KB: Analyze Altium crashing

Solution Details

To determine if you are getting this issue for a particular file/project, please try working on one of the projects that come with Altium Designer like Bluetooth_Sentinel.PrjPcb found in C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\<ADversion>\Examples\Bluetooth Sentinel and see if you have the issue, with only that project opened.

If you then think your issue is related to your project, you can use Project » Project Packager... to create a *.zip file and attach it to a support case at https://supportcenter.live.altium.com/#logcase, so we can confirm the issue on our end for a further analysis.  If the data size is over 20 MB, we can create a space for you in our FileCloud secure file transfer site.
** Be sure not to upload any export controlled data.  **

If the issue is not unique to a particular file/project, first make sure that your environment meets our system requirements, aftter which there are several troubleshooting that may be attempted, namely:
• reset Preferences
• update device drivers
• use Windows System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted Windows system files
• clean install
• remove/repair interfering third-party app
• capture system/app log
• send crash report manually with report ID noted
• collect additional data using PerfView
• create a dump file

Reset Preferences:
The issue you are experiencing could be caused by a minor corruption of the preferences.  It is recommended that you save your preferences and attempt a reset to see if this resolves your issue.  This Knowledge Base article explains how: https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/reset-the-altium-designer-configuration-to-the-installation-defaults
If it does resolve your issue, you can try reloading your preferences because sometimes, restoring preferences does not bring back the issue.  If the issue returns right away you will obviously have to remove them again.


Update device drivers:
Your video board driver(s) may be out of date.  A newer video card driver may resolve the issue.  It's always a good idea to have the latest video board driver from the board manufacture's web page (rather than using Windows update, or from Device Manager.)  You can use the Windows Control panel ► Device Manager ► Display adapters, to see what's installed, then go to the manufacturer's web page to download and install the latest driver.
    Video driver(s) note:
    If you've got a laptop, you might notice you have more than one display adapter. Update both drivers. There may be a way to set the GPU to be the card that gets used for X2.exe. For NVIDIA, you can manage the video settings in the NVIDIA control panel to set a default graphics card as follows:
    Open the NVIDIA Control Panel. ... 
    Select Manage 3D Settings under 3D Settings. 
    Click on the Program Settings tab and select the program you want, to choose a graphics card for (X2.exe) from the drop down list.  You can also browse for X2.exe in this folder C:\Program Files\Altium\AD[your version number]
    And try this: 
    Click on Manage 3D Settings and open the drop down menu for Global Settings. Select the High-performance NVIDIA processor as your preferred graphics processor and click Apply." 
    
    Another NVIDIA note:  When running "NVIDIA GeForce Experience" make sure you click the radio button for "Game Ready Driver" rather than "Studio Driver" in the upper right corner before checking for updates.  
 

Use Windows System File Checker tool to repair:
1. Click on the windows start button
2. Type in CMD then from the results right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as Administrator”.  
(afterward, you may need to click on yes to allow the app to make changes)
3. Type in “sfc /scannow” without quotes.
4. This process will verify the Windows Installation and replace any corrupted or missing DLL along with any other Windows protected system files.
5. Reboot the PC.
(For later versions of Windows, Using System File Checker in Windows  is a more inclusive operation.)

Clean install:
If the issue persists, perform a complete un-install and then a fresh install of Altium:
https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/how-to-perform-a-thorough-uninstall
Using the offline installer package is a good idea since you are having issues:
https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/install-update-altium-on-machines-without-internet-or-behind-firewall

Remove/fix interfering third-party app:
Discord app may make Altium Designer slow or crash.
https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360070019571-There-is-a-bug-when-you-use-Altium-Designer

If Altium is closes without an error message when installing or opening a database library, the issue may be  resolved by performing a repair for Microsoft Office.  Different methods are required based on the version you are using.   Here is a link to a Microsoft Office support article that should help:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/repair-an-office-application-7821d4b6-7c1d-4205-aa0e-a6b40c5bb88b
 
You may find a 3rd party web page that has more explanation and images covering several versions and how to run the repair, if you perform a simple web search for "Repairing Excel 2016, 2013, 2010 or 2007"
 
Generally it's something like this:  Open the Windows Control Panel to run Programs and Features (formerly Add or Remove Programs) (If you are using the category view you will find "Uninstall a program under Programs), click Modify on the Office version installed on your machine (click OK) and choose the repair option. 
 
If your version gives you the option for "Quick Repair" or "Online Repair"  Choose Online Repair.  It will take longer, but it saves you the trouble of having to do it later after the Quick Repair didn't work.

If that doesn't help, try downloading and installing the Microsoft Access database Engine https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=54920 (depending on your MS Office version) you may need to use the the repair option described above after the install.

Capture system/app log:
If none of the suggestions above have resolved your crashing issue…
Run DXdiag by clicking on the Windows Start button ► type "Run" ► press the enter key ► type dxdiag ► click OK ► click the "Save All Information" button at the bottom.
Also…
Run MSInfo32 then use File ► Save, give it a name.nfo
…then attach the files to a support case.

Installation and other log files are found in
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Altium\Logs
You can find Startup and Shutdown Log Files in:
C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Altium\Altium Designer {<Installation GUID>}\
(The AppData folder is hidden by default, so you may need to adjust folder view properties accordingly. )

To turn on logging, go to Preferences - System - General ► Advanced... button (lower right corner) ►  Search for Log in the search box (upper right corner) and check the box in the Value column for "System.Logger" then set the value for System.Logger.Level to 5 (the data of most details).  The description is in the right column which you can expand to see the whole line.  Then you can send the log file to us in a support case after the next crash.  Don't forget to uncheck the System.Logger value box when done with troubleshooting.  

Send crash report manually:
Restart Altium, and the next time you get the crash, at the crash report screen use the pull down arrow next to the "Send and Close" button.  Choose "Send Manually…"  then you can copy the "Report Unique ID" for the report, before sending the report and let us know through a support case, what that number is, so we can get help directly from our developers by letting them know which report to look at.

Note – if there is a crash that does not raise an exception dialog, and the software hangs in an apparent frozen state, use the Ctrl+Alt+Insert keyboard shortcut to force a crash report. This dialog may pop up behind the Altium Designer application window.

Collect additional data using PerfView:
If Altium is freezing or you having unexplained slowdowns (delays), you can collect more data by using PerfView to create a Data File that you will send to us through a support case.  Here's a knowledge base article:

https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/collect-additional-data-with-perfview-to-anlayze-an-application-issue

Create a dump file:
You can create the dump file from Task Manager right after a crash by expanding X2.exe, then right-click on the project and choose "Create dump file"
* Open Task Manager
* Go to Details tab
* Expand X2.exe
* Right-click on the project and choose "Create dump file"
* After some time Windows will let you know where it created file
* Compress it and upload it somewhere like Google Drive, Drop box, or One Drive, so you can send us a link through a support case, or we can create a space for you in our FileCloud secure file transfer site.

If Windows kills the Altium Designer altogether, a dump file can be created automatically by setting DumpType to 2 (in advance.)  To prepare for the next crash where Windows closes Altium, follow this document to create a registry entry: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/wer/collecting-user-mode-dumps
 

You can use a text editor to create a *.reg file with these lines (copy from here and paste):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\X2.EXE]
"DumpFolder"="C:\\ProgramData\\Altium"
"DumpType"=dword:00000002

1. Double click the *.reg file created above to add the registry entry

2. Wait until the program crashes and is closed by Windows

3. Go to C:\ProgramData\Altium and find most recent file. It usually starts with X2 (this path is set by the *.reg file

4. Compress it and upload it somewhere like Google Drive, Drop box, or One Drive, so you can send us a link through a support case, or we can create a space for you in our FileCloud secure file transfer site.