How do I fix "The necessary prerequisites have failed to install" error, or SU-PQR error?

If you receive a Self Update Failed error message that provides an error code like, or similar to, SU-PQE1223 or SU-PQR1603, this article contains steps that could resolve this.

  1. Run the Epic Games Launcher as an Administrator. Refer to: How do I run the Epic Games Launcher as an Administrator
  2. Update Windows. Refer to the Microsoft article: Update Windows (Opens in a new tab) 
  3. Install the latest version of the Epic Games Launcher from our website (Opens in a new tab) by clicking the Download button in the upper-right corner.
  4. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. Refer to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads (Opens in a new tab)
  5. Confirm you have read/write access to the folder
    1. Navigate to your selected install location.
    2. Right-click and select Properties.
    3. Select the Security tab.
    4. Select your username in the Group or user names box.
    5. Verify that there is a check under Allow beside both Read and Write in the Permissions box.
  6. Add the Skip Patch command line
    1. Close the Epic Games Launcher entirely.
    2. Right-click on the Epic Games Launcher shortcut. 
    3. Select Properties.
    4. At the end of the Target line, insert the following with a space:” -SkipBuildPatchPrereq”
    5. Click on Apply.
    6. Right-click on the Epic Games Launcher shortcut.
    7. Select Run as Administrator.
  7. Temporarily Disable Anti-Virus or Firewall
    Note: These applications protect your device. Even if the issue is resolved, make sure to re-enable them. If one of those caused the issue, reach out to the application developer.