https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166507
Bug ID: 166507
Summary: Hardware Acceleration Enabled by Default Causes
Serious Usability Issues
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 25.2.3.2 release
Hardware: x86-64 (AMD64)
OS: Windows (All)
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: medium
Component: LibreOffice
Assignee: libreoffice-bugs@lists.freedesktop.org
Reporter: launch...@startport.com
Created attachment 200712
--> https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/attachment.cgi?id=200712&action=edit
Safe-Mode-Disable-HA
LibreOffice Bug Report: Hardware Acceleration Enabled by Default Causes Serious
Usability Issues
Summary
LibreOffice's hardware acceleration setting defaults to ON, causing significant
usability issues across both physical and virtual machines with no system-wide
configuration option to disable it, even when properly installed with
machine-wide scope. Please also read this:
https://superuser.com/questions/1896695/
Component
LibreOffice - UI (or Graphics if available as a separate component)
Version
LibreOffice 25.2.3.2
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (Version 10.0.26100, Build 26100, 64-bit)
Hardware
This issue has been confirmed on multiple systems, both physical and virtual.
The issue is consistent across all tested environments.
Severity
Major (affects usability for all users and increases support burden)
Priority
High
Steps to Reproduce
1. Install LibreOffice using winget with machine-wide scope:
`winget install LibreOffice --scope machine --source winget`
2. Log in as a new user on the workstation
3. Launch LibreOffice for the first time or attempt to open a LibreOffice
document
4. Observe that NOTHING HAPPENS - no window appears, no application starts, no
error message is displayed
Actual Result
When a user attempts to launch LibreOffice or open a LibreOffice document,
NOTHING HAPPENS - the application completely fails to start with no error
message or indication of what's wrong.
The only solution is for each user to:
1. Know to launch LibreOffice in safe mode (which is not intuitive for regular
users)
2. Disable hardware acceleration (OpenGL, OpenCL, Vulkan) in the safe mode
dialog
3. Apply changes and restart the application
Expected Result
One of the following solutions is needed:
1. Hardware acceleration should be OFF by default until reliable detection is
implemented
2. A system-wide configuration option should exist for administrators to
disable it for all users
3. An installation flag (e.g., `--disable-hardware-acceleration`) should be
provided for administrators
Critical Issues That Need Addressing
1. Default Setting Is Problematic: Hardware acceleration should be OFF by
default until the developers implement code that can reliably detect when it's
not working and automatically disable it. It is completely unreasonable to
burden users with running in safe-mode and manually disabling this feature when
all they're trying to do is view a document. This causes unnecessary support
calls that could be entirely avoided.
2. No System-Wide Configuration: When an administrator determines that hardware
acceleration doesn't work and disables it, this change only applies to the
administrator's profile. Each additional user who logs into the workstation
thereafter must repeat the same unintuitive steps. There is no apparent way for
an administrator to address this problem for all users, even though if it
doesn't work for one user, it won't work for any other users on the same
workstation.
3. Missing Installation Option: If the default setting cannot be changed, an
installation flag or parameter should be provided to allow administrators to
install LibreOffice for all users with hardware acceleration OFF by default.
Additional Information
I have tested multiple workstations (both physical and virtual), and hardware
acceleration consistently causes issues across all of them. This represents a
serious usability problem in multi-user environments like educational
institutions and businesses where support staff are burdened with repeated
calls for the same issue from different users.
The most critical aspect of this bug is that the application completely fails
to start with no error message or indication of what's wrong. Users have no way
to know what the problem is or how to fix it without technical assistance. This
is an unacceptable user experience and creates significant support overhead.
The issue occurs even with a fresh, proper machine-wide installation using the
recommended installation method (`winget install LibreOffice --scope machine
--source winget`). Despite this being a machine-wide installation, the hardware
acceleration setting is still managed on a per-user basis.
The issue is especially prominent in environments with basic/remote display
adapters, which are common in enterprise and virtual desktop infrastructure
(VDI) deployments. In such environments, hardware acceleration often causes
more problems than benefits but requires manual intervention for each user.
Attachments
[Attached: Screenshot of the safe mode dialog showing the hardware acceleration
option that each user must disable]
Impact on Support and User Experience
This issue creates a poor first impression of LibreOffice for new users and
significantly increases support costs for organizations deploying LibreOffice
across multiple workstations. More critically, it renders the application
completely unusable until technical support intervenes to help the user run in
safe mode - something most typical users would not know how to do on their own.
--
You are receiving this mail because:
You are the assignee for the bug.
