I am writing to report several persistent and extremely frustrating issues with the Zwift software on PC. Despite spending over 5 hours troubleshooting and performing two clean reinstalls of the application, the following problems persist:
Launcher & Connection Pop-ups: Every time I start Zwift, I get “No connection” or “Launcher not updated” pop-up errors. I usually have to restart the application 3 times before it launches smoothly.
Login Loop (In-Game): Even though I am logged into the Launcher, the game itself asks for my credentials again. I have to enter my password 3 to 4 times before it successfully logs me in. It often displays a “connection error” message, which is incorrect as my internet connection is stable and high-speed.
Missing Badges: My route badges are missing in the PC application, although they are visible in the Zwift Companion app. After my second clean reinstall, several completed route badges simply disappeared from the PC view.
Technical Environment & Steps Taken:
OS: Fresh installation of Windows 11 Pro (no junk software).
Hardware: High-end PC (RTX 5070).
Troubleshooting done: Reinstalled Zwift 2x, uninstalled Avast Antivirus to rule out interference, tweaked Firewall and Windows Defender settings, and cleared Microsoft Edge cache/data as per common advice.
I am very disappointed with the current state of the software. I want to spend my time riding, not debugging. Could you please look into my account and these launcher errors to find a permanent fix?
To rule out some weird issue with your internet provider, could you try connecting your PC to the internet using your phone as a wifi hotspot? It would be very strange but would be worth a quick test if possible just to rule it out.
I will give it one last try and invest my time into a clean reinstallation, including manual deletion of all residual Zwift folders. Additionally, I will test the connection using my mobile 5G hotspot to rule out any potential issues with my local fiber provider.
I will get back to you with the results later today. Thanks.
I also had similar issue with the Launcher advising “not connected” etc.
It took me one hour to get it going the other day before a 2 hour workout. very demoralising.
What I did was
Uninstall, reboot, reinstall.
Clicked on launcher and then went to task bar, click on up arrow for hidden icons, Then right click on Zwift logo and remove tick on auto launch and update.
Now I do not have as many issues.
Biggest issue now is if I select a Watopia course it comes up temporarily “not connected” or hangs. I now do not load watopia courses.
I have tried reinstalling everything, but the issue persists. I am no longer interested in further debugging or spending more of my time on this. It is unacceptable for paid software to have these kinds of synchronization errors.
Could someone from the support team please manually sync or fix my account so that the route badges I have already completed are correctly marked as completed in the game on my PC?
In the Companion App, I can see all my completed routes correctly. However, they do not show up in the game on my PC. Occasionally (about once in five starts), some of them appear, but usually they are missing.
Is there any way you can perform a server-side sync to ensure that my PC game reflects the completed routes shown in the Companion App?
Have you already contacted Zwift support? The forum is not a reliable way to reach them. I recommend emailing support@zwift.com and include a link to this topic.
I’ve been in touch with support, but their generic answers weren’t very helpful. However, I believe I’ve found a solid workaround for those frustrating network and update issues with the game launcher.
The culprit was the DNS server configuration. Previously, I had my DNS set to “Automatic,” letting my ISP decide which one to use. After hard-setting the Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) directly on my router, the connection became stable, and I no longer face those constant re-login prompts.
If you’re experiencing similar drops or update loops, I highly recommend trying a manual DNS. This thread can now be closed.
