Fix: Ultimaker Cura Not Responding, Not Loading, Not Working

Ultimaker Cura is an open-source slicing application for 3D printers. People whose work relies on 3D printing use this application a lot. But recently, many users have complained about issues with it. The app is simply not working for them or freezing up randomly occasionally.

If you are one of these troubled users, this article will help you out. Here, we have listed all the possible solutions for the issue, and one of them will help you. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.

How to fix Ultimaker Cura Not Responding, Not Loading, and Not Working?

The solutions mentioned here are simple. Just follow the instructions correctly, and you should have the Cura working.

Check your system specifications:

The application has some minimum requirements to run optimally, and if your system does not have the required specifications, the application will perform abnormally.

The developers have put out a list of minimum and recommended specifications for the application to run optimally.

Minimum specifications:

• OpenGL 2 compatible graphics card, OpenGL 4.1 for 3D layer view
• Display resolution 1024 x 768
• Intel Core 2 or AMD Athlon 64
• 550 MB available hard disk space
• 4GB RAM

Recommended specifications:

• OpenGL 4.1 compatible graphics card for 3D layer view
• Display resolution 1920 x 1080
• Intel Core i3 or AMD Athlon 64
• 600 MB available hard disk space
• 8GB RAM

If your system has the recommended specifications, but the application is still not working correctly, try the next solution.

Restart your computer:

As simple as it may sound, sometimes all your device needs is a simple restart to work correctly. For example, your computer may have been on for a while now, and some apps might malfunction in such situations. So give your computer a restart and try using Cura again.

If it is still not working, try the next solution.

Reinstall Cura:

Reinstalling an application can sometimes most issues with it as the latest version of the application is installed without any previous data stored on the computer.

• Press Windows + I to open up Settings.
• Go to Apps.
• In the list of installed applications, find Cura.
• Once you find it, click on it and then click on Uninstall.
• After the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer.
• Now visit Cura’s download page and download the latest version of the app from that site.

If reinstallation also does not solve your problem, try the next solution.

Disable Bundled Plugins from the marketplace:

For some users, disabling some plugins was enough to fix Cura’s not responding or not working error. The list of plugins includes:

• Firmware Update Checker
• UM3 Network Printing
• USB Printing
• Update Checker

Try the next solution if disabling these plugins also did not solve your problem.

Unplug External devices:

If you have multiple external devices connected to your computer via USB ports, it is time you disconnect them. Sometimes external devices can cause an application to malfunction within a system, which could be your issue.

So remove all the external devices, including hard drives and USB dongles. After that, try using the Cura application again. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Change Cura settings:

Specific settings in Cura’s menu can be tweaked, which can help you eliminate the application crashing, freezing, or not working issues.

You are disabling the “Send (anonymous) print information” setting has worked for some users. To disable this, you need to open up the application and go to preferences in the top left corner of your screen.

Navigate to the General tab in the preferences menu and uncheck the box next to “Send (anonymous) print information.”

Right below these specific settings, you will find another location named Check for updates on start with a checkbox next to it. You need to ensure that this checkbox is unticked.

Save these settings and then try using the application. Try the next solution if it is still freezing, crashing, or not working.

Uninstall ChiTuBox:

Suppose you have ChiTuBox, a resin-slicing software, installed on your system where you are trying to use Cura; that could also be the issue. Both these applications are incompatible; if both of them are installed on the same system, one might malfunction. So to fix the problem with the Cura application, you need to uninstall ChiTuBox from your computer.

For uninstallation, Go to Windows Settings by pressing Windows Key + I. Then choose Apps and find the ChiTuBox application in the list. Once you find it, click on it and select Uninstall.

After the uninstallation is complete, try using the Cura application again. Try the next solution if it is still freezing, crashing, or not working correctly.

Disable OctoPrint Connection Plugin:

Octoprint plugin with Cura also makes the application sometimes malfunction. So you need to uninstall it if you have it on your system.

• Click on the Marketplace option in Cura’s top right corner of your screen.
• Click on the installed tab and search for OctoPrint Connection.
• Once you find it, click on the uninstall button next to it.

After uninstalling the OctoPrint connection plugin, try using Cura again. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Set Cura to use discrete graphics card:

The Cura application sometimes uses the integrated graphics unit rather than using the dedicated GPU. However, this can work against you as the integrated graphics unit is often not enough to drive the application. So you must set the application to use the dedicated graphics unit at all times.

• Right-click on your desktop and choose Display settings.
• Click on the “graphics settings” option in the Display settings window.
• Now click browse and select Cura’s executable file.
• Once the app is selected, click on the options button and choose the “High performance” option. You will see the name of your GPU next to it, indicating that the GPU will be used as the default for that application now.
• Finally, click on Save.
• Now, open up that application and open up Task Manager. The Task Manager window will display which GPU the running application uses.

If using the dedicated graphics unit also does not solve your problem with the Cura application, try the next solution.

Disable firewall/ antivirus:

Sometimes a third-party or antivirus tool can block access to particular applications. If you use third-party security tools, ensure that Cura is on the Whitelist.

You can even try temporarily disabling this third-party tool and check whether that helps your problem. Disabling these apps or devices is simple; you can find the setting on the app interface itself.

So these are all the solutions to fix Ultimaker Cura not responding, not loading, or not working. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.