How to Fix Discord Stuck on Gray Screen on Windows

If Discord is stuck on a grey screen when you try to launch it on Windows, you're likely dealing with cache corruption, compatibility issues, or network problems. This guide will take you through specific troubleshooting steps to fix the issue and get Discord running properly on Windows 10 and 11. Before you start anything disable any VPNs or Proxies you may be using as they can cause issues.

How to Fix Discord Stuck on Gray Screen on Windows

For most people, this should solve the problem as the issue is usually a cache problem. So clearing the Discord cache should fix things pretty quickly. I've used this a few times myself and it works great.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Locate Discord, right-click, and select End Task.
Open Windows Search, type %AppData%, and press Enter.
Locate and delete the Discord folder (Shift + Del).
Restart Discord and check if the issue persists.

Run Discord as Administrator

I don't think this is a great solution but it is something you can try to fix the problem. Some people have had success with it but not a lot of them.

Right-click the Discord shortcut.
Select Run as administrator.
Confirm any prompts and launch Discord.

Update Graphics Drivers

Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
Expand Display Adapters.
Right-click your GPU and select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for drivers.
Restart your PC.

If this doesn't work you can try to clean installing your graphics drivers using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) This will clean install your drivers better than Windows can.

Check for Windows Updates

This is a decent fix that does help fix problems like this and it works because Windows is notoriously bad for breaking things in one update and fixing them in another. It also can cause corruption which is why the first fix in this guide is such a good one.

Open Windows Search, type Updates, and press Enter.
Click Check for updates and install any available updates.
Restart your PC.

Reinstall Discord

This is a bit of a last resort fix but it should 100% fix the problem but it will take a bit longer than all of the other potential fixes above.

Open Apps & Features/Installed Apps from the Start menu.
Locate Discord, click Uninstall, and confirm.
Download and reinstall Discord from the official website.

Run Discord in Compatibility Mode

Right-click the Discord shortcut and select Properties.
Go to the Compatibility tab.
Check Run this program in compatibility mode for: and select an earlier Windows version.
Click Apply, then OK.

Reset Network Settings

Right-click Start and select Settings.
Navigate to Network & Internet > Advanced network settings.
Click Network reset > Reset Now.
Restart your PC.

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