The problem
GitHub Desktop completely fails to open by default shortcut or app entry. The application process initializes but terminates instantly in the background before drawing the window context. Bypassing standard configuration files via environment variables does not resolve the crash.
The application only successfully launches if a heavy-duty combination of hardware acceleration bypass flags is used via an external execution script: --disable-gpu --disable-gpu-compositing --disable-software-rasterizer --disable-direct-composition --in-process-gpu.
Expected Behavior:
The application should gracefully open its primary user interface without requiring forced hardware rendering overrides.
Crash Exception Code: 0x80000003 (Hard breakpoint / status error)
Release version
3.5.11.0
Operating system
Windows 11 - 25H2 - 26200.8457
Steps to reproduce the behavior
- Attempt to launch the application using the standard shortcut or the root application executable.
- The process appears briefly in the task tree and terminates immediately without displaying any visual window.
Log files
- Windows Event Viewer Application Log Error:
Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 25-05-2026 04:33:35 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: Application Crashing Events
Level: Error
Keywords:
User: ASUS-VIVOBOOK\drshtmstry
Computer: ASUS-Vivobook
Description:
Faulting application name: GitHubDesktop.exe, version: 3.5.11.0, time stamp: 0x6970eb3a
Faulting module name: GitHubDesktop.exe, version: 3.5.11.0, time stamp: 0x6970eb3a
Exception code: 0x80000003
Fault offset: 0x00000000075f5076
Faulting process id: 0x1244
Faulting application start time: 0x1DCEC3621735D4A
Faulting application path: C:\Users\drshtmstry\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-3.5.11\GitHubDesktop.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Users\drshtmstry\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-3.5.11\GitHubDesktop.exe
Report Id: 3df96183-8e0e-4238-b1dd-6249395eee6f
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" Guid="{a0e9b465-b939-57d7-b27d-95d8e925ff57}" />
<EventID>1000</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2026-05-25T11:03:35.9014949Z" />
<EventRecordID>9271</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="18092" ThreadID="10988" />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>ASUS-Vivobook</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-21-339131310-1683873370-1710767283-1000" />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="AppName">GitHubDesktop.exe</Data>
<Data Name="AppVersion">3.5.11.0</Data>
<Data Name="AppTimeStamp">6970eb3a</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleName">GitHubDesktop.exe</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleVersion">3.5.11.0</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleTimeStamp">6970eb3a</Data>
<Data Name="ExceptionCode">80000003</Data>
<Data Name="FaultingOffset">00000000075f5076</Data>
<Data Name="ProcessId">0x1244</Data>
<Data Name="ProcessCreationTime">0x1dcec3621735d4a</Data>
<Data Name="AppPath">C:\Users\drshtmstry\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-3.5.11\GitHubDesktop.exe</Data>
<Data Name="ModulePath">C:\Users\drshtmstry\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\app-3.5.11\GitHubDesktop.exe</Data>
<Data Name="IntegratorReportId">3df96183-8e0e-4238-b1dd-6249395eee6f</Data>
<Data Name="PackageFullName">
</Data>
<Data Name="PackageRelativeAppId">
</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
- Captured Live Console Output (--enable-logging --v=1):
[desktop-notifications] [error] Failed to initialize with RO_INIT_MULTITHREADED: -2147417850
[4676:0525/163335.158:VERBOSE1:components\device_event_log\device_event_log_impl.cc:200] [16:33:35.153] Display: EVENT: screen_win.cc:1034 Displays updated, count: 1
[4676:0525/163335.158:VERBOSE1:components\device_event_log\device_event_log_impl.cc:200] [16:33:35.160] Display: EVENT: screen_win.cc:1036 Display[1104915170] bounds=[0,0 1536x864], workarea=[0,0 1536x816], scale=1.25, rotation=0, panel_rotation=0 external detected
[4676:0525/163335.158:VERBOSE1:components\proxy_config\pref_proxy_config_tracker_impl.cc:487] 0x4edc0024dd40: set chrome proxy config service to 0x4edc0046c1c0
[4676:0525/163335.168:VERBOSE1:content\browser\renderer_host\media\media_stream_manager.cc:1589] MSM::InitializeMaybeAsync([this=0x4edc0010a880])
[4676:0525/163335.168:VERBOSE1:content\browser\renderer_host\media\media_stream_manager.cc:1589] MDM::MediaDevicesManager()
[4676:0525/163335.168:VERBOSE1:content\browser\renderer_host\media\media_stream_manager.cc:1589] MSM::MediaStreamManager([this=0x4edc0010a880]))
[4676:0525/163335.209:VERBOSE1:components\proxy_config\pref_proxy_config_tracker_impl.cc:487] 0x4edc0024fdc0: set chrome proxy config service to 0x4edc0046d340
[4676:0525/163335.214:VERBOSE1:components\device_event_log\device_event_log_impl.cc:200] [16:33:35.215] Bluetooth: EVENT: bluetooth_api.cc:82 BluetoothAPI: 0x4edc00129680
[4676:0525/163335.266:VERBOSE1:content\browser\first_party_sets\first_party_sets_handler_impl_instance.cc:277] Empty path. Failed initializing First-Party Sets database.
[4676:0525/163335.287:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.287:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 1 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.294:VERBOSE1:components\device_event_log\device_event_log_impl.cc:200] [16:33:35.294] Display: EVENT: screen_win.cc:1034 Displays updated, count: 1
[4676:0525/163335.296:VERBOSE1:components\device_event_log\device_event_log_impl.cc:200] [16:33:35.296] Display: EVENT: screen_win.cc:1036 Display[1104915170] bounds=[0,0 1536x864], workarea=[0,0 1536x816], scale=1.25, rotation=0, panel_rotation=0 external detected
[4676:0525/163335.375:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.375:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 2 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.375:VERBOSE1:content\browser\loader\file_url_loader_factory.cc:474] FileURLLoader::Start: file:///C:/Users/drshtmstry/AppData/Local/GitHubDesktop/app-3.5.11/resources/app/index.html#lc=IN
[4676:0525/163335.442:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.442:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 3 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.508:VERBOSE1:content\browser\loader\file_url_loader_factory.cc:474] FileURLLoader::Start: file:///C:/Users/drshtmstry/AppData/Local/GitHubDesktop/app-3.5.11/resources/app/renderer.css
[4676:0525/163335.508:VERBOSE1:content\browser\loader\file_url_loader_factory.cc:474] FileURLLoader::Start: file:///C:/Users/drshtmstry/AppData/Local/GitHubDesktop/app-3.5.11/resources/app/renderer.js
[4676:0525/163335.514:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.514:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 4 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.592:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.592:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 5 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.658:ERROR:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1004] GPU process exited unexpectedly: exit_code=-2147483645
[4676:0525/163335.658:WARNING:content\browser\gpu\gpu_process_host.cc:1446] The GPU process has crashed 6 time(s)
[4676:0525/163335.658:FATAL:content\browser\gpu\gpu_data_manager_impl_private.cc:415] GPU process isn't usable. Goodbye
Screenshots
No response
Additional context
The underlying trace logs isolate two cascading problems:
The desktop notification subsystem fails native initialization with RPC_E_CHANGED_MODE (-2147417850), showing an existing COM threading policy mismatch in the thread state.
The Chromium GPU host subprocess instantly trips a memory segmentation fault (exit_code=-2147483645) upon starting the rendering sandbox, entering a loop that terminates the runtime execution engine entirely after 6 failures.
The problem
GitHub Desktop completely fails to open by default shortcut or app entry. The application process initializes but terminates instantly in the background before drawing the window context. Bypassing standard configuration files via environment variables does not resolve the crash.
The application only successfully launches if a heavy-duty combination of hardware acceleration bypass flags is used via an external execution script: --disable-gpu --disable-gpu-compositing --disable-software-rasterizer --disable-direct-composition --in-process-gpu.
Expected Behavior:
The application should gracefully open its primary user interface without requiring forced hardware rendering overrides.
Crash Exception Code: 0x80000003 (Hard breakpoint / status error)
Release version
3.5.11.0
Operating system
Windows 11 - 25H2 - 26200.8457
Steps to reproduce the behavior
Log files
Screenshots
No response
Additional context
The underlying trace logs isolate two cascading problems:
The desktop notification subsystem fails native initialization with RPC_E_CHANGED_MODE (-2147417850), showing an existing COM threading policy mismatch in the thread state.
The Chromium GPU host subprocess instantly trips a memory segmentation fault (exit_code=-2147483645) upon starting the rendering sandbox, entering a loop that terminates the runtime execution engine entirely after 6 failures.