What to do when WhatsApp desktop is not working
Although it started as just a messaging tool, the truth is that today WhatsApp is much more than that, and it has become an essential platform even in business conditions. However, if you are having trouble connecting to your contacts because they are constantly closing or crashing, today we are discussing what to do when WhatsApp desktop is not working on your PC.
The truth is that although we can always turn to WhatsApp Web, as a perfectly valid alternative that most of the WhatsApp for Windows replicates, in this case we did not want to stop looking for possible solutions to these inconveniences from the official client of the messenger for Microsoft.
Solutions that will help both those who have problems starting to use the desktop WhatsApp application, and those who can start it at first, but then face various obstacles.
What causes the WhatsApp app to crash on PC?
Since WhatsApp is available for computers, many application errors, which relate to situations ranging from an outdated operating system, to an outdated version of the application, have been collected through installations that did not complete as they should, which affect its use.
Fix WhatsApp in Windows 10 or Windows 11:1
As more and more people intend to use WhatsApp on many devices at the same time, we recommend you to follow these steps if you face problems when running the original app for any reason or reason.
Install pending Windows updates
Like we said, first you have to make sure that your operating system is fully updated. Regardless of whether it is Windows 10 or Windows 11, you should go to Windows Updates, check if there are pending updates, and if so, proceed directly to install them on your PC.
Update the WhatsApp desktop app
In the case of updating Windows 10 or Windows 11, the next step is to update the WhatsApp desktop app, something that should happen automatically, but on some occasions it delays or gets disabled, causing it to close unexpectedly.
Open Microsoft Store and go to Library
Once you get there, go to Get updates by pressing this button
Check for available updates, and if there is one from WhatsApp, proceed with the installation
Alternatively, you can download the executable file from this link on the official WhatsApp website, which gives you the certainty of knowing that we are always talking about the latest version of the instant messaging app.
Disable WhatsApp notifications
Disabling WhatsApp notifications may seem like another handy solution. Often when notifications fail, errors occur about apps.
So the alternative is to take advantage of the WhatsApp settings to disable it, as follows:
Run the WhatsApp desktop client
Open, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner
Next, you have to click on the Settings section, and then the Alerts section
Once there, deselect all notifications, including sound, desktop alerts, call alerts, etc.
When this is done, restart WhatsApp and see if it is now working as it should.
Run the WhatsApp Update.exe file again
If the WhatsApp desktop application is still not working, there are some tricks you can try, such as restarting the WhatsApp Update.exe file, and restarting it so that it clears the defects by itself.
Open task manager, close all processes related to WhatsApp desktop app
Press Windows + R hot keys to open the Run dialog box
Once you are in the dialog, you should go to %localappdata%\WhatsApp
Right-click on the executable or update file, and click Run as administrator
Let the app update, which it will, and when it's finished, restart your computer
Rename the WhatsApp Update.exe file
If the previous methods did not give good results, and since there may be corruption in the WhatsApp desktop application file, then what remains is to try to rename the file.
The secret is that new files will be automatically retrieved from the servers when the app is updated. That is why it is worth trying, rather than proceeding directly to the reinstallation.
Open task manager, close all processes related to WhatsApp desktop app
Press Windows + R hot keys to open the Run dialog box
Once you are in the dialog, you should go to %localappdata%\WhatsApp
Rename the file to something like Update.exe to oldupdate.exe
Restart WhatsApp to see if the issue is completely resolved
Reinstall the WhatsApp desktop client
The last resort to solve the problem is to reinstall the WhatsApp desktop client because, as we warned at the beginning of this article, you may be dealing with a corrupt installation of the application.
Then you should uninstall the WhatsApp desktop software, just as you would any of the other apps. Then reinstall it from this link on the official website.