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Google Earth is Not Working or Loading: 8 Ways to Fix it
Google Earth problems might come from simple graphics settings
7 min. read
Updated onOctober 25, 2024
updated onOctober 25, 2024
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If Google Earth or Google Earth Pro is not working/loading on your device, you’re not alone. This happens to many users, particularly due to browser problems, and outdated graphics driver or file corruption.
Luckily, we figured out how to fix it. Just keep reading as we share what we found works:
How can I make Google Earth work in Windows 10 & 11?
1. Use OpenGL instead of DirectX
If you encounter any problems, we have a detailed article onhow to fix OpenGL problems in Windows 10that will help you solve them quickly.
2. Use the built-in Repair Tool
3. Update your graphics card
The culprit for Google Earth hanging and crashing in Windows 10 seems to be the stereoscopic 3D that was turned on by the latest Windows 10 updates.
Should you encounter any problems, our extensive guide onhow to update drivers in Windowswill provide more information.
4. Enable Windows to fix the scaling
If you receive the following messageYour desktop resolution is set to smaller than 1024×768, Google Earthrequires a resolution of at least 1024×768 to be viewed properly.
We also have a detailed guide onhow to create your own custom resolutions in Windows 10and the information might be helpful in this situation.
5. Recreate the Google Earth shortcut
Some of our readers have reported that they’re even unable to install Google Earth on their Windows 10 computers.
That’s because when they try to install the program, anerror 1603appears, and the installation process is stopped.
This error tells you that Google Earth is already installed on your computer, so you can’t install it again. This case mostly occurs to Windows 10 users, because there’s a possibility that, during the update process, Google Earth shortcuts from Desktop and Start Menu have been removed.
That means you can actually create the shortcut again and that will fix the problem straight away. If you can’t find the app in Program files, you should also check in Program Files (X86).
6. Uninstall and reinstall the app
If Google Earth is not working on your Windows 10 PC, you might want to reinstall it. This usually fixes any corrupted files, so be sure to try it.
Should reinstalling doesn’t help, you might want to try installing an older version. Several of our readers reported that this solved their issue.
7. Install the older graphics drivers
In most cases, it’s better to use the latest drivers on your PC, but sometimes the latest drivers aren’t fully compatible with certain software.
If Google Earth is not working in Windows 10, you might want to try rolling back to the older version of Nvidia drivers.
After the driver is uninstalled, you need to download the older version of the Nvidia driver.
In case the rollback works, you’ll have toprevent Windows from automatically updating the driverin the future.
8. Create a new user account
Many users reported that Google Earth is not working on their Windows 10 PC. Apparently, the issue can be your user account. Sometimes your account can become corrupted causing this issue to appear.
After switching to a new account, check if the problem still appears. If not, you’ll have to use the newly created account to run Google Earth on your PC.
Also, you might want to use your new account as your main one. Alternatively,here’s what you can’t do if Windows doesn’t allow you to create a new user account.
How do you refresh Google Earth?
By default, Google Earth refreshes automatically every 5 minutes. However, there is a way to force the refresh:
To do that, right-click theInterMapperentry in thePlacessidebar, and selectRefresh.
If you want to change the refresh interval, right-click on theInterMapperoption, and selectProperties. Then, go to theRefreshtab and set up the preferred interval.
As a last resort, if Google Earth desktop is not working, you can always use Google Earth online. If you’re going to use the same account, you will have all the settings in place.
Of course, this problem can also be from the connection. In that case, you should read abouthow to fix Google Earth if it cannot connect to the server.
To learn more about Google Earth, we have a great guide on how todownload Google Earth on Windows 10, so don’t miss it.
Windows users often seem to struggle with these issues. If you are one of them, let us know which solution worked for you in the comments section below.
More about the topics:windows 10,Windows 11
Radu Tyrsina
Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).
For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.
Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.
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