SketchUp won't start on my PC

There are a few known issues that can cause this:

• Your computer and operating system must meet the minimum requirements. For more information, click here.
  
  
• There is a known issue with EarthLink TotalAccess 2005.1 that can cause SketchUp and other programs to fail to start up. When this happens, you may see a BugSplat dialog box. To fix this issue, simply upgrade to the current version of EarthLink TotalAccess. You can download and install it from www.earthlink.net/software/.
  
  
• The Norton Internet Security 2005 firewall blocks SketchUp (and many other programs that have a built-in Web update service) from starting. The best way to fix this issue is to upgrade to Norton Internet Security 2006.
  
  As an alternative, you can temporarily disable the Norton Internet Security 2005 firewall, start SketchUp, and then re-enable the firewall. This is a temporary fix; you'll need to repeat this process every three weeks or so when the periodic "Check for Update" runs.
  
  
• SketchUp requires a graphics card that is OpenGL compliant. If SketchUp won't start on a computer running Microsoft Windows, you should first verify that the graphics card supports OpenGL:
  
  1. Click the "Start" button.
  2. Click "Control Panel."
  3. Click "Appearance and Themes."
  4. Click "Display."
  5. Click the "Settings" tab.
  6. Click the "Advanced" button.
  7. Click the "Troubleshoot" tab.
  8. Make a note of the "Hardware acceleration" slider setting, and then move it to "None."
  9. Click "OK" to close the Advanced and Display Properties dialog boxes.
  10. Close the Control Panel.
  11. Start SketchUp. If SketchUp now starts, then the graphics card doesn't support OpenGL.
  12. After you have finished performing this test, reset the "Hardware acceleration" slider to its previous setting.
  
  If the graphics card doesn't support OpenGL:
  
  • Try installing an updated graphics driver. For more information, click here.
  • If that doesn't work, to use SketchUp you'll need to replace the graphics card with one that is OpenGL compliant.

If none of the above solve the issue, then there is an underlying conflict with your computer system that is preventing SketchUp from starting. Here are a couple more things you can try:

• Download and install any updates that are available for your operating system.
  
  
• Restart Windows. After restarting:
  
  1. Exit any programs or utilities running in the background (anti-virus software, printer/plotter managers, pop-up blockers, security/firewall software, remote desktop connection software, and so on).
  2. Try starting SketchUp by double-clicking its desktop icon or by clicking the link on the "Start" menu (in other words, don't try to open it by double-clicking a model, in case the model itself is corrupt).