6 Replies Latest reply: Sep 20, 2006 9:39 AM by Newsgroup_User RSS

    DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch

    JayNewWeb Community Member
      I'm running DW MX 2004 on XP. I'm pretty computer literate but a novice with DW, though I've done a few sites decently with it ( Silver100.com and SilverFacts.com). My system is very stable and well maintained.

      Lately, and increasingly, when I go to open the program it sometimes won't launch. Same regardless of whether I use the desktop shortcut or the one in the Start-Programs list. Sometimes nothing happens, sometimes it opens fine, and sometimes it looks like it's opening and gets so far it appears to be opened and to be showing me my last-used site and files list but then suddenly disappears and never ends up being opened.

      I've done a full uninstall using Add/Remove programs (told it not to remove user settings when it prompted me), rebooted, and reinstalled, using the download of the upgrade (v 7.0.1). Same problem still exists!

      I can try the uninstall again but this time telling it to remove user settings, and I can try closing the program with a different site active in case that has something to do with it.

      Any other suggestions?

      Thanks!

      Jay

        • 1. Re: DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
          Newsgroup_User Community Member
          Jay,

          I have seen this in rare occasions when there is a certain file that is
          making DW crash. The File Panel parses files before you even open them.

          Try renaming the local folder of the Site that DW is trying to open and
          then replacing the local folder with an empty folder, then see if DW
          starts. If so, then move the sub-folders back in one by one to try to
          isolate the file.

          HTH,
          Randy



          > I'm running DW MX 2004 on XP. I'm pretty computer literate but a novice with
          > DW, though I've done a few sites decently with it ( http://www.silver100.com and
          > http://silverfacts.com). My system is very stable and well maintained.
          >
          > Lately and increasingly it seems when I go to open the program it sometimes
          > won't launch. Same regardless of whether I use the desktop shortcut or the one
          > in the Start-Programs list. Sometimes nothing happens, sometimes it opens fine,
          > and sometimes it looks like it's opening and gets so far it appears to be
          > opened and to be showing me my last-used site and files list but then suddenly
          > disappears and never ends up being opened.
          >
          > I've done a full uninstall using Add/Remove programs (told it not to remove
          > user settings when it prompted me), rebooted, and reinstalled, using the
          > download of the upgrade (v 7.0.1). Same problem still exists!
          >
          > I can try the uninstall again but this time telling it to remove user
          > settings, and I can try closing the program with a different site active in
          > case that has something to do with this it.
          • 2. Re: DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
            AndrewDG-MMTS Community Member
            Hello,

            Here are other things that you can try.
            1. Close down all applications, including those in the system tray, and those you can only close through the task manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del > Choose 'End Task' on every entry, except for explorer and systray). At that point, launch DW. Can you get the problem to happen? If not, you may have had too many applications running at once, or you have a software conflict, which you can isolate with trial and error (Do a new test: shut down one program at a time, testing Dreamweaver every step of the way).

            2. Try turning down hardware acceleration to 'None' in Control Panels->Display->Settings.

            3. Try updating your video driver, by downloading the latest driver update from the manufacturer of your video card.

            4. Try installing updates for your operating system as well.

            Hope this helps.

            • 3. Re: DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
              JayNewWeb Community Member
              quote:

              Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
              Jay,

              I have seen this in rare occasions when there is a certain file that is
              making DW crash. The File Panel parses files before you even open them.

              Try renaming the local folder of the Site that DW is trying to open and
              then replacing the local folder with an empty folder, then see if DW
              starts. If so, then move the sub-folders back in one by one to try to
              isolate the file.

              HTH,
              Randy




              Randy,

              Does this mean that it would in fact be a good test for me to be closing the program with a different site active?

              By the way, keep in mind it's been intermittent. It's gotten so bad lately that more times than not the program won't open. But then I try again and within a few tries it does. Also note that, so far -- knock on wood -- once it opens okay, it runs okay.

              Thanks!

              Jay
              • 4. Re: DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
                Newsgroup_User Community Member
                "JayNewWeb" <jnewman@silver100.com> wrote:

                > Lately and increasingly it seems when I go to open the program it sometimes
                won't launch.

                This fairly frequently happens to me. Dreamweaver (MX) appears to open
                normally, but freezes when I try to do anything. Sometimes I suspect that may
                have double-clicked the toolbar icon (effectively trying to open two copies at
                once), but certainly not always, and it does seem to be more prone to do it if I
                have been working for a while, and already had lots of other programs open. I
                did once do a complete reinstall, and this fixed it for a week or so but then
                the problem reappeared. However it always starts correctly the second time I
                try, so now if this happens I simply close it and restart it. Unscientific,
                yes, but life is too short to worry about everything.



                Clancy
                • 5. DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
                  JayNewWeb Community Member
                  quote:

                  Originally posted by: Newsgroup User
                  Try renaming the local folder of the Site that DW is trying to open and
                  then replacing the local folder with an empty folder, then see if DW
                  starts. If so, then move the sub-folders back in one by one to try to
                  isolate the file.

                  I created empty folders and the same problem exists. Any chance it would be worthwhile removing the program again but this time telling it to delete user settings, and then reinstalling?

                  My concern is that it will get worse and I won't be able to open the program.

                  Thanks.

                  • 6. Re: DW MX 2004 intermittently won't launch
                    Newsgroup_User Community Member
                    > I created empty folders and the same problem exists. Any chance it would be
                    > worthwhile removing the program again but this time telling it to delete user
                    > settings, and then reinstalling?

                    Yes. Furthermore, there's a bug in the DW8 installer where not
                    everything gets removed during uninstall. This TechNote describes how to
                    remove absolutely everything between uninstall and reinstall:

                    http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=4e7826b7

                    IMPORTANT: Export *all* of your Site definitions in Step 1.

                    Randy