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How to Fix Minecraft Launcher Not Opening


How to Fix Minecraft Launcher Not Opening
Credit: Mojang

Minecraft has been around for a long time, but the default Minecraft Launcher provided by Mojang has always had some problems, and you can still run into issues, even today. These can be frustrating, but the good news is in: fixes for the Minecraft Launcher usually aren't too complicated, and it usually doesn't take too much doing to get your copy of Minecraft working just like new once again. So, in this article, we'll explain everything you need to know about how to fix the Minecraft launcher not opening.

Your First Step: Restart Your Computer

The very first thing you should do if you're having trouble starting up the Minecraft launcher is to restart your PC. There are a million different reasons why this could help you, but it's hard to predict if it will help without trying it. Since it's such a simple fix, going for a restart, first thing, is usually your best course of action. For most problems, this won't do much of anything, but you could always get lucky.

As a note, make sure you give your computer a full, clean reboot. This means to make sure you power your machine fully down before booting it back up. In many instances, pressing the power button on a PC may only put it to sleep. Making sure it actually powers off and then restarts is essential to a reboot being able to fix any issues you might have.

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Step 2: Run the Launcher as an Administrator

If restarting doesn't get you anywhere, try running your Minecraft Launcher application as an Administrator. If you never used to run Minecraft as an Admin and never had problems before, this may not do all that much of anything. However, many gamers report toggling on Admin mode for the Launcher fixes issues they had with being unable to actually start the launcher up. It's just a couple clicks, so it's usually worth a shot.

Step 3: Check for Third-Party Apps Running

At any given moment, most people have a number of apps and services running in the background. Most of these are totally harmless, but depending on the programs you use, something running in the background can cause issues with other applications you're trying to run. There isn't a hard and fast rule to what, exactly, kinds of apps cause problems, but as a rule of thumb, just try quitting out of any apps you see on your taskbar or that you have minimized. This will usually do the trick if there's a conflict between a few programs on your computer.

Step 4: Delete Minecraft's Launcher Profiles

Navigate to your AppData folder, and look for a .minecraft folder within. In your Minecraft folder, look for a file named launcher_profiles.json, and either delete the file or move it to another location on your computer. This will reset your Minecraft Launcher's profiles, clearing out its saved settings and preferences. Sometimes, your particular profile can become corrupted and cause you issues, so by deleting it and restarting Minecraft, you'll generate a new Launcher profile, and this might be just what you need to get your Launcher up and running.

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Step 5: Check for Updates

Sometimes, either your Windows installation or your video card drivers can go out of date and cause unpredictable issues that are hard to understand why suddenly start popping up. As a rule of thumb, once you go through a few other steps when you have a PC problem, it's best practice to check for updates within Windows and to verify you're using the latest copy of the drivers for your particular video card.

In the case of Minecraft, there's another essential app you need to have: Java. So, you should also check to make sure your copy of Java is up to date, as well. Usually, being out-of-date won't stop applications from failing to open, but it sometimes can, and it doesn't take long to update.

Step 6: Try Using the New Launcher

In recent years, Minecraft has moved away from relying on its traditional launcher. While you can use a huge variety of third-party launchers, Mojang has also launched a new, unified Launcher you can use to access Minecraft and Minecraft: Dungeons from the same place. This new launcher you can download directly from the Microsoft Store, and it's completely free, so if you're having trouble with the old launcher or vice versa, consider switching them up.

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Step 7: Uninstall and Reinstall Minecraft

If all else fails, head on into your Windows settings, navigate to programs, and uninstall your copy of Minecraft. Once uninstalled, go ahead and download a fresh copy of Minecraft. Follow along with the familiar steps and once installed, give your computer a restart for good measure. Once done, try booting up your Minecraft Launcher again. If all else fails, uninstalling and reinstalling the game is a good way to fix a huge variety of issues, though it's not a perfect solution for all issues.

Step 8: Contact Minecraft Support

If nothing else works, you may have a more unique problem that comes down to your personal setup. If you're especially unlucky, something might be wrong with your hardware, even. Whatever is actually going on, a good way to get on the path towards solving your issues if nothing else works is to contact Minecraft support. You might not get a fix immediately out of this, but they can give you some personalized help to figure out what's going wrong for you.

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