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PronteraWiki

FAQ — Ragnarok Online

Getting Started

FAQ

Is PronteraFree Pre-Renewal?

Yes. PronteraFree uses classic Pre-Renewal Ragnarok Online gameplay and mechanics.

What are the rates?

1× / 1× / 1× (base, job and drop). Maximum base level is 99 and maximum job level is 70.

Does PronteraFree have autoplay? Do I need a bot?

Autoplay is built into the game, so you never need an external bot. Third-party botting is not allowed and is bannable.

How many clients can I run?

A maximum of 3 clients per player, to keep the game fair for everyone.

Is PronteraFree pay to win?

No. PronteraFree is built around fair play with no pay to win.

Do I have to play the Pokémon and Digital worlds?

No — they are optional adventures. You can play classic Ragnarok only, or dip into the other worlds whenever you like.

When is War of Emperium?

War of Emperium is coming soon. The schedule will be announced on the PronteraFree Discord and Facebook page.

The launcher says "Failed to take the update lock: Access is denied (os error 5)"

PronteraFree launcher showing the red error bar: Failure: Failed to take the update lock: Access is denied. (os error 5)

This is what the error looks like: a red bar at the top of the launcher, and the game does not update.

Your game files and your account are fine — nothing is broken. Windows is simply stopping the launcher from writing to its own folder.

Why it happens

  • The game is installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\PronteraFree (or C:\Program Files\…). Windows protects these folders: normal programs may read files there, but not write to them.
  • Before patching, the launcher creates a small lock file, PronteraFree Patcher.lock, so that two launchers can never patch at the same time.
  • Started normally (without administrator rights), the launcher isn't allowed to create that file inside Program Files — so Windows answers "Access is denied" (error 5) and the update stops.

Fix 1 — Quick: run it as administrator

  1. Close the PronteraFree launcher completely.
  2. Right-click the PronteraFree shortcut (or PronteraFree.exe in your game folder).
  3. Choose Run as administrator and click Yes.
  4. Let the patch finish, then press Play.

You'll need to do this every time you start the launcher — or use Fix 2.

Fix 2 — Always run as administrator

  1. Right-click the PronteraFree shortcut → Properties.
  2. Open the Compatibility tab.
  3. Tick Run this program as an administrator → OK.

From now on Windows asks "Yes / No" each time you open the launcher; click Yes and it patches normally.

Fix 3 — Permanent: reinstall outside Program Files

Uninstall PronteraFree, then reinstall it to a simple folder such as C:\Games\PronteraFree. Windows doesn't protect that folder, so the launcher works without administrator rights and this error never comes back.

No need to download the game again: if you ticked keep installer when you first installed, just run that installer again and choose the new folder.
Still not working? Make sure only one launcher is open — check the taskbar and the icons next to the clock, and close any second copy. Add your PronteraFree folder to your antivirus allowed list (exclusions). Still stuck? Post a screenshot in our Discord support channel.

How do I get help?

Join our Discord from any page on the site — it's the fastest way to reach players and staff.