Troubleshooting
Login fails
Hardware ID mismatch
Error: Hardware ID mismatch — contact support
The hardware ID stored for your account doesn't match the machine you're logging in from. This happens when:
- You reinstalled Windows
- You replaced significant hardware (CPU, motherboard)
- You're trying to use the launcher on a second machine
Fix: Request an HWID reset from your Profile page. An admin will process the request. Once approved, log in again and the new HWID will be registered.
HWID resets are reviewed manually. Allow some time for processing.
Wrong password or username not found
Error: Wrong password or username not found
Either the username doesn't exist or the password is wrong. Try the Forgot password? link on the login screen, or check Caps Lock.
System is in maintenance mode
Error: System is in maintenance mode. Try again later.
The platform is in maintenance. Watch the Discord announcements for the all-clear, then log in again. There's nothing to fix on your end.
Splash stuck on "SERVER ERROR"
The launcher can't reach api.zcore.club. Possible causes:
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| No internet | Check your connection |
DNS / firewall blocks *.zcore.club | Whitelist the domain in your firewall and DNS resolver |
| Platform outage | Check https://zcore.club/status from a browser; if that's also down, wait |
| Antivirus blocking outbound connections | Add the launcher folder as an exclusion |
Close and relaunch once the issue is resolved.
Auto-update fails or loops
The launcher updates itself after login. If you see repeated UPDATE DOWNLOADING → SERVER ERROR cycles:
- Make sure your antivirus / Windows Defender hasn't quarantined the new file in your
%TEMP%folder. Add an exclusion for%TEMP%\zcore-client-update.exeand the launcher install directory. - Make sure the launcher folder is writable (run as Administrator, not from a read-only path like Program Files without elevation).
- If the launcher folder is on OneDrive / a synced cloud folder, move it to a normal local path — file locking confuses the swap.
Status pip is red
The status strip at the bottom of the home view shows whether your machine is ready to inject. If any required pip is red:
HVCI pip is red
Cause: Hyper-V Code Integrity (sometimes called "Memory Integrity") is enabled. ZCORE's driver loader is incompatible with it.
Fix:
- Open Windows Security → Device security → Core isolation details
- Turn Memory integrity off
- Reboot
After reboot the HVCI pip should be green.
Memory Integrity off slightly reduces Windows's exploit mitigation. If you also use the same machine for security-sensitive work, weigh that trade-off — but for a working ZCORE inject it's required.
EFI pip is red
Cause: You haven't booted from the EFI USB stick this session. The hook lives in firmware runtime memory and is cleared on every reboot.
Fix:
- Save anything open in Windows
- Plug in the EFI USB stick
- Reboot
- Press the boot menu key (usually F11, F12, or Esc during early boot) and pick the USB stick
- Watch for the ZCORE logo flash before Windows starts
- Log in to Windows, start the launcher — EFI pip should now be green
If you've never set up the USB stick, see Installation step 4.
Driver pip is red
Cause: The kernel driver isn't loaded yet. This is normal before your first inject of the session — clicking Inject will load it. If it stays red after a failed inject, see the next section.
SB (Secure Boot) pip is red
Informational only. Secure Boot off is the supported configuration. The pip being red doesn't block injection.
EFI doesn't boot from USB
You picked the USB stick from the boot menu, but the machine went straight into Windows without showing the ZCORE logo, or you saw an error like No bootable device / Operating system not found.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Files in a subfolder, not the stick's root | Move EFI\ and startup.nsh directly to the root of the stick. The path must be <stick>:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi, not <stick>:\zcore-efi\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi |
| Stick formatted as NTFS / exFAT | Reformat as FAT32. Firmware can't read NTFS or exFAT for boot |
| Secure Boot still on | Disable Secure Boot in firmware setup |
| Legacy / CSM boot mode | Switch firmware to UEFI-only boot. Note: switching modes usually requires reinstalling Windows on GPT |
| Wrong entry in the boot menu | Look for one that says UEFI: <stick name> rather than just <stick name> |
| Bundle download was corrupt | Re-download the EFI bundle from the Dashboard and re-extract |
If the logo flashes but the EFI pip is still red after Windows boots, the bundle on the stick is likely outdated. Download a fresh copy from the Dashboard.
Injection fails
The Inject button turns red and labels the failing stage. Match the stage to the cause:
| Stage that failed | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Checking driver / Loading driver | HVCI on, missing EFI component, or anti-cheat blocking the driver load | Check status strip pips first |
Authorizing | Subscription expired or HWID mismatch | Check Subscriptions; request HWID reset if needed |
Downloading | Network drop, antivirus quarantined the module | Retry; if persistent, add exclusion for the launcher folder |
Launching | Game not running, or game updated and the module isn't ready yet | Start the game first; if the game just updated, check Status for the module |
Always start the game before clicking Inject.
Launcher won't start / access denied
The ZCORE launcher requires administrator privileges.
- Right-click the launcher executable
- Select Run as administrator
- If Windows blocks the file or your antivirus quarantines it, add an exclusion for the launcher's install folder
If the launcher is in a path your user can't write to (e.g. C:\Program Files\... without elevation) the auto-update will fail — move the install folder to a writable location like your user directory.
Subscription stuck in "pending"
New purchases require manual admin confirmation. Pending status is normal immediately after purchase.
If your subscription has been pending for more than 24 hours:
- Contact support via Discord or the support URL shown on the platform
- Include your username and the game/plan you purchased
Launcher disconnects during session
The launcher maintains a live connection to the backend. If your internet drops, the session will be interrupted. Simply relaunch.
If disconnects happen frequently with a stable connection, check the Status page — the backend may be in maintenance.
Download link not visible (Dashboard)
The launcher download link only appears on the Dashboard when:
- You are logged in to the web panel
- You have at least one active subscription
If you have an active subscription and the link still doesn't appear, try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.
You only need to download the launcher manually once. After that it keeps itself up to date automatically.
Web session expired / kicked to login
Web sessions last 8 hours. After expiry you'll be redirected to the login page. This is expected — log in again to continue. The Windows launcher uses a 30-day client session and isn't affected.
Still stuck?
Join the ZCORE Discord and open a support ticket. Include:
- Your username
- What you were trying to do
- The exact error message (or which inject stage failed)
- Whether the status strip pips were all green before you clicked