Configure a FiveM test shortcut

Keep your normal shortcut unchanged and create a separate one for a test. This makes launch arguments visible and reversible. A Windows shortcut points to an executable plus arguments; arguments belong after the closing quote around the executable path.

Create a second shortcut, not a second installation

Find FiveM.exe through your working shortcut’s Open file location. Create a shortcut to that same executable and name it FiveM - Development test. In its Properties, inspect Target and Start in. Replace the example path below with the path you just verified; do not copy the placeholder username literally.


"C:\Users\YOUR_USER\AppData\Local\FiveM\FiveM.exe" -cl2

Here, -cl2 is outside the executable quotes. Putting it inside the quotes asks Windows to find an executable whose filename includes the flag. Use this example only for the Legacy second-client workflow, after the primary client has loaded; it is not the current Enhanced workflow.

Choose arguments by the task and client track

Task	Appropriate approach	What it does not do
Start normally	Launch the unmodified shortcut	Does not change server configuration.
Run a second Legacy client	Separate shortcut with `-cl2`; first let the primary instance load	Does not create a separate purchased account or safe production test identity.
Preselect a supported Legacy build	Use the documented `-b` build argument with the required build, or the INI preference	Does not let a client ignore the server’s build requirement.
Reproduce a Legacy pure-mode issue	Use the officially documented `-pure` level only for the intended test	Does not override a server’s restrictions or establish Enhanced support for the same option.
Run an additional Enhanced client	Use the server’s isolated development mode and the in-client Debug action	Do not carry over `-cl2`, which the Enhanced manual deprecates.

The official shortcut reference documents the argument syntax. The Enhanced changes supersede older launch recipes for that track. Do not add flags copied from an old “boost FPS” list without knowing the supported behavior.

Verify the change and remove it

Launch only the new test shortcut. Record which executable and arguments were used, whether the intended build/instance appeared, and the reproduction outcome. For a two-client test, verify both clients joined the isolated development server; merely seeing two windows does not prove state synchronization.

When finished, remove the added arguments or delete the test shortcut only. Your normal shortcut and FiveM installation remain intact. An INI edit persists independently of a shortcut, so also restore any CitizenFX.ini changes made during the same investigation.

If Windows reports that it cannot find the program, check quotation marks, the actual executable location and whether an update moved it. If a client opens but the behavior is unchanged, inspect which shortcut was launched and consult the correct track’s manual. Never solve a launch problem by disabling server protections or changing another player’s account details.

Continue with the complete two-client test and identity checklist, or installation and first connection.