I’m trying to package my project, I’ve been trying for quite a while, and I’m approaching a due date where I need to turn in the packaged product. I’m constantly getting the “PackagingResults: Error: Unknown Error” error, no other errors.
I’ve seen a million threads about this, but none of them have my exact issue. I’ve tried updating Visual Studio as much as needed, I’ve dug through my unreal engine and project files to try to find something that seems wrong, but I can’t figure it out. I started a new third person project and built it, and it packaged without the error. I’ve tried to package on multiple different computers as well, if that means anything. It’s failed on all of them.
I would be so grateful for a reply as soon as possible!
Thank you for providing the full log. After reviewing all its contents, I think you are in the right track.
At first instance, the main cultrip should be VS, per the line “Visual Studio 2022 x64 must be installed in order to build this target.” But you have opened a new project and packaged it normally, so we know that VS is fine, we can rule that out. And attempting to pack in other PCs with the same result, means that the issue is tied to the project itself.
So the best approach is to refresh the build itself, as something in its cache is either not reading VS’s install, or another element is corrupt. Close both UE and VS, go to your project folders, and delete the contents from Intermediate, Binaries, Saved, and DerivedDataCache folders. After that, regenerate your project files, and try to pack again.
Ok, I tried out deleting those folders and regenerating the files and all, I’m still getting an error, it has at some point switched over to a cook error instead of a packaging error, and it is happening in other projects as well now that I’m on a different computer than this morning (sorry, it’s a bit confusing having to switch PCs)
I think the log may be a little different, so here’s what I’ve gotten in the log this time
Awesome, progress has been made. Checking the new log, it states that more information can be found in the cook trace:
(see C:\Users\elyse\AppData\Roaming\Unreal Engine\AutomationTool\Logs\C+Program+Files+Epic+Games+UE_5.4\Log.txt for full exception trace)
Please send that log too, so we can pinpoint the cause. Additionally, there is one more line to check:
LogLauncherProfile: Unable to use promoted target - ../../../../../../Users/elyse/OneDrive/Documents/Unreal Projects/piratesPrototype/Binaries/Win64/UnrealGame.target does not exist.
This suggest a critical targer is missing, it could be just noise during the build, unless you are using the Multi-User plugin in your project, then that element could be taken by another session.
Please check that file in particular, and send the trace log, so we can continue investigating.
No worries, and thank you for that final log. I think we have the cultrip here:
UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path ‘C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.4\Engine\Programs\AutomationTool\Saved’ is denied.
This line means that UE is trying to commit an action, but it does not have the permissions to do so, and that brings the whole process down. It’s a matter of admin rights and permissions.
To resolve this, you can either run UE itself as administrator, or run an elevated command prompt for the process, as seen in this thread’s similar scenario:
Unfortunately the issue has not been resolved, and now “content is missing from cook” is a new error that pops up in addition. Here’s the log log
and there was another log mentioned in this one, this is it
Excellent, now we are getting to very specific errors, with direct actions available. Checking both logs, I found two issues with multiple instances:
The first problem, there are calls to invalid asset references, marked as “NeverCook”
LogCook: Error: Content is missing from cook. Source package referenced an object in target package but the target package was marked NeverCook or is not cookable for the target platform. UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Source package: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/UI_PirateIcon UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Target package: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Referenced object: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew
LogCook: Error: Content is missing from cook. Source package referenced an object in target package but the target package was marked NeverCook or is not cookable for the target platform. UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Source package: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/UI_PirateIcon UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Target package: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew UATHelper: Packaging (Windows): Referenced object: /Game/Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew.AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew
As for the second problem, there are three calls to an element with a name too long for Windows to handle:
Error: Couldn’t save package, filename is too long (280 >= 260): C:/Users/elyse/OneDrive/Documents/Unreal Projects/piratesPrototype/Saved/Cooked/Windows/piratesPrototype/Content/Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4p8fmbiZ2GCeIVnWc28lPRcdGhhKPdn0JImcGvroJrIQq_KVHzkc6_HXI-vdeca4F72of-cvTCnHYufaEToZAV8iMEi5GdxMK_WM8adM0R6amSn8DVDitxl80q8IhrsGGpKPvew.uasset
Now, to resolve issue 1, find the references to “Story/CharacterUI/UI_PirateIcon” and “Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4 … .uasset”, either fix redirectors, or reassign/remove the references all together.
Then, for issue 2, since OneDrive already extends your name files, move your project to a shorter folder path (example: C:/UEPro/piraProto/). As an alternative, although not recommended due possible plugin issues, is to enable long paths in Windows itself, following the instructions below:
After all these steps are complete, please repeat the project clear, via deleting the contents from Intermediate, Saved, and DerivedDataCache (not Binaries this time), run “Fix up Redirectors” in all folders of the Content Browser, and finally, try to pack the project again. Hopefully, this should be the one.
I fixed the redirectors for the folder containing the “Story/CharacterUI/AD_4nXd4 … .uasset”, also renamed the asset because of the name length. The “Story/CharacterUI/UI_PirateIcon” didn’t need redirection.
I moved the folder (C:/Test/piratesPrototype, but it seems as if the error is still occuring. I wonder if I did something wrong with the redirectors? error
That’s unfortunate, checking through your new log, it seems we are back to a previous stage, indeed. The build completes itself, but the cook fails immediately.
Please send the extended log from C:\Users\elyse\AppData\Roaming\Unreal Engine\AutomationTool\Logs\C+Program+Files+Epic+Games+UE_5.4\Log.txt
In the meantime, please try forcing redirectors once again, in the CharacterUI folder, and check the reference viewer on UI_PirateIcon, maybe something is still linked to it:
In the Content Browser , right-click on the assets you suspect might be causing issues.
Select Asset Actions > Find References or Reference Viewer . This will allow you to trace dependencies and identify any assets that are not cookable.
If the target asset is not needed, either remove the reference to the problematic asset or make sure the asset is properly marked for cooking.
Also, were you able to check about the “NeverCook” tags mentioned in the previous update? For those, please make sure to implement the following:
Open the asset causing the problem (from the content browser).
Go to the Details panel.
Look for an option related to cooking or packaging, such as NeverCook .
Sorry, I hadn’t previously caught how to check the NeverCook tags, I’ve done that now. The only tags that had something to do with this was “Should Cook Property Guids?” I changed that to yes because I’m not sure what to check it to. There was also “Never Stream” But I’m unable to change that.
Not sure what to do here because there wasn’t any NeverCook tag (aka I couldn’t change the asset being properly marked for cooking) and the reference is very neccessary.
Thank you for sending the extendedn log, we are back on succesfull build, followed by almost instant cook crash. And the error obtained is one from our previous posts as well:
UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path ‘C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.4\Engine\Programs\AutomationTool\Saved\Cook-2025.05.17-13.27.15.txt’ is denied.
UE is attempting to cook in that directoty, but Windows is refusing access. This could happend even when running Unreal with admin rights, as the process launched by the AutomationTool could be blocked anyway.
My suggestion would be to either disable UAC in your system, then run the process again. If the issue persists, try moving the entire project to another directory not contained between “Program Files”, so permissions don’t get in the way.