One rather strange issue plagues Discord as the app fails to open at startup or, in some cases, shows Discord’s classic gray window without any functionality.
The great thinkers at Discord have scratched themselves in frustration at the root cause because at the time of writing there are no below-the-horizon solutions.
All is not lost, however, as we’ve compiled a list of fixes that will get Discord up and running in no time. Unfortunately, since the root of the problem is unknown, we can’t be sure who can solve it in your particular case. So this is trial and error. Here’s what to do if Discord won’t open.
Close All Discord Services & Relaunch
Sometimes previous Discord sessions might not end upright, leaving it more or less open in the background. This creates problems when you try to restart the application. To fix it, close all long-term services related to Discord. We also recommend that you do this before making any of the following fixes.
Enter Ctrl + Alt + Del on the keyboard.
Select Task Manager from the options supported by the blue screen that appears.
In the Task Manager window, find and click Discord under the services listed under Applications.
Click the End Task button that appears at the bottom right corner of the Task Manager window.
Wait for the service to stop and then open Discord again from the desktop icon or Windows Start menu, depending on how you set it up. Before even running Discord, we recommend restarting your computer and Windows as a good thing.
Set Windows Date/Time To Automatic
Here we have a weird fix, but one that worked for some. Manually setting Windows date and time information could prevent Discord from opening for reasons we know nothing about. Oh the secret!
Right-click on digital time in the lower right corner of the Windows Task menu and select Adjust Date / Time
In the Date and Time window, make sure the Automatic time setting option is selected.
Restart the computer and launch Discord.
Disable Proxies
Discord doesn’t like VPNs and the like. So, disabling proxies on your ISP connection is a safe way to clean pipes to properly open Discord. Here’s how to do it:
Right-click on the Windows start menu and click on search.
In the search field, type ”Control Panel” and select the option with the same name from the search results.
Choose ”Network and Internet” from the Control Panel options.
Click on ”Internet Options”.
In the ”Internet Properties” window that appears, click on the ”Connections” tab among the options running vertically along the top of the screen.
- Under the ”Local Area Network (LAN) Settings” section, click on ”LAN Settings”.
- Once the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings appears, find the ”Proxy server” section and ensure the ”Use a proxy server for your LAN” option is unticked.
- Click ”Ok” below, then once more in the ”Internet Properties” window
- Launch Discord
Remove Malware
Problems with opening Discord may not be related to the application itself, corrupted files, or Windows settings, but rather with malware finding its way onto your computer.
As part of your regular computer maintenance routine, running an anti-malware program like Malwarebytes has been known to solve the Discord crashing issue.
Download and install Malwarebytes from here.
Run the program to detect unexpected Trojans or other malware threats and remove them according to the instructions.
Open antivirus software and run a scan. Follow the directions to eliminate suspected threats.
Get started with Discord.
Update Discord
Visit the Discord website here and download the latest version of Discord. This application is constantly being improved and updated. That is, the most recent iteration probably has coding that you can use to fix your specific problem.
Login To Discord Browser App
Strange feedback loops causing login failures could prevent Discord from opening. To fix it:
Launch Discord on your desktop even if it doesn’t open.
Open your browser and open the Discord browser app from here.
Log into your account with your details.
Discord automatically links the two sessions and fixes login errors by resetting login processes. You will be asked to confirm whether you want to enter the desktop application, if successful. Do this to access Discord and your server.
Delete LocalAppData
Close Discord in the Task Manager using the method above.
Right-click the Windows Start menu and select Run from the drop-down options.
Enter “% localappdata%” in the search field and click “Ok”.
Find “Discord” in the file list and right-click it.
In the context drop-down menu, click Delete.
Restart Discord.
Uninstall & Reinstall Discord
Perhaps the most extreme solution in our guide that we recommend is uninstalling and reinstalling Discord if all else fails.
Right-click the Windows Start menu and click Settings.
In the Windows Settings window, click on Applications, the sixth icon in the list.
Under Applications and Features, find Discord and click on it.
Click “Uninstall” in the expanded context menu.
Follow the steps in the uninstall wizard.
A friend couldn’t hear me arguing
- Alternatively, right-click on the Windows Start menu and select search.
- Type ”Control Panel” into the search field then click on the result of the same name.
- In the Control Panel, click on the ”Uninstall a program” just below the ”Programs” option.
- Find Discord from the program list and click on it.
Click “Uninstall” right at the top of the list and follow the instructions in the uninstall wizard.To make room for a fresh install, we need to temporarily delete all Discord data by clearing the AppData folder. Note that you can skip the uninstall step and try deleting Discord’s AppData folder first to see if that solves the problem.
He is known to do this in certain cases. Make sure to close Discord and all related services before starting from the Task Manager.
Right-click the Windows Start menu and select Run from the drop-down options.
- Type ”%appdata%” into the search field and click on ”Ok”.
- Find ”Discord” among the list of files and right-click.
- From the contextual drop-down menu, click on delete.
You may want to do the same for the% localappdata% folder.
To reinstall Discord:
Once done, load up your browser of choice and visit the Downloads section of the Discord website here.
Click the Download Now button.
Discord can’t hear a friend
- When prompted, click on ”Save File”.
- Once downloaded, double click on the ”Discord Setup” executable file and follow the instructions provided by the installation wizard.
- When complete, launch Discord.
DNS Reset
Another solution is to flush out the DNS settings on the PC being used to launch Discord. As an internet-based application, Discord can sometimes encounter connection issues that are quickly ironed out by following these steps:
- Close all instances of Discord and any associated services via Task Manager as detailed above.
- Right-click on the Windows Start menu and select ”Run” from the drop-down menu that appears.
- Type ”ipconfig/flushdns” into the search field and click on ”Run”. Windows will automatically clear out the DNS for you.
- When complete, relaunch Discord.