Degraded State
What the Degraded State notification in the Salad app means, how to read the error code, and which guide fixes each one.
"Degraded" means your machine is online and Chopping, but a check has failed, so it is not being offered container jobs (the best-paying work). Nothing is broken on Salad's side: the app found something on your PC that would stop a customer's job from running, and it tells you what, so you can fix it and get back to full earnings.
How to read the notification
Open the notification from the bell icon in the Salad app or from the Earn page. It has a title (for example "GPU Power Limit Set"), a short explanation and, in most cases, an error number at the end ("Error 14"). The title tells you which guide below to follow; the number is what support will ask for if you get stuck.
After you fix the cause, click Retry in the notification or restart Salad. The check runs periodically, so the Degraded badge clears on its own once it passes.
Reinstalling rarely fixes this
Most Degraded notifications are caused by something outside the Salad app: a driver, a Windows setting, another program using the GPU, or a laptop power mode. Reinstalling Salad doesn't change any of those. Follow the guide for your notification first.
Find your notification
The container environment won't start or update
Failed to update container environment
WSL update required, or Salad can't tell that WSL is installed.
Failed to start container environment
Errors -2 and -3: the Linux environment can't be imported or started.
Failed to start workload
Errors -1, -4, -5, -7: the environment runs, but a job can't be downloaded or started.
Container networking issues
Errors 31 (TCP) and 32 (UDP/DNS): the container environment can't reach the internet.
Something about the GPU
Salad cannot access your GPU
Errors 11, 12, 19, 21, 22: the GPU isn't visible inside the container environment.
Insufficient VRAM / High VRAM activity
Errors 13, 18, 24, 25: too much of the card's memory is already in use.
High GPU usage or temperature
Errors 16, 17, 41: the card is busy or hot when the check runs.
GPU performance low
Errors 42 and 23: the benchmark scored below similar GPUs.
GPU power limit set
Errors 14 and 15: the card is held below its normal power, often by a laptop power mode.
GPU temporarily disabled
A game or another intensive program was detected while Chopping.
Hardware detection
Still degraded after following the guide?
Send Salad Support three things: your machine ID, a screenshot of the notification showing the error number, and your logs folder zipped (how to find it). Send the logs soon after the problem and before reinstalling, they rotate after a few days and get deleted after a reinstall.
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General troubleshooting tips
The general checks that fix most unexplained Salad app problems, in order, and where to go when the app gives you a specific notification.
Degraded State error codes
Reference table of every error code shown in Salad's Degraded State notifications, what each one means and where to fix it.