Failure of Arduno IDE to launch

Development Tools IDE 2.x
1

Hello.
Complete newbie requires assistance with launching Arduino on a desktop running win 10 Pro. I can download IDE 2.3.6 "successfully", but when I try to open the program using the shortcut, the screen hangs with the Arduino logo pulsating endlessly. I have searched Google for answers to no avail. Thanks inadvance.

2

Hi @colin88. I'm going to ask you to provide some additional information that might help us to identify the problem.

:red_exclamation_mark: This procedure is not intended to solve the problem. The purpose is to gather more information.

Please do this:

  1. Close all Arduino IDE windows if the IDE is already running.
  2. Start Windows "File Explorer".
  3. Open the Arduino IDE installation folder.
    ⓘ The default installation location is at one of the following paths: 
    • C:\Program Files\Arduino IDE

    • C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\Arduino IDE
      (where <username> is your Windows username)
      :red_exclamation_mark: If looking for it with your file manager or command line, note that the AppData folder is hidden by default. On Windows "File Explorer", you can make it visible by opening the "View" menu, then checking the box next to "☐ Hidden items".
  4. In the folder listing of the Arduino IDE installation folder, hold the Shift key while clicking the right hand button on the mouse.
    A context menu will open
  5. Select "Open PowerShell window here" from the menu.
    Windows PowerShell will now open with the current directory set to the Arduino IDE installation folder.
  6. Type the following command in the PowerShell window:
    & ".\Arduino IDE"
  7. Press the Enter key.
    Debug output should now be printed to the PowerShell window as Arduino IDE starts.
  8. Wait until you are sure the IDE startup has gone into the hang state
    (as indicated by no additional output being printed to the terminal).
  9. Switch back to the PowerShell window if the Arduino IDE window took the focus.
  10. Press the Ctrl+Shift+A keyboard shortcut.
    This will select all the text in the PowerShell window.
  11. Press the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.
    This will copy the contents of the PowerShell window to the clipboard.
  12. Open a reply here on this forum topic by clicking the "Reply" button.
  13. Click the <CODE/> icon on the post composer toolbar.
    This will add the forum's code block markup (```) to your reply to make sure the error messages are correctly formatted.
    Code block icon on toolbar
    Code block icon on toolbar390×118 4.25 KB
  14. Press the Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.
    This will paste the output into the code block.
  15. Move the cursor outside of the code block markup before you add any additional text to your reply.
  16. Click the "Reply" button to publish the post.

Please let us know if you have any questions or problems while following those instructions.

3

Many thanks for the prompt reply. At part 5, Power Shell window won't open - instead, there's a message " application unable to start (0xc0000142)
Colin

4

Hello ptillish -Arduino team, This may also help.
If I download IDE 1.8.19 to the same PC , the IDE launches but stops working at varify a code . Cick on the verify box ( with or without an UNO connected) leads to an error " compiling for board"message.
Colin

5

Are you at work or school?

6

In Post #4, it looks like you have successfully installed IDE 1.8.19.

After clicking "verify" it looks like your IDE is successfully compiling, "Compiling for board..." is telling you the IDE is working... and you have observed that NO Arduino need be connected. If you click "Upload" without an Arduino connected, you would see many errors.

In your original post... the IDE 2.3.6 must install and configure updates from when you downloaded the IDE until the latest IDE "build".

I have found, that if I let the IDE logo "throb" for a while... perhaps 30 minutes with wifi connection to internet... then stop and re-start the IDE Do this at least three four times. I have slow wifi and an old computer... it takes a few re-starts.

If you select "IDE >> PREFERENCES >> Show verbose output during >> Compile" you will see something like this (my sketch is from IDE >> FILE >> EXAMPLES >> 01.Basics >> "bareminimum.ino")...

FQBN: arduino:avr:nano
Using board 'nano' from platform in folder: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6
Using core 'arduino' from platform in folder: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6

Detecting libraries used...
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avr-gcc\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-g++ -c -g -Os -w -std=gnu++11 -fpermissive -fno-exceptions -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-threadsafe-statics -Wno-error=narrowing -flto -w -x c++ -E -CC -mmcu=atmega328p -DF_CPU=16000000L -DARDUINO=10607 -DARDUINO_AVR_NANO -DARDUINO_ARCH_AVR -IC:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\cores\arduino -IC:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\variants\eightanaloginputs C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\arduino\sketches\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D\sketch\sketch_dec16a.ino.cpp -o nul
Generating function prototypes...
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avr-gcc\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-g++ -c -g -Os -w -std=gnu++11 -fpermissive -fno-exceptions -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-threadsafe-statics -Wno-error=narrowing -flto -w -x c++ -E -CC -mmcu=atmega328p -DF_CPU=16000000L -DARDUINO=10607 -DARDUINO_AVR_NANO -DARDUINO_ARCH_AVR -IC:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\cores\arduino -IC:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\variants\eightanaloginputs C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\arduino\sketches\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D\sketch\sketch_dec16a.ino.cpp -o C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\1295841849\sketch_merged.cpp
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\builtin\tools\ctags\5.8-arduino11/ctags -u --language-force=c++ -f - --c++-kinds=svpf --fields=KSTtzns --line-directives C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\1295841849\sketch_merged.cpp

Compiling sketch...
"C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\tools\\avr-gcc\\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-g++" -c -g -Os -std=gnu++11 -fpermissive -fno-exceptions -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-threadsafe-statics -Wno-error=narrowing -MMD -flto -mmcu=atmega328p -DF_CPU=16000000L -DARDUINO=10607 -DARDUINO_AVR_NANO -DARDUINO_ARCH_AVR "-IC:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\hardware\\avr\\1.8.6\\cores\\arduino" "-IC:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\hardware\\avr\\1.8.6\\variants\\eightanaloginputs" "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D\\sketch\\sketch_dec16a.ino.cpp" -o "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D\\sketch\\sketch_dec16a.ino.cpp.o"
Compiling libraries...
Compiling core...
Using precompiled core: C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\arduino\cores\arduino_avr_nano_cpu_atmega328_531362fc7a9110eb6b8849d75285ac0a\core.a
Linking everything together...
"C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\tools\\avr-gcc\\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-gcc" -Os -g -flto -fuse-linker-plugin -Wl,--gc-sections -mmcu=atmega328p -o "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.elf" "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D\\sketch\\sketch_dec16a.ino.cpp.o" "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/..\\..\\cores\\arduino_avr_nano_cpu_atmega328_531362fc7a9110eb6b8849d75285ac0a\\core.a" "-LC:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D" -lm
"C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\tools\\avr-gcc\\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-objcopy" -O ihex -j .eeprom --set-section-flags=.eeprom=alloc,load --no-change-warnings --change-section-lma .eeprom=0 "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.elf" "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.eep"
"C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\tools\\avr-gcc\\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-objcopy" -O ihex -R .eeprom "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.elf" "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.hex"
"C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\arduino\\tools\\avr-gcc\\7.3.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino7/bin/avr-size" -A "C:\\Users\\user\\AppData\\Local\\arduino\\sketches\\DD5F7289EA425AD284BC9FA888DFC42D/sketch_dec16a.ino.elf"
Sketch uses 444 bytes (1%) of program storage space. Maximum is 30720 bytes.
Global variables use 9 bytes (0%) of dynamic memory, leaving 2039 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.

And this is a standard output after a successful compile, without "verbose" selected...

Sketch uses 444 bytes (1%) of program storage space. Maximum is 30720 bytes.
Global variables use 9 bytes (0%) of dynamic memory, leaving 2039 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.