Nikon Capture NX2 crashing: my thoughts and findings...

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Nikon Capture NX2 crashing: my thoughts and findings...

Post by Stany Buyle »

Update 2010.08.24: Nikon released Capture NX v 2.2.5, click here for download info.
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:!: :!: The underneath article has been written in relation to Capture NX2 v. 2.2.4 :!: :!:

While there might be other reasons as well, after many years as a very intensive and happy Nikon Capture NX user I found a couple of reasons why someone might encounter problems with crashing of the wonderful NX2 program.

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:!: :!: :!: :!: Important note before reading further this topic: :!: :!: :!:

Legal disclaimer: This article is meant as a help only for people who have problems installing Capture NX2 based on the experiences of another ordinary NX2 software user. The owner of this website nor the author of this topic have any responsability in possible problems or loss of data you may encounter while installing software and/or updates in the way as it is described.
The information written in this article are findings of a user, they are not meant as an official tutorial by any means.
We advice strongly to make all necessary backups of all your files BEFORE starting installation of new software and/or updates.

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After my findings and several succesful installations of Capture NX and NX2 -as well as Nikon View, Nikon View NX and recently Nikon View NX2 on the computers of the company I work for, some computers of friends of mine and my peronal computer, under XPhome, XPpro, Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit and Windows7 32 and 64 bit- I found out that there are 4 major reasons why someone can encounter problems with the install or the use of Nikon software.
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  • The second reason is a wrong or incomplete re-install after having encountered problems as I explain here to a member of this forum:
    http://www.fotografie.fr/fotoforum/view ... f=58&t=843
    Login is required to read this topic. To be able to login you have to be registered on this forum.
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  • The third reason can be general conflicting programs or compatibility issues
    Check possible conflicts between other programs on your PC.
    If you run Win7 64 bit, are all programs you run 64bit compatible? Windows warns in upcoming windows about this, as well during your OS setup as during any new install about "known compatibility issues".
    • A fourth reason which I dicovered early this year is a corrupted NEF-file:
      http://www.fotografie.fr/fotoforum/view ... f=58&t=844
      After I encountered a permanent NX2 crash myself some time ago with only one file out of a serie of several NEF files, I found out that:
      1. It was me who created this corrupted NEF file while doing a user mistake during the different PP steps in Capture NX2.
      2. It was easy to repair such a corrupted NEF file and after that to post process further.

      While some might doubt about the above statements I post you a real life sample of a corrupted file and the solutions:
      Some days ago I posted a link to my latest findings in relation to the correct install of Capture NX2 on Dpreview and I got some emails with questions about this subject.
      One email from 'xxxxx' was particulary interesting:
      xxxxx wrote:
      • I've uploaded you a .NEF file. To my knowledge it is not corrupted. Please see the associated readme.txt for the steps to reproduce the NX2 crash.
        Please email me or post here the results. If you want to try several things off line we can post a summary here later. I have a .NEF file I'd like you to load.
      • It crashes NX2 with 100% certainty on my PC. This will help isolate the problem between an an installation issue vs an intrinsic NX2 software problem.
      • Replication scenario for Nikon Capture NX2 2.2.4 crash:
        (1) Running the Windows version of NX2 ver 2.2.4, unzip and load the file named xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.NEF.
        (2) Place some *selection* control points (not color control points) on the person's face in the middle.
        (3) NX2 will typically crash within a few seconds. It's usually not necessary to pick an action following
        the selection control points.
        For any questions contact me
      And after receipt of the corrupted NEF file I emailed back:
      Good evening,
      I received your file and it was easy to see the problem. In one way or another you created a corrupted file as I call them, but it is easy to repair.
      Some time ago I also created a corrupted file once and a while and I initially thought also that there was something wrong with NX , but I learned how to handle this, without any NX troubles. I learned that the mistake came from my side, a "user-mistake".
      Under while I did approx 25 new steps on your original NEF file with over 500 post processing actions in Capture NX2, without a single problem, hanging or crash.
      Upon your question I did use selection point in the face area of the girl in the middle of the picture and I duplicated this selection point flawless to over 150 times... NX2 never had any problem...
      After that I did many further steps and I recorded all steps with screenshots to explain to you and all other people who are interested...
      ....
      ....
      .....
      After the underneath mail and while there are people on the pictures we agreed to makes the persons on the pictures unrecognizable.
      xxxxx wrote:Stany, if you make the subjects unrecognizable, it's OK to post it.
      Screenshots of the whole process:

      After I received the corrupted file I opened it in NX2

      Image

      As xxxxx told me by email, if I would try some selection points on the face, NX2 would crash...

      Image

      And so NX2 did, just like I expected and as I experienced with corrupted NEF files I created myself... 8-)

      Image

      I opened the file again and undid all former PP actions done by xxxxx....

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And saved the formerly corrupted file under a new name: CorruptedFilePPundone.NEF

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From that moment I could do anything I wanted, with 100% certainty it would not crash anymore If I would not make a user mistake...

The post processing actions in some screenshots:

First thing I did was some local contrast/brightness ajustment... no problem so far...

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Then I saved the file...

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A free selection with some colour modification...

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A rectangular selection with colour mode to black and white... Still no problem. :)

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Some clone tool use...

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Cropping mode...

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straightening tool...

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Or the picture upside down?

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Perhaps the brush tool will make it crash? 36 steps with the brush tool... Still no problem :)

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Another save in NEF format..

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xxxxx, -the person who send me the corrupted file-, wrote me in his email that while placing a selection point in the face area of the person in the middle of the picture would make NX2 crash within 3 seconds... Let's try this, and a little more... ;)
1 selection point with 150 duplicates all over the image, underwhile 202,3Mp temporary cache is used...
NX2 does all this without any problem... :D

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After approx 450 individual PP actions in PP I used color efex pro to make a decent BW conversion...

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Playing with curves in this stage will be probably too much... No... still stable...

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I would like to see the original back... one click and nearly instantaneous the original file appears back...

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Or you want to go on???

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Doesn't look like a buggy program to me, on the contrary...

So what's the reason of creating a corrupted NEF file?

Using the underneath tool...
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...I noticed that when I overloaded memory and processor power while doing PP in NX2, the program related memory cannot assume this and the file can turn into a corrupted NEF file. Using this file later on again will make NX2 crash every time. The way to repair this corrupted file is very easy though... Undo all PP steps, save it under a new name and go on...

Another reason I encountered was forgetting to click the "new step" button, this way you overload processing memory as well...

But, by respecting these precautions, I never encountered a corrupted file anymore among the many files I postprocessed under while, and, if it would happen, it's soo easy to repair.
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Conclusion:
Based on the fact the many people including myself run Nikon software flawless under different OS's indicates that some problems some users encounter is not a result of a major bug but because of the possibility to install Nikon software without the necessary running components. TMHO this is a mistake in the releases of NX2, but not a major bug.
  • TMHO Nikon should make the NX2 setup/install automated with all necessary running components possibly with slightly different NX2 versions for 32 bit and 64 bit windows OS . Nikon NX1 version install indicated more clearly the install of .NET framework and there is quite some confusion since many people moved to 64bit OS in relation to the necessary related running components under a 64 bit OS as I explained here: "TMHO here the big confusion..." http://www.fotografie.fr/fotoforum/view ... f=42&t=820 . Finally NX2 is a 32 bit application that can run flawless under a windows 64 bit OS since v 2.2.4 if installed correctly .
  • And secondly, -again TMHO-, exclude the rather easy possibility to create a corrupted file while PP heavy and overload the program's memory management because of a memory management weakness in NX2.
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