---
title: "Fix ComfyUI Freezing or Slow at 100% (VAE Decode Step) | ComfyUI Windows"
description: "Fix ComfyUI Freezing or Slow at 100% (VAE Decode Step) — practical answer and step-by-step Windows setup for \"comfyui stuck on vae decode\" in ComfyUI. Download the desktop or portable build at /download."
canonical: https://comfy.ink/howto/how-to-fix-slow-vae-decode-hang
updated: 2026-10-17
---

# Fix ComfyUI Freezing or Slow at 100% (VAE Decode Step)

Direct Windows guide for "comfyui stuck on vae decode": folder paths, node wiring, and VRAM settings in ComfyUI.

## Facts (2026-10-17)

- **Search Topic:** comfyui stuck on vae decode
- **Category:** Howto
- **OS Support:** Windows 10 & Windows 11 x64
- **Download:** /download

## How "comfyui stuck on vae decode" works in ComfyUI on Windows

Users searching for **comfyui stuck on vae decode** want a straightforward, working setup on Windows without broken Python dependencies or wasted VRAM. Most ComfyUI workflow issues on Windows — red missing nodes, CUDA OOM errors, or black VAE outputs — can be resolved in under two minutes without reinstalling from scratch.

ComfyUI separates model loading ([Load Checkpoint](https://comfy.ink/nodes/load-checkpoint) / [GGUF Loader](https://comfy.ink/nodes/gguf-loader-nodes)), text conditioning ([CLIP Text Encode](https://comfy.ink/nodes/clip-text-encode)), denoising ([KSampler](https://comfy.ink/nodes/ksampler)), and pixel decoding ([VAE Decode](https://comfy.ink/nodes/vae-decode-encode)) into explicit nodes so you have full visibility into every step.

## Step-by-step checklist

1. Grab the latest Windows desktop or portable installer from [/download](https://comfy.ink/download) and launch [ComfyUI Studio](https://comfy.ink/studio).
2. Place your `.safetensors` or `.gguf` weights into the matching subfolder under [models/](https://comfy.ink/models) (or link an existing folder via [extra_model_paths.yaml](https://comfy.ink/install/extra-model-paths-yaml-setup)).
3. Open [ComfyUI-Manager](https://comfy.ink/nodes/comfyui-manager) to install any missing custom nodes if you imported a community JSON or PNG workflow.
4. If VRAM is 8 GB–12 GB, use FP8 or GGUF Q4 weights and enable `VAE Decode (Tiled)` before queuing your prompt.

## FAQ

### What is the fastest way to set up "comfyui stuck on vae decode" on Windows?

Install the Windows build from [/download](https://comfy.ink/download), verify your weights are inside the matching `models/` folder, and press **R** on the canvas to refresh node dropdowns.

### Does this require a paid cloud account or internet connection?

No. Once you have downloaded ComfyUI and your chosen model weights, everything runs locally on your own Windows GPU offline.

## Related

- [ComfyUI How-To Tutorials](https://comfy.ink/howto)
- [ComfyUI Desktop Windows Download](https://comfy.ink/desktop/comfyui-desktop-windows-download)
- [ComfyUI VRAM Requirements for SDXL, Flux & Video (6GB–24GB)](https://comfy.ink/guides/comfyui-vram-requirements-guide)
- [ComfyUI-Manager](https://comfy.ink/nodes/comfyui-manager)
- [How to Fix Red Missing Nodes in ComfyUI Workflows](https://comfy.ink/howto/fix-missing-custom-nodes-red-boxes)

## Download

Free desktop app: [Download Comfy](https://comfy.ink/download)

Markdown mirror: https://comfy.ink/howto/how-to-fix-slow-vae-decode-hang.md