# Tailscale not starting on PC

Created: 6/9/2026, 8:35:41 AM
Updated: 6/9/2026, 8:36:25 AM

---

## user

my tailscale on my pc is not starting

## assistant

Let me help you troubleshoot. I need a few details first:

### Tool Call: question

Input:
```
{
  "questions": [
    {
      "question": "What operating system are you on?",
      "header": "OS",
      "options": [
        {
          "label": "Windows",
          "description": "Windows 10 or 11"
        },
        {
          "label": "macOS",
          "description": "MacOS"
        },
        {
          "label": "Linux",
          "description": "Linux desktop"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "question": "What error or behavior do you see when trying to start Tailscale?",
      "header": "Error details",
      "options": [
        {
          "label": "Service not running",
          "description": "Tailscale service/daemon won't start"
        },
        {
          "label": "GUI won't open",
          "description": "The GUI app opens but doesn't connect"
        },
        {
          "label": "Authentication error",
          "description": "Shows login/auth errors"
        },
        {
          "label": "No error, just doesn't work",
          "description": "Nothing visible happens"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

Output:
```
User has answered your questions: "What operating system are you on?"="Windows", "What error or behavior do you see when trying to start Tailscale?"="it just says starting for a vry long time". You can now continue with the user's answers in mind.
```

## assistant

"Starting..." stuck is common on Windows. Try these in order:

1. **Restart the service** (as admin in PowerShell/CMD):
   ```
   net stop Tailscale && net start Tailscale
   ```

2. **Kill lingering processes** — sometimes `Tailscale.exe` or `Tailscale-IPN.exe` hangs in the background. Kill them via Task Manager, then restart.

3. **Check Windows service dependencies** — Tailscale depends on `winmgmt` (WMI). Run:
   ```
   sc queryex Tailscale
   ```
   Make sure the service state isn't `STOP_PENDING`.

4. **Reinstall** — If nothing works, uninstall, reboot, then reinstall from [tailscale.com/download](https://tailscale.com/download).

Also worth checking: do you have any VPN/antivirus/firewall that might interfere?