Discord Stuck On Starting | Fastest Fix

There is no massive global outage for Discord, but “Stuck on Starting” is a very common local client error. It usually means the app is trying to update itself but a “zombie” process from your previous session is blocking the file download.

Step-by-Step Fix

Here is the step-by-step fix, ranked from “Quickest” to “Nuclear.”

1. The “Kill Switch” (Fastest Fix)

The app is likely already running in the background, preventing the new window from opening.

• Windows:
  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. In the “Processes” tab, look for Discord (there may be 4-5 of them).
  3. Right-click the main one and select End Task.
  4. Relaunch Discord.
• Mac:

• 1. Open Activity Monitor (Cmd + Space, type “Activity”).
  2. Search for discord.
  3. Select it and click the X (Stop) button at the top.

2. Delete Local AppData (The Permanent Fix)

If the above didn’t work, your local cache is corrupted. This will not delete your messages or servers, but you might need to log in again.

For Windows:

1. Close Discord fully (use the Task Manager step above first).
2. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard.
3. Type %appdata% and hit Enter.
4. Find the folder named discord and delete it.
5. (Optional but recommended): Press Win+R again, type %localappdata%, and delete the discord folder there too.
6. Relaunch Discord. It will treat it like a fresh install and download the necessary updates.

For Mac:

1. Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
2. Type ~/Library/Application Support/discord and hit Enter.
3. Delete the folders named Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache.
4. Relaunch the app.

3. The “Time Sync” Glitch

Discord’s security certificate requires your PC’s clock to be perfectly synced with the server. If your time is even 2 minutes off, the app will hang on “Starting.”

• Windows: Right-click the time in your taskbar > Adjust date/time > Click “Sync now”.
• Mac: System Settings > General > Date & Time > Toggle “Set time automatically” off and on again.

4. Web Browser Test

If none of the above works, try logging in at discord.com/login in your browser (Chrome/Edge).

• If the website works: The issue is definitely your desktop app (reinstall it).
• If the website FAILS: Your IP address might be blocked or your ISP (like Jio/Airtel) is having routing issues. Try restarting your router or using a VPN.