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Desktop app stuck on black screen

Some users have reported performance issues with the desktop application. Users are able to log in to their accounts, but the app then displays a black screen. This is being investigated.

Hi there folks,

 

Recently it seems this issue persists on MacOS and Windows 11. We're continuing to investigate this on our end and are hoping to find a solution soon. In the meantime, if you have this behaviour, please consult the steps below:

 

For Windows 11, please provide us the following info, alongside the Windows version and app version:

  1. Could you please provide us your pref files? This can be found in the following directories:
    1. For the Windows store version: 
      %appdata%\Local\Packages\SpotifyAB.SpotifyMusic_zpdnekdrzrea0\LocalState\Spotify\prefs
    2. For the non-store version: 
      %appdata%\Roaming\Spotify\prefs
  2. Is this happening with autostart or regular manual starts of the app?
  3. Does this occur with Hardware Acceleration disabled?
  4. Can the user hit the maximize/minimize buttons? Does doing so resolve the issue?

For MacOS, please provide us the following info, alongside the device model MacOS version and app version:

  1. Could you please provide us your pref files? This can be found in the following directory:
    /Users/{username}/Library/Application Support/Spotify/prefs 
  2. Does this happen when manually launching the app from the Finder or when the app starts automatically on machine startup? Or does it happen with both?
  3. Do you have hardware acceleration enabled? If so, try disabling it and let us know if that makes a difference.
  4. When you get the black screen, could you try maximizing the window? That can cause the app to re-render and may resolve the issue. You can do this either from the three buttons at the top or from the View drop-down menu
  5. In the settings for launching the app on startup, try using "Yes" instead of "Minimized" and see if that makes a difference.

Keep us posted. In the meantime, we will post any updates as soon as we have them.

Comments
gunneh

Plan

Premium

Device

PC

Operating System

Win11

My Question or Issue

 

Spotify is simply not working. Ive tried clean install, deleting temp files, reinstalling from both spotify website and windows store but everytime I start Spotify, its just a black screen

 

I cant close it except if I end the task in the Task Manager

However, the 3 dots menu still works...somewhat. If I press File > Exit it closes the window but still runs in my task manager

 

Its not an account issue since it works fine everywhere else 😞

spotify 1.jpg
spotify 2.jpg
gunneh

update: it seems to work fine in Safe Mode... not sure why

seanv1

 

I have tried the Microsoft Store version:

seanv1_0-1676604151015.png

 

 

And the version from the website:

seanv1_1-1676604471134.png

 

When I launch either version it shows like this:

seanv1_2-1676604533603.png

seanv1_3-1676604587769.png

 

I am able to resize the window from any edge, but cannot drag the window by the title bar. Trying to use the minimize, maximize, and close buttons does nothing except briefly changing the background color of the button to the active colors.

 

Right clicking the icon on the task bar and selecting close all windows makes the window disappear. Right clicking the icon in the system tray does nothing. I have to close the program from task manager.

jetze

+1 for this black screen issue. windows 11 pro, Tried all methods advised, re installation, clearing appdata cache, win store vs direct installer, disabling firewall, restarting modem/router. Issue present yesterday and today. The web based player is fine. Driving me insane.

gunneh

I rolled back to an older version of Spotify and its working now. Im using 1.0.25.127.0 from November 2022

gunneh

After a reboot I noticed it auto updates so I had to uninstall and reinstall the old version

To stop auto updating I followed these steps in the solution and it worked. Step 1 wasnt applicable to me since I didnt have an Update folder but the rest worked like a charm

 

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Desktop-Windows/Stopping-Auto-update/td-p/4785101

kaworu_bloodpaw

Hey @gunneh

I'm glad you were able to figure out a solution, but I wouldn't recommend using an old version of the app.

You said a clean install didn't work. Did you follow the steps in this guide?

You could also try clearing your host files with the instructions provided here.

 

Also, were you using the download from the Spotify website, or the version from the MS store?

 

 

 

 

If my answer was useful, don't forget to give it a 'Like!'

If my answer was the solution, don't forget to mark it as the solution!

Thanks! 😇

If you need anything else, please reply and ask,
or shoot me a Private Message!

Feel free to follow my Spotify or Community profiles! 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Spotify.

 

AlejaR

Hey folks,

 

Thanks for all the replies and for the info shared.

 

@seanv1, @AlexHt, in this case, while you try to use the app in Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, we'd recommend that you delete your host files by following these steps:

 

1. Open Notepad as administrator (right click, open as administrator).
2. Go to the file: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
3. Select "All files" instead of "Text documents" next to the file name.
4. You will see several files. Select hosts and click open.
5. When the file is open, you will see a text block with a: # in front of each line. You will find entries like: 0.0.0.0.0 website.com127.0.0.0.1 website2.com
6. Check for entries with Spotify or fastly in the address. For example: 0.0.0.0.0 weblb-wg.gslb.spotify.com0.0.0.0.0
7. If you find entries with Spotify, you can delete them.
8. Save the changes and restart Spotify.

 

Give it a try and let us know if you notice any difference.

 

@gunneh, thanks for your comments in the matter. We understand you downgrade the Spotify version, but keep in mind all users should only download the app from our official website, this way we can advise adequate alternatives for the inconveniences. 

 

Keep us in the loop!

AlexHt

I just tried while using the new version of Spotify in safe mode, the file "hosts" is empty.

elizesdad

I have the same issue.

 

Have followed the steps you suggested, as well as uninstalling, deleting all relevant folders, reinstalling from Windows store, repeating all again and installing from your own installer.  At no point would Spotify get past a black screen.

 

Allowed full access through Windows Defender.

 

Windows 11 is fully up to date.

 

Honestly I think this is an issue with a recent Windows update but it is up to you guys to keep up with this sort of thing.

 

Can access through the web player for now but this needs a fix.