Pro Tools Ultimate Shuts Down After a few seconds

[Franzen]

Just tested this and no, it didn't work.

Could this be something related to my GPU?
This is so odd.
Also, I noticed that this happened sometimes when I had to open a pdf file or something in Chrome. But not always... maybe it was just a coincidence.

[Darryl Ramm]

Oh well, darn.

It could be something related to anything. And I even tried to just run up Pro Tools on Windows to grab a log file to look at but I have other problems... but you can compare a log file from when it shuts down itself and from a session that seems OK and then you finally shut it down and see if there is any differences.

There is no scripting/automation software installed? No MIDI or control surfaces etc. No UPS triggering stuff to run? Remove all external hardware possible.

Anything interesting in Windows Event Viewer around the time of these shutdowns?

I wonder if the problem is really plugins, you say that the problem did not happen initially with a clean install and then you added more plugins in. Maybe you should look through that again. It could be combinations of plugins or happen infrequently at times that it's hard to track down what plugin causes it.. but no I'm not confident. But if removing all third party plugins again steps it from happening then you know you have to dig deeper there.

[Franzen]

Thanks Darryl!
The first time you asked for those log files I actually did comparte one from a session where I shutdown PT (a normal shutdown) and one where this bug happens. I'll check again but I recall seeing the same lane so I though it was something normal from the script - although it didn't look like it!

I do have a keystation 66, but that it. Nothing else
When this started happening I contacted avid and I had some remote assistance and back then (a few months ago) we did go through the USB devices and we actually deactivated a few things. Eventually they concluded my version was incompatible with the windows version and they recomended I update. I did the upgrade to ultimate but the issue persisted.

I am also not conviced about the plugins. I uninstalled basically everything I have - not much really - and I am only left with Native Instruments, which I have a hard time believing would be the problem.

And yes I did check the event viewer and nothing came up.

[Franzen]

So, I'm not sure if this could be a clue but I found a very similar issue on a YT video.
The same shutdown this guy is having with Audacity and other softwares is what I am experiencing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjhJS25TEc

I do not have anything like that I am aware or noticed, running in the background and I'm also not a gamer so I don't do all that tweeking on GPU - I never touch those settings, etc.

I don't have the same GPU but I did find a folder with some .dll files (PhysX files).
Also, at one point I thought that Toontracks superior drummer could be the plugin issue, I noticed that when this shutdown happened I could not open the Product Manager or open the plugin in standalone. I have since deleted it but the issue persists.

Should I maybe delete this nvidia folder or test deleting some of these dll files?

[junkgear]

Originally Posted by Franzen

Should I maybe delete this nvidia folder or test deleting some of these dll files?

Never just go and delete dll files or folders from your system.
If you run the NVidia installer and choose a custom install you can select the additional components to install. Simply uncheck the option to install PhysX and it will remove it from your system.
An even better thing to do would be to download the latest driver for your video card, then uninstall the current NVidia driver from your system. Then run the new installer and follow my instructions above to only install the driver and possibly Nvidia audio if you need that.

[Darryl Ramm]

If you suspect the NVIDIA GPU what I'd do is power off, physically remove the NVIDIA GPU and power back up using the Intel CPU graphics. Don't dink with any software installs. Don't worry about graphics performance you are just testing to see if it shuts down.

[Franzen]

EDIT
I uninstalled PhysX the recommended way, but no luck. Even opening a new session with no 3rd party plugins the same shutdown happened.

I created two audio tracks and one instrument track for testing. I added EQ3 7 Band and Structure Free on the instrument track. A shutdown did happen eventually an here is what the log files shows between adding the EQ, Structure Free and starting to close session:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5t1wpakggq...l2022.txt?dl=0

Is the line of code "Sys_PACE" related to the iLok? (PACE...)
Could an authorization error like that, for a plugin, be leading to a shutdown?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Franzen

EDIT
I uninstalled PhysX the recommended way, but no luck. Even opening a new session with no 3rd party plugins the same shutdown happened.

I created two audio tracks and one instrument track for testing. I added EQ3 7 Band and Structure Free on the instrument track. A shutdown did happen eventually an here is what the log files shows between adding the EQ, Structure Free and starting to close session:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5t1wpakggq...l2022.txt?dl=0

Is the line of code "Sys_PACE" related to the iLok? (PACE...)
Could an authorization error like that, for a plugin, be leading to a shutdown?

Yes PACE is iLok. The wrapper being referred to is a core part of their licensing software.

Unfortunately none of those log entries tell you anything, they all exactly what everybody sees with those plugins, including every error included there. But yes looks like Air Music and/or Avid need to clean up their act. Things like 'test' code remnants remaining visible in product and logging other errors ain't exactly reassuring even if they don't cause end-user problems.

So while the errors in the log don't give any clue that does or does not help confirm whether EQ3 or Structure Free are related to the shutdown or not. If you can reproduce this and tie it to a plugin or two then just remove those .aaxplugin files and confirm Pro Tools is then stable.

And since plugins can do all sorts of awful stuff by just being installed, before when you said you confirmed it was not a plugin I hope you moved the .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder. Just not instantiating a plugin in a session is not a thorough test here, you should be moving the .aaxplugin files out and testint.

[Darryl Ramm]

Looking over your Sandra report again, you've got stuff like a Nord-VPN adapter and other things that are probably beyond a basic/clean Windows install.

Hopefully you don't have any antivirus software installed.

If you can't make any better progress I would pull out the GPU and any other peripherals. Do a clean minimal Windows install on a spare drive/partition. Do not install any drivers or apps or utilities except Pro Tools, ILM and any audio interface driver you need. And test that. Ideally don't let Windows Plug and Pray try to screw up your system. If you need to add drivers I would hand pick them/keep a list of them for future. And all that comes from having absolutely no further idea, which is when doing a careful clean Windows install can pay off.

[Franzen]

I did uninstall NORD VPN this week along with other stuff like lightworks, etc.

Also, when this issue first happened - last year - I did a clean install, updated that c drive (new ssd) but the issue eventually showed up again. So I figured it had nothing to do with my plugins.

I dont know...everything was working fine with PT 12.6 and all of a sudden this started happening. Upgraded pro tools, clean windows install, new drive, I have gone through the no plugin test a while ago and nothing...

I'm actually thinking its not PT, but I'm also not sure what it might be. I found a thread this morning (windows asnwers) where some user were experiencing the same issue with other apps. Everyone seemed to be having trouble after certain windows updates, however one user found that same GPU TweakII issue I mentioned. He got rid of it and things went back to normal. Other users did the same and it worked.
But I don't have GPU TweakII installed... I'm thinking it is related to the GPU but not sure what the work around should be. New GPU?
I still didn't perform that test you suggested - I'm afraid of screwing something up!