Stuck on Loading Plug Ins

[legacygt777]

I had PT 2019. Something strange happened to PT while editing. It basically it just closed without saving.

When I started to restart PT, it never got past loading plug in:Xpand2.

I went ahead an uninstalled PT and downloaded the latest PT 2022.
I started the updated PT and the same thing still happens. PT is still stuck on Loading Plug Ins:Xpand screen and never loads PT.

Any help is appreciated.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by legacygt777

I had PT 2019. Something strange happened to PT while editing. It basically it just closed without saving.

When I started to restart PT, it never got past loading plug in:Xpand2.

I went ahead an uninstalled PT and downloaded the latest PT 2022.
I started the updated PT and the same thing still happens. PT is still stuck on Loading Plug Ins:Xpand screen and never loads PT.

Any help is appreciated.

What version of Windows are you running? Your profile says Windows 7 which can't be correct.

Read the stuff under "Help us help you" up the top of ever DUC page. It describes standard troubleshooting, optimization and the sort of system info you should be providing.

It's likely a waste of time to try to reinstall Pro Tools, certainly not before trying many other things. I cannot fathom why folks leap to do this.

This is very likely corrupted preferences, or when you upgraded the Pro Tools version you've now broken compatibility with the plugin versions that were installed. Since you've changed the version of Pro Tools... who knows, now you have more complexity surface to work though. In future it's better to do one thing at a time.

You start all troubleshooting by trashing preferences, which in this case might help by forcing Pro Tools to recreate the installed plugin database. Follow the directions for your OS and Pro Tools versions carefully, or even better buy a copy of PT Trasher https://www.pro-tools-pc.us/category-s/1514.htm.

If trashing prefs does not fix it then move all .aaxplugin files our of the plugin folder, trash prefs again and restart Pro Tools. It will automagically put back the standard plugins, test just with those. If OK then reinstall your plugins using new installers downloaded from the vendors website, latest versions that are compatible with whatever OS and version of Pro Tools you are running.

If still stuck reply here, describing what you have done/tried exactly and the results and include a SiSoft Sandra report.

Any terms or things not clear above, read the stuff under that "Help us Help You" link, or google the term.

[legacygt777]

I'm running Win 10.

My system has been running great for about 2 years. It's almost random.

I did some research on here and found to remove the plug ins to a separate folder. Now its says loading VariFi and gets stuck but I thought I moved the plug in already out.

I'll look into your suggestions. Thanks.

[Darryl Ramm]

Again, very likely started by corrupt pref files, happens all the time.

Don't move one plugin file, the plugins loading hang can be caused by the immediately proceeding plugin that loaded, but you don't know. So move *them all* out of the plugin folder and trash prefs carefully then restart Pro Tools. If that works then reinstall plug-in from new downloaded installers after checking those plugins are up to date/compatible with your setup.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Be sure to install the most recent version of the Avid Plugins. That should be 2022.2.0. It just came out earlier this year around March 2022.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Don't move one plugin file, the plugins loading hang can be caused by the immediately proceeding plugin that loaded, but you don't know. So move *them all* out of the plugin folder and trash prefs carefully then restart Pro Tools. If that works then reinstall plug-in from new downloaded installers after checking those plugins are up to date/compatible with your setup.

I think it's the other way around, Darryl; When a plugin shows on the splash screen, it means it has loaded, and PT is busy loading the next plugin, alphabetically. So, if PT crashes or freezes and you see a plugin on screen, it's the next plugin that causes the problem.

I see the OP has the crash with Xpand on screen, with all plugins in the folder, and VariFi with plugin folder emptied. (PT reinstalling standard plugins at launch, as we know.) Both presumably the last plugin alphabetically.

This leads me to believe that it's not a plugin causing the problem.

I can't remember what the splash screen says right after loading the last plugin… but I'd be looking into that, if it were me.