Last reviewed 31 Jul 2026

Applies to

Unity 2022.3 Editor Default and saved Editor layouts VRChat Unity projects

Difficulty Beginner

Fix Unity's Failed to Load Window Layout Error

Unity displays Failed to load window layout when it cannot restore an Editor-window arrangement. The first recovery action is to load Unity’s Default layout, not to delete project assets or reinstall the SDK.

The error dialog and log can contain the reason the layout failed. Read that information before moving to a broader reset.

Safe Recovery Order

Replace the broken window arrangement first, then investigate only if the error returns.

Select Load Default Layout if the error dialog offers it.
If the Editor opens, select Default from the Layout dropdown in the upper-right corner.
Check the Console or Editor log before resetting preferences, packages, or generated project data.

VRChat project note

A window-layout failure is an Editor-interface problem. Do not remove the VRChat SDK, UdonSharp, avatar packages, or world packages unless the Console or Editor log identifies a separate package or compilation problem.

Recovery Decision Table

What happens	Next action
The error dialog offers Load Default Layout	Select it and allow Unity to replace the failing arrangement.
Unity opens after loading Default	Keep the Default layout, check the Console, and avoid reopening the suspect saved layout.
The dialog offers Revert Factory Settings	Use it only after the Default-layout attempt fails and after recording any preferences you need to recreate.
Only one project fails	Back up that project, then inspect its log and recent project-specific changes.
Every project fails in the same Unity version	Investigate user-level Editor state or that Editor installation rather than changing one project’s assets.
The layout succeeds but red Console errors remain	Treat those errors as a separate compilation, package, or asset problem.

Step 1: Load Unity's Default Layout

If the error dialog appears:

Read or capture the error text.
Select Load Default Layout.
Let Unity finish opening the project.
Confirm the Hierarchy, Scene, Game, Inspector, and Project windows appear.

Unity Learn’s 2022.3 layout tutorial identifies the Layout dropdown in the upper-right corner of the Editor and recommends selecting Default when windows are lost or the layout becomes problematic.

If the Editor is already open, select Default from that Layout dropdown. Do not immediately reload the custom layout that failed.

Step 2: Save a New Layout Only After the Editor Is Stable

Unity’s workspace documentation supports saving and restoring layouts from the Layout dropdown.

After the Default layout works:

Close any unnecessary package or custom Editor windows.
Arrange only the windows you need.
Use Save Layout… from the Layout dropdown.
Give the new layout a different name.
Close and reopen Unity once before relying on it.

Keep the old failing layout unused until the project opens reliably.

Step 3: Read the Console and Editor Log

The official Unity issue history for invalid layouts notes that the dialog reports the layout error and that a Console error can explain the failure.

Look for:

the layout file Unity attempted to open
an exception name and first relevant message
a package or custom Editor window named in the stack trace
compilation errors that prevent an Editor extension from loading
whether the failure happened before or after the project finished importing

Start with the first relevant error rather than clearing the Console and changing several unrelated systems.

Step 4: Determine Whether the Failure Is Project-Specific

Use the same Unity version to open a small known-good project or create a temporary empty project.

Result	What it suggests
Another project opens normally	The failing project’s generated layout state, recent imports, or Editor extensions deserve inspection.
Another project shows the same layout error	User-level Unity preferences, saved layouts, display state, or the Editor installation deserve inspection.
The project opens under a different Unity version	Do not continue editing there until the project’s intended Unity version is confirmed.

This test narrows the affected scope; it does not prove a single cause by itself.

Step 5: Use Revert Factory Settings Carefully

If Load Default Layout fails and the dialog offers Revert Factory Settings, understand that this is a wider Editor-state reset than loading one layout.

Before selecting it:

record custom Editor preferences you need
close other Unity projects
create a project backup if deeper troubleshooting may follow
note the Unity version displaying the error

After the reset, open the project with the Default layout and reintroduce custom windows gradually.

Step 6: Treat Old Layout-File Workarounds as Version-Specific

Unity’s issue tracker documents an old invalid-layout loop fixed in Unity 2020.1, 2020.2, and 2021.1. That issue referenced user-level LastLayout.dwlt and project-level Library/CurrentLayout-default.dwlt files.

Do not copy file paths from an old forum post and delete them blindly:

Close Unity.
Back up the project.
Confirm the current error or Editor log points to a specific layout file.
Move or rename that file so the test is reversible.
Reopen Unity and select the Default layout.

File locations and names can vary by Unity version and operating system.

Avoid Unrelated Destructive Fixes

Do not begin by:

deleting Assets, Packages, or ProjectSettings
removing the VRChat SDK
changing the Unity version
deleting all Unity preferences without recording them
reinstalling several packages at once
deleting the entire project because the Editor workspace failed

The Library directory is generated data, but removing it forces a full reimport. Reserve that broader action for evidence of cache or import-state trouble, not as the first response to a layout error.

After the Layout Opens

Confirm:

the intended scene is still present
the Hierarchy and Inspector update when selecting an object
the Project window shows the expected assets
the Console has no blocking compilation errors
package-provided windows open only after compilation succeeds
the project still uses its intended Unity version

For a VRChat project, open the SDK panel only after the Editor and scripts have finished loading.

Troubleshooting

Load Default Layout returns to the same error dialog.

Record the error, quit Unity, back up the project, and check whether another project fails in the same Editor version. If the log identifies a layout file, move or rename that file rather than permanently deleting broad preference or project folders.

The Default layout works, but my saved layout fails again.

Stop loading that saved layout. Rebuild the workspace from Default, reopen package windows gradually, and save the stable arrangement under a new name.

Only one Unity project has the layout error.

Keep troubleshooting scoped to that project. Check its Editor log, recent Editor extensions, imports, and generated layout state before changing user-wide Unity preferences.

Every project has the same layout error.

Test the same Editor version with a temporary project, then investigate user-level saved layouts, preferences, display changes, or the Unity installation. Avoid modifying each project independently when the failure is shared.

The layout opens, but VRChat or package errors remain.

The layout recovery succeeded. Read the first red Console error and continue with package, dependency, script, or SDK troubleshooting instead of resetting the window arrangement again.

Official References

Continue Troubleshooting

Related Navigation

Safe Recovery

Reset the Layout Before Resetting the Project

Use Unity’s default-layout controls first, read the reported error, and protect the project before changing preferences or generated files.

Suggested Order

Load the default layout Choose Load Default Layout in the error dialog, or select Default from the Editor Layout dropdown if the Editor opens.
Read the error Check the dialog, Console, and Editor log before changing packages, preferences, or project folders.
Escalate carefully Back up the project, compare another project in the same Unity version, and reset only the state implicated by the error.