I am currently running Windows 8.1 with the recent update. I had been running Lync 2013 full client (part of Office 2013) without any issue.  The latest 8.1 updates were not installing correctly so I had to do a refresh on the operating system - requiring all software to be re-installed.  Office 2013 has been reinstalled and all updates have been applied.  The Lync 2013 client will not get past the splash screen saying Starting ....  I have tried the following -

• Removed client / reinstalled client
• Removed full client / installed the basic client via Office 365
• Multiple reboots between these

I did try installing the Lync client from the app store - this is working without any issue.

Has anyone else encountered this?  Any suggestions on what else to try?

Hi,

Did you update any security update (such as KB2863908) for Lync 2013? If yes, please try to remove them and test again.

It may happen between the conflicts with other software, please try to perform Clean Boot for troubleshooting:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Best Regards,

Eason Huang

Go to your computer manufacturers website and update all driver packages for your computer, especially:

• Audio drivers
• Bluetooth drivers
• System chipset drivers
• webcam drivers

Important Note:

If you use office 64 bit, Lync 2013 must be 64 bit also. {And vice versa, If you use office 32 bit, Lync 2013 must be 32 bit}

If it still not worked, disable Bluetooth drive and try again.

That you for the above 2 suggestions.  Those have been tried - no  luck.  I have worked the past 2 evenings with a support engineer from Microsoft.  Last night we performed a system restore and have thus far put everything back EXCEPT that latest Update 1 for Windows 8.1.  (KB2919355)  The engineer advised not to install that and to disable automated update installation for right now.  He was going back for further resource with his leads.  He mentioned there was indication of a conflict with that update and the Lync 2013 client. 

This is not surprising as the issue started after needing to do a system refresh in order to get that update 1 to work.  Once that was installed and Office was re-installed - the issue was occuring. 

More to come.

I am having this exact same issue and have tried all the same steps listed here except for rolling back Update 1. As a work around I have installed Lync 2010 to keep things going until this gets fixed. The Lync metro app does not have this issues, just Lync 2013 client.

I am on a Dell Latitude E6530 with Windows 8.1 update 1 x64 Ent. And I was  having intermittent problems with Lync hanging and the default audio device especially when I was plugging in headphones in the headphone jack. I just uninstalled the IDT audio software from add\remove programs (version 1.0.6491.0 A08) and before reboot I made sure to uninstalled any IDT high definition audio devices from device manager, then rebooted and let Windows set the default windows driver for my laptop and now I am not having any problems with Lync, I can plug and unplug headphones and it doesnt hang.

You can test if your audio driver is the issue by going to playback devices under sound properties and disabling all of the playback devices and seeing if your lync still hangs. if so follow my steps with your named audio driver and software and let Microsoft manage it with its own driver.

• Proposed as answer by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM

I am on a Dell Latitude E6530 with Windows 8.1 update 1 x64 Ent. And I was  having intermittent problems with Lync hanging and the default audio device especially when I was plugging in headphones in the headphone jack. I just uninstalled the IDT audio software from add\remove programs (version 1.0.6491.0 A08) and before reboot I made sure to uninstalled any IDT high definition audio devices from device manager, then rebooted and let Windows set the default windows driver for my laptop and now I am not having any problems with Lync, I can plug and unplug headphones and it doesnt hang.

You can test if your audio driver is the issue by going to playback devices under sound properties and disabling all of the playback devices and seeing if your lync still hangs. if so follow my steps with your named audio driver and software and let Microsoft manage it with its own driver.

• Proposed as answer by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM

I am on a Dell Latitude E6530 with Windows 8.1 update 1 x64 Ent. And I was  having intermittent problems with Lync hanging and the default audio device especially when I was plugging in headphones in the headphone jack. I just uninstalled the IDT audio software from add\remove programs (version 1.0.6491.0 A08) and before reboot I made sure to uninstalled any IDT high definition audio devices from device manager, then rebooted and let Windows set the default windows driver for my laptop and now I am not having any problems with Lync, I can plug and unplug headphones and it doesnt hang.

You can test if your audio driver is the issue by going to playback devices under sound properties and disabling all of the playback devices and seeing if your lync still hangs. if so follow my steps with your named audio driver and software and let Microsoft manage it with its own driver.

• Proposed as answer by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM

After working a couple of days with Microsoft support - I was able to resolve the issue with mine.  It was due to the video driver.  Here are the details -

I did spend some time working on this and I think Ive got it narrowed down.  It appears to be due to an Intel video driver.  I installed the driver, Lync stopped working.  I uninstalled the driver, Lync started working again.  I went ahead and installed the 219355 patch.  Lync continued to work after reboot.  I installed the driver again, and Lync stopped working again.  I have removed the driver and Lync is again working correctly. 

The video card is Intel HD Graphics 3000 (on a Dell XPS L502X) The WORKING driver is 9.17.10.3347 (via Microsoft Update) The driver that is breaking things is - Driver Version: 15.28.22.64.3517 (via Intel support site)

• Proposed as answer by Eason HuangMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, April 28, 2014 1:36 AM
• Marked as answer by Lisa.zhengMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, May 05, 2014 3:20 AM

After working a couple of days with Microsoft support - I was able to resolve the issue with mine.  It was due to the video driver.  Here are the details -

I did spend some time working on this and I think Ive got it narrowed down.  It appears to be due to an Intel video driver.  I installed the driver, Lync stopped working.  I uninstalled the driver, Lync started working again.  I went ahead and installed the 219355 patch.  Lync continued to work after reboot.  I installed the driver again, and Lync stopped working again.  I have removed the driver and Lync is again working correctly. 

The video card is Intel HD Graphics 3000 (on a Dell XPS L502X) The WORKING driver is 9.17.10.3347 (via Microsoft Update) The driver that is breaking things is - Driver Version: 15.28.22.64.3517 (via Intel support site)

• Proposed as answer by Eason HuangMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, April 28, 2014 1:36 AM
• Marked as answer by Lisa.zhengMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, May 05, 2014 3:20 AM

After working a couple of days with Microsoft support - I was able to resolve the issue with mine.  It was due to the video driver.  Here are the details -

I did spend some time working on this and I think Ive got it narrowed down.  It appears to be due to an Intel video driver.  I installed the driver, Lync stopped working.  I uninstalled the driver, Lync started working again.  I went ahead and installed the 219355 patch.  Lync continued to work after reboot.  I installed the driver again, and Lync stopped working again.  I have removed the driver and Lync is again working correctly. 

The video card is Intel HD Graphics 3000 (on a Dell XPS L502X) The WORKING driver is 9.17.10.3347 (via Microsoft Update) The driver that is breaking things is - Driver Version: 15.28.22.64.3517 (via Intel support site)

• Proposed as answer by Eason HuangMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, April 28, 2014 1:36 AM
• Marked as answer by Lisa.zhengMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, May 05, 2014 3:20 AM

I have a dell E6510, after uninstalling the IDT sound driver and rebooting and letting Win 8.1 re-install, Lync is now working again.

• Edited by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM punctution

I have a dell E6510, after uninstalling the IDT sound driver and rebooting and letting Win 8.1 re-install, Lync is now working again.

• Edited by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM punctution

I have a dell E6510, after uninstalling the IDT sound driver and rebooting and letting Win 8.1 re-install, Lync is now working again.

• Edited by RBS0001 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:58 PM punctution

I followed your direction for changing the graphics driver to v9.17.10.3347 and solved my Lync startup issue.

I had been on driver v9.17.10.3517 - downloaded from Intel's site directly.

Thanks.

• Proposed as answer by matkordell Friday, May 02, 2014 6:17 AM

I followed your direction for changing the graphics driver to v9.17.10.3347 and solved my Lync startup issue.

I had been on driver v9.17.10.3517 - downloaded from Intel's site directly.

Thanks.

• Proposed as answer by matkordell Friday, May 02, 2014 6:17 AM

I followed your direction for changing the graphics driver to v9.17.10.3347 and solved my Lync startup issue.

I had been on driver v9.17.10.3517 - downloaded from Intel's site directly.

Thanks.

• Proposed as answer by matkordell Friday, May 02, 2014 6:17 AM

Interisting I have a Dell L502x and the same happened to me. Thanks for the advice.

hi

Thanks for your solution. I had the same symptom with driver version 9.17.10.4229 from Windows Update (however driver Provider indicates Intel !). I'm using Skype For Business

I also noticed that Skype was using 25% of the total CPU power (I have 4 Cores)

As soon as I rolled back the driver to 9.17.10.3347 (also driver Provider indicates Intel !) as you mentionned both issues disapeared. Skype was using CPU Normally and Skype for Business was starting normally again

Hope that can help others

Thanks this worked for me ... I just rolled back the driver through Device Manager and rebooted