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How to Fix Discord Stuck and Not Opening on Windows?

December 4, 2023
By Prasanna K

Ever since the COVID pandemic, more and more people have been using their computers for work from home, education, and most importantly entertainment via gaming. And one thing common between all of these is VoIP or essentially online calling apps. While Skype used to be the major pick for VoIP calls in the past, Discord is now a much better and bigger platform especially if you are also into gaming. This is primarily due to the vast Discord community and the expansive list of features that it offers. However, you may sometimes face issues with Discord where Discord is stuck and not opening in Windows. In that case, we are here to help.

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Outline

What is Discord?

Those of you who are new to Discord and facing the Discord stuck issue might want to learn about Discord itself first. And if put in simple words, Discord is essentially a platform made to connect people online. With this, you can text people, make chat groups, join amazing communities via Discord servers, and most importantly call people. And it offers all of this for completely free which makes it one of the largest communication apps and platforms out there.

Why is Discord Stuck and not Opening in Windows?

Even though Discord is an amazing all-rounder communication platform, it can also have some bugs and issues sometimes. One such bug or issue that you may face in Discord is Discord stuck and not opening in Windows. While there can be many possible reasons for the same, some of the common ones include:

Game in the Background: Since Discord is primarily used by gamers, it comes with an automatic gaming mode that ensures that your game is not interrupted by Discord. Because of this, if there is a game running in the background of your computer, Discord may not open on purpose so that it doesn’t distract you from your game.
Damaged or Missing Files: Just like any other program installed on your computer, Discord also has a large number of internal files which makes it function. As a result, if any of these internal data files gets damaged or goes missing, Discord may stop working and get stuck in Windows.
Discord is Blocked: There are many apps on your computer that can mistakenly block other programs and applications for security reasons. For example, Discord might be blocked and stuck because of an antivirus, Windows Firewall, or Windows Defender.
Discord Server Status: Being an online communication app, Discord needs to connect to its servers in order to launch on your device. As a result, if you have a poor internet connection or the Discord servers are down, then you won’t be able to open Discord. Thus, use online websites to check Discord server status as well.
Windows Related Issues: Lastly, it is also possible that the issue is not with Discord but with Windows itself. If you are facing a similar issue with other applications as well, then the issue might not be with Discord. Instead, it might be Windows itself which is not opening apps as intended.

How to Fix Discord Stuck and not Opening in Windows?

Now that you know some of the common reasons why Discord is stuck and not opening in Windows, then you may also want to fix the same. In that case, you should try one of the following fixes:

1. Restart Discord With Task Manager

Before anything else, you should try restarting Discord to fix all issues with it. But since Discord is stuck, you might not be able to close it. Hence, you can try closing it using the Task Manager as given here:

Press control + shift + escape on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
Now, find Discord under the Processes tab, click on it, and select End Task.

You can then relaunch Discord to see if it’s stuck or not.

2. Restart Discord With Command Prompt

Another viable option for restarting Discord is to use Command Prompt for the same as shown here:

Open the Start menu and search for Command Prompt to run it as an administrator.
In here, type taskkill /F /IM discord.exe and press enter to stop Discord.

You can then try relaunching Discord to fix the Discord stuck issue.

3. Restart Your Computer

If you are not able to fix Discord even by restarting it, the issue might be related to your computer itself. In that case, you should try restarting your computer from the Start menu on your computer. After that Discord may not be stuck anymore.

4. Clear App Data and Local Data

Another reason why you are not able to open Discord can be because of corrupted Discord data and temporary files. Thankfully, getting rid of any such corrupted data is quite easy. You can simply clear app data and local data of Discord by following these steps:

Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open Run.
In here, type %appdata% and press Enter to open the AppData folder.

Now, find and delete the Discord folder.

Similarly, go back to Run and type %localappdata% followed by Enter.
After that, you can delete the Discord folder from here as well.

Finally, restart your computer to see if that fixes the Discord is stuck issue.

5. Use Discord Web Version

In case you have to get on an urgent call and you are not able to open Discord, then it can be quite an issue for you. Fortunately, you can simply use the Discord Web Version to temporarily access Discord straight from your web browser.

6. Check Discord Server Status

Those of you who are not even able to access the Discord Web Version might be facing connectivity issues. So you should first check your internet connection and ensure that it is working properly. If it is working fine, then you should visit the Discord Server Status website and see if Discord servers are working properly or not.

7. Launch Discord From the Installation Folder

There are some cases where you are not able to open a given application or program simply because Windows is not able to launch it well. This happens especially when you are opening a program like Discord from its shortcut icon. Instead, you should try opening Discord from its installation folder instead:

Open Windows Explorer on your computer by pressing Windows + E.
Now, open C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Discord and find the folder with “app” in its name.

Make sure to change username with your device Username.
Then, open it and find Discord.exe to launch it.

8. Change Date and Time

As mentioned previously, Discord needs to connect to its servers in order to work properly. Although, if the date and time of your computer are incorrect, then this will not be possible. Thus, make sure to change the date and time of your computer and set them correctly as shown here:

Right click on the clock present in the bottom right corner of your screen and select Adjust Date and Time.

Then, enable the Set Time Zone Automatically and Set Time Automatically options.

This will fix the date and time on your computer and fix all server issues.

9. Run System File Checker

Apart from having issues with Discord’s own files, there is also a possibility that your system files are corrupted. These can then cause issues with the programs installed on your computer including Discord. If that is the case, then you need to run the System File Checker command right away:

Use the Start menu on your computer to launch Command Prompt as an administrator.
Now, type sfc /scannow and press enter which will make your computer check all system files.

In case there are any corrupted ones, all of them will be repaired or redownloaded which should fix all issues with other applications like Discord.

10. Close Background Applications

While it is not common, there is a possibility that you are facing issues with Discord because of other applications. This can include things like Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, or any other antivirus programs that you are using. So, you should try closing them to see if it fixes issues with Discord. Alternatively, you can disable all background apps as explained here:

Press Windows + I on your keyboard and head over to Apps settings.
Now, go to the Installed apps section and click on the three dots for the app you want to disable in the background.

Here, select Advanced Options and select Never under Background Apps Permissions.

After that, restart your computer and see if that fixes issues with Discord.

11. Update or Reinstall Discord

In case the issue is with Discord itself because of which it is getting stuck, you should first try updating it. This can be done by simply restarting Discord as explained previously. Since Discord updates automatically every time it is launched, that should fix all issues. If not, you can simply reinstall Discord by uninstalling it first from the Installed Apps section in Windows Settings.

12. Check for System Updates

Just like Discord itself, the Windows on your computer also receives regular updates. Since installing these can fix a lot of issues, you can try the same by going through these steps:

Open Windows Settings and head over to Windows Update.
Here, click on Check for Updates which will automatically update your computer and fix all issues with it.

13. Reset DNS

Lastly, since you can face issues with Discord because of internet connectivity issues as well, you should try resetting the DNS on your computer. This can be done using the Command Prompt quite easily with this method:

Start by running Command Prompt as an administrator from the Start Menu.
Now, type ipconfig /flushdns and press enter which will reset the DNS on your computer.

You can then restart your DNS to check if that fixes the Discord is stuck issue.

Discord Stuck and Not Opening in Windows – FAQs

1. How can you fix Discord if it is not even opening in Windows?

Ans: While there are various ways you can try fixing Discord stuck in Windows, some of the common solutions include updating Discord, reinstalling Discord, disabling unnecessary background applications, updating Windows, checking your internet connection, and a few others.

2. How do I prevent Discord from being stuck again in the future?

Ans: As there can be various reasons why Discord got stuck in Windows, you need to get rid of all of them to prevent the same in the future. You need to keep your Windows updated, avoid any untrusted applications, and disable all unused addons and plugins on your computer.

3. Where do I check for Discord updates in Windows?

Ans: Since one of the best ways to eliminate software issues is to update the particular application, you may also want to update Discord. In that case, you will be glad to know that Discord automatically updates itself every time you restart Discord itself or restart your computer.

4. Is it possible to have software conflicts that may prevent Discord from opening?

Ans: Unlike most other programs on your computer, Discord uses an overlay mode to appear on your screen. However, there are a few other applications like MSI afterburner, most antivirus software, and other utilities in Windows that also use an overlay mode. As a result, these other applications may interfere with Discord and get stuck in Windows.

Conclusion

Whether you want to jump on a gaming session with your friends or want to attend an online class, being able to use Discord is quite important. And since the last thing you would want is to get Discord stuck in Windows, we are here to help. In fact, we have already stated a complete guide on how to fix Discord stuck and not opening in Windows up above. You will not only learn all the basics about Discord being stuck, but more importantly get to learn some of the best ways to fix Discord stuck and not opening in Windows. And if this guide has helped you in getting back access to Discord, make sure to leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section down below.