Github desktop does not start any more

Question

in the last days github desktop started alright. but doday it does not work any more... most tries the window won´t open and sometimes an empty white window appears I use Windows 11 but i cannot find out the version number from github desktop because it does not start. it throws errors in the log:

2022-04-12T19:44:07.014Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 2 2022-04-12T19:44:07.015Z - error: [main] Malformed launch arguments received: C:\ProgramData\maxi_\GitHubDesktop\app-2.9.11\GitHubDesktop.exe,--squirrel-firstrun 2022-04-12T19:44:07.027Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 3 2022-04-12T19:44:07.027Z - error: [main] Malformed launch arguments received: C:\Users\maxi_\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-2.9.11\GitHubDesktop.exe,--squirrel-firstrun,--allow-file-access-from-files 2022-04-12T19:44:07.485Z - error: [ui] PullRequestCoordinator: Error loading repositories 2022-04-12T19:44:07.864Z - info: [ui] Subscribed 'Drachenbauer' to Alive channel 2022-04-12T19:45:10.098Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 2 2022-04-12T19:45:10.099Z - error: [main] Malformed launch arguments received: C:\Users\maxi_\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-2.9.11\GitHubDesktop.exe,--squirrel-firstrun 2022-04-12T19:45:10.413Z - error: [ui] PullRequestCoordinator: Error loading repositories 2022-04-12T19:45:10.806Z - info: [ui] Subscribed 'Drachenbauer' to Alive channel 2022-04-12T19:47:08.281Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 2 2022-04-12T19:47:08.282Z - error: [main] Malformed launch arguments received: C:\Users\maxi_\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-2.9.11\GitHubDesktop.exe,--allow-file-access-from-files

my actual repositories are games, that i work on in godot.

https://github.com/Drachenbauer/Sokoban

https://github.com/Drachenbauer/3D-Sokoban

what is wrong here?

What can i do?

Answer 1

this morning I had the same issue and I couldn't make it run, I downloaded again the githubdesktopsetup-x64.exe from the original site, ran it, and now it works again somehow.

I noticed the folder in appdata/local/githubdesktop now only has a folder for the 2.9.14 app instead of like 3-4 folders for other older versions

Answer 2

I realize this post was made a while back, but here's what worked for me if it's still relevant: Delete GitHub Desktop files from two locations:

Users/-your user name-/AppData/Local and

Users/-your user name-/AppData/Roaming. Then, remove the program via Control Panel so all the residual files can be deleted.

Then, find the install file for version 2.9.5 from the web. Installing that version worked for me. I hope it works for you as well.