Fix: Spotify Error Auth 74 “A Firewall May Be Blocking Spotify”

Spotify Error Code Auth 74 indicates that the firewall is blocking Spotify from running. However, it is not necessarily true that you will only encounter this error due to interference from the Windows Firewall.

There are many other possible causes that could trigger this error, such as not having administrator privileges, corrupted cache files, and a misconfigured host file.

1. Allow Spotify through your antivirus and firewall

We can either allow Spotify through the Windows Firewall or simply turn off the Windows Firewall. However, if you use third-party antivirus software, then you will need to allow Spotify in your third-party antivirus settings.

To allow Spotify through the Windows Firewall, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key and type Control Panel.
   
2. Open the Control Panel and navigate to Windows and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall from the left sidebar.
   
4. Click Change Settings to get the permissions to make changes to Allowed apps and features.
   
5. Now find Spotify and check the Private and Public boxes.
   
6. Once done, click OK. If you cannot find Spotify, click Allow another app.
7. Click Browse, navigate to the location where Spotify is installed, then select Spotify.exe.
8. To find the location, press the Windows key and type Spotify. Right-click Spotify and select Open file location.
   
9. Here, right-click the Spotify shortcut and click Open file location.
   
10. Copy the path from the address bar.
    
11. Go back to the control panel, and click Browse.
    
12. Here paste the Spotify path and hit Enter.
13. Select Spotify.exe and click Open.
    
14. Then, click Add. Once done, makes sure to tick the Private and Public boxes associated with Spotify.
15. Once done, click OK and launch Spotify and check for the error.

2. Run Spotify as an administrator

Since this error is related to interference from the Windows firewall, we can try running Spotify as an administrator using the compatibility settings.

Running Spotify as an administrator is a way to inform Windows that this program is safe and trusted. This will allow Spotify to bypass interference from the Windows Firewall, which could fix this error. Hence, try running Spotify as an administrator.

1. To do so, just right-click Spotify and select Run as administrator.
   
2. Now, check if the error is fixed or not. If it is, configure the compatibility settings to run Spotify as an administrator. To do that, right-click on Spotify and select Properties.
3. Then, go to Compatibility and tick Run this program as an administrator.
4. Once done, click Apply and click OK.
   

3. Disable Your antivirus software

If the error still persists, then we recommend you try disabling the antivirus software. It does not matter whether you are using Windows Defender or third-party antivirus; simply disable it temporarily. If this does not work, that means your antivirus is not an issue for this error. You can safely turn on your antivirus.

To disable the antivirus software, follow the steps:

1. Press the Windows key and type Settings.
   
2. Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security.
3. Then, go to Windows Security, and click Open Windows Security.
   
4. Go to Virus and threat protection.
5. Click Manage Settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
   
6. Here turn off the Real-time protection.
7. Then, launch Spotify and check if the error is fixed.

3. Use the Spotify client version

If you have installed Spotify from the Microsoft Store, then uninstall it and try the Spotify client version, which might fix this issue. There is no difference between the Spotify Store version and the client version; hence, you should try this. However, if you are already using the Spotify client version, then try the Microsoft Store version.

1. To do so, open Microsoft Store, and search for Spotify.
2. Click the Get button to install Spotify. Once done, launch it, and see if the error is fixed or not.
   
3. To install the Spotify Client Version, download the Spotify installer through the link.
4. Once it is downloaded, run the installer to install Spotify.
5. Once done, check for the error.

4. Configure the hosts file

A hosts file allows users to map a connection between domain names and IP addresses. It is possible that Spotify is being blocked by the hosts file, causing this error. Therefore, check the hosts file to see if you can find the entry for Spotify. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start Menu and type Notepad.
2. Right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
   
3. Click File from the top and select Open.
   
4. Navigate to the following path and select All files from the bottom right menu. Then, select Hosts file, then click Open.

   C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

   

5. Once you have opened the file in the notepad, check if there is an entry available for Spotify similar to the following one.

   0.0.0.0 weblb-wg.gslb.spotify.com0.0.0.0

   

6. If you can find it, delete it, then press Ctrl + S to save the file.
7. Once done, launch Spotify and check for the error code auth 74.

5. Reset Spotify Application

If you have the Microsoft Store Spotify version, you can try resetting the Spotify application. It is the quickest way to clear the Spotify cache files and reset the application settings to default.

However, if you are using a desktop client version of Spotify, you cannot reset your Spotify application, as this feature is only available for Microsoft Store apps. Nevertheless, you can proceed to the next method to clear the Spotify cache files.

To reset the Spotify application, follow the steps:

1. Click the Start Menu and type Add or remove programs and hit Enter to open the settings.
   
2. Find Spotify, click the three dots, and select Advanced options.
   
3. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Reset button to reset the Spotify app.
   
4. Once your Spotify app has been reset, check for the error.

6. Clear Spotify Cache

Every application creates cache files to decrease loading time, which boosts the User Experience (UX). Cache files store content that either the application requires or the user frequently accesses. Thus, the application does not need to request data from the server, which saves a significant amount of time. So, if the cache files become corrupted, you may encounter this error.

Follow the steps to clear the cache files.

1. Press the Windows + R keys together and type appdata.
2. Click OK to open the AppData folder.
   
3. Navigate to the Local folder and delete the Spotify folder.
   
4. Once done, launch Spotify and check for the error.

7. Reset your network settings

There is a slight chance that this error is occurring due to misconfiguration of network settings. In this case, you can try resetting the network settings, which will reinstall the network adapters, reset the DNS and proxy settings, and reassign the IP address.

Hence, if your network settings are configured incorrectly, you might encounter this error. So try resetting the network settings.

1. To do so, press the Win key and type Network reset.
   
2. Open the network reset settings and click Reset now button. This will restart your computer.
3. Once done, launch Spotify and check for the issue.

8. Reinstall Spotify App

If you are still facing this error after trying all the solutions we have provided, then the last and final solution you can try is to reinstall Spotify. Since we have tried everything that we could and none of the methods worked, the final solution is to reinstall Spotify. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously.
2. Type appdata in the box and click OK.
   
3. Then, go to the Local folder.
4. Find Spotify and delete it.
   
5. Click the Start Menu and type Add or remove programs.
   
6. Open the settings, and find Spotify.
7. Click the three and click Uninstall.
8. Again, click Uninstall to remove the Spotify application.
   
9. Once done, download the Spotify installer through the link.
10. Once it is downloaded, double-click the installer to install the Spotify.
11. Once done, launch Spotify, log in with your credentials, and check if the error code auth 74 is fixed or not.