UPDATE (11/22/2008) –
Just wanted to post my final solution to this particular issue – I bought a new computer. I’ve been on it for about 2 weeks running CS4 crash free the whole time! Note: Adobe made themselves available to assist with my problem. But we were not able to solve it.
UPDATE (10/20/2008 – evening) –
I just got a good 20-30 minutes of usage out of Flash CS4 this time before it crashed with the same error as seen below. At this point I’m through with Flash CS4 until Adobe releases an update, or until I hear from other people that CS4 is rock solid for them. Back to CS3 for me…
UPDATE (10/20/2008 – morning) –
Reinstalling Flash CS4 a 2nd time fixed this particular issue! Time for me to give CS4 another shot.
UPDATE (10/18/2008) –
Looks like I spoke too soon below. I cannot reproduce this error on my other machine with another CS4 installation. This is reproducible every time on one machine, and never on the other machine. So it does look like it is specific to my installation. This is hopefully not a CS4 issue. When/if I learn more I’ll update here.
Original post –
I was so excited to start using Flash CS4 that I bought it within hours of becoming available. The very first project I tried it on is one that we (at Electrotank) have been working on for a while. It won’t compile properly. You can watch the status of that issue here.
So, forced to continue with Flash CS3 on that other project I was looking for an excuse to use Flash CS4 on something else. This morning I decided to give it a shot on a brand new smallish game project. I opened an FLA created by an artist containing the game UI and Flash crashed within about 2 or 3 minutes.
If you haven’t seen this crash window yet consider yourself lucky. I’m guessing you’ll become acquainted with it shortly. I have tried two projects in CS4 neither of which will allow me to do my job.
By letting Flash crash on me about a dozen times I narrowed it down to a single spot. If I click on this spot Flash crashes. (The application Adobe Flash CS4 has unexpectedly quit.)
I packaged up an example for others to try. Sure, maybe (and hopefully) this is just something funky with my setup. But you can try it yourself. Download this fla.
- Open the FLA
- Click on the word ‘Repeat’
- Weep
You probably don’t have that font installed. I opened it up in CS3, changed the font to Arial, then tried again in CS4 and it still crashed.
I’m not sure I’ll try a 3rd project in CS4 until we hear from Adobe that these issues have been resolved. We’ve already lost more money this week on man-hours than we did on buying Flash CS4. We’ll cut our losses for now.
I’ll be the first one using CS4 once I can have confidence in it.
For quite a few of our CS3 files, CS4 quits unexpectedly when opening them. Oh no.
No problems for me. Flash CS4 up and running smoothly for weeks
File works fine for me. No crash.Running Vista x64 SP1 on a quad core Dell Precision T3400CS4 has been stable for me so far but I have only used it for a few hours so far.
I have 64 bit Vista a work & 32 bit at home. I have continual crashes in each. The text click issue is one I've had on my 32 bit machine. Timeline scrubbing is crashing my 64 bit machine. I'm also done with Flash CS4 until an update releases. This has to be one of the least stable software releases I've used, besides early beta freeware programs… Very poor Adobe… Just keep submitting those bug reports I guess…
I´m having trouble when I press my mouse for a little in some parts of the software like changing blur amount, motion editor properties, etc …
What happened is that on the installation of Flash, the fonts didn’t get installed fully. Goto your Window’s font folder in the control panel, select install fonts and got to the font folder and it will list all the fonts that didn’t properly install.After i reinstalled the fonts in the Font folder , everything is working 100%. Hope this helps
I have the exact same problem. It’s not a problem of fonts, they are properly installed. It’s something from FlashCS4.
Opened, clicked, no problem. Probably it depends on the machine configuration.
I had the same problem. It ended up being the result of a bad font. I removed the font and the problem went away.
I had to switch computers to “solve” this problem. Adobe just released a new update, I’ll test that on the previous machine to see if there is any change.
The problem is the corrupt Font. CS3 skips on the fonts corrupt and the font MAC. be sure that the fonts are for windows. and who are not corrupt. and not mac font.I had the same problem and fix the problem. delete corrupt font, mac font. I hope to help them.
Hi,I have heard a lot of people say that it is a corrupt font. How do I find this font? I have like 1200 items in my fonts directory.
I also have approximately 1200.go to the fonts folder, check them one by one.eliminate the font that had the icon as a shortcut, (with an arrow on the corner below) and icons that had a red letter ( MAC font)I am from Costa Rica, my English is not very good. I hope you understand my message. greetings.
wondering if the AS3 format with AS1 syntax has anything to do with it. on(release)…seriously!! But CS4 is a bit of a buggy hell. We upgraded shortly after release and there have been tons of crashes and other bizarro behaviors. I am very disappointed in Adobe for this one. I have had a lot of success with their products, but Flash CS4…not yet.
I’ve also had tons of issues with Flash CS4 crashing left and right, either with a new project in CS4 or opening an old CS3 file. All I’m using is Arial, so it can’t be a font issue, and besides all my fonts are in good order. Plus, Flash can’t even crash normally, I get the window and click “cancel” and it just sits there forever.Also, don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the properties panel if you edit text, stays on the text property even after switching to a graphic/movie clip. I also hope they do an update/patch soon. This is just impossible.
i’ve had cs4 crash everytime i use the motion presets….
Hello everyone,I also have this multiple crashes in Flash CS4. Everytime I select a text field it crash. Gone mad about it.So I found this forum, read it and uninstall all the MAC font (red icon) plus all the “shortcut” font but the soft still crash.So in my font folder I only have True Type (.TTF) and Open Type (.OTF).If someone can help ?Thanks
I think this problem should be in the graphic card! I have a geForce 8800 and flash crashes every time…. I tried to update the drive.. but didn’t work!
I am having the same problem. I've been using Flash CS4 for several months now when all of the sudden I get a "Flash has quit unexpectedly" error on launch.Here is what Adobe recommended (although it didn't help me, it might help you):- try to recreate/rename the configuration file – same issueC:\Documents and Settings\[user folder]\Local Settings\ApplicationData\Adobe\Flash CS4\en\Configuration- try to create a new user account to open up the application- try to reinstall Flash CS4 using a Selective Startup ModeInstalling Dreamweaver in Selective Startup Mode on Windows XPhttp://www.adobe.com/go/d2b5934d- try to reinstall Flash CS7 using Adobe Creative Suite 4 Clean Script http://www.adobe.com/go/kb403995They also referred me to a TechNote titled "TrueType fonts installed by Windows XP" (http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=326402&sliceId=2). They recommended I clean all the fonts off my system except the ones listed and start over with font installing. If this doesn't work they are referring me to senior engineering staff.I hope this helps somebody =\Be splendid, Jodie.
My cs4 flash crashes too. win xp64bit sp2. Its driving me crazy! I came here looking for a solution. Does the adobe staff know this??
Adobe got back to me and said it was definitely a font issue. That I should clean out the folder and put back each font checking to see which file was the cause for Flash CS4 crashing. I finally found it. It was a bad font and now my CS4 runs perfectly.
I share the same problems. Very agitating.I cleared out all of my fonts accept for those that are otf or true type. HOWEVER, intalling Adobe updates will add fonts to your fonts folder that are not otf or true type. This leads me to believe that the particular font type is not the issue.
I work at EA Sports… and had to upgrade to CS4 the other day… Crashes galore! without even doing anything! just watching the screen.As for the font thing – I sent the FLA over to a co-worker who couldn’t open the file as it crashed every time he tried.I had added fonts that didn’t exist on his computer.Solution – I sent over the new fonts and he was able to open fine.I’m a bit pissed that Adobe didn’t carry over the traditional font exclusion option that you’d get in CS3. Open a Fla that you don’t have the font and flash would give you an option of replacing it with the default font…CS4 – although it has many great upgrades and options, I think it needs to be better tested and thought through before any releases happen. (else you become microsoft… release it and then fix it…
My Flash CS4 CRASHES ALL THE TIME!!!! they need to come u pwith a new upgrade ASAP! IT’s KILLING ME!
its the font it nfix mine
I’m really frustrated how unstable Flash CS4 seems to be. It feels like a beta (if not alpha…) product. For instance, a classic Timeline Tween with multiple filters constantly crashes Flash CS4. Or: at random, Flash CS4 is crashing just being opened for some hours…you come back from lunch, Flash CS4 crashed meanwhile.Or: within some hours, the GUI becomes somewhat slow, the panels only resize in slowmotion and than crash, of course. Selling this crap to loyal customersis not the way Adobe should go. In Europe, Flash CS4 cost almost twice as much as in the USA. I think, for the next years i wont buy any Adobe stuff.
Oh noes. CS4 crashes from time to time. Why is it so buggy?
I downloaded a free trial of CS4 on my computer. It crashed once, but that was the only time. No clue what the problem is.Also, I’ve been reading your book Flash MX Game Design Demystified. I’ve taken the game Ice World from the disk and been modifying it to make a new game. I wonder if I might email you as I have some questions about the coding.
Another vote here for “bad” fonts somehow breaking it. I’m on XP, so I went through all my fonts and removed the non-standard XP ones. Then CS4 stopped crashing when loading my old CS3 file.Then I went and added them all back more or less one at a time until I found the culprit 😦 But at least it works again. What a @%$! waste of time.
I had the same problem. I deleted the fonts with red icon and *.fon extension in the fonts older. That solved my problem.
I wanted to follow up with you all since my problem now seems to be solved.I contacted Adobe last week. They suggested that I uninstall, download Flash CS4 again, and reinstall. They suggested that the install files were somehow corrupted during my first install.Anyhow, I followed their advice and reinstalled CS4. I also made sure that NO other processes were running. Seven days later I am happy to say that it hasn’t crashed once.
^^^^^^ I left the above commentMust have jinxed myself. CS4 crashed today and now continues to crash and is not usable. It started when I opend a CS3 file and added a text field. Now, even with new CS4 files it crashes when I click on a text field. It WAS NOT doing this for a full week.
Th point is all people above are right for the fonts. I have the very same problem, CS4 crashes as soon as you try to use Type Tool or select a text from previous files. I have read that we should uninstall specific fonts, so Flash CS4 can work properly. But come on, people! I love Flash and I never had a problem with that, but why should I uninstall my fonts and waste my time for Flash CS4 annoying bugs? It should be perfect from the very beginning. Anyway, this specific problem is very popular as a crash report to Adobe, so I guess there will be a patch sooner or later. I would also like to add that Flash CS4 is very slow compared to previous versions especially during animation production. There are other Bone plug-ings, which run very fast. IK in Flash CS4 is extremely consuming, especially when you have dozens of animations within a file.I’m sure Flash CS5 will be a lot of better. CS4 is not solid, no doubt about it.
I created a new user account (Windows XP) and CS4 worked fine. This showed that there was some program conflict when using my normal user account that was causing CS4 to crash. I uninstalled DW CS3 (trial version) and it fixed the problem.
had the same problem bought a new computer. everything went great! Until today that is. All of a sudden I got a "catastrophic" License error. Whatever the hell that means… and you guessed it, new computer and every damned Adobe product on it doesn't work. I can't uninstall and I can't install. Even on a second drive. So its time to re-format. Adobe please get your #&$^@ together. /sigh
My new flash CS4 is unexpectedly quitting also. I have an ASUS mainboard. Could this be a common thread. Running XP SP3 with maxed out RAM.
I’m glad I tried one more Google search, because I’ve been pulling out my hair over this. I paid over $1000 for the eLearning Suite a couple of weeks ago, and Flash’s performance has been extremely disappointing — slow and buggy — and today it crashed repeatedly, then started eating the text in some dynamic text boxes whenever I opened and published.I guess I’m spending a Friday night trawling through my fonts folder. Thanks, guys.
JOBE JOBE JOBE I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM!!!!! from looking at your screenshot i noticed we both have this True Transparency program, flash wouldn’t even open with it for me, the minute i closed it (true transparency) flash CS4 opened upi hope this helps anyone.true transparency is what makes your windows bars look transparent!
It works fine on my XP work computer … crashes regularly on my vista 64 rig at home.It mostly happens when I test a movie.Not being able to test a movie pretty much makes flash useless to me.
yeah, what’s the deal with flash cs4? it’s crashing for me all the time, and now the properties window doesn’t work
Hi people!I’m here only to post my problem too.I was with Flash CS4 crashing everytime when I try to start it.It was crashing on splash screen.So, I saw here the problems with fonts. .ttf and .odf. And I remembered that I should install some fonts to make a .fla work correctly.After this, I get on windows flash folder to see what was the font that was doing this problem. I uninstaled a lot of fonts, and a did found a problem after. I haven’t the TAHOMA font. So after install it, my Adobe Flash returned to work fine.So, if you there are problems with the following message: “this application adobe flash cs4 has unexpectedly quit” , see your fonts folder, maybe it can help you.Sorry for my bad english guys.I Hope to help someone.
Flash CS4 is a piece a poop. They don’t care about the stability of their product because where are you going to go!!! We’re all stuck as developers with this piece of shit that crashes every day at least 4 times.
Opened, clicked and no problemos. I had the font though. I'm having multiple different crashing issues with CS4 – not only with funny fonts.. I've had the crash report viewed allready 3 times this morning, and it's not even 10 am!But no other choise, back to work..
Another way to crash is save file back to CS3. It will save and straight away crash. Pen tool is freaky! Does not do what you want it to do so have to keep going into illustrator, create graphic and paste into flash. Now completly removed flash CS4 as it has caused more problems than solutions. Worst release yet and ive lost money because of all the issues.
Hi everyone. I'm having all the same problems. Flash CS4 is PISSING ME OFFFF. Anyway, I've been trying to go through my fonts and trying to find the corrupt one or ones, but it will not let me delete any of the fonts. I hit delete, and it comes up with a prompt for an administrator to accept and when I do, the font is just still there. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? Sorry if this is a dumbass question, but I've never gone into the fonts to try to add or remove anything. Thanks everyone
thanks heaps! removed all fonts from folder that Windows would allow me. Re added fonts from a work mates PC. All working happily on CS4 now.
i know exactly how you feel. I had my major work done 90% in flahs 8, i was almost finished, and my mate edited it in Flash cs4..i then ahd to work in Flash c4 (it was a nightmare) (didnt have a backup)it crashed like 10 times an hour..
Hi the same thing that Matheus did, the TAHOMA font should be the reason of this CRASH. Tks Everybody for the GREAT HELP.Fernando Yamamoto
im having the same problem but in my case flash cs4 only crashes and the message box appeared when i importing some projects to the stage.any idea or solution?
Problem Solved! the problem is on the fonts.. delete those freakin weird fonts that you didn't use.
Have Vista64. Flash cs4 wouldn't start. After reading all the above I tried installing the Tahoma font. That was all. It worked! Thanks a lot for the advice!good luck!
Seven – Turn off Transparency (select another theme). Works for me 🙂
Hy guys I found the solution to issue.Go to your preference then text and change the font mapping to arial in stead of _sarif.Cheers Uloga.
Update : only one type of font is causing the issue and that's transparent font that is ending with tr.It looks something like this.davidtr.ttfit's like david.ttf and if it's transparent it got tr after font name.I hope this helps!
i'm having the same problem with cs4 flash 2 weeks ago. reinstalled it but still keeps having the problem. Last week my other cs4 apps seem to have the same problem??? never had any problems with them… with thing is with flash i still can work with the app if i move the pop of the program error!@!# this is weird huh???
Flash-crash:To all the people here who mentioned fonts as the reason for Flash CS4 crashes:THANK YOU!I just deleted some font shortcuts from my windows xp fonts folder and everything is OK.You saved me from a nervous breakdown!By the way:It's a shame for Adobe that a corrupted font can cause the infamous Flash CS4 to crash.
Run some stability test to make sure your system is stable. Try running any BOINC project for a week, because there is no better stability test then that program itself. Good luck.
my solution was to work under the guest account, a friend of mine also told me to delete the app data folder but don't want to install all presets off the others apps again. So i deleted the flash folders but this doesn't work either. Also i tried to work in cs3 again but this got corrupt as well suddenly. SO the best thing for me now is to work under the guest account!!!
i am having trouble with Flash cs3. Everytime I try and copy an ai file into a new document in Flash it quits unexpectedly. I can't get past the first step.Any ideas why this is happening? If it is a font issue, how do i know which font is doing it? I am trying to copy and paste images though,not fonts.Please help if you can. I'm desparate!!HB
perhaps it's to heavy for copy/paste. try to save it and than import into flash
finally found my solution for flash…. or at least a solution, even cs3 went crazy. im working under guest account, this seems to be the only solution for me or a clean install of vista (NOT!!!!)
finally found my solution for flash…. or at least a solution, even cs3 went crazy. im working under guest account, this seems to be the only solution for me or a clean install of vista (NOT!!!!)
it is crashing. i have to finish this job and this m.f. software is crashing all day long. i cant select any type …steve jobs was completly right when he sad that this adobe guys are just lazy and not able to make a stabile software.just remember guy. was they ever a flash running stabile? allways, allways some bugs appear. they sell this creapy software for 700 dollars. for what?
Jobe,I am happy that you are settle with your problem, and that Flash CS4 doesnt crashes anymore for you. However, it sounds very odd to me that someone have to buy a new computer and fall into a PC configuration lotery in the hope to solve such kind of issue! What will happen to you when Adobe release the next Flash version? A new PC bought? What I mean is that you got very lucky on being contemplated by a 'right' configuration, but the end of this story could be different – actually you could try a dozen configurations and Flash still crash in all of them. Anyway, seeing so many complains about Flash crashes, I sincerelly dont think that to buy a new computer can be called a solution. In my case, for instances, currently I use a very limited machine (a 3 years old notebook with 2.5 GB RAM) and am going to build a new quad-core desktop 4GB RAM for me in the next week or so. Before to read your article I was feeling myself surrounded by a big hope that I would definitively get rid from Flash crashes forever, but now I am not so sure about that anymore. This is scary!
Had fonts problems with cs4that solved for me:Hy guys I found the solution to issue.Go to your preference then text and change the font mapping to arial in stead of _sarif.
some one already told that yes, im still running from a different account works fine for me!
Doesn't work for me. I deleted the fonts and then reloaded them, I tried to work from other account and from giest account, I tried to change the font in preferences – nothing works.
In the preferences try disabling the font preview. Worked for me.I checked for corrupt fonts couldn't find any so maybe previews can become corrupt too. Hope it helps 😉
***************FIX***************After reading this post, with the same issues as you guys I looked into it and fixed the problem. I assume most of you are using illustrator and importing the .ai documents into CS4 flash, the error occurs and crashed your computer when you click on certain text fields.To fix this open Illustrator:Option 1.Select text field that is faulty, go to window – type – character – go the menu on the right of the pop up area, and click show options. Basically the horizontal and vertical scales have to be 100% and no more.Option 2.Remove all underlines in illustrator, flash CS4 is not compatible.Option 3.The previous comments above about faulty fonts, this is correct, you need the font your using in previous .ai and .fla files on your pc, and remove all shortcut fonts from your fonts folder on your local drive.When you import to Flash CS4 it will show you what errors are in your working document, click compatibility report to find out more.Hope this helpsJames Hampton – Multimedia Developer
[…] turns out the solution is quite simple, but perhaps time consuming. After reading https://jobemakar.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/how-to-crash-flash-cs4-with-a-single-click/ I attempted the suggested fix of looking for corrupt fonts. Actually, I skipped the looking part […]