As smooth as Razer Synapse has been touted to be in configuring your gaming gear, some users have had difficulties with using the application. One common issue I faced is when the Razer Synapse failed to start. This article covers the possible causes of the issue and the best ways to fix it. Read on if you are a gamer facing the Razer Synapse failed to start issue and let us know which fix works out for you.
WHY THE RAZER SYNAPSE FAILED TO START
One reason the Razer Synapse failed to start could be related to an issue with the Razer device drivers. If the application itself or the device drivers are outdated or corrupt, then there is bound to be an issue. It could also be an outdated version of Windows on the system you are trying to use the application on. The issue might also be with the Razer Surround feature.
Too Many Instances
The Razer Synapse failed to start likely because there is more than one instance of the application trying to run at the same time. There might be an instance of the application still running somewhere that will disturb the start of the one you are trying to open.
Permission-Related Issues
You might also face the “Razer Synapse failed to start” issue when you need to grant or not grant certain permissions. This could happen when some permissions are blocking the application from running as it should. Another thing that might block the application is the Windows Defender or any other antivirus that you have installed on the system. This might put a restriction on the application, thereby causing it to malfunction.
How to Fix “Razer Synapse Failed To Start”
The first thing to try when fixing the “Razer Synapse failed to start” issue would be to close all instances of the application and restart it. To do this:
- Open Task Manager on your system by either pressing the ‘Windows’ + ‘X’ keys together or the ctrl + alt + del keys together
- Select ‘Task Manager’ in the menu presented
- Right-click on any instances or tasks open related to Razer Synapse and click ‘End Task’ to close them
- Close the Task Manager and reboot your system
- Then try to restart the application
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Fix 2: Reinstall Razer Synapse and Its Drivers
One way to fix the Razer Synapse failed to start issue would be to update the device drivers as being outdated or corrupt might cause the application to malfunction.
- Open the Device Manager either by pressing the ‘Windows’ + ‘X’ keys together or by right-clicking on the start button
- Click on the arrow icon next to ‘Human interface devices’, ‘Keyboards’ and ‘Mice and other pointing devices’
- Right-click on all the Razer devices in the options that are revealed after the step above and select ‘Uninstall device’ for each
- Choose ‘Delete the driver software for this device’ in the pop-up window for each device
- Then, click on ‘Uninstall’ to confirm
- Disconnect all the Razer devices and restart the system
- After restarting, reconnect the devices. Windows will automatically reinstall the device drivers
- Download the most recent version of the Razer Synapse software, then reinstall and try to restart
Fix 3: Update Windows
Another fix you should have tried when your Razer Synapse failed to start is to check for Windows updates. If the system you are trying to run the application on has an outdated Windows OS, the application might run into some problems.
- Search for ‘Update’ in your taskbar and select ‘Check for Updates’
- If there are any available updates, download the update and then restart the system
- Then try to start the application again
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Fix 4: Program Repair
You can also try to repair the program to fix the Razer Synapse failed to start issue. This can be done via Razer’s control center application. To access this control center:
- Navigate to the Razer Synapse file location and attempt to uninstall the application (but you won’t uninstall it)
- The Razer control center will pop up, giving you other options including ‘Repair’
- Click on ‘Repair’ and the control center will repair the application by performing some updates
- Once this is done, try to restart the application
Fix 5: Run As Administrator
As earlier mentioned, some permissions might be blocking the application from running as it should. To fix this, you could simply run the application as an administrator.
- Navigate to the Razer Synapse file location
- Right-click on it and then select ‘Run as Administrator’ or right-click on the icon on your home, then select ‘Run as administrator’
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Fix 6: Check Antivirus
Your antivirus or firewall might be blocking the Razer Synapse from running. One way to fix this is by temporarily disabling the antivirus or including Razer Synapse on the exception list in your firewall or antivirus software. You can turn OFF your firewall with these steps:
For Windows:
- Click the Windows icon on the taskbar or the Windows key on your keyboard
- Click the Settings icon
- Click on ‘Update & Security’, then select ‘Windows Security’
- Select ‘Open Windows Security’ and then ‘Firewall & network protection’
- Select your network and click the toggle button to turn the firewall OFF, then restart the application
- To add Razer Synapse to the exception list, follow steps 1-4 and then click on ‘Allow an app through firewall’ then select the app.
To disable any third-party antivirus software, locate the antivirus icon in the Windows notification section, then right-click the icon and click on stop or disable. You can also disable the antivirus from inside the program.
Fix 7: Install Microsoft .Net Framework
Some versions of the Razer Synapse software come with system requirements. One of these requirements is a .NET Framework and if this isn’t installed in the system, the application will not run. If it is already installed, then you might want to confirm that you have the latest version of the framework. Download the setup for the most recent .NET Framework version, open the installer, and add it to Windows.
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FIX 8: UNINSTALL RAZER SURROUND FEATURE
Razer Surround module is often responsible for causing issues like freezing and failure to open. This can be fixed by uninstalling the Razer Surround feature.
- Press the ‘Windows’+ ‘R’ keys together. This will open the ‘Run’ dialog box
- Type ‘appwiz.cpl’ in the ‘Run’ box and select ‘OK’
- Select ‘Razer Surround’ and click on ‘Uninstall’
- Follow the prompts that might appear to confirm and then restart your system
Fix 9: Delete Temporary Files
Temporary files are meant to be deleted by the application when it closes, but if for some reason, the application is unable to delete these files, you can go ahead and delete them yourself. This just might solve the “Razer Synapse failed to start” issue.
- Press the ‘Windows’ + ‘R’ keys together. This will open the ‘Run’ dialog box
- Type ‘%temp%’ and select ‘OK’
- You will be shown the temp folder at ‘C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp’
- Select all the files in the folder by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘A’
- Click on delete, then try to restart the application
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