P: Opening a catalog crashes Lightroom

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Lightroom 3.4.1 64 bit has stopped working, running Win 7. It try to open a file and then crashes. I've deleted the preference file, reinstalled and even tryed to run the 32 bit version, but no luck. Any ideas. The 800 service is only available until 5PDT and when you can call before 7EDT and you have to wait, there is no support there after you get through level one support. I'm really not happy. Any ideas?

[Jeffrey Tranberry]

Per Dan Tull's comment, I marked this topic as acknowledged (and added bug metadata to the topic) so that we make error checking on this more robust in the future.

The solution to the problem is here if you encounter it.

Thanks everyone for your help on reporting this one and providing the workaround/solution.

[b_gossweiler]

Thanks, Dan! Considering the number of users getting caught by this problem and the fact that LR is not startable anymore afterwards should justify a quite high priority on this bug.

Beat

[LRuser24]

When creating a new catalog and accidentally selecting an existing file in the "Create Folder With new Catalog" dialog, a question (apparently from the operating system) appears "file... already exists, do you want to replace it?". If you answer yes, LR immediately crashes with the windows problem signature "AppName: lightroom.exe AppVer: 3.4.1.10 ModName: msvcr100.dll ModVer: 10.0.30319.1 Offset: 0008d635".

Then at each new start, LR crashes with the same error. Even holding down the Alt key does not work anymore - LR crashes before the catalog choice is displayed. Apparently LR tries every time to create a directory with the same name as the existing file, which fails and leads to a crash.

The only two ways to get LR working again is a) to delete (or edit) the preferences file in which the previously openened catalog is stored, or b) rename or delete the file that was selected before (and after starting and stopping LR, delete the most likely unwanted catalog directory which LR creates then).

Windows XP SP3 32 Bit, BTW: Same in LR 3.5RC.

[LRuser24]

Sorry, I searched and looked at the "similar topics" suggestions when posting, but this problem did not show up for some reason. Thank you for merging 🙂

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I am having the exact problem except I am using Lightroom 3.6 64 bit running Win 8.1 Try to open it up and then crashes. I'm really not happy. Any ideas?

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Yes, you've created a catalog with the same name as an existing file. Read the post at the top of the page, where Jeffrey links to the solution here: http://forums.adobe.com/message/36714...

[Jeffrey Tranberry]

This issue is fixed in Lightroom 4 and later.