Can’t figure out why Discord is not opening on your computer?
Discord is one of the best communication platforms in the market. With over 300 million registered users, it’s no doubt that many people prefer using Discord than any other services out there.
However, this doesn’t mean that Discord is flawless.
Despite Discord’s incredible development team, there are some issues on the platform that keeps on going back. While they quickly roll out patches and updates, many users still encounter problems.
One of the most common issues on Discord is the dedicated desktop app refusing to open.
Most of the time, this issue is caused by offline or faulty servers. On the other hand, it can be due to third-party applications blocking Discord, windows-related issues, or corrupted installation files.
To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing Discord if it’s not opening on your computer.
Let’s dive right in!
1. Check Discord Servers.
Before changing your system configurations, identify where the problem is coming from. You can do this by visiting Discord’s status page, where you can view the current situation of their services.
If there’s an ongoing issue with the servers, the only thing you can do is wait.
On the other hand, you can proceed to the following solution below if Discord’s servers are up and running.
2. Restart Your System.
If Discord is not opening on your computer, it may indicate that there’s a problem with your operating system. A temporary bug or error may have occurred on your device, causing applications like Discord to malfunction.
To rule this out, restart your system to reload its resources.
Here’s what you need to do:
- First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu.
- After that, go to the Power Options tab.
- Lastly, choose Restart.
Try launching Discord after restarting your computer to check if the problem is solved.
3. Run Discord As Admin.
Discord may not have the proper permissions to your system to access certain files needed by the app. If this is the case, try running Discord as an administrator to grant it full access to your system.
Here’s how you can launch Discord as an admin:
- On your computer, right-click on Discord and choose Properties.
- Now, go to the Compatibility tab.
- Finally, enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator‘ option.
Once done, try opening Discord to check if the problem.
4. Disable Your Antivirus.
Third-party antivirus is a tool that protects your system from malware and other viruses. However, some get too protective and restrict even legitimate applications like Discord from running.
If you can’t open Discord on your computer, try turning off your antivirus first.
On the other hand, you can try adding Discord to your antivirus’ safelist or allowlist if it supports that feature.
5. Check Your Data and Time.
Like any online application, Discord requires your system date and time settings to be set accordingly. If your date and time are incorrect, Discord won’t allow your system to connect with the servers.
To fix your system date and time, follow the guide below:
- First, press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to open Windows Settings.
- After that, click on Time & Language.
- Now, access the Date & Time tab.
- Lastly, ensure that the ‘Set Time Automatically’ option is enabled.
Restart your computer afterward and try launching Discord.
6. Clear Discord Cache.
Discord uses app cache to improve its overall performance. However, these caches accumulate over time and could become corrupted. When this happens, some features may not work, or Discord itself won’t open.
To fix this, follow the steps below to reset Discord’s cache:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows + R keys to open the Run Command.
- Next, type ‘%appdata%’ and hit the Enter key.
- Finally, go to the Discord folder and delete its content.
Once done, see if Discord will open on your computer.
7. Update Windows.
The current version of Windows you’re using may not be compatible with Discord or has an underlying issue that prevents the app from launching. To fix this, update your operating system to the latest version possible.
Follow the steps below to update Windows:
- Press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to open Windows Settings.
- After that, go to Update & Security and click on Windows Update.
- Finally, click on Check for Update and follow the prompts to install the latest version.
Go back to Discord afterward to check if the problem is solved.
8. Reinstall Discord.
If Discord is still not opening on your computer, try reinstalling the app. Some of its files may have gotten severely corrupted and are no longer fixable.
Here’s how you can delete Discord on Windows:
- On your computer, open the Control Panel.
- Now, click on Uninstall a Program.
- Finally, right-click on Discord and select Uninstall.
Go to Discord’s website afterward and download the latest installer from there.
9. Report the Problem.
At this point, if you still can’t open Discord, we suggest that you let the professionals handle the situation.
Go to Discord’s Support page and get in touch with their team to report the issue you’ve been experiencing. While waiting, browse the guides on their page and see if you can find alternative solutions.
That ends our guide for fixing Discord if it’s not opening on your computer. If you have questions or other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
