contained build above remains the default download.

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First Run on Windows

The first time you run the downloaded .exe, Windows may show safety prompts because the app is not code-signed:

1. SmartScreen — if you see "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. This appears for any unsigned app downloaded from the internet.
2. User Account Control (UAC) — the app now opens without administrator rights, so there is no UAC prompt at launch. UAC is requested only when you install a mod into a folder that needs elevation (e.g. under Program Files); approve it at that point.

To verify your download is genuine, check that its SHA-256 matches the value shown on the release page.

Safety Notice

This tool never alters GTA5.exe, GTA5_Enhanced.exe, PlayGTAV.exe, or other protected core files. Always mod a legitimately owned copy and avoid using mods in GTA Online — doing so violates Rockstar's Terms of Service.

License

Released under the GTAV Mods Manager License — see LICENSE.

In short: you may download and use it freely. If you modify, re-upload, or build on it, you must conspicuously credit "Creators: SpaceSquare & Claude Code | Owner: SpaceSquare". Questions and feedback: chin52696411@gmail.com.

Disclaimer

This is an unofficial tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rockstar Games. Use at your own risk.