Second Life grid status: what to do when you can't log in
Can't log in to Second Life, teleports failing or inventory not loading? Check the grid status, understand restarts and maintenance, and try these fixes in order.
Sometimes Second Life does not behave: you cannot log in, teleports fail, your inventory is empty or the region keeps freezing. Most of the time the cause is either a problem on Linden Lab's side, which you can only wait out, or something on your own computer, which you can fix. This guide helps you tell the two apart.
First: check the grid status
Linden Lab publishes the state of Second Life on its status page, status.secondlifegrid.net. It shows:
- Incidents: problems happening now, such as login trouble, failed teleports or missing inventory.
- Scheduled maintenance: planned work with a start time in SLT. Logins or some services may be closed during it.
- Component status: separate parts like logins, inventory, the Marketplace and payments.
WhatSL shows the current status at the top of every page and keeps a list of recent notices on the grid status page. If an incident is open, the best fix is usually to wait until it is resolved.
Region restarts
Regions restart regularly for server updates, normally once a week, and owners can restart their own regions too. Before a restart you see a countdown message. Teleport to another region before it ends; if you stay, you will be logged out or sent home. After a restart a region is usually back within a few minutes.
If the grid is fine but you still have trouble
Try these steps in order:
- Relog. Log out completely, wait a minute and log in again. This fixes a surprising number of problems.
- Change the start location. At the login screen choose "Home" instead of "Last location". If the region you were in is down or full, this gets you in.
- Update your viewer. Old viewers can stop working after server changes. Install the latest official viewer or your third-party viewer's newest release.
- Clear the cache. In the viewer preferences, find the cache settings, clear the cache and restart the viewer. This often helps with grey textures, broken avatars and inventory that will not load.
- Check your connection. A firewall, VPN or unstable Wi-Fi can block logins and teleports. Try a wired connection or turn off the VPN.
- Check your account. If the login screen shows an account message, follow it. Payment or account problems are handled by Second Life support.
Inventory looks empty
Inventory loads in the background after login. Give it a minute, then type a letter into the inventory search to force it to load. If folders are still missing, relog and clear the cache. Do not delete or move system folders while your inventory is still loading.
When to contact support
If the status page shows nothing, you have tried the steps above and the problem stays for more than a day, contact Second Life support through the official support portal. Describe what you tried, your viewer and version, and when it started.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if Second Life is down?
Check status.secondlifegrid.net or the grid status bar at the top of WhatSL. If there is an open incident about logins, the problem is not on your side.
Why was I logged out with a restart message?
The region you were in restarted for maintenance. Wait a few minutes and log in again, or choose Home as your start location.
Does clearing the cache delete my inventory?
No. Your inventory is stored on Linden Lab's servers. Clearing the cache only removes local copies, which the viewer downloads again.
