FIX: Discord Update Failed/Stuck in Update Loop in 2021

Por: RecommendCentral em agosto 16, 2021

This is a complete and easy guide to fix the “Discord Update Failed” Loop in 2021.

Whether you have a Windows or a Mac computer, you will be able to fix this error loop just by following this guide. Keep reading!

Symptoms of Discord Update (Failed) Loop

The most reported symptom is that the Discord desktop client starts updating while starting the app and it gets stuck after a while. And the worst thing is, it doesn’t allow the user (you) to work on Discord without finishing the update. In return for a longer update process, this is what you will see:

Why Discord Update Fails and Gets Stuck in a Loop?

This is just to make sure that you will not encounter such annoying errors in the future. Based on our findings, here are the causes that keep “Discord update failed” and stuck in a loop:

Firewall (built in or third party) prevents discord reaching their servers to download updates
Invalid Update file
Discord cache
Discord Server Errors (you have nothing to do about this)
Poor internet connection or VPN conflict

Now, it is time to fix the Discord update failed loop. Let’s get started!

How to Fix Discord Update Failed/Stuck in Update Loop (Windows/Mac)

Every solution listed here will be updated regularly for better results! Don’t rush, try the solutions one by one to get the issue fixed and to work on Discord the same as before.

01 — Check Discord Server Status

Sometimes, the problem is not on your computer or the connection. It can be the not-functioning Discord servers that eventually cause the update failed loop. In this instance, it is better to check the server status before proceeding to further solutions.

Here is how to check Discord server status (check whether they are down!):

Head over to Discrod Server Status
Make sure everything is green

If you happen to see something like this (marked on the image), then you have to wait sometime till they fix the issues on their servers. (Tip: Keep checking server status every after 30 minutes.)

02 — Check your Internet Connection (Or VPN/Proxy)

You might want to ignore this, but poor internet connection or incompatible VPN configurations or Proxy might be the cause of your Discord issue.

Checking the internet connection is the first thing you should do (head over to Ookla and test the speeds). If you got bad results, then try fixing your connection.

Then, if you are using a VPN, try disabling it and run the Discord again. If you got your problem solved, then the VPN is the bad guy here.

Discord uses UDP protocol; therefore, make sure you have set the VPN configurations to UDP (ask your VPN provider) then it should work fine.

04 — Disable Windows/Third Party Firewall (Temporary)

If Discord is blocked by a firewall, then it won’t update. What you need to do is to temporarily disable any firewall that is activated on your computer.

If you are using a third-party firewall, then you may have to look at how to disable that firewall temporarily (sorry but there are a lot of third parties so I cannot tell you the exact way to do that).

But, if you are using the inbuilt Windows firewall, then here is what you need to do:

For Windows 10

Open Windows Security (also known as Windows defender)
Go to Firewall and Network Protection
Turn off “Domain network“, “Private network” and “Public network firewalls“

Windows security firewall — This is how it should look in Windows security settings

Please note that you must turn them on again after updating Discord to protect your computer from malware.

For Windows 7, 8, or 8.1

Open Control Panel, go to System and Security
Go to Windows Firewall
Turn off Firewall

This is how it should look after you turn off Firewall

Please note that you must turn them on again after updating Discord to protect your computer from malware.

05 — Rename the Discord Update file (Windows)

Discord uses an executable update file to keep Discord updated so renaming this file will prevent Discord from updating the client. This is a good option you can do to get around the update failed loop.

But, this will prevent Discord from updating. Meaning, you will not be able to get bug fixes, latest features, etc. Therefore, consider updating Discord manually or try another solution if you don’t like this trick.

How to rename Discord update file:

Open file explorer
Copy this path in navigation bar
Rename the “username“ with your Windows user folder name and press Enter button

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Discord

Once you press the Enter button, it will take you to the update file location of Discord. Now, rename the file with a different name (if you get any error, terminate any discord processes from the taskbar and try again).

06 — Clear Discord Cache (Windows/Mac)

Both Windows and Mac users have reported that clearing the Discord cache helped them to solve the update loop issue. It is worth trying!

Discord keeps cache (temporary files) stored in computers to work well without stressing computer resources. But sometimes it can get corrupted end up creating annoying issues like this update loop you now experience.

You can clear Discord’s cache by deleting the app data folder (Windows)/ Application support folder. Here is how to do that:

Clear Discord cache in Windows (10/8.1/8/7):

Press Windows key + R to open Run dialog box
copy this path to the dialog box and click the OK button

%appdata%\Discord

In the Discord folder, Select “cache“, “Code cache” and “GPU cache“
Press Shift + Delete buttons to delete them permanently

Clear Discord cache in Mac:

Open the finder app, Select Go > Go to folder (Or press Command + Shift + G)
In the Go to the Folder box, copy the following path and click the Go button

~/Library/Application Support/discord

Select the “Cache“, “Code cache” and “Gpu cache” (Use the command Key)
Press Option + Command (⌘) + Delete

Move them to trash and Empty the trash

07 — Uninstall & Reinstall Discord (Windows/Mac)

If none of the abovementioned things worked, the last option you have left is to uninstall and reinstall Discord to fix the update failed loop. Follow these:

How to Reinstall Discord on Windows (10/8.1/8/)

Go to settings, then “Apps“
A list of Applications installed on your computer will be loaded, select Discord from there
Click the “Uninstall” button

After…

Head over to Discord Download page and download Discord again
Install and Open
Then log into your account

How to Reinstall Discord on Mac

Open the Finder app and select “Application“
From the Applications, find Discord and Right click on it, then select “Move to Bin“
Right click on the Trash and select “Empty Trash” (Or “Empty Bin“)

Then…

Go to Discord Download page and download Discord for Mac
Install and Open
Then log into your account

That is it. I think now your problem on the Discord update failed loop is solved. Which solution worked for you? A comment would be appreciated.