Microsoft Teams Not Loading On Startup? 5 Possible Causes

Is Microsoft Teams being lazy and not loading on startup?

That sucks! I can only imagine how annoying it must be to be scolded by your boss because you weren’t online on time, even when you were.

It can be very easy to overlook this, as we’ve become very accustomed to using our devices to make our lives simpler. What a disaster.

But don’t worry, you came here for answers, and I promise you’ll get them. Below, you’ll find a list of several causes that might be responsible for this.

The 5 possible causes that could explain why Microsoft Teams is not loading on startup are:

1. Your Firewall is blocking it
2. You have a corrupted file
3. The app is outdated
4. The app is disabled on startup
5. There’s a bug in your cache

Keep reading to solve this problem once and for all!

#1 Your Firewall Is Blocking It

First, I want us to check if either your Firewall or Antivirus software is blocking the platform.

As you may know, these days accidentally downloading viruses and other Malware is very easy, as even the most innocent online files can contain vicious threats. Modern security software developers are quite aware of this, which is why they try very hard to always be a couple of steps ahead of cybercriminals.

However, this comes at a cost.

Security software is programmed to be very careful about communications platforms and their access to the internet. And even though Teams is published and managed by Microsoft, one of the safest companies out there, these programs prefer to err on the side of caution.

This means that your protection software might be blocking the platform’s processes, which would explain why Microsoft Teams is not loading on startup.

Now, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck in an either-or situation. You can enjoy the benefits of being protected, while also addressing this problem.

Solution: To do this, you’ll have to create a Firewall exception for Microsoft Teams. The process should be very similar across all products from different developers. For this example, I’ll show you how I do it in Bitdefender.

1. Open the program and go to “Protection”

2. Locate “Firewall” and click on “Settings”

3. In the new menu, navigate to the “Rules” tab, locate “teams.exe”, and click on the arrow pointing downwards in the right-most area of the screen

4. On the dropdown menu, toggle on “Access” to allow Microsoft Teams to send and receive information over the internet

#2 You Have a Corrupted File

If creating an exception for the platform didn’t work, let’s consider the possibility of there being a deep-rooted corrupted file on your Teams folder.

That can quickly cause issues like this, and others, such as having the program keep going offline, a flickering screen, and much more.

In any of these cases, wiping all traces of the communications platform from your devices’ memory should work wonders and help fix the issue once you re-download it.

Solution: Here’s what you have to do:

Windows PC:

1. Press the Windows key on your computer and type “Microsoft Teams”. Then, right-click on it.
2. Select “Uninstall” from the drop-down menu. A new window will pop up.
3. Search for Microsoft Teams and double-click on it to uninstall it.
4. Enter Microsoft Team’s website and click on “Download for desktop”.

Mac:

1. Open Finder.
2. Go to the Applications folder and search for Microsoft Teams.
3. Drag it to the trash bin icon.
4. If asked, enter your administrator login credentials.
5. Click on “Finder” and select “Empty Trash”.
6. Download the app again by going to Microsoft Store’s website or opening the App Store.

#3 The App Is Outdated

I know that keeping your apps fully updated can feel like an unnecessary chore. But believe it or not, it can make a night and day difference.

Updates are something you don’t want to miss out on since they include new features and fixes to old bugs. Not to mention that if you wait too long, your currently installed version will stop being supported eventually.

Having this happen would easily explain why Microsoft Teams is not loading on startup, as well as why you’re experiencing other technical difficulties.

Now, in reality, this isn’t something most people will have to worry about because there’s automatic updating. But now and then, weak networks or glitches can get in the way. In scenarios like that, your best bet is to manually download and install the latest version of the platform to your systems.

Solution: PCs are known for being extremely persistent when it comes to updating. I bet you can remember more than one instance in which your computer went into “work mode” before an important presentation or an urgent online discussion.

So… yeah, you’re covered there.

Now, mobile devices, on the other hand are not nearly as reliable in that area, so here’s how you can manually update Microsoft Teams within iOS and Android systems.

For iOS:

1. Open “App Store”

2. Locate your profile button in the upper right corner of the screen, and tap on it

3. Find the “Update All” button. This should update Microsoft Teams if there’s a newer version available

For Android:

1. Go to Play Store and click on your profile, located in the upper-right corner of your screen

2. Select “Manage apps & device”

3. If you just want to update Microsoft Teams, select it and update it individually

4. If you want to update all pending apps, select “Update All”

5. Wait for the updating process to be completed

#4 The App Is Disabled on Startup

Now, let’s take a look at your Startup settings.

You see, it’s one thing to have Microsoft Teams added to the list of apps that start when your PC does, and a very different one to have it enabled. Normally, when you open this list in the Task Manager, you can change these settings to test which programs make your startup slower.

Let’s see the status of Teams and tweak a couple of things accordingly.

Solution: Here’s what you have to do:

1. Right-click on your Windows Taskbar and select “Task Manager” from the dropdown menu

2. Once you are in the Task Manager, go to the “Startup” tab, find Teams, and if it’s disabled, please enable it

#5 There’s a Bug in Your Cache

Lastly, let’s make sure nothing’s wrong with your cache.

In case you’ve never heard the term before or just want to know more about it, I’m more than happy to walk you through it.

An app’s cache is where essential information, such as files, login credentials and user preferences are stored. Keeping this data readily available helps Teams (and any other platform for that matter) give you a smoother experience and the ability to load quicker when launched.

Now, more often than not, leaving your cache alone is actually a good thing. But sometimes, it can accidentally store a corrupted file, which can quickly cause a world of trouble.

In cases like that, you’re better off clearing it.

Solution: I know this probably sounds like a job for a hacker, but trust me, it’s one of the simplest tech processes out there.

Here’s what you have to do:

Windows PC:

1. Quit the app
2. Type “Run” on the search bar at the bottom of your screen. Then, hit Enter.
3. Type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams”
4. Click on “Select All” at the top of your screen and click on “Delete”.

Mac:

1. Fully close Microsoft Teams.
2. Open Finder and click on “Go”.
3. Select “Go to Folder” from the drop-down menu.
4. Type “~/Library/Applications Support/Microsoft” in the text field and click on “Go”.
5. Right-click on the Teams folder and click on “Move to Trash” or “Move to Bin”.
6. Click on the magnifier glass at the top of your screen to open the Spotlight Search.
7. Type “Keychain” and select “Keychain Access”.
8. Search for Microsoft Teams and right-click on “Microsoft Teams Identities Cache”. Then, select “Delete”.

Android:

1. On your device, go to “Settings”

2. Select “Apps”

3. From the new menu, select “Apps” again

4. Find Microsoft Teams and select it

5. Find “Storage” on the menu

6. Select “Clear Cache” from the available options 

Conclusion

That’s it!

I bet you didn’t think fixing this issue would be that fast. Sometimes, the idea of addressing our own technical difficulties can be a little intimidating. But I hope this piece has helped you see that, more often than not, things will go smoothly and won’t test your patience too much.

Remember to always look at a problem from all angles to discover as many solutions as possible. This will greatly increase your chances of success every time.

Thank you so much for sticking with me all the way to the end. If this article proved to be helpful to you, you’ll be very happy to know that we upload new content every week. While we’re hard at work, why not become a Tech Detective yourself by checking out our other interesting resources below?

Best of luck to you!