Why does Lightroom 5 crash on launch unless I delete the preferences file?
Asked 3/2/2014
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2 answers
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Lightroom 5.3 crashes every time it starts, but if I delete or rename the Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefs file, it launches normally again. Has anyone seen this before, and what usually causes it? Are there any fixes besides repeatedly removing the preferences file?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
2
If you have a backup program (online or NAS backup, for example) running, it can sometimes lock files that Lightroom needs to modify and cause a crash. I've seen this happen both when Lightroom starts and when it is exiting and trying to backup the catalogue file. I have reconfigured the backup program that I am using to not do backup of the Lightroom work file areas, this fixed the startup crashes.
Originally by user3458. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3458
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — this usually points to a corrupted Lightroom preferences file or a file/folder access problem during startup.
Based on the shared fixes:
- Deleting or renaming the preferences file is a standard troubleshooting step and often resolves launch crashes because Lightroom rebuilds a fresh preferences file.
- If the problem returns, check whether backup/sync software is locking Lightroom files or folders. Some users have fixed startup crashes by excluding Lightroom’s working areas from NAS/online backup jobs.
- On macOS, running the Lightroom executable from Terminal can reveal the real error. One reported cause was Lightroom being unable to create its Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom folder, which suggests a permissions or path issue.
So the practical fix is:
- Rename/delete the preferences file.
- Make sure Lightroom’s support folders are writable.
- Temporarily disable or reconfigure backup/sync tools that may be accessing Lightroom files.
- Relaunch Lightroom and re-create your preferences.
Be aware that resetting the preferences file will remove your custom Lightroom settings, so back them up if possible.
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