How to Fix Discord Error: A Fatal JavaScript Error Occurred on Windows

Discord is one of the more stable and trouble-free programs getting around, but there is a fairly common error message you might get from time to time - "A fatal JavaScript error occurred" message when launching Discord on Windows. It happens on both Windows 10 and 11, and although the error message may sound serious, it's nothing you need to be too worried about. So follow along as we guide you through a few steps that should help you solve the problem.

Run Discord as Administrator

This probably won't do much for 90% of people, but it's so simple and easy, it's worth trying just in case.

• Right-click the Discord shortcut on your desktop or in the Start menu.

• Select Run as administrator.

• If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.

• Check if Discord starts properly.

Clear Discord Cache and Temporary Files

This doesn't happen all that often, but Discord updates and Windows updates can mess things up so give this method a go.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

• Find Discord under the Processes tab. Right-click it and select End Task.

• Repeat this for any other Discord-related processes.

• Press Windows + R, type %AppData%, and press Enter.

• Delete the Discord folder.

• Press Windows + R again, type %LocalAppData%, and press Enter.

• Delete the Discord folder in this location as well.

Clear the Discord Installer Cache

If Discord was previously installed or updated incorrectly, that's probably what is causing the problem so clear the cache and it should solve the problem.

• Press Windows + R, type %localappdata%\SquirrelTemp, and press Enter.

• If the folder exists, delete all of its contents.

• Reinstall Discord after clearing the folder.

Clean Install Discord

Uninstall Discord and reinstall it again.

• Right-click the Start button and select Apps and Features or Installed Apps.

• Locate Discord, select it, and click Uninstall.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

• Make sure you have completed step 2 above to remove any remaining Discord folders.

• Download the latest version of Discord

• Install Discord and log in.

Install Discord in a Different Folder

Installing Discord in a different directory can help avoid conflicts with existing data. Just don't forget to delete all the stuff left in the old location. There's no point in having junk lying around.

• During installation, choose a custom install location (for example, C:\DiscordApp).

• Complete the installation process.

• Launch Discord to see if the issue is resolved.