Some users need to fix AMD Radeon Software not working, meaning they can't open the app and get to its settings. Are you one of them? If so, you can fix AMD Radeon Software not opening on a Windows PC with the resolutions below.
1. Run AMD Radeon Software as an administrator
Users often launch AMD Radeon Software from the context menu without admin rights. Try running AMD Radeon Software as an administrator instead to see if that helps. To do that, press Windows + S, type AMD in the search box, and select Run as administrator for the AMD app that turns up.
If that works, set AMD Radeon Software to always run with admin rights. See the steps in this article on always running apps as an administrator. Keep in mind, however, that you can't set the Microsoft Store version of AMD Radeon Software to always run with admin rights.
2. End the RadeonSoftware process tree
First, check whether Task Manager shows a process for AMD Radeon Software. If it does, the app is already running in the background. Terminating the process tree for AMD Radeon Software may then fix the problem. Here is how to close the RadeonSoftware process tree:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select the Details tab in Task Manager.
3. Find RadeonSoftware.exe, right-click it, and select the End process tree option.
4. Click the End process tree button to confirm.
3. Delete the CN folder
Corrupted profile data often makes AMD Radeon Software stop working. You can fix that by deleting the CN folder, which holds the Radeon profile data. Deleting that folder rebuilds the profile. Here is how to delete the CN folder:
1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Enter %appdata% in Run and click OK to open the Roaming folder.
3. Click AppData in File Explorer's folder location bar.
4. Open the Local subfolder inside the AppData folder.
5. Click the AMD folder to open it.
6. Right-click the CN folder and select Delete.
Alternatively, you can try deleting a specific file inside the CN folder, which some users have also confirmed works. To do that, open the CN folder to see its contents. Right-click the gmdb.blb file in that folder and select Delete.
4. Disable and re-enable the AMD Radeon graphics adapter
Disabling and re-enabling the AMD graphics adapter is another potential fix that users say can get AMD Radeon Software to start. Here is how to turn the AMD graphics adapter off and back on on your PC:
1. First, open Device Manager (press Windows + X and select the shortcut for that tool).
2. Double-click the Display adapters category to expand it.
3. Right-click the AMD Radeon graphics card and select Disable device.
4. Click Yes when asked to confirm the selected option.
5. Wait a minute, then right-click the AMD Radeon graphics card again and select Enable device.
5. Update the AMD graphics driver
A faulty or outdated AMD driver on your PC could be why Radeon Software isn't working. You can fix that by installing the latest AMD driver for your PC's graphics card.
See Quantrimang.com's guide to updating graphics drivers on Windows for more details on applying this potential fix.
6. Roll back to the previously installed AMD driver
Sometimes a buggy new graphics driver causes the problem, which is why NVIDIA and AMD release hotfixes. If your PC already has the latest AMD driver, rolling back to the previously installed driver may be a viable fix for some users.
You can do that by selecting the Roll Back Driver option, as described in Quantrimang.com's guide to rolling back graphics drivers on Windows.
7. Set Windows 11/10 to Clean Boot
Conflicting background programs could be another reason AMD Radeon won't open. The best way to rule this out is to configure your PC for a clean boot and restart it. This disables third-party apps and services that start automatically with Windows.
To apply a clean boot, you need to remove apps and services from startup using Task Manager and MSConfig. Quantrimang.com's article on performing a clean boot on Windows includes specific instructions for turning off the necessary startup items. Restart your PC after disabling the startup items, then try opening AMD Radeon.
8. Edit the CN registry key
Editing the CN registry key is a confirmed resolution for the error message "Radeon Settings and Driver versions do not match," which some users see when they try to launch AMD Radeon. This registry fix involves entering a new value for the DriverVersion string in the CN key. Here are the steps to apply this registry fix:
1. First, open the Display adapters category in Device Manager, as described in steps one and two of the fourth solution in this guide.
2. Right-click the AMD graphics card and select Properties.
3. Select Driver on the tab bar.
4. Drag the cursor across the driver number on that tab and press Ctrl + C to copy it.
5. Close the properties window and the Device Manager tool.
Now open Registry Editor on Windows before continuing.
1. Clear the registry address bar and enter the following key location in it:
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREAMDCN2. Double-click the DriverVersion string in the CN registry key.
3. Clear the Value data box.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied driver version number into the Value data box.
5. Select OK in the Edit String window.
9. Reinstall AMD Radeon Software
Reinstalling AMD Radeon Software can also fix various problems that keep the app from starting. You can remove AMD Radeon using the Control Panel or Settings methods in Quantrimang.com's guide to uninstalling software on Windows. Or you can use a third-party uninstaller to remove it and thoroughly clear out its leftovers.
To reinstall the app, open this Microsoft Store page for AMD Radeon Software. Click the Install button and Open in Microsoft Store, then select Get to install AMD Radeon Software.
