8 Fixes for Kodi Not Working / Opening on Windows 11

Many people use Kodi on their PCs to stream content for free. Despite it’s popularity, one thing that always remains common is the errors with the platform. Though Kodi works fine with Windows 11, there might be instances when the platform keeps crashing.

If Kodi is not working or opening on Windows 11, it can be due to add-ons installed on Kodi, corrupted installation files, outdated DirectX, etc. So, how can I run Kodi properly without any issues on my Windows PC? This article will guide you on what you can do to fix this crashing issue on Kodi on Windows 11.

Fix Kodi Not Working or Opening On Windows 11

1. Relaunch Kodi

The first thing that you must do is close Kodi from the background and then relaunch it. You can use the Task Manager to end all the processes Kodi is running in the background and then restart the Kodi. This is how you can do it-

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combo.
2. Under the Processes tab in the Task Manager, select Kodi and click on End Task.
3. Now, open the Start Menu, search for Kodi, and launch it. 

2. Run Kodi As Administrator

If you are facing issues with Kodi, it can be due to insufficient permissions. Try running Kodi as administrator and then see if that fixes the issue. Given below are the steps to run Kodi as an administrator-

1. Click on the Start icon and then type Kodi. 
2. Right-click on Kodi and then click on Run as Administrator.
3. When the UAC prompt appears, click on Yes. 

3. Turn Off Hardware Acceleration on Kodi

If you can launch Kodi on your PC, but it keeps crashing in the middle of the stream, it can be due to hardware acceleration. Turn off hardware acceleration on Kodi, and that should solve this issue. The steps to turn off hardware acceleration are as follows-

1. Open the Settings of the Kodi on your PC.
2. Here, click on the Player option.
3. Under the Video tab, you will see an option called Allow Hardware Acceleration – DXVA2. Turn off this toggle to turn off hardware acceleration.

4. Update Graphics Drivers

Latest Graphics drivers are required to run Kodi on Windows 11. If your graphics drivers are not updated, then that can also cause this issue. Update the graphics drivers on your PC by following the steps to fix crashing issues on Kodi-

1. Right-click on the Start icon and then click on Device Manager. 
2. Now, double-click on Display Adaptors. 
3. Right-click on your graphic card from the list, then click Update Driver.
4. Click on Search Automatically for Drivers to get the latest driver updates. 

If your PC has two graphics cards, i.e., integrated and dedicated, then update both of them by following the steps given above. 

5. Delete Add-Ons

Kodi may keep on crashing because of the add-ons installed on it. You must try deleting add-ons from the Kodi, which will fix this issue. Below are the steps to do so-

1. Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer.
2. Click on the View option at the top, hover over Show, and then check Hidden Items.
3. Now, navigate to the following path-

   • C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\Database

4. You will see a few folders and files here. From all the folders, delete the addon_data folder to remove add-ons from the Kodi.

6. Reinstall Kodi

Issues with Kodi can be encountered if there are some bugs within the app or if the installation files are corrupted. You can reinstall the Kodi to fix these problems and use Kodi without any more issues.

1. Press the Windows + R keys together, type Appwiz.cpl in the Run Dialog Box, and press Enter.
2. On the next screen, select Kodi and then click on Uninstall. Click on Uninstall again to uninstall the Kodi.
3. Once done, restart your PC to remove all the residual files.
4. After this, head to the Kodi website on your PC’s browser.
5. From here, download Kodi and install it on your PC.

7. Update DirectX to the Latest Version

You need to have the latest version of the DirectX on your PC. Currently, the latest DirectX version is the DirectX 12. Check if your PC has DirectX 12, and if not, then update it to fix Kodi not working or crashing on Windows 11-

1. Open the Start Menu, type dxdiag, and press Enter to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
2. Look for the DirectX Version under the System tab.
3. If you don’t have DirectX 12, click this link to download the DirectX installer.
4. Once downloaded, run the installer to update the DirectX to the latest version.

8. Use VPN

If Kodi is still not working, the issue can be due to your ISP restricting you from using Kodi. To overcome this issue, you must use a VPN on your PC when running Kodi. Connect to a VPN network and then use Kodi to stream videos.

We recommend not going for free VPNs as Kodi may block them, and you might get restricted from using Kodi services. Get a well-reputed VPN, as it will maintain your privacy and ensure fast internet speed while you are connected to a VPN network.

Bottom Line

Unable to use Kodi on your PC? Kodi not opening issue is common and can be faced by many users. If Kodi is not working or crashing on Windows 11, then you can follow the steps we have mentioned above to use Kodi without any issues.