Discord Stuck on Starting — How to Fix It Fast (9 Methods)

To fix Discord stuck on starting press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, end all Discord processes, then relaunch the app. If that does not work clear the Discord cache folders from %appdata% and %localappdata%. Most cases of Discord stuck on the starting screen resolve with one of these two fixes in under 2 minutes.

Why Is Discord Stuck on Starting

Discord gets stuck on the starting screen when a background process did not close properly, cache files are corrupted, or the app does not have the right system permissions. The spinning loading screen or "Starting..." text appears but never progresses to the login or home screen.

Common causes:

• A previous Discord process is still running in the background
• Corrupted cache, code cache, or GPU cache files
• Discord needs administrator permissions to launch
• Your system date and time are incorrect
• A firewall or proxy is blocking Discord's connection
• Discord update files are stuck or corrupted
• Compatibility issues with your Windows version

Fix 1 — End All Discord Background Processes

The most common cause of Discord stuck on starting is a previous Discord process that did not close properly. A new Discord instance cannot start while an old one is still running.

On Windows:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
2. Look for any process named Discord or Update.exe
3. Right-click each one and select End Task
4. Once all Discord processes are gone relaunch Discord normally

On Mac:

1. Press Cmd+Space and search for Activity Monitor
2. Search for Discord in the process list
3. Select each Discord process and click the X button to force quit
4. Relaunch Discord

Fix 2 — Clear Discord Cache

Corrupted cache files are the second most common cause of Discord stuck on starting. Clearing them forces Discord to rebuild fresh cache files on next launch.

On Windows:

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog
2. Type %appdata% and press Enter
3. Open the discord folder
4. Delete these three folders completely:
   • Cache
   • Code Cache
   • GPUCache
5. Press Win+R again and type %localappdata%
6. Open the Discord folder
7. Delete the Update file or folder if present
8. Restart Discord

On Mac:

1. Open Finder → Go → Library → Application Support
2. Open the discord folder
3. Delete the Cache folder contents
4. Restart Discord

On Mobile:

Go to phone Settings → Apps → Discord → Storage → Clear Cache

Fix 3 — Run Discord as Administrator

Discord sometimes gets stuck on starting when it lacks the permissions needed to access system resources:

1. Close Discord completely from Task Manager
2. Find the Discord shortcut on your desktop or in the Start menu
3. Right-click the Discord icon
4. Select Run as administrator
5. Click Yes when the UAC prompt appears

To make Discord always run as administrator:

1. Right-click the Discord shortcut
2. Select Properties
3. Click the Compatibility tab
4. Check Run this program as an administrator
5. Click Apply and OK

Fix 4 — Check Date and Time Settings

Discord's connection process relies on your system clock being accurate. An incorrect date or time causes authentication failures that appear as a stuck starting screen:

Windows:

1. Go to Settings → Time & Language → Date & Time
2. Turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically
3. Click Sync now
4. Restart Discord

Mac:

1. Go to System Settings → General → Date & Time
2. Enable Set time and date automatically
3. Restart Discord

Fix 5 — Disable Proxy Settings

An active proxy can prevent Discord from connecting during startup causing the stuck starting screen:

Windows:

1. Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Internet Options
2. Click the Connections tab
3. Click LAN Settings
4. Uncheck Use a proxy server for your LAN
5. Click OK and restart Discord

Mac:

1. Open System Settings → Network
2. Click Advanced → Proxies
3. Uncheck all proxy protocols
4. Click OK and restart Discord

Fix 6 — Check Firewall Settings

Windows Firewall or third-party security software can block Discord during the startup connection process:

1. Open Windows Security → Firewall and Network Protection
2. Click Allow an app through firewall
3. Find Discord in the list
4. Ensure both Private and Public checkboxes are ticked
5. Click OK and restart Discord

If you use third-party antivirus software temporarily disable it and test if Discord launches. If it does add Discord to the antivirus whitelist permanently.

Fix 7 — Set Windows Compatibility Mode

This fix comes directly from the Discord community and has resolved persistent stuck on starting issues for many users — especially after Discord updates:

1. Right-click the Discord shortcut
2. Select Properties
3. Click the Compatibility tab
4. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for
5. Select Windows 8 from the dropdown
6. Click Apply and OK
7. Also navigate to your Discord installation folder:

C:\Users\[YOUR USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Discord

8. Open the app- folder (the name includes the version number)
9. Find discord.exe inside
10. Right-click → Properties → Compatibility → set to Windows 8
11. Try launching Discord

Fix 8 — Scan for Malware

Malware can interfere with Discord's startup process by corrupting system files or blocking network connections:

1. Download Malwarebytes from malwarebytes.com (free version works)
2. Run a full system scan
3. Remove any threats found
4. Restart your PC
5. Relaunch Discord

Fix 9 — Reinstall Discord

If all other fixes fail a clean reinstall resolves most persistent stuck on starting issues:

Windows:

1. Uninstall Discord from Settings → Apps → find Discord → Uninstall
2. Press Win+R and delete remaining folders:
   • Type %appdata% → delete the discord folder
   • Type %localappdata% → delete the Discord folder
3. Download the latest Discord installer from discord.com
4. Install and log back in

Mac:

1. Drag Discord from Applications to Trash
2. Delete Library/Application Support/discord
3. Download the latest Discord from discord.com
4. Install and log back in

Mobile: Uninstall Discord completely → reinstall from App Store or Google Play

Discord Stuck on Starting — Quick Fix Summary

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Reinstalling without clearing leftover folders — Simply uninstalling and reinstalling Discord without deleting the %appdata% and %localappdata% folders leaves corrupted files behind. The reinstall fails to fix the issue because the old broken cache is still there.

Not ending all Discord processes — Closing the Discord window does not always stop all background processes. Always check Task Manager for lingering Discord or Update.exe processes before relaunching.

Skipping the compatibility mode fix — Many users overlook this fix but it has resolved stuck on starting for thousands of users in the Discord community. Try it before reinstalling.

Launching Discord too quickly after ending processes — Wait 10 seconds after ending all Discord tasks before relaunching to let Windows fully release file locks.

Related Guides

• Discord Awaiting Endpoint — What It Means and How to Fix It
• Discord Time Wrong? Fix Time and Timezone Issues Fast
• Discord Timestamp — Complete Guide to All 7 Formats
• How to Find Your Discord ID

Also try our free tools:

• Discord Timestamp Generator — generate any Discord timestamp instantly
• Discord Countdown Generator — build live countdown timers
• Unix Timestamp Converter — convert between Unix timestamps and readable dates
• Discord Snowflake ID Decoder — decode any Discord ID instantly