ScriptHookVDotNet Installation Guide - Complete Tutorial 2026

ScriptHookVDotNet Installation Guide — Step by Step (2026)

ScriptHookVDotNet (SHVDN) enables .NET-based script mods in GTA 5. Most popular script mods require SHVDN to function. This tutorial walks you through a clean installation from scratch.

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

1. Install ScriptHookV first — download from dev-c.com, copy ScriptHookV.dll and dinput8.dll to GTA 5 root
2. Download SHVDN — go to GitHub releases page, download the latest release ZIP
3. Extract SHVDN files — copy these to GTA 5 root directory:
   • ScriptHookVDotNet.asi
   • ScriptHookVDotNet2.dll
   • ScriptHookVDotNet3.dll
4. Create scripts folder — create a folder named scripts inside your GTA 5 root
5. Install .NET Framework 4.8 — download and install from Microsoft if not already present
6. Install Visual C++ 2019+ — required by many .NET mods
7. Place mod scripts — put your .dll mod files inside the scripts folder
8. Launch and test — start GTA 5 and check ScriptHookVDotNet.log in root for status

SHVDN v2 vs v3

Verification

• Check ScriptHookVDotNet.log — should show "Loading scripts..." and list loaded .dll files
• In-game test — if scripts have menus (press their hotkeys), they should appear
• Common scripts to test with: Simple Trainer, Menyoo, Enhanced Native Trainer

Common Mistakes

• Placing .dll mods in root instead of scripts/ — SHVDN only loads from the scripts folder
• Using wrong SHVDN version — some mods need v2, others v3; read the mod description
• Forgetting ScriptHookV — SHVDN cannot work without ScriptHookV installed first
• Game version mismatch — ScriptHookV must match your GTA 5 version exactly
• Missing .NET Framework — .NET 4.8+ is required even on Windows 10/11