LibreOffice Won't Open or Crashes on Startup

How to fix it

// try these in order, the most common fix is first

1. FIX 1Restart in safe mode

   Copy steps
   1. 01End any soffice.bin process in Task Manager
   2. 02On Linux run soffice --safe-mode in a terminal; on Windows use Start > LibreOffice (Safe Mode)
   3. 03In the safe-mode dialog choose Configuration Reset or Restore from backup
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. FIX 2Reset the user profile

   Copy steps
   1. 01Close LibreOffice
   2. 02Rename the profile folder: ~/.config/libreoffice (Linux), %APPDATA%\LibreOffice (Windows), ~/Library/Application Support/LibreOffice (Mac)
   3. 03Start LibreOffice to create a fresh profile
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. FIX 3Disable hardware acceleration

   Copy steps
   1. 01Open Tools > Options > LibreOffice > View
   2. 02Untick Use hardware acceleration and Use Skia for all rendering
   3. 03Restart
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. FIX 4Remove extensions and reinstall

   Copy steps
   1. 01Tools > Extension Manager: disable all
   2. 02If it still fails uninstall completely and install the latest version from libreoffice.org
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

LibreOffice freezes on the splash screen, closes instantly or Writer crashes when you open a file.

Why it happens

• C-01Corrupted user profile
• C-02Graphics acceleration or Skia conflict
• C-03Broken extension
• C-04Leftover files from an old version
• C-05Stale soffice process still running

// this guide also covers

• libreoffice not opening
• libreoffice won't start
• libreoffice crashes on startup
• libreoffice not working

The same problem in other apps

All crashes, freezes & blank screens guides →

• PowerPoint Not Responding or Freezing (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• Keynote Not Opening or Crashing on Mac (Apple Keynote)

Other LibreOffice errors

• LibreOffice Messes Up Word DOCX Formatting
• LibreOffice Impress PPTX Animations and Fonts Not Working
• LibreOffice Calc VBA Macros Not Working
• Why Is LibreOffice So Slow to Start?
• LibreOffice Calc Slow or Not Responding on Large Files
• LibreOffice Document Could Not Be Locked Error
• LibreOffice Crashing or Not Opening on Mac
• How to Recover an Unsaved or Corrupt LibreOffice Document