FAF client won't attempt to open the browser

[DeltatleD]

The client used to automatically redirect you to the log in page in browser. The following is the log for the normally working client where you 'log in with refresh token'.

2026-04-16T09:19:49.457+01:00 INFO 9444 --- [FAF Client] [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-2] com.faforever.client.update.Version : fromVersion '2026.1' is not newer than toVersion '2026.4.1'. No update is required.
2026-04-16T09:19:49.460+01:00 INFO 9444 --- [FAF Client] [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-2] com.faforever.client.user.LoginService : Logging in with refresh token

However when I open my own client now, it just open and does nothing else. The following is the log. It stopped at checking your client version and does not attempt to do anything else. Other sentences are all the same as the normal one.

2026-04-16T12:16:08.826+01:00 INFO 11220 --- [FAF Client] [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-2] com.faforever.client.update.Version : fromVersion '2026.1' is not newer than toVersion '2026.4.1'. No update is required.

If I click the connect button then a loading circle popped up beside the cursor for a few seconds and disappear, nothing happening. The corresponding log is the following.

2026-04-16T10:18:37.312+01:00 INFO 28492 --- [FAF Client] [pool-3-thread-2] c.f.client.update.CheckForUpdateTask : Checking for client update
2026-04-16T10:18:37.488+01:00 ERROR 28492 --- [FAF Client] [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-2] c.f.client.login.LoginController : Could not read remote preferences

There is also another 'map could not be read' error that I am not sure related or not.

2026-04-16T12:16:06.985+01:00 ERROR 11220 --- [FAF Client] [pool-3-thread-2] com.faforever.client.map.MapService : Map could not be read: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance\maps\SCMP_031

com.faforever.client.map.MapLoadException: Not a folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance\maps\SCMP_031
at com.faforever.client.map.MapService.readMap(MapService.java:276)
at com.faforever.client.map.MapService.addInstalledMap(MapService.java:264)
at com.faforever.client.map.MapService$1.call(MapService.java:244)
at com.faforever.client.map.MapService$1.call(MapService.java:225)
at javafx.concurrent.Task$TaskCallable.call(Task.java:1407)
at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:328)
at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1090)
at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:614)
at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1474)

I have tried:
Reinstall the game and the client
change default browser among edge, chrome and firefox
allow client to pass through firewall
open client as administrator
open client in vista compatible mode
delete cookie and internet cache
reset internet setting
turning on VPN

None of them works.

I will be really grateful for any solutions. I also hope someone could answer the following questions.

1. What does ' Could not read remote preferences' mean?
2. How do I TOTALLY reinstall the client? Does it have any corresponding item in the registry editor so that I could not do a clean reinstall even if I delete all the files?

[Sheikah]

Could not read remote preferences means something is blocking your clients connection to content.faforever.com/dfc-config.json

[DeltatleD]

@sheikah Thank you. I checked that again. some how it doesn't say anything now, not even 'Could not read remote preferences'. It's like the client just pretend that it is never tasked to open the browser.

[Sheikah]

The other option is antivirus stopping the child process of the browser