IDE hangs on startup: "signature expired"

Development Tools IDE 2.x
1 
Checking for frontend application configuration customizations. Module path: C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\lib\backend\electron-main.js, destination 'package.json': C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\package.json
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.appVersion' application configuration value to: "2.3.4" (type of string)
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.cliVersion' application configuration value to: "1.1.1" (type of string)
Setting 'theia.frontend.config.buildDate' application configuration value to: "2024-12-03T10:03:03.490Z" (type of string)
Frontend application configuration after modifications: {"applicationName":"Arduino IDE","defaultTheme":{"light":"arduino-theme","dark":"arduino-theme-dark"},"defaultIconTheme":"none","electron":{"windowOptions":{}},"defaultLocale":"","validatePreferencesSchema":false,"preferences":{"window.title":"${rootName}${activeEditorShort}${appName}","files.autoSave":"afterDelay","editor.minimap.enabled":false,"editor.tabSize":2,"editor.scrollBeyondLastLine":false,"editor.quickSuggestions":{"other":false,"comments":false,"strings":false},"editor.maxTokenizationLineLength":500,"editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled":false,"breadcrumbs.enabled":false,"workbench.tree.renderIndentGuides":"none","explorer.compactFolders":false},"appVersion":"2.3.4","cliVersion":"1.1.1","buildDate":"2024-12-03T10:03:03.490Z"}
Starting backend process. PID: 7288
Using browser-only version of superagent in non-browser environment
Configuration directory URI: 'file:///c%3A/Users/Musa/.arduinoIDE'
Configuring to accept webviews on '^.+\.webview\..+$' hostname.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.101Z root INFO Backend Object.initialize: 5.0 ms [Finished 0.799 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.102Z root INFO Backend Object.configure: 4.0 ms [Finished 0.799 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.102Z root INFO Backend s.onStart: 2.0 ms [Finished 0.799 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.103Z root INFO Backend s.configure: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.827 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.104Z root INFO Backend d.onStart: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.827 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.104Z root INFO Backend d.configure: 0.1 ms [Finished 0.827 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.105Z root INFO Backend d.initialize: 27.6 ms [Finished 0.827 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.105Z root INFO Backend c.onStart: 0.3 ms [Finished 0.827 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.106Z root INFO Backend a.configure: 1.2 ms [Finished 0.829 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.108Z config INFO >>> Initializing CLI configuration...
2026-03-09T00:33:53.108Z root INFO Backend c.initialize: 0.6 ms [Finished 0.829 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.108Z root INFO Backend x.onStart: 0.9 ms [Finished 0.830 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.109Z config INFO Loading CLI configuration from c:\Users\Musa\.arduinoIDE\arduino-cli.yaml...
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z daemon INFO Starting daemon from C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\lib\backend\resources\arduino-cli.exe...
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend a.initialize: 0.4 ms [Finished 0.831 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend w.onStart: 1.3 ms [Finished 0.831 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend r.configure: 2.0 ms [Finished 0.832 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z discovery-log INFO start
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z discovery-log INFO start new deferred
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend d.initialize: 0.6 ms [Finished 0.832 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend y.onStart: 2.2 ms [Finished 0.834 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend r.configure: 1.9 ms [Finished 0.834 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend a.onStart: 0.7 ms [Finished 0.836 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend h.configure: 0.6 ms [Finished 0.836 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend s.configure: 0.2 ms [Finished 0.836 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.110Z root INFO Backend l.configure: 0.1 ms [Finished 0.836 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.114Z root INFO Theia app listening on http://127.0.0.1:64350.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.114Z root INFO Finished starting backend application: 4.2 ms [Finished 0.840 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.204Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:/c%3A/Users/Musa/.arduinoIDE/plugins does not exist.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.204Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:/c%3A/Users/Musa/.arduinoIDE/extensions does not exist.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.204Z root WARN The local plugin referenced by local-dir:C:\Users\Musa\.arduinoIDE\plugins does not exist.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.230Z config INFO Loaded CLI configuration: {"board_manager":{"additional_urls":[]}}
2026-03-09T00:33:53.230Z config INFO Loading fallback CLI configuration to get 'directories.data' and 'directories.user'
2026-03-09T00:33:53.336Z root INFO Resolve plugins list: 226.6 ms [Finished 1.061 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:53.348Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:53-07:00" level=info msg="arduino-cli version 1.1.1"
2026-03-09T00:33:53.361Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:53-07:00" level=info msg="Using config file: c:\\Users\\Musa\\.arduinoIDE\\arduino-cli.yaml"
2026-03-09T00:33:53.361Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:53-07:00" level=info msg="Executing `arduino-cli daemon`"
2026-03-09T00:33:53.373Z daemon INFO Daemon is now listening on 127.0.0.1:64351
{"IP":"127.0.0.1","Port":"64351"}
2026-03-09T00:33:53.373Z daemon INFO Daemon is running.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.374Z config INFO Loaded fallback CLI configuration: {"directories":{"user":"C:\\Users\\Musa\\Documents\\Arduino","data":"C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15"}}
2026-03-09T00:33:53.374Z config INFO Merged CLI configuration with the fallback: {"directories":{"user":"C:\\Users\\Musa\\Documents\\Arduino","data":"C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15"},"board_manager":{"additional_urls":[]}}
2026-03-09T00:33:53.374Z config INFO Loaded the CLI configuration.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.384Z config INFO Mapped the CLI configuration: {"dataDirUri":"file:///c%3A/Users/Musa/AppData/Local/Arduino15","sketchDirUri":"file:///c%3A/Users/Musa/Documents/Arduino","additionalUrls":[],"network":"none","locale":"en"}
2026-03-09T00:33:53.384Z config INFO Validating the CLI configuration...
2026-03-09T00:33:53.391Z config INFO The CLI config is valid.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.391Z config INFO <<< Initialized the CLI configuration.
2026-03-09T00:33:53.401Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:53-07:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
Opening channel for service path '/services/electron-window'.
Opening channel for service path '/services/ide-updater'.
2026-03-09T00:33:56.212Z root WARN Frontend a.configure took longer than the expected maximum 100 milliseconds: 376.8 ms [Finished 2.909 s after frontend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:56.212Z root WARN A command editor.action.toggleStickyScroll is already registered.
2026-03-09T00:33:56.742Z root WARN Frontend D.onStart took longer than the expected maximum 100 milliseconds: 393.5 ms [Finished 3.461 s after frontend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:57.748Z root INFO Deploy plugins list: 226.6 ms [Finished 5.474 s after backend start]
2026-03-09T00:33:58.687Z 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?
2026-03-09T00:33:58.717Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Checking signature" index="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json" signatureFile="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json.sig" trusted=true
2026-03-09T00:33:58.718Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loading hardware from: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.719Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loading package builtin from: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.719Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Checking existence of 'tools' path: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loading tools from dir: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.719Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:ctags@5.8-arduino11"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.719Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:dfu-discovery@0.1.2"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.720Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:mdns-discovery@1.0.12"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.720Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-discovery@1.4.3"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.720Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-monitor@0.15.0"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.742Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Loading libraries index file" index="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\library_index.json"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.742Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=ide
2026-03-09T00:33:58.743Z 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\Musa\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.
2026-03-09T00:33:58.743Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Musa\\Documents\\Arduino\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=user
2026-03-09T00:33:58.748Z 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\Musa\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

2026-03-09T00:33:58.750Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:33:58-07:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
2026-03-09T00:33:58.751Z root INFO core-client-provider [library-index] Downloading index: library_index.tar.bz2

2026-03-09T00:34:03.105Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:03-07:00" level=info msg="Starting download" url="https://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.tar.bz2"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.778Z 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?
2026-03-09T00:34:07.790Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Checking signature" index="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json" signatureFile="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\package_index.json.sig" trusted=true
2026-03-09T00:34:07.791Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loading hardware from: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.792Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loading package builtin from: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.792Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Checking existence of 'tools' path: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loading tools from dir: C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\packages\\builtin\\tools"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.793Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:ctags@5.8-arduino11"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.793Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:dfu-discovery@0.1.2"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.793Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:mdns-discovery@1.0.12"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.793Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-discovery@1.4.3"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.793Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loaded tool" tool="builtin:serial-monitor@0.15.0"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.816Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Loading libraries index file" index="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\library_index.json"
2026-03-09T00:34:07.816Z 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\Musa\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.
2026-03-09T00:34:07.816Z daemon INFO time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Musa\\AppData\\Local\\Arduino15\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=ide
time="2026-03-08T17:34:07-07:00" level=info msg="Adding libraries dir" dir="C:\\Users\\Musa\\Documents\\Arduino\\libraries" isSingleLibrary=false location=user
2026-03-09T00:34:07.817Z 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\Musa\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

2026-03-09T00:34:07.817Z 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\Musa\AppData\Local\Arduino15\library_index.json: The system cannot find the file specified.

    at C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:777546
    at v.evaluateErrorStatus (C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:777562)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
    at async a.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Musa\AppData\Local\Programs\arduino-ide\resources\app\lib\backend\main.js:2:777232)
Failure of Arduno IDE to launch
2

Hi @musa_36ll.

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.

1 Like