Plasmashell not loading

[JamesKB]

OS: 26.04

This just started this morning. When I turn on the computer this is what happens:

1. I get the login screen
2. I enter my password
3. I get the "K" plasma screen
4. The wallpaper displays
5. Then I get this dialog: plasmashell-Crash Handler plasmashell has closed unexpectedly.
6. I close that dialog
7. I get a blank black screen, the mouse is still active
8. I press the computer power button
9. The login screen displays again, and I start all over with the same results.

I can send screen shots if that will help.

Any ideas? Thank you for your time.
--
James

[Snowhog]

AI Overview

When plasmashell crashes immediately after loading your desktop wallpaper, it is usually caused by a corrupted cache, an incompatible widget/plasmoid, or a broken dynamic wallpaper plugin (like a third-party Wallpaper Engine script). [1, 2]

Because the underlying window manager (kwin) is still running, you can interact with your system using keyboard shortcuts. Follow these structured steps to resolve the crash loop: [1]

Step 1: Open a Terminal or Command Prompt

Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard to open Konsole.
(If that doesn't work, press Alt + F2 to open KRunner, type konsole, and press Enter). [1, 2, 3]

Step 2: Reset the Corrupted Wallpaper Configuration

A broken wallpaper setting or corrupted layout file is the most common culprit behind crashes at this exact phase. [1]

• Back up and reset your desktop configuration by running this command in the terminal: bash
  
  mv ~/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc ~/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc.bak
  
  Use code with caution.

• Clear the Qt/Plasma cache, which can harbor corrupt interface layouts: [1]
  
  rm -rf ~/.cache/plasmashell* ~/.cache/org.kde.dirmodel-qml.kcache
  
  Use code with caution.

Step 3: Restart Plasmashell

Force Plasma to rebuild your desktop panel and default layout using the new configuration: [1]

systemctl --user restart plasma-plasmashell.service

Use code with caution.

(Alternatively, you can run plasmashell --replace &)