Razer Synapse Not Working? How To Fix It

How to fix Razer Synapse 3 when it crashes or fails to start. Find out what to do if the Razer Synapse app is not working on your computer.

Do you use Razer peripherals? Then the Razer Synapse app may be needed to configure all things related to Razer peripherals, such as drivers, RGB lights, and other settings. If Razer Synapse isn't working on your computer, it's important that you get it working as soon as possible.

Razer Synapse Not Working? Here’s How To Fix It


If you're experiencing problems with Razer Synapse, don't worry — you're not alone. Just like other Windows apps, this one can experience some issues too. But it can be fixed easily! In this article, we'll show you how to fix the most common issues. We'll also provide some troubleshooting tips to help you get the most out of your Razer peripherals.

Continue reading to find the solutions to any problems you might be having with Razer Synapse and how to fix them!

What is Razer Synapse?

Razer Synapse is Razer's application that allows you to customize your settings for all Razer peripherals. Customize your Chroma lighting settings, assign macros, or rebind your keys with ease from one centralized app. Razer Synapse can be a life-saver when it comes to setting up your devices and managing each of them.

Razer Synapse is not necessary to install, but it’s your best bet to have it on your computer if you’re a fan of Razer products. For example, using the Chroma Studio, you can customize the RGB lights on all compatible Razer products. You can also configure useful macros for your mice or keyboards to make life easier.

However, this software doesn't always work as intended. If you're having problems with Razer Synapse not working on your computer then read through these solutions below!

How to fix Razer Synapse not working on Windows

Here are all the working solutions to solve Razer Synapse not working, not opening, or crashing on Windows. You can also fix Razer Synapse not recognizing your peripherals even though they’re connected.

Method 1. Restart Razer Synapse entirely

It’s possible that Razer Synapse isn’t functioning because it’s already running in the background. Simply quitting the app entirely, along with other Razer software that might be running, will possibly fix this issue.

  1. Right-click on an empty space in your taskbar and choose Task Manager from the context menu.
  2. Switch to the Details tab. Locate any instances of Razer Synapse and other Razer programs and select them, and then click on the End task button.
  3. After closing all of the running Razer processes, try to launch the Razer Synapse app once again.

Method 2. Run Razer Synapse as administrator

In some cases, you may need administrative permissions to run Razer Synapse. This most of the time happens when there’s an update that needs to be installed. If you don’t have an administrator account, convert your local account if possible.

  1. Find the Razer Synapse launcher (commonly named RazerSynapse.exe) in the File Explorer or on your Desktop. You can also find it in the Start menu application list, or search for it using the search interface.
  2. Right-click on the Razer Synapse application, and then choose Run as administrator from the context menu.
  3. Click Yes if you’re prompted by the User Account Control (UAC) screen. This will allow Razer Synapse to run with elevated permissions which may be required on your device.
  4. See if you’re able to use the application.

Method 3. Install the latest Microsoft .NET Framework

The .NET Framework is a software development framework for building and running applications on Windows. It supplies the necessary tools that help you make an app from scratch, or add features to one of your existing programs with little effort.

If Razer Synapse is not functioning as intended, crashes on startup or not opening, you can try to update the .NET Framework to fix it. Download the latest .NET Framework version and run the installer to update your current one.

Method 4. Temporarily disable your antivirus

Antivirus apps are a necessity on your computer if you want to stay safe while online. However, many of them pick up false positives and may flag harmless files as suspicious, causing your apps to stop working. If this happened to a file required by Razer Synapse, you need to temporarily disable your antivirus.

  1. Right-click on an empty space in your taskbar and choose Task Manager from the context menu.
  2. Switch to the Start-up tab using the header menu located at the top of the window. Here, find your antivirus application from the list and select it by clicking on it once.
  3. Click on the Disable button now visible in the bottom-right of the window. This will disable the application from launching when you start your device.
    task manager
  4. Restart your computer and see if you’re able to use Razer Synapse after making this change. Don’t forget to turn your antivirus app back on afterwards, or get a new antivirus app if your current one was causing the problem!

Method 5. Turn off the Windows Firewall

The firewall is a key component of Windows, but sometimes it breaks various online services. You can try to turn it off and see if Razer Synapse works without the firewall running.

  1. Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run utility. Type in “firewall.cpl” (without the quotation marks) and click on the OK button.
    turn off firewall
  2. Click on the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off the link, located on the left side of the window.
  3. Make sure that you select the “Turn off...” option for both Private network settings and Public network settings.
    turn off firewall
  4. Click OK and restart your computer.

Method 6. Reinstall Razer Synapse and your Razer drivers

In the case that Razer Synapse is broken, you need to reinstall your application as well as any Razer drivers installed on your device. This process may take some time, but it’s one of the safest ways to fix any issue related to Razer Synapse.

  1. Open the Start menu by clicking on the Windows button in the corner of your screen, and then choose Settings. Alternatively, you can use the Win + I keyboard shortcut to open the window automatically.
  2. Click on Apps from the available options. This is where you can find all of the installed apps on your PC and manage them.
  3. Stay on the Apps and features tab, and wait for your applications to load. Locate the Razer Synapse from the list and click on it once to select it.
  4. Click on the Uninstall button, then click Uninstall again. Wait for the application to be removed from your computer.
  5. After it’s complete, open the Razer Synapse download page in any web browser and click the Download now button. Once the installer is downloaded, launch it and go through the on-screen instructions to reinstall the app.

Method 7. Update Windows

An update to your operating system may fix many underlying issues, even with applications like Razer Synapse not working as expected. Download and install the latest version of Windows and see if the problem is fixed!

  1. Click on the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen to bring up the Start menu. Choose Settings, or use the Windows + I shortcut.
  2. Click on the Update & Security tile. This is where you can find most of your Windows Update settings and choose when to receive updates.
  3. Make sure to stay on the default Windows Update tab. Click on the Check for updates option and wait for Windows to find available updates. If you see any updates displayed, click on the View all optional updates link to see and install them.
  4. When Windows finds a new update, click on the Install option. Wait for Windows to download and apply the necessary updates.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are many different things that could be causing Razer Synapse not to work properly. The best way to figure out what is wrong with your software and get it working again is by going through our troubleshooting guide above.

Did you have success getting your Razer Synapse application back up and running? Let us know how we did in helping you fix the issue below! If none of these steps helped resolve the problem, feel free to reach out for help! We're here 24/7 if any other issues arise after following this blog post's advice. Don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help! 

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