Arduino Id starting screen is stuck

Development Tools IDE 2.x
1

I just installed arduino and it does not start; it is stuck on the white loading screen with a bouncing logo. I am on Windows. I also viewed a few forums on this topic, but none were finished. Here is the information given by PowerShell:

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PS C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE> & ".\Arduino IDE"

PS C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE> Arduino IDE 2.3.8
Checking for frontend application configuration customizations. Module path: C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\lib\backend\electron-main.js, destination 'package.json': C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\package.json
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.appVersion' application configuration value to: "2.3.8" (type of string)
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.cliVersion' application configuration value to: "1.4.1" (type of string)
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.buildDate' application configuration value to: "2026-02-25T15:38:21.789Z" (type of string)
Frontend application configuration after modifications: {"applicationName":"Arduino IDE","defaultTheme":{"light":"arduino-theme","dark":"arduino-theme-dark"},"defaultIconTheme":"none","electron":{"windowOptions":{},"showWindowEarly":true,"splashScreenOptions":{},"uriScheme":"arduino-ide"},"defaultLocale":"","validatePreferencesSchema":false,"reloadOnReconnect":true,"uriScheme":"theia","preferences":{"window.title":"${rootName}${activeEditorShort}${appName}","files.autoSave":"afterDelay","editor.minimap.enabled":false,"editor.tabSize":2,"editor.scrollBeyondLastLine":false,"editor.quickSuggestions":{"other":false,"comments":false,"strings":false},"editor.maxTokenizationLineLength":500,"editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled":false,"breadcrumbs.enabled":false,"workbench.tree.renderIndentGuides":"none","explorer.compactFolders":false},"appVersion":"2.3.8","cliVersion":"1.4.1","buildDate":"2026-02-25T15:38:21.789Z"}
Starting backend process. PID: 18880
Showing main window early
Using browser-only version of superagent in non-browser environment
Configuration directory URI: 'file:///c%3A/Users/Benjamin/.arduinoIDE'
Configuring to accept webviews on '^.+\.webview\..+$' hostname.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.090Z root INFO Backend u.initialize: 27.2 ms [Finished 0.551 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.090Z root INFO Backend Object.initialize: 24.7 ms [Finished 0.551 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.090Z root INFO Backend a.initialize: 1.7 ms [Finished 0.551 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.091Z root INFO Backend a.initialize: 1.3 ms [Finished 0.551 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.091Z root INFO Backend u.initialize: 1.7 ms [Finished 0.551 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.093Z root INFO Backend l.initialize: 26.2 ms [Finished 0.552 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.099Z root INFO configured all backend app contributions
2026-03-10T04:14:39.100Z root INFO Backend l.onStart: 1.6 ms [Finished 0.562 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.100Z root INFO Backend d.onStart: 0.1 ms [Finished 0.562 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z root INFO Backend a.onStart: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.563 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z config INFO >>> Initializing CLI configuration...
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z root INFO Backend x.onStart: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.563 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z config INFO Loading CLI configuration from c:\Users\Benjamin\.arduinoIDE\arduino-cli.yaml...
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z daemon INFO Starting daemon from C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\lib\backend\resources\arduino-cli.exe...
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z root INFO Backend w.onStart: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.563 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z discovery-log INFO start
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z discovery-log INFO start new deferred
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z root INFO Backend v.onStart: 0.2 ms [Finished 0.564 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.101Z root INFO Backend a.onStart: 0.1 ms [Finished 0.564 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.106Z root INFO Theia app listening on http://127.0.0.1:60800.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.106Z root INFO Finished starting backend application: 4.9 ms [Finished 0.569 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.116Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:/c%3A/Users/Benjamin/.arduinoIDE/plugins does not exist.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.116Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:/c%3A/Users/Benjamin/.arduinoIDE/deployedPlugins does not exist.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.116Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:C:\Users\Benjamin\.arduinoIDE\plugins does not exist.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.131Z config INFO Loaded CLI configuration: {"board_manager":{"additional_urls":[]}}
2026-03-10T04:14:39.131Z config INFO Loading fallback CLI configuration to get 'directories.data' and 'directories.user'
2026-03-10T04:14:39.162Z root INFO Resolve plugins list: 59.8 ms [Finished 0.625 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:39.183Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:39-05:00" level=info msg="arduino-cli version 1.4.1"
time="2026-03-09T23:14:39-05:00" level=info msg="Using config file: c:\\Users\\Benjamin\\.arduinoIDE\\arduino-cli.yaml"
time="2026-03-09T23:14:39-05:00" level=info msg="Executing `arduino-cli daemon`"
2026-03-10T04:14:39.195Z daemon INFO Daemon is now listening on 127.0.0.1:60801
{"IP":"127.0.0.1","Port":"60801"}
2026-03-10T04:14:39.195Z daemon INFO Daemon is running.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.202Z config INFO Loaded fallback CLI configuration: {"directories":{"user":"C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\OneDrive\\Documents\\Arduino","data":"C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15"}}
2026-03-10T04:14:39.202Z config INFO Merged CLI configuration with the fallback: {"directories":{"user":"C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\OneDrive\\Documents\\Arduino","data":"C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15"},"board_manager":{"additional_urls":[]}}
2026-03-10T04:14:39.202Z config INFO Loaded the CLI configuration.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.210Z config INFO Mapped the CLI configuration: {"dataDirUri":"file:///c%3A/Users/Benjamin/AppData/Local/Arduino15","sketchDirUri":"file:///c%3A/Users/Benjamin/OneDrive/Documents/Arduino","additionalUrls":[],"network":"none","locale":"en"}
2026-03-10T04:14:39.210Z config INFO Validating the CLI configuration...
2026-03-10T04:14:39.210Z config INFO The CLI config is valid.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.210Z config INFO <<< Initialized the CLI configuration.
2026-03-10T04:14:39.217Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:39-05:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
2026-03-10T04:14:39.557Z root INFO Deploy plugins list: 455.0 ms [Finished 1.020 s after backend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:40.720Z root INFO creating connection for 1
2026-03-10T04:14:41.522Z root WARN A command editor.action.toggleStickyScroll is already registered.
Opening channel for service path '/services/electron-window'.
Opening channel for service path '/services/ide-updater'.
2026-03-10T04:14:41.629Z root INFO Start frontend contributions: 282.1 ms [Finished 1.934 s after frontend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:41.630Z root INFO Changed application state from 'init' to 'started_contributions'.
2026-03-10T04:14:41.641Z root INFO Changed application state from 'started_contributions' to 'attached_shell'.
2026-03-10T04:14:41.641Z root INFO >>> Restoring the layout state...
2026-03-10T04:14:41.672Z root INFO [0b79139d-da07-4e09-916c-5a111278daea] Waiting for backend deployment: 56.3 ms [Finished 1.986 s after frontend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:42.203Z root INFO [hosted-plugin: 13672] PLUGIN_HOST(13672) starting instance
[Object: null prototype] {}
2026-03-10T04:14:42.602Z root ERROR Detected an error response during the gRPC core client initialization: code: 3, message: Error verifying signature: signature expired: is your system clock set correctly?
2026-03-10T04:14:42.611Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Checking signature" index="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json" signatureFile="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json.sig" trusted=true
2026-03-10T04:14:42.612Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loading hardware from: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.613Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loading package builtin from: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.613Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Checking existence of 'tools' path: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loading tools from dir: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.613Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:ctags@5.8-arduino11"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.614Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:dfu-discovery@0.1.2"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.614Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:mdns-discovery@1.0.12"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.614Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-discovery@1.4.3"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.614Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-monitor@0.15.0"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.628Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Loading libraries index file" index="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\library_index.json"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.628Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=ide
2026-03-10T04:14:42.628Z root ERROR Detected an error response during the gRPC core client initialization: code: 9, message: Loading index file: reading library_index.json: open C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.
2026-03-10T04:14:42.628Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\OneDrive\\Documents\\Arduino\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=user
2026-03-10T04:14:42.631Z root ERROR The primary packages indexes are missing. Running indexes update before initializing the core gRPC client The index of the cores and libraries must be updated before initializing the core gRPC client.
The following problems were detected during the gRPC client initialization:
[library-index] - code: 9, message: Loading index file: reading library_index.json: open C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

2026-03-10T04:14:42.632Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:42-05:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
2026-03-10T04:14:42.633Z root INFO core-client-provider [library-index] Downloading index: library_index.tar.bz2

2026-03-10T04:14:42.727Z root INFO [0b79139d-da07-4e09-916c-5a111278daea] Sync of 23 plugins: 1058.6 ms [Finished 3.044 s after frontend start]
2026-03-10T04:14:45.743Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:45-05:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.333Z root ERROR Detected an error response during the gRPC core client initialization: code: 3, message: Error verifying signature: signature expired: is your system clock set correctly?
2026-03-10T04:14:48.342Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Checking signature" index="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json" signatureFile="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json.sig" trusted=true
2026-03-10T04:14:48.343Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loading hardware from: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.344Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loading package builtin from: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.344Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Checking existence of 'tools' path: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loading tools from dir: C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.344Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:ctags@5.8-arduino11"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.344Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:dfu-discovery@0.1.2"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.344Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:mdns-discovery@1.0.12"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.345Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-discovery@1.4.3"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.345Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-monitor@0.15.0"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.357Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Loading libraries index file" index="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\library_index.json"
2026-03-10T04:14:48.358Z root ERROR Detected an error response during the gRPC core client initialization: code: 9, message: Loading index file: reading library_index.json: open C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.
2026-03-10T04:14:48.358Z root ERROR Uncaught Exception:  Error: The index of the cores and libraries must be updated before initializing the core gRPC client.
The following problems were detected during the gRPC client initialization:
[library-index] - code: 9, message: Loading index file: reading library_index.json: open C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

2026-03-10T04:14:48.358Z root ERROR Error: The index of the cores and libraries must be updated before initializing the core gRPC client.
The following problems were detected during the gRPC client initialization:
[library-index] - code: 9, message: Loading index file: reading library_index.json: open C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

    at C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:6323812
    at y.evaluateErrorStatus (C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:6323828)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
    at async a.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Benjamin\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:6323498)
2026-03-10T04:14:48.358Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=ide
time="2026-03-09T23:14:48-05:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Benjamin\\OneDrive\\Documents\\Arduino\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=user








































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2

Hi @benibouf

The cause of the problem is that your system time is incorrect. You can fix it by syncing the system time. I'll provide instructions you can follow to do that:

  1. Right click the Windows Start icon (⊞) on the taskbar.
    A context menu will open.
  2. Select "Settings" from the context menu.
    Windows "Settings" will open.
  3. Select "Time & language" from the navigation panel on the left side of the window.
  4. Select "Date & time" from the list at the right side of the Settings window.
    The "Date & time" settings section will expand.
  5. Click the "Sync now" button that is located under the "Additional settings" section of the window.
  6. Wait for the syncing process to finish.
  7. Close any Arduino IDE windows that are open.
  8. Start Arduino IDE again, as usual.
    ⓘ It is not required to start the IDE from the PowerShell terminal this time.

This time Arduino IDE should start up fully and work as expected.