P: LrC 12.2.1 fails to start/launch or is extremely slow launching.

[Micke, Finland]

Hi,

LRC 12.2.1 is not starting anymore, just launches as a background process using significant amounts of RAM and CPU, but the visible window never shows up. 

I have already:

- Tried the alt-shift-click thingie.

- Tried logging out and in from CC.

- Wiping all data files from the computer and letting LRC create a fresh Lightroom folder and catalog file (sometimes it does that, sometimes it hangs before the folder is created). 

- Wiping all Adobe products with the cleaner tool and reinstalling just LRC.

- I have even formatted and reisntalled the computer (becuase it was a good time to do that anyway).

But LRC still fails. What to do next?

Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎17.‎03.‎2023
OS build 19045.2728
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4190.0

[bmh-images]

Yes, I agree. It seems to take way to much time to solve the problem. 
But I that's a far stretch to say they don't want to solve it...though it doesn't seem to make Adobe look very competent.

[evan.sante]

As much as I hate the way Adobe has abandoned the desktop version of Lightroom, in favor of the cloud version (except for the Develop Module witch benefits both, name one improvement exclusive to the desktop version).

But I digress you don’t want them to rush a fix that then causes a much bigger problem. As I’ve pointed out the last time, in my memory, we saw these kind of issues was with the 3.0 release on Windows it was 6mth before 3.1 was released witch fixed the memory utilization issues.

Just my 2 cents. - CES

[John R Ellis]

@jennifers64111699 and @EMSI68219, try deleting the "metrics.json" file following these exact steps:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre... 

[KR Seals]

@evan.sante 

From my perspective as a user of Lightroom/Lightroom Classic since V2, I see NO evidence that LrC has been abandoned. LrC and Lr have been developed in parallel with fantastic new features with each update, especially the new masking functionality that works in both apps. Over the years, there has hardly ever been a new feature that wasn't extremely useful to me.

It's worse than useless to expect new features in LrC that aren't in Lr unless as a LrC user, you have a need to feel superior to those Lr users.

[vitalyn38151610]

Why did you write that? Is someone scolding Lightroom for its features? Here we are talking about a massive problem with slow operation after upgrading to version 12.1 +
I agree with you, the developers are good, Lightroom is much more convenient, I hardly ever use photoshop. But your message is not for this chat!

[Martin29306047ylg5]

Thank you! That worked perfectly - after a day of desperately trying to make Lightroom run again. - I would appreciate a notice from Adobe, when bugs like that appear, instead of making the client find out himself. 

[Martin29306047ylg5]

Same here, danke für den Tipp.

[DenSavard]

Thank you so much. I lost hours trying everything, from starting + OPT-SHIFT to deleting/reinstalling LR Classis. Beware, rease json fil in Lightroom folder, not Lightroom CC folder. 

Shame on you, Adobe!!

[briantium]

MacBook Pro; M1 Pro 8-core 14-core GPU; 32GB RAM; 1TB SSD

macOS Ventura 13.2.1

Lightroom Classic 12.2.1

Hopefully that covers all the basics.

Lightroom Classic abruptly started freezing on opening. I have rebooted my computer several times; I have uninstalled and reinstalled Lightroom several times; I have dropped back to an older version of Lightroom to no avail; I have tried to move the LightroomClassicCC7.plist preference file to the trash and reboot; I have tried holding down Shift, Option, Delete in order to delete the preferences that way and although the dialogue window to do that pops up it freezes before I can do anything. 

Please advise. 

[John R Ellis]

Try deleting the file "metrics.json", following the precise steps here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre...

The process can be a little persnickety, so follow the steps exactly. 

This workaround has helped many but not all people with your symptoms.

[jennifers64111699]

Thank you so much it worked!!! Yay

[atomicSpaceKitten]

Since I woke up today Lightroom Classic keeps freezing (not responding) on launch

system >> Mac mini M2 Pro // 32 GB ram // macOS Ventura 13.3.1

LR Classic + CC desktop app have both been updated

Have tried each of the following without success >>

1/ resetting Preferences // shift-option on launch

2/ opening with different catalog // option on launch

3/ uninstalling and re-installing LR multiple times

4/ restarting computer

5/ restoring LR catalog to older backup version

I had this problem a week ago and was able to get it to work again by resetting preferences, restoring older version of catalog, etc.

But now I can't get it to work. Doesn't seem to be a catalog issue as I can't get it to open and create a fresh new catalog after re-install

[atomicSpaceKitten]

trying to delete this, as I was able to resolve from this thread >> https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre...

[habanhero]

Hi,

TL;DR: For about a week, Lightroom takes 1h to open (and runs smoothly after) and I've run out of things to try.

Main Parameters:
Lightroom 12.2.1 and 12.0.1
Windows 11 on i7 and 32 GB RAM
Space available: 385GB on scratch and install disk (SSD NVME), 1TB on catalog disk (SSD NVME) and 3.8TB on picture disk (WD Black)
Almost 200k pictures in database
Took less than 2 minutes to open not too long ago.

Main symptom:
When I click to start Lightroom, I can see the process start in task manager. Process will take a few % (around 5) that will vary, memory will vary a lot staying between 2GB & 18GB, sometime the disk will go up to 20MB/s which is quite low for the SSD drive. It will be like this for about 1h before the app opens. All those values go up and down and none ever hit any limit the system has.

What I have tried:
- Reboot many times
- Update windows
- Update Video drivers
- Optimized catalog
- Disable GPU acceleration
- Disable all plugins
- Collapse all folders and collection
- Remove the catalog folder from the file indexing for search
- Create a new catalog - Yes, it takes 1h to open a 100% empty catalog
- Uninstall/reinstall Lightroom
- Uninstall/reinstall Lightroom while wiping all data & a reboot
- Interesting info, next time when it started, it took 1h to open THEN said it didn't find a catalog and asked me where it was. Pointed the empty one created above and it finished opening in seconds. Which probably means it's not catalog related.
- Uninstall and Installed previous version 12.0.1 in case it was the new version

I think this covers all my tests.

Only other symptom I see (but it might be nothing). While Lightroom is trying to start, the System process takes 1-1.5% on average where it had an average of 0% usually. Might be 100% normal.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
nick

[Jim Wilde]

See the pinned reply in this thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre...

[habanhero]

I had searched but missed this post. Fixed it. Many thanks.

[slr217]

When I launch Lightroom Classic it opens the splash screen then hangs with a spinning rainbow.  

I've uninstalled, deleted preferences, rebooted/. ALL of the things that I've found in similar threads but still am STUCK.  Please help!

Running latest Lightroom Classic (fresh install from Creative Cloud) on Mac Studio 2022, Mac OS 12.6.4

[John R Ellis]

@slr217, try deleting the file "metrics.json", following the precise steps here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre...

The process can be a little persnickety, so follow the steps exactly. 

[paul29318824xj44]

i  have similar issue  but  cannot  find   the metrics file

[slr217]

That did it! Thanks @John R Ellis. You are a life saver! I live in Lightroom and was really starting to panic!

[mojave_gal]

Windows 11, latest LRC, I do NOT have a  metrics.json file. There is a LocalPref.json file, however. What would deleting this file do -- would it help the slow startup problem?

[Shivaess]

This did it for me. After reinstalling and blowing away my catalog to use from a backup. The application would launch but no graphical sign was evident. I could just see LRC spinning away in the task manager. TYVM

[KR Seals]

@mojave_gal 

I see a lock file there. Is Lightroom Classic running when you took this screen shot? If so, do the search for the metrics.json with LrC closed.

[John R Ellis]

@mojave_gal, deleting "metrics.json" has solved the slow startup/freezing issue for many people here.  Follow these precise steps for deleting "metrics.json":

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre... 

The first two steps are important, disabling usage reporting and restarting your computer before looking for the file. The latter ensures that LR isn't stuck in background trying to open its main window.

If you follow those steps and still don't see "metrics.json", you're likely being struck by a separate problem and should start a new thread describing in detail your issue, including the output from the menu command Help > System Info.

[John R Ellis]

@paul29318824xj44, try deleting the file "metrics.json", following the precise steps here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-lrc-12-2-1-fails-to-start-launch-or-is-extre...

The process can be a little persnickety, so follow the steps exactly.