3DMark relies heavily on Visual C++ packages. If these are corrupted, the UI shell may fail to launch.
Sometimes, the problem is on UL Solutions' end. The 3DMark servers occasionally go down for maintenance or get slammed during Steam sales.
The most common cause of this hang is network security software blocking the 3DMark executable from accessing the internet. 3DMark requires an internet connection to verify licenses and load the dashboard interface. If the connection is blocked silently by a firewall, the UI waits for a timeout that never comes, resulting in a hang.
