Discord — Stuck on 'Checking for Updates' — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

When Discord gets stuck on 'Checking for Updates', it means the app is trying to download or apply an update but something is stopping it from completing. This is one of the most common Discord issues on Windows. The most frequent causes are a corrupted update file, a permissions issue, or an antivirus blocking the update process. You do not need to reinstall Discord from scratch — there is a simpler fix.

Affected Models

Discord (Windows app)
Discord (Mac app)

Common Causes

A partially downloaded update file is corrupted and blocking the update from completing
Discord does not have permission to write new update files to its installation folder
An antivirus or security program is quarantining the update executable as a false positive
The Discord update server is temporarily unavailable or slow
A previous Discord process is still running in the background and locking the update files

How to Fix It

Kill all Discord processes before doing anything else. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager. In the Processes list, find any process named Discord.exe and click End Task on each one. Then reopen Discord.

Discord often leaves background processes running even after the window is closed. A lingering process can lock the update files and cause the freeze.
Delete Discord's cached update files. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Discord. Delete any files or folders named update.exe, packages, or similar. Do not delete the whole Discord folder — just the update cache files inside it.

AppData is a hidden folder. In File Explorer, click View > Show > Hidden items to make it visible. Deleting the update cache forces Discord to download a fresh copy.
Run Discord as Administrator. Right-click the Discord shortcut and choose Run as Administrator. This gives Discord the permissions it needs to write update files to its folder. If it opens successfully, set it to always run as admin via Properties > Compatibility.

A permissions problem is one of the most common causes of the stuck update screen — especially on Windows accounts that are not set as Administrator.
Temporarily disable your antivirus and try opening Discord again. Some antivirus programs flag Discord update files as suspicious and block them. If Discord opens with antivirus disabled, add the Discord folder (C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Discord) to your antivirus exclusions list.

Re-enable your antivirus immediately after testing. Add the exception rather than leaving protection off.
If nothing else works, uninstall and reinstall Discord. Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a Program > Discord > Uninstall. Then download the latest installer from discord.com/download. A fresh install replaces all update files with known-good versions.

Your messages, servers, and friends are stored in Discord's cloud — not on your computer. Uninstalling and reinstalling does not delete any of your data.

When to Call a Professional

This is a common issue that you can fix yourself by following the steps below. If Discord continues to freeze on the update screen after trying all steps, and a fresh reinstall does not help, contact Discord support at support.discord.com. Check the Discord Status page (discordstatus.com) first to confirm it is not a server-side outage affecting updates for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Discord get stuck on updates so often? Seems like a frequent problem.

Discord updates very frequently — sometimes several times per week. Each update requires writing files to disk, which can fail for many reasons: permissions, antivirus interference, corrupted previous downloads. The high frequency of updates means more opportunities for something to go wrong. The fix is usually quick once you know the steps.

Can I skip the update and just open Discord without updating?

Not officially — Discord requires you to be on the latest version to connect. However, if you need to access Discord right now, you can use the web version at discord.com in your browser. The web version does not require any updates and gives you full access to your servers and messages.

Discord is stuck on updates on my Mac too. Are the steps the same?

The process is slightly different on Mac. Force-quit Discord via Apple menu > Force Quit. Then navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/discord/ (press Cmd + Shift + G in Finder and type that path). Delete the update cache files there, then reopen Discord. If it still freezes, drag Discord from Applications to the Trash and download a fresh copy from discord.com.