Pro Tools won't load (no splash screen)

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Oohhh... and I get bashed when I say WavesHell

This is a very specific, bad packaging thing waves software does. Just look at the awful confusing mess it causes users in this thread.

I have multiple issues with waves, avoid them myself, but realize lots of folks rely on, and need to rely on their plugins.

[BB.Kunz]

Originally Posted by Yoshaan

The Error:
On launching Pro Tools (as admin or normally), the icon appears in the taskbar, but no window appears my screen anywhere. Hovering over the taskbar shows a thumbnail of an empty window title bar with no name, although it is not actually present on my screen.

Hello from Germany,
I found this topic, because I have exact the same issue on my Windows Notebook.
I was running PT Studio 2023.12 on Win11 for about two weeks without any issue (was the first PT-Installation on that system). From one day to another The PT-Shortcut in the startbar was renamed to "New Shortcut2", and from there on it was not starting, just showing the PT-icon in the taskbar and not reacting any further exactly as Yoshaan described. Laptop was locatet on stage in a theatre without internet connection, so no new software or updates happened before or during the error occurred. No Waves installed (only Izotope and FabFilter Plugins).
Tried a few times to uninstall PT via Win-App-manager and reinstalled via Avid Link, but it`s not starting at all (although after reinstalling the PT-schortcut was named correct).
Also tried to remove all Avid installations from the system and manually search and delete for all Avid leftover-files incl. the Avid Key in the registry.
After a fresh install it still hangs on at the same point. Seems like the thing that cause the issue is still left in the system after deleting all avid stuff. I also wondered about the fact, that after deleting everything and reinstalling and starting avid link I`m already logged into my account...
Is there any really clean way to delete everything from avid?

If there are new suggestions or findings to that problem, please let me know.
Thanks!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by BB.Kunz

Hello from Germany,
I found this topic, because I have exact the same issue on my Windows Notebook.
I was running PT Studio 2023.12 on Win11 for about two weeks without any issue (was the first PT-Installation on that system). From one day to another The PT-Shortcut in the startbar was renamed to "New Shortcut2", and from there on it was not starting, just showing the PT-icon in the taskbar and not reacting any further exactly as Yoshaan described. Laptop was locatet on stage in a theatre without internet connection, so no new software or updates happened before or during the error occurred. No Waves installed (only Izotope and FabFilter Plugins).
Tried a few times to uninstall PT via Win-App-manager and reinstalled via Avid Link, but it`s not starting at all (although after reinstalling the PT-schortcut was named correct).
Also tried to remove all Avid installations from the system and manually search and delete for all Avid leftover-files incl. the Avid Key in the registry.
After a fresh install it still hangs on at the same point. Seems like the thing that cause the issue is still left in the system after deleting all avid stuff. I also wondered about the fact, that after deleting everything and reinstalling and starting avid link I`m already logged into my account...
Is there any really clean way to delete everything from avid?

If there are new suggestions or findings to that problem, please let me know.
Thanks!

Hi Welcome to DUC.

To help you get going here... this thread is talking about a very specific fairly widely known problem with Waves software mangling DAW installs by installing links/shortcuts to the DAW software. If there is no Waves software installed (or previously installed and still parts are there) on your computer then what you are experiencing is not related to this.

e.g. see https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=546610

The thing you need to do first is quickly work out if this is or is not related to this known problem. i.e. can you launch Pro Tools directly from it's executable "C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe"? If not then it's sure not this link/shortcut problem. If it is then you can delete other links/replace them to be correct. (e.g. delete "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" as described in the link above... or similar links) and you may want to remove any Waves Studiorack (or whatever other Waves software) that may recreate the problematic links in future. Maybe contact Waves support if you have problems uninstalling all signs of their stuff. If you think what you are seeing is related to this thread there is absolutely no need to remove any Pro Tools software.

If it is not that then this whole thread is irrelevant to you and you should probably post your questions asking for help in a new thread. But again if shortcuts are somehow causing you problems look at what the shortcut is linked to... and if it's not the correct Pro Tools.exe file then delete and fix it. If C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe itself won't launch then you should start by approach that problem with standard troubleshooting steps, see under "help us help you" up the top of every DUC web page. Uninstalling and resinstalling Pro Tools is not the first thing to try there, and doing that is frequently is a waste of time. Always start troubleshooting by trashing prefs, and be sure to try the create new admin account and test from there, but again all this is only if directly launching C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe has problems.

Avid Link bloatware is not widely trusted, frequent advice on DUC has been for years to manually install Pro Tools and any additional plugins, downloading these from your Avid.com account My Products section (for all the latest installers). Since Pro Tools unfortunately installs Avid Link itself many of us uninstall Avid Link straight after installing Pro Tools.

[Dltmnn]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Avid Link bloatware is not widely trusted, frequent advice on DUC has been for years to manually install Pro Tools and any additional plugins, downloading these from your Avid.com account My Products section (for all the latest installers). Since Pro Tools unfortunately installs Avid Link itself many of us uninstall Avid Link straight after installing Pro Tools.

The above is pretty much the best advice given for a trouble-free PT system. I learned from experience.

[BB.Kunz]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Hi Welcome to DUC.

To help you get going here... this thread is talking about a very specific fairly widely known problem with Waves software mangling DAW installs by installing links/shortcuts to the DAW software. If there is no Waves software installed (or previously installed and still parts are there) on your computer then what you are experiencing is not related to this.

e.g. see https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=546610

The thing you need to do first is quickly work out if this is or is not related to this known problem. i.e. can you launch Pro Tools directly from it's executable "C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe"? If not then it's sure not this link/shortcut problem. If it is then you can delete other links/replace them to be correct. (e.g. delete "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" as described in the link above... or similar links) and you may want to remove any Waves Studiorack (or whatever other Waves software) that may recreate the problematic links in future. Maybe contact Waves support if you have problems uninstalling all signs of their stuff. If you think what you are seeing is related to this thread there is absolutely no need to remove any Pro Tools software.

If it is not that then this whole thread is irrelevant to you and you should probably post your questions asking for help in a new thread. But again if shortcuts are somehow causing you problems look at what the shortcut is linked to... and if it's not the correct Pro Tools.exe file then delete and fix it. If C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe itself won't launch then you should start by approach that problem with standard troubleshooting steps, see under "help us help you" up the top of every DUC web page. Uninstalling and resinstalling Pro Tools is not the first thing to try there, and doing that is frequently is a waste of time. Always start troubleshooting by trashing prefs, and be sure to try the create new admin account and test from there, but again all this is only if directly launching C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe has problems.

Avid Link bloatware is not widely trusted, frequent advice on DUC has been for years to manually install Pro Tools and any additional plugins, downloading these from your Avid.com account My Products section (for all the latest installers). Since Pro Tools unfortunately installs Avid Link itself many of us uninstall Avid Link straight after installing Pro Tools.

Hi, thanks for the answer.
It´s not a problem with the shortcut itself, also the directly C:\ProgramFiles\Avid\Pro Tools\ProTools.exe won´t launch. (Exactly as in Yoshaans Case).

Originally Posted by Yoshaan

Regardless, I have tried opening Pro Tools directly from Avid > ProTools.exe with the same error (no splash screen, just a task bar icon with no thumbnail).

I´ve run through all the general troubleshooting guides, incl. trashing prefs, clean removal and reinstalling on a new admin account directly with the PT-installer.
But even if I never had Waves-software installed, the topic isn´t irrelevant for me, because the error itself is completely identically to my case and it´s the only description of that kind of error I could find.
So whatever the Waves Installer in Yoshaans system probably caused, could be caused by another software in my case.

Originally Posted by Yoshaan

After running CCleaner, uninstalling Waves, and then reinstalling only Pro Tools I still get the same error.

Note that this error occurred previously a few months ago and I ended up reinstalling Windows from scratch. The first thing I installed on the new OS was Pro Tools and the error was still occuring.

I checked task manager during launch and it went from running to not responding within 2 seconds, although no error message comes up unless I try to start while holding "n"

If the error occurs even after a complete fresh install of the OS, how could it be possible, that any kind of trouble the waves-installer causes could "survive" a complete new OS installation?


So parallel to my open avid support case I keep following here in hope that the reason for this issue can be recognized and could be a possible approach to my case.

[hansbizarre]

I have this same problem on Windows (latest version), latest version of Pro Tools. Have no idea why this started happening - I last used Pro Tools in December and it worked fine. In February, I click to open it, it thinks about it for a second, then nothing happens. In the taskbar, it shows a blank window with no text, but if you click on it, there's no window.
I have re-installed several times, trashed prefs, got rid of plugins. Nothing works.
Has anyone any idea as to why this is happening?

[hansbizarre]

OK I've got it working again - if this helps anyone else, I created a case with Avid Support and these are the steps they recommend going through, for both MAC and WINDOWS:

MAC

<1.>Please delete Pro Tools Preference files and Databases,
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...nd_Preferences

<2.>Please uninstall Pro Tools manually.
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...uninstall-PT11

<3.>Please create a new admin user account of OS,
log in and reinstall the latest Pro Tools from inside of the new account,.
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...w_User_Account

If you see any warning that any Avid program is blocked, please allow them all.
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...13-High-Sierra


<4.>
Please try changing the permissions for some folders by the steps below.

Please go to:

a)
Macintosh HD/Users/(User Name)/Documents/Pro Tools

folder and right click to select “Get Info”,
check “Sharing & permissions” section at the bottom,
and change the privilege to “Read & Write” for all the listed users/system.
also, push the Gear icon and select “Apply to enclosed items”.


Please do the same thing for the 3 folders below in addition.

b)
Macintosh HD/Users/<User Name>/Library/Preferences/Avid/Pro Tools

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/ar...nd_Preferences
* From the Finder, click on the Go menu in the menu bar.
* Select Go to Folder.
* Type in the following: ~/Library/Preferences/Avid/Pro Tools and click Go.

c)
Macintosh HD/Users/Shared

d)
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins


<5.>
Please go to
System Preference>Security & Privacy>Privacy

Please check
“Pro Tools” is added/checked in “Accessibility” tab.
and
“Pro Tools” is added/checked in ”Full Disc Access” tab.




WINDOWS

1.
Please start from deleting Pro Tools Preference and Database files.

Windows 11
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...ide#delete_pro


2.
Please try moving Plug-Ins folder to you desktop
to see if there is any plug-ins issue.

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

3.
Please clean uninstall Pro Tools
from Windows Control Panel> Program & Features.

(1)Please CLEAN uninstall any version of Pro Tools from Widows Control Panel > Program & Feature.

*when you uninstall Pro Tools, there are 3 options,
"Pro Tools Only", "Pro Tools and Avid HD Driver" or "Pro Tools, Avid HD driver, preferences, databases, and MIDI device/patch setting".
Please select "Pro Tools, Avid HD driver, preferences, databases, and MIDI device/patch setting"
to uninstall everything.

If the uninstall option is grayed-out,
please try the workaround on this article.
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...-on-Windows-10

(2)
Also, please uninstall
-Pace License Support Win64
-Avid Video Engine (if you find this)
and
-AVID Link.

4.
(1)please try reinstallation of Pro Tools from a NEW ADMIN USER ACCOUNT of OS.
https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...Guide#create_a

(2)Please Fully optimize your OS, by referring to the article above.

***IMPORTANT***
Please uninstall any 3rd party anti-virus software temporarily if you have.

(3)
download Pro Tools 2023.12.1 installer from your Avid Account,
https://my.avid.com/products#MyProducts

***IMPORTANT***
(4)UNZIP the installer first, then reinstall.


(5)
If Pro Tools can launch,
please go back to the original user account and test.




I have Windows and I got to the final step (5) and Pro Tools would still not launch from the new User Account. I can't remember if I then went back to my original account and tested it and it didn't work or if I just went straight to trying the next thing, which was something else in that first link - https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...ide#delete_pro - the section "Disabling System Startup Items". I did those steps and disabled all the startup services except the (two in my case) Avid ones and restarted and it worked. I was then able to re-enable some of the more essential services and tried again and it still worked.
So I don't know if it was - a) re-installing Pro Tools from a new User Account or b) disabling a conflicting startup service - that did it. But it was one of the two- hope it helps someone else!

[AshleyN]

I went through all of the steps included here, and Pro Tools still does not launch. Has anyone found why this issue occurs?

[Darryl Ramm]

It is very frustrating what an utter mess people make of threads in DUC. This was a very specific thread discussing a specific problem caused by waves software. Having that thread here would hopefully help other folks who have that problem. I would have hoped it is obvious enough that if you do not have waves software installed or you confirm if a shortcut is not causing this problem on windows then you do not have this problem and so this thread is irrelevant to you. In which case you would be a nice DUC citizen and create your own new thread for your problem. Instead we now have a thread jammed up with other noise. If you post to this thread and its not related to the original problem I sure not going to waste my time helping you.

[AshleyN]

You seem to be confused Darryl. OP has said that he launched straight from the executable on a fresh install with no Waves software installed (they uninstalled them), you're making assumptions about the issue with no definite conclusion. I have followed the steps included in this thread and also installed Pro Tools on a fresh windows account with no Waves software (I uninstalled them) and am facing the exact same issue as OP.