Spotify PC app tries to load and then crashes

[Neramii]

OS - Windows 10 Professional 19043
Spotify - Premium, 1.1.97
Country - Poland

Hi, so my Spotify app on Windows 10 just doesn't want to start. Below is a video showing exactly what is happening, as it's hard to describe precisely.

https://youtu.be/e7LGrFML0eQ

Things I've already tried:
- Reinstall
- Clean reinstall
- Downloading the app from Microsoft Store
- Logging in to another account
- Turning off hardware acceleration
- Updating Windows through Windows Update

Nothing seems to help. The player works normally on android mobile, as well as in browser. This issue started appearing around 1 week ago (~11.2.2022). I'm out of ideas what to do.
Thank you in advance.

[Eni]

Hey @Neramii, 

Thanks for reaching out about this and welcome to the Community.  

Great troubleshooting so far, we can add a few more steps to make sure we've covered all bases. 

In this case, it's worth restarting your PC in Safe Mode to see if the issue would persist there. Safe mode basically allows only the core Windows programs to run, which would help us narrow down the probable cause for this, as it's possible that another program is interfering with Spotify. Additionally, we suggest that you reinstall the app once again while in Safe mode to see if the issue persists.

 Let us know how it goes.

[Neramii]

Hi, thanks for answering!
I tried to launch and reinstall Spotify in safe mode, and here are the results: 
https://youtu.be/F3EjkLgA-Eg
So, yeah... it looks better but the problem is still occuring. 

[AlejaR]

Hey @Neramii,

Thanks for your reply and for keeping us in the loop!

In this case, just to confirm, is this happening on a different computer? If not sure, it'd be awesome if you could check. You can ask for the computer of a relative or a friend to open your account and check.
 

On another note, is this happening over WiFi? 3G/4G? Both? Do you notice any difference if you switch the internet connection you're using? You can create, if possible, a hotspot from your phone. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Lastly, you might need to check for any local settings on your device that could be blocking the app. In case there's an antivirus software or such that could be restricting access to the app, try whitelisting Spotify. 
 

It'd be awesome if you could share with us the exact Spotify version you have running in your computer. 

Keep us in the loop!

[Neramii]

Hi, 

This problem is not occuring on a different computer - tried logging into my account on a laptop (also Windows 10), and it was working correctly.

I use wired connection, and switching to WiFi doesn't do anything.

I don't use any software that could block Spotify in any way, just Windows Defender, in which Spotify is whitelisted.

Version of the app: 1.1.97.962.g24733a46

Thanks for trying to help me!

[OscarDC]

Hey @Neramii,

Thank you for keeping in contact and for the info shared.

If the issue is not happening on a different PC, it's possible that it could be device-related. We understand you already reinstalled the app a couple of times as part of the troubleshooting, but that process doesn't clear all the damaged cache that could be stored in your PC, affecting the proper behavior of the app.

In this case, we'd recommend performing a deep clearing of the host files by following the process mentioned in this post (even if it's about a different topic).

Also, it would be great if you could check if the issue happens as well when using the Web Player. This will give us a better look at the issue to continue investigating it.

Let us know how it goes.

[Neramii]

Hi once again, 

So my hosts file doesn't include anything Spotify related.

Web player is working perfectly fine, no matter the browser (tried on Opera GX, Brave, Vivaldi, Firefox and Edge).

[MihailY]

Hey @Neramii,

Thanks for getting back to us.

You've mentioned you've switched from wired to WiFi. Is it possible to try with a different connection altogether (preferably by a different provider)?

Keep us posted.

[Neramii]

Hi, 

I don't really have an option to try any other connection for now, talking about providers I tried on T-Mobile (Ethernet from modem router) and Plus (Polish GSM provider, Wi-Fi from phone hotspot) and that's all I can do for now. I'll have access to another provider in a month.

By the way, I also tried changing graphic settings for Spotify between my integrated and dedicated GPU, as well as running in various compatibility modes - that didn't work as well.

Thanks!

[Neramii]

I just got some crucial information, as well as a fix... kinda?

So,

The resetting/crashing that can be seen on YT links above are only happening if I'm on "Home" screen. If I manage to swap it to anything else (like Search or any playlist), resetting stops and Spotify starts working normally. When I go back to Home tho, it's happening all over again.

Here's a video showing how it looks:
https://youtu.be/yfqWqHEGXkM

I'm OK with that, but I guess that this should be investigated.

Thanks for all the help!

[MihailY]

Hey @Neramii,

Thanks for your reply.

This behavior seems odd and we haven't received similar reports so far. On a side note, can you please confirm you've performed the clean reinstall you've mentioned as described in this guide?

Keep us in the loop.

[Neramii · Accepted solution]

Hi,
Sorry for not responding, been kinda busy and totally forgot about this whole thing.

So, I surely did clean reinstall as mentioned in the guide.

But,
Today I've launched Spotify, and everything seems to be working as intended. Home page showing up as it should etc.
So, I think that it's over. Thanks for all the help from you, and Merry Christmas!