Microsoft Teams is a popular communication and collaboration platform. However, like any software, Teams can sometimes crash or fail to load properly. Troubleshooting and fixing Teams issues can be frustrating, but is doable with some targeted troubleshooting.
As an IT professional with over 10 years of experience supporting Microsoft products, I have helped many clients diagnose and resolve problems with Teams. Here are the most common fixes for crashing, not loading, and other frustrations with Microsoft Teams.
Table of Contents
Update Teams to the Latest Version
One of the easiest first troubleshooting steps is ensuring Teams is fully updated. Microsoft releases frequent updates to fix bugs, improve performance, and add features.
To update Teams on Windows:
- Open the Microsoft Store app
- Click the “…” icon for Teams and choose Update
- If no update is available, you are on the latest version
On Mac, you can update Teams through the App Store. Mobile apps typically update automatically, but you can check for updates in the app store.
Updating to the latest version resolves many crashing or loading issues caused by bugs in older versions.
Reset Teams to Default Settings
Sometimes crashing issues are caused by problematic add-ins or customizations rather than the Teams app itself. Resetting Teams clears out these customizations.
To reset Teams on Windows:
- Right-click the Teams icon and choose “Settings”
- Click “Reset Teams” and confirm
On Mac, delete the Teams folder at ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams then relaunch Teams.
Resetting often fixes crashing, slow performance, or odd behaviors by restoring defaults. Sign back in and reconfigure your settings after resetting.
Repair Office Installation
Since Teams installs as part of Microsoft 365 or Office, corruption in those large suites can prevent Teams from working properly.
On Windows, run the Office repair utility:
- Open Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program
- Right click on Office and choose Repair
- Restart your computer after repair finishes
On Mac, uninstall and reinstall Office completely to repair the installation.
Repairing Office files and components often resolves crashing in Teams and other Office apps.
Update Windows and Drivers
Outdated Windows installations and drivers can trigger compatibility issues leading to crashes in Teams.
Ensure Windows is fully updated through Windows Update. Also update graphics drivers, network drivers, and other device drivers from your manufacturer’s website.
Updating Windows and drivers rules out OS-related crashing causes. Restart after updates to complete installation.
Disable Conflicting Apps and Overlays
Other applications running during Teams sessions ??? especially those that display overlays or notifications ??? often cause conflicts making Teams crash or freeze.
Temporarily disable or close apps like VPN clients, web browsers, Slack, Zoom, streaming software, RGB lighting utilities, and even antivirus during Teams calls. Also disable overlays like chat apps or FPS counters.
Eliminating background apps isolates Teams issues and prevents other software from interfering. Re-enable apps one by one to identify potential conflicts.
Switch Audio Devices
Problematic microphones, speakers, webcams, and headsets can make Teams unexpectedly quit or fail to launch properly.
If Teams crashes during calls, try switching to another audio device like speakers instead of a headset. Also test your devices in other apps to determine if the issues are specific to Teams or the device.
Isolating hardware-related crashes prevents wasting time troubleshooting software issues when peripherals are actually at fault.
Create New User Profile
Corrupted Windows user profiles cause problems across many apps, including preventing Teams from loading. Creating a fresh user profile resets all customizations.
To create a new Windows user profile:
- Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage Accounts
- Choose “Create a new account” and grant admin privileges
- Sign in to the new account and test Teams
If Teams now works properly, files in your original profile are likely the culprit. Transfer over needed data to the new profile.
A new user profile eliminates profile-specific gremlins making Teams misbehave or fail to start.
Uninstall and Reinstall Teams
If other troubleshooting steps don’t resolve crashing or loading problems, uninstalling Teams entirely then reinstalling can often fix elusive issues.
On Windows, uninstall through Control Panel > Uninstall a Program, then visit the Teams download page and reinstall. On Mac, drag the Teams app to the Trash, empty the Trash, and redownload Teams from the Microsoft website.
This scorched earth troubleshooting nukes any remnants of corrupted files or settings, giving you a fresh start. Reconfigure Teams after reinstalling.
Contact Microsoft Support
For advanced Teams issues that you cannot resolve yourself, reach out to Microsoft’s dedicated Teams technical support:
- Live chat with a support agent on the Teams admin center site
- Call phone support using the contact number on the Teams support page
- Open a ticket describing your situation in detail so Microsoft engineers can investigate
Microsoft can troubleshoot server-side and account-related issues on their end causing Teams crashes across your whole organization. Support agents may also have access to diagnostic tools and advanced fixes regular users don’t.
If you have exhausted all other troubleshooting steps without resolving your Teams crashing or loading problems, Microsoft support should be your next call for professional help getting Teams back up and running properly.
Prevent Future Issues with Updates and Backups
Once you have Teams working again, be proactive to prevent future frustrations.
Always install the latest Teams updates as soon as they become available. Updates fix the bugs and holes that caused your issues originally.
Also be sure to regularly backup your Windows user profile and important files in case you need to reset or reinstall again later. Cloud backup services make protecting your data easy.
Staying up-to-date and backed-up lets you bounce back faster from any future Teams issues.
Troubleshooting and fixing crashing or loading problems in Microsoft Teams takes some targeted detective work, but is doable in most cases. Following this guide to methodically rule out common culprits can help resolve even stubborn Teams issues – often without needing to call in Microsoft’s professional support team.
