Razer Synapse isn’t opening [FIXED]

Matthew Adams
by Matthew Adams
Windows & Software Expert
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Razer Synapse is not opening
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Razer Synapse is hardware configuration software with which its users can configure Razer peripherals, but many users reported that Razer Synapse isn’t working.

According to users, they experienced Unexpected errors in Razer Synapse among other issues, and in today’s article, we’re going to address these problems once and for all.

What to do if Razer Synapse isn’t working?

6 solutions to fix Razer Synapse:

  1. Reinstall Razer Synapse and Razer Device Drivers
  2. Don’t Install Razer Surround With Synapse
  3. Install the Latest Microsoft .NET Framework
  4. Turn Off Third-Party Antivirus/ Windows Defender Firewall
  5. Close Razer Processes
  6. Check for Windows Updates

1. Reinstall Razer Synapse and Razer device drivers

If Razer Synapse failed to start on your PC, the issue might be related to Razer device drivers. Thus, reinstalling both Razer device drivers and the Synapse software can fix the issue.

Note that you should thoroughly uninstall Synapse with a third-party uninstaller such as Revo Uninstaller to ensure there are no leftover residual files. This is how you can reinstall Razer drivers and Synapse in Windows 10:

  1. Right-click the Start button and select the Device Manager to open the window in the snapshot directly below.
    device manager windows 10 razer synapse not working
  2. Double-click the Mice and other pointing devices, Keyboards and Human Interface Devices categories on the Device Manager window.
    keyboard device manager razer synapse not opening
  3. Right-click all the Razer devices listed in those categories and select the Uninstall device options on their context menus.
  4. Select the Delete the driver software for this device option on the dialog box window that pops up for each Razer device.
  5. Press the Uninstall button to confirm.
    uninstall mouse driver razer synapse won't open
  6. Unplug all the connected Razer devices for a few minutes.
  7. Then restart your desktop or laptop.
  8. Plug the Razer devices back in after restarting Windows. Windows will automatically reinstall the drivers for the devices.
  9. Download the latest Razer Synapse software from this webpage. Then reinstall Razer Synapse with its setup wizard.

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2. Don’t Install Razer Surround With Synapse

In case Razer Synaps is freezing or not opening, the issue might be the Razer Surround module. So removing or disabling that module might fix the software. If you reinstall Synapse as outlined above, you can cancel Razer Surround’s installation when you log in to your Razer account after installing the software.

When you connect Synapse to the Internet, a feature update will pop up that you should Cancel. Click the Razer Surround notification that pops up after the setup, and select to cancel its installation. Thereafter, you can update Synapse and restart Windows.

Alternatively, you can uninstall Razer Surround if it’s already installed. To do that follow these steps:

  1. Open Run by pressing the Windows key + R hotkey. Enter appwiz.cpl in Run’s text box and click OK to open the window shown directly below.
    remove razer software razer synapse failed to start
  2. Select Razer Surround and click Uninstall to remove it from Windows.

3. Install the Latest Microsoft .NET Framework

update net framework razer synapse 3 not opening

NET Framework is a system requirement for Razer Synapse, and if NET Framework isn’t installed, Razer Synapse 3 might not be opening. If an older .NET Framework version is already installed, you might need to install the latest .NET Framework for Synapse 3.0.

Click .NET Framework 4.7.2 on this page to download the setup wizard for the latest .NET Framework version. Then you can open the installer to add the latest .NET Framework to Windows.

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4. Turn Off Third-Party Antivirus/ Windows Defender Firewall

Third-party antivirus software and the Windows Defender Firewall can also cause Razer Synapse freezing and other issues. So turning third-party antivirus utilities and the Windows Defender Firewall off might also fix Razer Synapse.

You can temporarily disable most third-party antivirus utilities by selecting disable options on their system tray icon context menus. Follow the guidelines below to turn off the Windows Defender Firewall.

  1. Open Run by pressing the Windows Key + R keyboard shortcut.
  2. Enter firewall.cpl in Run, and press the OK button. That will open the Windows Defender Firewall Control Panel applet shown directly below.
    turn off windows firewall razer synapse unexpected error
  3. Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off to open the options shown directly below.
    turn off windows firewall pc razer synapse freezing
  4. Then select both the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall radio buttons, and click the OK button.

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5. Close Razer Processes

Some Synapse users have confirmed that closing Razer processes before opening Synapse 3.0 can help if Razer Synapse is not working. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the Taskbar and select Task Manager.
  2. Then select any Razer processes listed under background processes, and click End task to close them.
    task manager razer synapse not working
  3. Thereafter, close the Task Manager; and run Synapse as an administrator.

6. Check for Windows Updates

Windows updates might also help if Razer Synapse won’t open. The updates are usually automatic unless you’ve adjusted Windows Update settings, but you might still miss a few. You can check for updates in Windows 10 as follows:

  1. Open the Cortana app by clicking the Type here to search button on Windows 10’s taskbar.
  2. Enter the keyword update in Cortana’s search box.
  3. Then click Check for updates in Cortana to open the window shown directly below.
    check for updates windows 10 razer synapse 3 not opening
  4. There you can press the Check for updates button to see if there are any available updates.
  5. Restart the OS after updating Windows.

Those are some of the resolutions that will probably fix Razer Synapse when it doesn’t open. If you have any other fixes for Razer Synapse, feel free to share them below.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been since updated for freshness, and accuracy.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in November 2018 and was revamped and updated in February 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
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