Discord is a free messaging application, which is available for download on multiple platforms. Such platforms include Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
The Discord application usually functions with no issues, but there can be times when the program crashes.
If your Discord keeps crashing, then here’s what you’re going to want to do.
Why does Discord keep crashing?
There are several reasons that could be causing the crashes, such as outdated drivers, app cache, corrupt files or compatibility problems.
Outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues to arise between the application and your operating system. This can affect the app’s performance quality, and cause it to crash.
The obvious fix to this is simply updating outdated device drivers (which I’ll get to in a minute).
In regards to app cache, there can sometimes be corrupted files within the cache. This can negatively affect Discord’s performance and cause the program to crash.
The app could also be experiencing some bugs or glitches, which could be causing the crashes.
Here are some solutions for preventing Discord from crashing.
Turn off Hardware Acceleration
The first solution is to disable the hardware acceleration setting in Discord. Hardware acceleration is a tool for improving the efficiency of Discord’s performance.
However, the feature can also bring with it some functionality issues. Thus, you should try disabling the feature to see if it solves the crashing problem.
To disable hardware acceleration, first open the Discord client. Locate the gear symbol, and select it to open the user settings.
The gear symbol should be beside your username in the bottom left. Once you’ve accessed the user settings, click on the ‘Voice & Video’ tab.
It should be beneath the ‘app settings’ section.
In the ‘Voice & Video’ tab, scroll down until you find the ‘hardware acceleration’ option. It should be underneath the section for ‘video codec’.
Click on the switch beside ‘hardware acceleration’ to disable the option. Then, restart the Discord client to see if the program still crashes.
Remove Discord AppData
Another solution for fixing Discord’s crashing problem is to clear Discord’s app cache. As you use the Discord app, you will accumulate app cache.
Cache is basically data that Discord saves in order to improve its efficiency.
Sometimes, there can be corrupted data within the app cache, which can cause issues such as crashing.
You should try clearing all your Discord cache to see if it fixes the crashing problem.
There is no in-built setting for clearing cache in Discord, but you can manually clear it using File Explorer.
You must navigate to Discord’s cache folder, and clear everything within the folder.
You can attempt to manually locate Discord’s cache folder, or find a shortcut to the folder.
The latter option is recommended as it can be quite tedious to locate the cache folder manually.
There are two main shortcuts for finding the Discord cache folder. The first is by using the Run dialog box.
Open up the Run window by pressing Windows-key + R.
Then, type %AppData% in the Run window. When you’re done, press the Enter-key to initiate the command. You should be taken to the File Explorer.
Alternatively, you can open the Start Menu and search for %appdata%. This should also take you to the File Explorer.
There should be a list of folders for different programs. Locate the folder for Discord and open it. Then, find the cache folder and open it.
Delete all the files in the cache folder. You can quickly select all the files there by pressing Ctrl + A.
You can also delete all the files in the ‘local storage’ folder to delete more of Discord’s app data.
Now, you can restart Discord to see if the crashing problem has been fixed.
Update Drivers
Discord could be crashing due to outdated drivers.
If your drivers are outdated, it could cause the Discord app to experience compatibility issues with your device.
You can update drivers by updating your operating system, or manually update them through their website.
To update your operating system, press Windows-key + I and navigate to the ‘windows update’ tab.
Select the ‘check for updates’ option to scan your device for available updates. If there are updates available, install them.
Alternatively, you can use the Device Manager to update your drivers.
To access the Device Manager, press Windows-key + X and select ‘device manager’.
Next, locate the driver you wish to update, You can expand certain sections by clicking on the small arrows.
Once you’ve found the correct driver, right-click on it and select ‘update driver’ to update it.
When you’re done updating your drivers, restart your device before launching Discord once more.
Disable Compatibility Mode
Discord may be experiencing some compatibility issues, which can cause the program to crash.
If this is the case, you can try disabling compatibility mode in the properties settings.
First, exit out of the Discord application. Then, locate your Desktop shortcut for Discord and right-click on it. Select the ‘properties’ option.
A new window should pop up showcasing Discord’s properties settings. Navigate to the ‘compatibility’ tab by clicking on it.
Finally, uncheck the box next to ‘run this program in compatibility mode for’. Compatibility mode should now be disabled.
Confirm the changes made by selecting the ‘apply’ option, and click ‘ok’ to close the window. Now, try launching Discord to see if it still crashes.
Re-install Discord
If you’ve tried all of the above to fix the Discord crashing issue and nothing has worked, it’s probably time to try a fresh version of the app.
Select delete from your applications to get rid of Discord.
After you’ve reinstalled the app, simply open Discord and log into your account.
Now you’re using the latest version and any corrupt data is removed, it should work without crashing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Discord can experience crashing issues for a number of reasons that are similar to those that make your Discord notifications stop working.
The app could be having some compatibility issues with your device due to outdated drivers, or the app may have corrupted data in its cache files.
Try updating your drivers, or clearing your Discord cache to solve the crashing issue.
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