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NiceDeviceJohn
New Participant
October 17, 2025
Question

Worlds Desktop Editor - Not Responding

  • October 17, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 673 views

Worlds Desktop Editor, upon launching, opens a blank window and then the title changes to "Worlds Desktop Editor (Not Responding)" waiting 5 or 10 minutes later there is no change. It's not busy, it's hung. I don't recognize anything in the logs that seems relevant. This happens on v236.0.0.5.304 and several of the previous versions. I can dev for other platforms just fine, but Meta doesn't seem to be capable of an install. Rebooting, repairing, uninstalling, installing the next new version, updating video drivers, updating Windows. Nothing has made a difference.

Any recommendations?

5 replies

SeeingBlue
SeeingBlue
Honored Contributor
October 17, 2025

Hello NiceDeviceJohn,

It sounds frustrating that you've already gone through the standard troubleshooting steps without any success. Since the usual methods (reinstall, update drivers, etc.) haven't worked, here are a few other potential solutions that have helped others with this specific "Not Responding" or black screen issue on the Worlds Desktop Editor:

1. Run as Administrator

  • Right-click on the Worlds Desktop Editor shortcut.
  • Select "Run as administrator" and see if it launches properly.

2. Check for Conflicting Software

Background applications, especially antivirus or firewall software, can sometimes interfere with the editor's launch process.

  • Temporarily Disable Antivirus/Firewall: Try disabling your security software for a moment and then launch the editor. If it works, you'll need to add an exception for the Worlds Desktop Editor in your security software's settings.
  • Check for VPNs: If you are using a VPN, try disabling it, as it could be blocking the connection the editor needs on startup.

3. Clear Local Application Data

Corrupted local files can cause the application to hang on launch. You may need to manually delete these after an uninstall to ensure a truly clean installation.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type %UserProfile%\AppData\LocalLow\Meta\Horizon Worlds and press Enter.
  3. Delete the contents of this folder.
  4. Try reinstalling the editor again.

4. Re-install VC++ Redistributable

Some users have reported that a corrupted or missing Visual C++ Redistributable can cause a black screen or hanging issue. Try reinstalling the latest version from the official Microsoft page.

5. Check Display Resolution

In some rare cases, very high display resolutions across multiple monitors have caused issues. As a temporary test, try lowering your primary monitor's resolution to 1920 x 1080 to see if that allows the editor to launch.

I hope one of these steps helps you resolve the issue!

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    NiceDeviceJohnAuthor
    New Participant
    January 1, 2026

    None of this made any difference.

    Several versions later and after installing v244.0.0.16.307 it's still doing the exact same thing. I have no issue running unity on that same PC and editing projects for other systems, but Worlds Desktop Editor doesn't work. I'm still getting the same (Not responding) message after launch and the log file doesn't seem to say anything new.

    justcallmecope
    Up and Coming
    October 20, 2025

    I cant travel on headset and desktop editor will not load in any worlds either. why does meta consistently get worse. Its so frustrating especially for us builders 

    justcallmecope
    Up and Coming
    October 20, 2025

    the worlds crash after 30 mins over and over and have been for many weeks now. menus are breaking constantly massive glitching and loss of audio and tracking Hoping and praying we get a real update soon. this is bad

      NiceDeviceJohnAuthor
      New Participant
      September 21, 2026

      My team has had bug reports open for over a year as we tried to support VR Worlds on Quest but the World Desktop Editor never opened. For **bleep**s and giggles I tried a couple days ago and it loaded up! I spent the weekend finally trying out stuff I've been reading about for over a year. I then went to publish my example and then hit the message "Starting June 2026, it's mobile only". I forgot about the announcement months ago.


      Why would we lock into Meta's crappy toolset for mobile when better tools like Unity exist? Worlds Desktop Editor was for access to Quest Headsets. We already have App Store and Play Store. It's far safer to remove dependencies rather than add another one for mobile.

      Meta really screwed the pooch on this one.

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