I have two Windows PCs that run Zwift. One is W10 and the other is W11 but running unsupported (no TPM 2.0 support).
Since the upgrade to 1.86 I have not been able to progress on either machine beyond the loading screen directly after the login screen.
I have followed the instructions for deleting the cache etc in MS Edge as well as uninstalling/reinstalling Zwift, deleting all the other folder in Documents etc, but no joy at all.
Looking at the logs, it appears on booting that a prefs.xml file is created but then the file is marked as INVALID and the app shuts. On looking in the file there’s no text at all.
I can run zwift on my slow old laptop just about, but that’s really annoying. Has anyone got any advice. I’ve contacted Zwift but they’ve provided generic advice to date. I am attempting to reinstall windows now.
Hi @Jack_C, welcome to Forums! I’m Francisco from Zwift Support.
Sounds like you’ve done quite a bit of troubleshooting already. Here are a few things to check:
I noticed that you’re using a GTX 780. Can you check if you have the latest driver version: 474.82 WHQL or newer here? Sometimes, drivers (especially non-WHQL versions) can cause compatibility issues. Try rolling back and see if that helps. You can grab it from the NVIDIA official site.
The fact that the prefs.xml file is being created but then marked as INVALID suggests Zwift might not be writing to it properly. A few things to test:
Manually create a new prefs.xml file by copying one from your working laptop and placing it in the Zwift Documents folder on your main PC.
Check file permissions – Right-click the prefs.xml file > Properties > Security tab. Make sure your user account has “Full Control.”
Ensure Zwift is not being blocked by antivirus or controlled folder access (some security software can block writing to Documents\Zwift).
Your logs show issues with TCP connection errors
Try launching Zwift with a clean network start: Reboot your router and PC before launching Zwift.
Run Zwift as Admin to ensure it has full access to networking components.
If All Else Fails, “Windows Reinstall & Zwift Fresh Start” could isolate the matter or test on another admin user as well to narrow down.
Hi Francisco, latest drivers installed. No change after that. On one machine I did a full windows reinstall and zwift fresh start and that solved the issue but is it really necessary to have to do that for one app? It’s hard to believe this is an isolated instance if two machines were impacted by the issue at the same time.
Anyway, just for your awareness, I did also think of swapping the prefs file from my working laptop to the non-functioning machines. No change. App has User as Full Control and the only AV is Windows AntiMalware which has been the same as always. I didn’t try the network reboot, maybe next time.
Second machine now getting the full Windows refresh treatment which is boring but it is what it is If that also does not work I’ll let you know.