Guide to Resolving the Starfield Lookup Failed Error

If you’ve recently updated Starfield, encountering the Lookup Failed error can be a frustrating issue. This error doesn’t crash your game or disrupt your gameplay experience directly. Instead, it manifests as a UI glitch that obscures text in your menus, making it difficult to view a variety of stats, including weapons and player status effects.

In this guide, we’ll outline several effective solutions that can help resolve this issue on your end.

What causes the Starfield Lookup Failed error?

The Lookup Failed error is a UI bug that typically arises from version mismatches and inconsistencies within internal game files. Players who are experienced with modding Bethesda titles may recognize this issue, as it also appears in Fallout 76 and Fallout 4.

How to troubleshoot and potentially fix the Starfield Lookup Failed error

This error commonly occurs in modded versions of Starfield. First and foremost, it’s essential to verify the integrity of your game files to ensure that the base game is functioning optimally.

To check if your copy of Starfield is correctly installed, follow these steps:

• For Steam users: Right-click on Starfield in your library > select Properties > go to Installed Files > click on Verify integrity of game files.
• For Xbox and Game Pass PC players: Navigate to Starfield, click the drop-down menu (the vertical dots) > select Files > then choose Verify and Repair.

Check for loose string files

In some instances, Mod Organizer 2 (MO2) or Starfield itself can generate loose files during the process of packing and unpacking archives. Loose files can overwrite the default compressed archive files that Starfield relies on, which may cause outdated string file versions to replace the current game files. This situation can lead to the Lookup Failed error appearing in quest logs or inventory. To resolve this, navigate to your Data folder and look for a strings folder. If you find one, either remove it or relocate it to a different location.

Check for mod version mismatches

The Starfield Lookup Failed error may sometimes occur due to incompatibilities between game mods. Check if a recent patch for Starfield has been released, and if so, follow these steps:

• Open your mod manager (e.g., Vortex/MO2) and disable all mods.
• Launch the game without any mods active to see if the issue persists.
• If the problem is resolved, reactivate your mods one by one to identify the culprit.
• Typically, the problematic mods are those that significantly alter numerous in-game records, such as SFCP.

One or more of these solutions should help resolve the Starfield Lookup Failed error for most players.

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