Fix: An Error Was Encountered While Trying to Load This Plugin

BetterDiscord, also called the Discord enhancement project, allows users to customize the Discord app with plugins and themes, but many received the An error was encountered while trying to load this plugin message.

The error message appeared after a recent major update from Discord and broke the plugins and themes. While BetterDiscord itself works fine in most cases, the plugins fail to load.

What does an error was encountered while trying to load this plugin mean?

The error indicates the plugin’s inability to load alongside Discord. We usually come across An error was encountered while trying to load this plugin with the Xenolib library. The problem arises due to the following reasons:

• An update affected the plugins and themes
• Incorrect file permissions
• Plugin compatibility issue 
• Other plugins conflict with the affected one
• Issues with the JavaScript code

How do I fix an error was encountered while trying to load this plugin?

Before we start with the slightly complex solutions, try these quick ones:

• Restart the device that throws the error and try again.
• Install any pending updates for BetterDiscord, Discord, and the affected plugin. For BetterDiscord and the plugins, go to Discord Settings > Updates tab under BetterDiscord > click on Check for updates. 
• In case you have a fair understanding of JavaScript, inspect the code and check for errors. But don’t make any changes when unsure of the after-effects.

If none work, head to the fixes listed next.

1. Reset the affected plugin

1. Open the Discord app, and go to Settings. 
2. Go to the Plugins tab under BetterDiscord from the left pane.
3. Click the Settings icon under the affected plugin.
4. Click the Reset button.
5. Finally, click Okay in the confirmation prompt that appears.
6. Relaunch Discord and check for improvements.

When faced with An error was encountered while trying to load this plugin from BetterDiscord, you may consider resetting the plugin. The option is not available for all plugins. And if the Settings icon is greyed out, make sure the plugin is enabled.

Also, resetting helps if you come across The plug-in is vulnerable and should be updated in Firefox.

2. Create a duplicate copy of the affected plugin

1. Open the Discord Settings, go to Plugins from the navigation pane, and click on the Open Plugins Folder button.
2. In the File Explorer window that opens, select the affected plugin and press Ctrl + C to create a copy of it. Paste it on the desktop or another location. 
3. Now, hit Delete to remove that plugin.
4. Finally, move the copy you created earlier to the Plugins directory.  
5. Relaunch Discord and check whether things now work out.

3. Disable conflicting plugins

1. Launch the Discord app, and open its Settings.
2. Go to Plugins from the left pane.
3. Now, turn off the toggle for all plugins except the affected one and verify whether things work out.
4. If it does, one of these conflicts with the plugin presently enabled. So, turn them on one at a time, and as soon as the plugin again starts throwing the error, the one enabled last is the culprit.
5. You may now keep it disabled or remove the plugin altogether.

Read more about this topic

• How to Use Bold Letters in Discord
• Here’s What You Need to Know About Discord’s Read Receipts

4. Reinstall the plugin

1. Open the Plugins tab under BetterDiscord in the Discord Settings.
2. Click the Delete icon under the affected plugin.
3. Again, click Delete in the confirmation prompt.
4. Once done, head to BetterDiscord’s official website, search for the deleted plugin, and download it again.
5. Now, move the .plugin.js file to the dedicated Plugins directory.
6. Reboot the PC, launch Discord and check whether the error message goes away.

5. Reinstall BetterDiscord

1. Run the installer setup you used earlier to get BetterDiscord.
2. Tick the I accept the license agreement checkbox and click Next.
3. Choose Uninstall BetterDiscord and click Next.
4. Select the Discord version you choose during the installation, and click Uninstall.
5. Finally, head to BetterDiscord’s website, download the setup for the latest version, and reinstall the project. 

When nothing else helps fix the An error was encountered while trying to load this plugin issue, reinstalling BetterDiscord is the only option. Also, for some users, reinstalling Discord did the trick!

Besides, re-adding is always an effective troubleshooting measure. It also helps when you see PDE.pluin will damage your computer on Mac. 

Remember, BetterDiscord has acknowledged the problem, and we can expect a patch to be released soon, both from their and the plugin developer’s end. But until then, one of these fixes may get rid of An error was encountered while trying to load this plugin.

Plugin issues are not specific to Discord. You may also encounter The plugin is not supported error in browsers, but these are easy to fix.

For any queries or to share more solutions with us, drop a comment below.