In this post, we will show you how to get past the Please wait while we start your update screen when opening Epic Games Launcher.
As reported by some users, whenever they start Epic Games Launcher, the screen is forever stuck on the Please wait while we start your update screen. While this issue can occur if Epic Games servers are down, there can be other reasons as well behind this issue. It can be caused if the required ports by Epic Games Launcher are closed. Apart from that, it can also be caused if the installation of the launcher is corrupted.
Epic Games Launcher stuck on Please wait while we start your update
If Epic Games Launcher is forever stuck on Please wait while we start your update screen, when you launch it, , here are the fixes you can use:
- Close Epic Games Launcher from Task Manager and restart it as an administrator.
- Check the server status of Epic Games.
- Edit the WindowsEngine.ini file.
- Unblock the required ports.
- Reinstall Epic Games Launcher.
1] Close Epic Games Launcher from Task Manager and restart it as an administrator
This issue could be caused because of a temporary glitch with the launcher. So, the first thing you can do to fix this problem is close the launcher completely and then relaunch it with administrator rights to check if the issue is resolved. Here’s how you can do that:
First, open Task Manager using the Ctrl+Shift+Esc hotkey. Now, select the EpicGamesLauncher program from the Processes tab.
Next, press the End task button to close the app completely. Also, make sure no other instance of Epic Games Launcher is running on your PC.
When done, exit Task Manager and go to Epic Games Launcher shortcut location.
After that, right-click on the application, and from the appeared context menu, choose the Run as administrator option. Check if the launcher starts without getting stuck on the Please wait while we start your update screen.
If the problem is resolved, you can make Epic Games Launcher open as an administrator always.
Read: Fix Epic Games Launcher won’t open on Windows.
2] Check the server status of Epic Games
This problem is likely to cause if there is a server issue going on at the end of Epic Games. It might be the case that Epic Games servers are facing a server outage, or the servers are down due to being under maintenance. So, do check the status of Epic Games servers and see if the servers are down. If that is the case indeed, you can wait for a while and then try launching Epic Games Launcher to check if the issue is fixed.
However, if Epic Games servers are up and running but the problem remains the same, use the next fix.
3] Edit the WindowsEngine.ini file
Some affected users have reported that editing the WindowsEngine.ini file fixed the issue for them. Editing the file can also fixe connection issues and enhance the download speed of the launcher.
Here’s how you can edit the WindowsEngine.ini file:
First, close Epic Games Launcher from Task Manager (refer to fix #1).
Now, open File Explorer using Win+E and move to the following folder location:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Engine\Config\Windows
Note: The above path may vary depending on the location where you have installed Epic Games Launcher.
Next, right-click on the WindowsEngine.ini file and click on the Open with option from the appeared context menu. After that, choose the Notepad option to open the file.
Then, at the end of the opened file, add a new line and enter the following command:
[Launcher] ForceNonSslCdn=false
After that, go to the File menu and click on the Save button to save new changes.
Once done, close the Notepad application and then restart Epic Games Launcher to fix the issue. If the problem continues, move on to the next solution to fix it.
Read: Fix Epic Games Launcher not displaying properly or appears blank.
4] Unblock the required ports
The next thing you can do to fix the problem is to turn on power forwarding. Some applications only work properly with required ports. In case the required ports by Epic Games Launcher or the problematic video game for transferring the data over the game server are closed, you will face this issue. So, enable port forwarding on your PC to resolve the problem. Here’s how:
First, open the Windows Search option and enter Windows Defender Firewall, and open the app. Now, click on the Advanced settings option.
In the opened window, click on the Inbound Rules option and then press the New Rule button.
Next, select the Port option and click on the Next button.
After that, inside the Specified local ports box, enter the required ports as mentioned below:
- 80 (TCP/UDP)
- 433 (TCP)
- 443 (TCP)
- 3478 (TCP/UDP)
- 3479 (TCP/UDP)
- 5060 (TCP/UDP)
- 5062 (TCP/UDP)
- 5222 (TCP)
- 6250 (TCP/UDP)
- 12000-65000 (TCP/UDP)
Once done, press the Next button and then like on the Allow the connection option, and then press the Next button. Then, enable the Domain, Private, and Public checkboxes and enter the Next button. On the next screen, enter the name of the rule as Epic Games Launcher or something similar and press the Finish button to create the new rule.
Now, close the Firewall window and restart Epic Games Launcher to check if the problem is fixed.
See: Fix Epic Games Launcher High CPU usage.
5] Reinstall Epic Games Launcher
If none of the above solutions worked for you, uninstalling and then reinstalling Epic Games Launcher is the last resort. This solution work in resolving most of the error and issues associated with the app.
To uninstall Epid Games Launcher, open the Settings app using Win+I and then move to the Apps > Installed apps section. Next, select the Epic Games Launcher app and click on the three-dot menu button present next to it. After that, choose the Uninstall option and follow the prompted instructions to complete the process.
Once the launcher is removed, reboot your PC and download the latest version of Epic Games Launcher from its official website. Then, install the client on your PC and launch it to check if the error is resolved.
Read: Fix Epic Games error code IS-MF-01 and LS-0009.
Why is my Epic Games launcher stuck on loading?
If Epic Games Launcher is forever stuck on the Loading or Preparing screen, it might be due to a corrupted cache that is interfering with the functioning of the launcher. Besides that, some temporary glitches can also trigger the same issue. You can also experience this issue due to full-screen optimization enabled for Epic Games Launcher. Additionally, if the launcher is corrupted, you might face this issue.
Why is Epic Games Launcher taking so long to update?
There can be different reasons why Epic Games Launcher is taking too long to update. It is usually caused when your internet connection is too slow as the launcher requires an active and steady internet connection to install the launcher and game updates. Apart from that, DNS server inconsistency issues can also result in the same problem. A corrupted cache can also trigger the problem. So, you can check your internet connection, change your default DNS server, and clear the corrupted cache to fix the problem.
Now read: Fix Epic Games Connection error, issues, and problems on Windows PC.
