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[HELP] Spotify desktop app is stuck on a black screen for minute when starting

[HELP] Spotify desktop app is stuck on a black screen for minute when starting

This is very annoying and started happening to me since a few days after the latest update. When starting the desktop app it often stays on a black screen for a long time (longer than usual) and won't load anything for minutes, I often have to force close the app with task manager (while it's on a black screen it often shows 0% processor usage and low amount of MB) Is there any fix for this?

 

*community rock star edit - added help in the title to notice others to come and help*

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13 Replies

Hey @user-removed, thanks for reaching out to the Community!

Let's see what's going on. 

Can you let me know which Mac model you have, as well as the macOS version? You can find this by going to the Apple Menu  > About This Mac. 

 

Also, could you try a clean reinstall of the app following the steps provided in this Spotify Answer? If that doesn't help, send me a screenshot of what's happening when you attempt to open the app, as well as how the app is showing up on your Task Manager (make sure to hide sensitive info when posting to the Community).

Let me know how this goes!

Billy-JSpotify Star
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I'm using Windows, I guess I put this in the wrong board

Hey @user-removed,

 

No worries! I don't have much experience with Windows computers, so I went ahead and moved your post to the relevant board for further help with this.

 

Have a nice day!

Billy-JSpotify Star
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I seem to the same or similar problem that is described by the OP. No replies from anybody from Spotify?

 

Does anybody else know what's going on?  The 60 second delay is not a new bug. It's been like this for years.  I'm using Windows Defender for my AV, and have excluded the spotify storage folder which I have on a more spacious internal drive. I do not run any other security/malware/AV apps.

The delay is usually right around 60 seconds, so that suggests to me that a call to something on the network or some other I/O is timing out after 60 seconds.

 

 

Same issue here- Spotify launches and is just a black screen for around 60 seconds- I timed it after the other post mentioned that. Additionally, this only seems to happen the first time I start Spotify after restarting Windows. If I wait that time out, I can then close and reopen it without issues. It takes a second or two to load still, but that's expected.

Very odd bug, pretty annoying.

Hi there folks,

 

Thanks for reaching out about this.

 

Could you try running the app in Windows 8 Compatibility mode and see if that makes a difference.

 

If the issue persists, you can try to perform a clean reinstall in Windows safe mode. Have a look here for info on how to boot up in Safe Mode. After that follow the exact instructions from this Spotify answer to reinstall the program and clear the cache files.

 

Let us know how you get on with this 🙂

AlexModerator
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Hi Alex,

 

Having this issue as well, with Windows 10.

 

I just wanted some clarification, running windows 10 we should try running Spotify in windows 8 compatibility mode?

 

Just wanted to make sure I'm understanding what I'm reading and doing the correct thing.

 

Thanks!

mj

Hey @MJ177

 

Thanks for reaching out about this in the Community, and welcome 🙂

 

Could you give these steps a go to run the compatibility troubleshooter and let us know if you notice anything new? 

 

In case this doesn't work, let us know if you have tried any other troubleshooting steps so we can give you better suggestions. 

 

Keep us posted.

NovyModerator
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The Compatibility Troubleshooter Suggested I try Windows 8 compatibility
mode. I did. Hit the test button, and waited about 30 seconds staring at
a black windows with three dots on the top left.

This primarily seems to happen when starting up Spotify when it hasn't
run for a bit. I can wait 30 seconds (sometimes longer it seems), then
the sidebars and main window populate.

If I exit from Spotify and start it back up it starts up pretty quickly with no 30-60 second "hang of darkness".

 

[edited because the last sentence was chopped somehow.]

Hi @jacketboy

 

Thanks for getting back to us. 

 

Just to confirm, have you performed a clean reinstall of the app? This is often an overlooked step but it can help clearing any corrupted files that might be causing trouble. 

 

If this doesn't do the trick, could you let us know the Spotify version you're currently running?

 

Keep us posted.

NovyModerator
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I FOUND THE EASIEST QUICK FIX!!!
Tap on the Three dots(•••) >View > Hardware Acceleration
You're welcome

This worked for me:

Side notes: The language of my system is "zh-TW", so this might not be suitable for others. This solution comes from the comment in Microsoft Store.

 

you're lucky to get only a 60 second delay.  my pc stays on black screen.

only way i have found to temporarily fix is to run several cleaning apps (ccleaner, glary, or),

then it will open correctly for a few days, until turns black again.

this problem has existed for at least 6 years.  can't spotify fix it with a software update ?

it's them, not us.

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