TABLE OF CONTENTS

Silhouette Studio Crash During Startup

Check Minimum Specification Requirements

You computer needs to meet or exceed the following minimum requirements in order to run Silhouette Studio:

  • Operating System: Windows 8.1 and higher OR MacOS X 10.10 and higher
  • Internet Connection: Require for
    1. Software Updates
    2. Access to Silhouette Design Store
    3. Software Upgrade Activation
  • RAM: 4 GB of RAM
  • Processor: 2 GHz or faster
  • Memory: 2 GB hard drive space
  • USB Port: USB 2.0 Port or higher

To view your system settings press [Windows] key + X + Y or for mac click the apple symbol at the top left corner and select About this Mac

Re-install Silhouette Studio

Windows

  1. Go to the Software page here
  2. Click on the 'Windows 64-bit' button
  3. Once downloaded, run the installation program and follow the on-screen prompts to install the software

Mac

  1. Send all instances of Silhouette Studio to your trash and empty trash
  2. Create a new user on your Mac
  3. Go to the Software page here
  4. Click on the 'MAC 64-bit' button
  5. If it launches, close the software and go back to the prior user and attempt to launch Silhouette Studio again
  6. If Silhouette Studio successfully starts you can remove the new user that was created

Check Permissions (Windows Only)

  1. Right-click on the Silhouette Studio program shortcut
  2. Select 'Run as Administrator'
  3. If this is successful make the following changes otherwise continue to the below section Check for Software 'Preferences' Corruption
    1. Select the Properties option
    2. Select the Security tab
    3. Select the Advanced button
    4. Select the 'Change Permissions' button and provide authorization
    5. Check the box entitled "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object"
    6. Select Yes on the Windows Security pop-up
    7. Select Okay

Check for Software 'Preferences' Corruption

When Silhouette Studio is opened, it goes through a process to initialize all the settings before fully opening and displaying the workspace area.


Occasionally, the software can encounter errors during the startup phase, including the following: 

  • The software continually displays "Loading Icons" on startup but never starts 
  • The software stalls or crashes when attempting to open at the 'Initializing' stage of the startup


Silhouette Studio can also encounter issues after the software is opened with the following:

  • Persistent or Interrupting "Generating Cut Job" message displayed while the software is running
  • Inability to save new Preferences
  • Inability to create and save new custom cut settings
  • Error message: "An error has occurred. Silhouette Studio has encountered an error and must quit. Any unsaved changes will be lost."


These errors generally indicate an issue with settings stored in the software, such as user-generated cut settings (custom materials and updated settings for existing materials), and preference options you have updated in the Preferences settings.


If you encounter the above behavior, we recommend clearing your Preferences folder as follows:


⚠ WARNING: This procedure will result in the removal of user-generated cut settings (custom materials and updated settings for existing materials) as well as any preference options you may have selected under the Preferences settings. If possible, you may want to take note of any custom settings or preferences so you can re-create or re-select them after this procedure is completed.

Windows

  1. Close Silhouette Studio
  2. Press [Windows] Key + R
  3. In Run window type %appdata%
  4. Press Enter
  5. Delete the Folder com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio
  6. Empty the Recycle Bin
  7. Re-open Silhouette Studio

Mac

  1. Close Silhouette Studio
  2. Open the Finder
  3. Press [Cmd]+[Shift]+G
  4. Type in ~/Library/Preferences
  5. Press Return
  6. Delete the Folder com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio
  7. Empty the Trash
  8. Re-open Silhouette Studio

Check for Library Corruption

Note: The following action does not delete your Library folder. It only renames it so that the software bypasses it and creates a new blank library instead. this will allow seeing if there was a a library corruption. if it does not resolve the issue, you can reverse the steps above by deleting the newly created 'com.aspexsoftware.Silhouete_Studio.8' folder and renaming the older folder back to its original name

Windows

  1. Press the Windows key (lower left, between [Ctrl] and [Alt]) and the R key on your keyboard simultaneously
  2. Type %programdata% into the Run box
  3. Press Enter
  4. Locate the folder com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio.8 
  5. Right-click and select Rename
  6. Rename the folder to com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio.8.OLD
  7. Attempt to open Silhouette Studio

Mac

  1. Open the Finder
  2. Press [Cmd]+[Shift]+G
  3. Type in /Library/Application Support
  4. Press Return
  5. Locate the folder com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio.8 
  6. Rename the folder to com.aspexsoftware.Silhouette_Studio.8.OLD
  7. Attempt to open Silhouette Studio

Silhouette Studio Crash or Freeze After Successful Startup

Update Graphics Card (Windows Only)

To update the graphics card driver:

  1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard
  2. Type in devmgmt.msc and click OK
  3. In the Device Manager, click on 'Display Adaptors'
  4. Click on the adaptor in the list
  5. When the adaptor window is displayed, click on the Driver tab
  6. Click on Update Driver

If your computer's graphics driver type is already known, you can alternately go directly to the vendor's website:

Follow the prompts listed to update. Once updated, restart the computer.

Turn Off Antialiasing

  1. Open Silhouette Studio
  2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Display
  3. Set Antialiasing to a lower sample setting or to 'Off'
  4. Click Apply
  5. Close and re-op Silhouette Studio
  6. Repeat the above steps selecting a different setting at step 3 if needed

Confirm the File in use

If the issue only occurs when using a specific file, then the file may either have corruption or include a very large amount of data that the program cannot handle properly.


If you are able to temporarily open the file to make adjustments:


  1. Right-click and Ungroup the design
  2. Select all the parts of individual elements of the design (i.e. all of one tag with all the inner parts that are intended to be a group of the overall image)
  3. Right-click and Convert to Path 
    NOTE: This action will take the image from being a bunch of grouped parts that the program has to process individually into one object that can be processed more quickly
  4. Repeat this process for all of the elements in the document
    NOTE: This process may be slow, but the end result should be a much more usable file that is more responsive


If you are unable to open the file, you can send a copy of the file to support@silhouetteamerica.com to test. While we may not be able to correct the file, we can confirm whether or not it is able to be opened.

Note: If you are still experiencing issues at this point please review the section titled Silhouette Studio Crash During Startup

Silhouette Studio Crashes After Using Design Tool

Simplifying the Design

  1. Open Silhouette Studio
  2. Open the file or design in question
  3. Right-click on the design
  4. Select to 'Release Compound Path
  5. Click off the image
  6. Try to use the design tool operation again

'Trace and Detach' Issues

If you are using the Trace and Detach option, be advised that this should only be used when attempting to detach a basic raster image from a simple, white background.

If the background of your imported image is complex, we would suggest using the Trace option instead to create the necessary desired cut lines.

Silhouette Studio Freezes When Using Fill Pattern

  1. Open Silhouette Studio (make sure you are running the latest version
  2. Go to the Library
  3. Right-click on the pattern in question in your Library
  4. Select Delete Item
  5. Right-click on the library's Recycle Bin
  6. Select 'Empty Recycle Bin'
  7. Download following zip file
  8. Unzip the file and run the 'Resample Images' program
  9. Re-sample the original designs to a lower pixel rate by dragging and dropping files to have them converted automatically
  10. Import the converted image back into the library