Star Citizen - Account Data Update Failed; How to Fix It

When launching Star Citizen many players at least once encountered some kind of error. And one of the particularly troublesome ones is the one related to the message "account data update failed" and code 16008. Fortunately, there are several ways to deal with it and you will find them below.

"Account data update failed" - how to solve the problem?

Source: Cloud Imperium Games

The error with code 16008 is related to a problem during data synchronization between your user account and the game itself. There could be many reasons for this, so there is no single way to deal with the error. Depending on the individual case, the solution may be any of the steps listed below.

1. Check the status of Star Citizen servers. After all, the problem may lie with the developers, in which case you'll be unable to do anything. Up-to-date information on the status of the servers can be found here.
2. Make sure you are using the current version of the Launcher. If for some reason it did not update automatically, you can download the latest version here.
3. Find the game's .exe file in its main folder and run it as administrator. This sounds like a trivial solution to the problem, but some players commented online that it was this simple step that allowed them to bypass the error.
4. Make sure that nothing interferes with the data transfer. The source of problems could be an overzealous antivirus software, firewall or specific VPN settings. To be sure, add the .exe file of Star Citizen and RSI Launcher to the exception lists of troublesome apps.
5. Disable overlays, such as Geforce Experience, if you use them.
6. Verify your game files from within RSI Launcher.
7. Make sure that the problem does not lie with your Internet provider. Sometimes the companies providing you with network connectivity may have automatic mechanisms that block synchronization in Star Citizen. In this case, you must contact your provider and explain the problem.

The above solutions are the easiest steps to take. However, if they did not give you the desired results, you can also try more radical ways. You will find a list of them below.

1. The source of the problems may be an incorrect Windows Hosts file. In this case, you need to open the said file, which you will find in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc and remove the lines referring to RSI servers from it. You can also restore the Hosts file to its default state. Here you will learn how to do this.
2. Delete the Star Citizen folder, which by default is located in C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local.
3. The last way to solve the problem is to perform a character reset. Note, however, that this action cannot be undone, so opt for it as a last resort. You can find information on how to perform a reset here.