Software Crashing

Software Crashing

If you are experiencing the Silhouette Studio software crashing, it can be for many reasons. The Silhouette software is independently installed on each user’s computer, so it is not connected to any other user.

There are many factors that can cause the software to crash. It can be because of corrupt file, a process being performed that is maxing out the computer’s processor, changing too much data at one time, or using some features that are data heavy and tax your computer. We troubleshoot a lot of Silhouette issues and the #1 thing we see is that each case of crashing can be caused by something different.

The first questions I ask when a user is having and issue is if it is occurring when they are doing something specific such as opening a certain file type (png, dxf, etc.), using a certain tool in the software, performing a specific action in the software, etc. This helps to narrow down what might be causing the crash. Troubleshooting is a process of elimination and all the questions we ask are to help you get it resolved faster. Narrowing down when the crash occurs or what is happening can determine what the steps to fix that are.

The first thing I recommend is a full computer shut down AND restart. A shut down and a restart perform different things and should be completed on a regular basis. But, often times, just doing this action will solve any issues occurring.

Computer updates often perform in the background without a user knowing it’s happening. This can mess with programs in different ways and cause slowness or crashing.

It is a simple step that can fix all kinds of issues if the user takes the time to do it.

File Types and Crashing

I mention this one first because if this is the reason for the crashing, it can be a simple fix.

Are you opening a PNG file when it crashes?

In the v4.4 software versions there is a new feature called Autotrace. This is a great feature however, there are still a few bugs and in some cases a user’s computer just cannot handle the Autotrace of the PNG file and the exponential data created when the Autotrace feature is active.

The easiest way to determine if this is the reason is to turn off Autotrace.

Click HERE for more details on the Autotrace feature and how to turn it off.

Are you opening a DXF file?

DXF files can be very data heavy and can max out a computer processor causing a software crash.

Click HERE for more details on DXF files and why I recommend using the SVG file instead.

These are the most common file types I see crashing issues with, however, it can also occur when using data heavy tools such as the knife, eraser, nesting, divide, subtract, etc. Keep in mind that when you make a major change to the design on the screen, it may not look complex to you, but it has to reorder all the data of that file to keep it a cut file.

Crashing

If the crashing occurs no matter what you are doing, here are 2 more troubleshooting options from the Silhouette America website.

The biggest thing about these 2 options is that the user needs to follow them step-by-step completely. If steps are skipped, there is a greater chance it will not solve the problem.

Silhouette Studio Crashing (During Startup) click HERE
Silhouette Studio Crashing or Freezing (After Startup) click HERE

Computer Specs

The next reason we see a lot of crashing for is that the computer can’t handle it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a brand new computer or the computer tech told you it would be fine. If it doesn’t have the requirements, you will continue to experience crashing no matter what you do.

Here are the bare minimum specs to open the software, you want to exceed these as much as possible…
https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/faq/solution/124
When you look at it, look very close at the processor breakdown. It is usually 2 numbers….
1st is the “base” processor – you want this to be 1.8 GHz or higher – we see crashing with anything lower. The 2nd number is the “turbo” boost.
If the base is too low, it crashes before the turbo boost kicks in.

How to Find This Information on a Windows Computer

In the bottom left corner on the computer, in the search bar, type Settings.
Then choose System.
Scroll down on the left and choose About.
What do the Device Specs show?

These are the most common reasons we see crashing when troubleshooting.
Hope it helps!

Enjoy !

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