Archicad Start Screen hangs

[Miha_M]

I've had this problem before. With help form Graphisoft forum members a bypass solution was found quickly.
The Archicad Start Screen GUI hangs or Archicad might crash, if one has more than a few recent projects listed there. To avoid this one should clean that interface and remove the listed projects until no more than six are listed there. That's the number which works for me, maybe it's different on other computers with other project files.

Another option which works for me is to terminate the Start Screen Process in the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del). Archicad starts then and one can open a project files via the File Menu.

This problem was first noticed with v24 3008. I've just updated to v24 4000, but the problem ist still present, so for now no real solution has been found.

[Minh Nguyen]

Dear Miha,

Thank you very much for the report!

If I remembered correctly, clearing up the recent opened project should help in case of macOS only. Since you are using Windows (according to your signature), I believe the problem is something else:

1. I would like to make sure that all drivers, especially graphics card drivers are up-to-date.
2. If possible, could you try to run it in DEMO mode to see whether the freeze still happens?
3. At which point does Archicad freeze after the splash screen appears: at splash screen or after clicking New/Browse at startup dialog?

Looking forward to hearing from you?

Best regards,
Minh

[Miha_M]

Thanks for your help. I think I managed to solve the problem with a temporary solution, which is not to use the opening tool any more.

mnguyen wrote:
1. I would like to make sure that all drivers, especially graphics card drivers are up-to-date.
2. If possible, could you try to run it in DEMO mode to see whether the freeze still happens?
3. At which point does Archicad freeze after the splash screen appears: at splash screen or after clicking New/Browse at startup dialog?

1. Drivers should all be up-to-date. Windows native update tool says that Nvidia drivers are ok, but there is a more recent driver on the Nvidia website, which I did not install, but will do. Yes, it's Windows 10 Pro I am working v24 on.
2. I can not try to replicate the problem in DEMO mode, as I don't have problems any more. I don't know if it was related to another problem I had with using the opening tool, but as I stated in another post I replaced all placed openings with "legacy" tools, empty windows openings, slab cut-outs, etc. Since then I don't have any publisher crashes and the start screen also doesn't hang anymore. I also cleaned up the recent project list at this point, so I can not be sure which of those steps solved my problem.
3. Before getting rid of all placed openings the start screen appeared and I could select a recent project, but after clicking the open button the start screen did not respond any more. After stopping that hanged process in the Task Manager Archicad would start up (without loading the selected recent file) and I could load the recent project from the file menu.

My suspicion goes toward the opening tool. In one project file I had about 20 cutouts as facade shadow gaps and a few other horizontal and vertical openings, all made with the opening tool. I noticed a 2D redraw lag after placing these into the building model, which was not present before. Then the drawing updates in publisher evolved which ended with crashing archicad, but this I could solve with deleting all the openings and undo-ing the deletion - you helped me with this one in another thread. All this together with the start screen problem led me to try the above mentioned solution. I replaced all placed openings with empty window openings, wall niches from the window library and slab cut-outs. I also deleted all but six recent project files from the Archicad start screen. After doing that all mentioned problems are gone.

[Minh Nguyen]

Hello,

Thank you very much for the elaborate reply!

Although Windows' native Update tool can also check for driver updates, it usually does not offer the latest version of the drivers. I would suggest downloading the updates directly from Intel and Nvidia website, especially Intel:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29988/Intel-Graphics-Windows-10-DCH-Drivers

Since we can no longer replicate this issue, it would be difficult to identify whether the problem was with the drivers or with the license verification. But from your description, it is very strange that the Opening tool plays any part here. It should not have any effect on Archicad startup! Maybe it happened due to a large number of recently opened projects, or due to some faulty openings in one of the opened ones. If the issue happens again, please let me know, and we will have a deeper investigation into that!

Thank you very much!

Best regards,
Minh

[Barry Kelly]

I had an issue with a machine just yesterday.
Archicad 22 would start with the logo on screen and then just hang.
23 got to the new start screen and then also just hung.
I assume 24 would be the same (never actually installed it to try).

The problem was a simple one.
The machine had been moved and the monitors plugged back into the built-in GPU rather than the dedicated one.

Archicad 20 ran just fine, but it seems the newer versions really don't like the built-in GPU.

So if you have a desktop machine, make sure your monitors are plugged into the dedicated GPU or if it is a laptop, make sure it is set to not use the internal GPU for running Archicad.

Barry.

[Karoly Horvath]

The "new" start up screen is absolutely useless.
In Win 11 Archicad 25 just at Archicad 25 hangs at Logo screen

for 10 minutes before user can do anything. 
This is because it tries to list all recent files including .mod files.
I figured how to clear the list, or to skip the open screen all-together, but that's a nasty workaround, not a solution.
Could we please have an option to turn Open screen with recent projects it off?
At least give us an option to NOT LIST .mod files there.
Nobody in ther right mind should ever directly open .mod files.
Users generally should not even know that .mod files exist as a phisical openable file!

[Mauricio Plazas]

Hi Team,

I just saw this one and thought it was worth to reply in case it is still needed. The issue occurs because the welcome list page is overloaded with projects and mods files.

I wrote a BAT file to overcome this issue with a short script that clears the list in 1 second in Archicad 23-24-25 & 26.

Just unzip and place the file in the documents folder and execute using double click on it. ( it is a text file so any one can open it it notes and edit it if you are using AC27)

One more thing... All Archicads need to be closed otherwise the script will not work

Mauricio

[Karoly Horvath]

Mauricio, and all who commented:

The suggested workarounds are great, but they are Workarounds!

Why can't GS simply give us an option sg like a tick box list where users can select which file types they want visible in the start up list?

As for me: I never ever ever want to see mod files in startup. I dont even want my team to know it is possible to open a mod file!

In our projects we often have hundreds of mods. They should not be listed in the Archicad startup window as editable files!