How to fix Minecraft error code 5

If you’re into video games that involve building structures and gathering materials for such structures, then you sure have played or come across Minecraft atleast once. Released by Majong in 2011, this sandbox survival building game has achieved the title of “one of the greatest video games of all time”. Minecraft has few game modes, each with it’s own set of objectives and gameplay elements. You can choose to gather materials and prepare yourself against an incoming horde of monsters, or you can simply build massive structures without any interference. Although the game is enjoyed by gamers all around the world, many players have reported that they’ve come across an Error Code 5 while trying to play Minecraft.

After trying to launch the game, many players received the following message – “Problem moving C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft\tmp\tmpLauncher.exe to MinecraftLauncher.exe with error code 5”. Here are some ways through which you can fix error code 5 in Minecraft.

• Run the game as Administrator

 In many cases, not giving administrator privileges to Minecraft may result in error code 5. The solution to this is quite simple. All you need to do is run the game as an administrator.

1. Right-click on the Minecraft icon and select “Run as administrator”. However, if you want to permanently run the game as an administrator, then do the following.
2. Right-click on the Minecraft icon and select Properties.
3. Go to the Compatibility tab and click on “Run this program as an administrator”.
4. Click on OK.

• Update Minecraft Launcher

   If your launcher is outdated, it might be the cause for this error. Updating your Minecraft launcher is not exactly a straightforward method but following the steps below will do the trick.

1. Open Nativelog.txt file in the Minecraft folder.
2. Look for a link that ends with “MinecraftLauncher.exe”. And copy it.
3. Open your web browser and copy the link in the URL tab.
4. Download the latest Minecraft launcher from that website.
5. Paste the new MinecraftLauncher.exe in the MInecraft folder. Click OK when the Replace prompt appears.
6. Delete Minecraft.exe.

• Copy tmpLauncher to Minecraft folder

 If the above solutions does not work for you, then you can try manipulating the Minecraft launcher file itself. You need to replace it with another file from the Minecraft directory. Follow the steps below accurately as any wrong move may end up escalating the issue.

1. Open the following directory – C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft\tmp. This directory might be different if you have installed Minecraft in a different location.
2. Right-click the tmpLauncher.tmp and select Copy. Do not paste it anywhere yet.
3. Now head back to C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft and delete Minecraft.exe.
4. Now paste the tmpLauncher.tmp in that location.
5. Rename it to Minecraft.exe.

Hopefully, these solutions will help you out with error code 5 in Minecraft and you can go back to building massive structures to your heart’s content.

Cover Image Credits: Minecraft Official Website