FMP 12 Layout View Crashes FMP On 1 Particular Database

[David Mars]

I have a contacts database that has worked fine for many years and I have modified it in FMP 11 with no problem.

When I try to open it in FMP 12 (both Mac and Windows) it works fine, UNTIL I switch to Layout View to make some modifications. Then this particular datbase crashes FMP.

I can generate a new database in FMP 12, so Layout mode itself is not the problem.

If I use a Starter Solution (e.g. Contacts), I can switch to and use the Layout mode with no problem.

So my thinking is that somewhere in my contacts database there is a problem, but I have no idea how to hunt for the problem.

I tried saving a Clone, and the Clone still crashed on Layout.

I tried switching from my Home layout to another layout before going into Layout View, FMP 12 still gives me the spinning beachball of death and crashes.

I primarily use a 1 year old 27” iMac with 8 GB of RAM, and even with no other applications open, I get the crashing.

Any thoughts? I looked at the forum and saw one thread with slow Layout performance issues, but I have to go to Force Quit Application every time I try Layout View, so for me really slow would be a welcome improvement.

Thanks,

David Mars

[Lee Smith]

Automatic message

This topic has been moved from "The Presentation Layer → Layouts" to "Brain Food → Damaged / Corrupt File Problems".

Your are describing a layout object that has became corrupted at some point in the past, and not necessarily in 12.

How far back does this file go?

Has it ever been closed improperly? (i.e. power outage)

Have you ever had to "Recover" the file? (in any version)

Is this file being Served?

You stated that you saved the file as a clone.

Which version was that in? 3 - 6, 7 - 11, 12)

Please update your profile to reflect your current Operating System and FileMaker information.

Here is a quick link Profile

Lee

[David Mars]

This file was carried over from my original Hypercard contacts database, so is probably 20 years old and has gone thru most versions of FIleMaker.

It has been improperly closed dozens of times over all these years, and Recovered many times.

The file is not being served, I use it on my iMac and on my iPad.

I saved it as a Clone just yesterday to experiment with the Layout problem.

Cheers, David

[IdealData]

Remake the layoit in FM11 and then copy and paste into the 12 version.

Or just remake it in 12

[Lee Smith]

Hypercard. Wow this file is older than I thought. It has served you well.

Was your first FileMaker by Nashoba?

FileMaker's new Layout tools have been the topic of more than one disgruntle developer, and the recent update is suppose to have fixed some of these problems, so it may be a participant in this too.

However, the history of your file tells me that this might be a bigger problem than what meets the eye.

So basically you have just been adding goodies as you have migrated this file through the newer versions.

BTW, Recover used to be something that FileMaker recommend as a routine maintenance step. However, they later changed this to be a last ditch step to save your data so that it could be moved into a clean copy of the file.

I agree with IdealData that you could just delete the Layout and remake it. But with that many crashes in its history this might be the best time to recreate it on a clean slate, and if it were me, that's what I would do.

Good luck,

Lee

[David Mars]

Lee;

I don't recall Nashoba, but it may well have been the first FileMaker I used, I do recall Claris of course.

I think I'll need to recreate the database on a clean slate, as you suggest.

Thanks. David

[David Jondreau]

Do you have any file references (external data sources) in the file that can't resolve? I've seen that cause problems.