Photo 2 Creates "~lock~" file of project then crashes

[QuinnTheHuman]

Been searching for answers for a couple days now and I'm not seeing anyone experiencing this. Starting two days ago, whenever I attempt to open *any* file in Affinity Photo 2.2.0, be it a project file or a jpg or a svg, the program will just crash out making the software unusable. Yesterday I discovered that when I was trying to open project files it was creating these ".afphoto~lock~" files that persist after the crash.

I have attempted an App Settings repair, reset, and done a full uninstall/reinstall. I've checked the list of third party apps running in the background in another thread about the software crashing and nothing from there worked.

I'm luckily still able to work from my ipad and have transferred most of my project files over, but I will need to be able to work on my Windows 11 machine at some point.

Thanks for any help.

[Hangman]

Hi @QuinnTheHuman and welcome to the forums,

Hopefully, this post in the FAQ section will help to understand why you are seeing ".afphoto~lock~" files being generated...

[walt.farrell]

15 minutes ago, QuinnTheHuman said:

Yesterday I discovered that when I was trying to open project files it was creating these ".afphoto~lock~" files that persist after the crash.

It should be creating those files, and if it's crashing that probably explains why they're not being deleted.

 

[v_kyr]

1 minute ago, walt.farrell said:

and if it's crashing that probably explains why they're not being deleted.

Not really according to this here ...

Quote

There is also a 5 minute timeout on the lock file, so if for whatever reason the lock file is not removed (i.e the machine crashes), other users will still be able to open the Affinity file after 5 minutes, without being told the file is still locked.

 

[walt.farrell]

Just now, v_kyr said:

Not really according to this here ...

 

What you quoted does not say that the files will be deleted upon a crash.

It says that after they're 5 minutes old, they'll be ignored (and presumably deleted) by other attempts to open the file.

[v_kyr]

7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

and presumably deleted

By whome, which process, if APh isn't running? Also who's changing the permissions for others to open it, after 5 mins if the lock file persists and APh is not running?

[QuinnTheHuman]

I'm glad to see the ~lock~ file is intended, now I just need to solve why my software refuses to open any file at all.

[v_kyr]

7 minutes ago, QuinnTheHuman said:

... now I just need to solve why my software refuses to open any file at all.

The whole could be related (my assumption) to that newly introduced lock file mechanisms, also with regard to older affinity files, as lately here in the forum a bunch of Affinity files can't be opened anymore by users since V2.2.

[QuinnTheHuman]

Just now, v_kyr said:

The whole could be related (my assumption) to that newly introduced lock file mechanisms, also with regard to older affinity files, as lately here in the forum a bunch of Affinity files can't be opened anymore by users since V2.2.

I have kept the 2.1.1 installer so I can def try rolling my software back and see if I'm able to open files again. Will report back.

[QuinnTheHuman]

I am sad to report that rolling back to 2.1.1 did not solve the issue. Attempting to open anything results in an instant crash. The software will open and operate just fine without trying to open a file, however. This was also the case in 2.2.0.

[v_kyr]

13 minutes ago, QuinnTheHuman said:

I am sad to report that rolling back to 2.1.1 did not solve the issue. Attempting to open anything results in an instant crash. The software will open and operate just fine without trying to open a file, however. This was also the case in 2.2.0.

What do the APh Win 11 crash reports tell?

 

[Dan C]

Hi @QuinnTheHuman,

Welcome to the Affinity Forums & sorry to hear you're having trouble!

Can you please confirm for me:

• If you use File > New to create a new file, does the app also crash?
• What location are you trying to open this file from? (ie local folder, Cloud sync'd folder, external USB device etc)
• If you move the file location, for example to your Desktop, does the crash continue to occur?

I'd also like to request some further information from you to try and determine the cause of this crash.

Firstly, please open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) then paste the following string, depending on which Windows version you have installed, and press OK:

Affinity MSIX -

%USERPROFILE%\.affinity\Photo\2.0\

Affinity EXE - 

 %appdata%\Affinity\Photo\2.0\

In the window that opens, please select log.txt, then attach this to your reply here.

Secondly, in the same folder as above, please open CrashReports and then reports - if any reports have been generated, they will be found here. Please attach the latest 3 .DMP reports from this folder.

Finally, I'd like to request a copy of your event viewer log, to generate this please do the following.

1. Open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) and type the following - eventvwr
2. In the window that opens, select the Windows Logs drop-down list on the left and then Applications
3. With the Applications logs selected, navigate to the right side of the window and select Save All Events As... and save them as .evtx (the default option).
4. Attach this saved file to your reply here.  

Can you also please confirm that none of the following apps are installed on your PC?

Your reply should hopefully include the log.txt, the 3 most recent .DMP crash reports, and the .evtx event viewer log.

Many thanks in advance!

[QuinnTheHuman]

2 minutes ago, Dan C said:

Hi @QuinnTheHuman,

Welcome to the Affinity Forums & sorry to hear you're having trouble!

Can you please confirm for me:

• If you use File > New to create a new file, does the app also crash?
• What location are you trying to open this file from? (ie local folder, Cloud sync'd folder, external USB device etc)
• If you move the file location, for example to your Desktop, does the crash continue to occur?

I'd also like to request some further information from you to try and determine the cause of this crash.

Firstly, please open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) then paste the following string, depending on which Windows version you have installed, and press OK:

Affinity MSIX -

%USERPROFILE%\.affinity\Photo\2.0\

Affinity EXE - 

 %appdata%\Affinity\Photo\2.0\

In the window that opens, please select log.txt, then attach this to your reply here.

Secondly, in the same folder as above, please open CrashReports and then reports - if any reports have been generated, they will be found here. Please attach the latest 3 .DMP reports from this folder.

Finally, I'd like to request a copy of your event viewer log, to generate this please do the following.

1. Open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) and type the following - eventvwr
2. In the window that opens, select the Windows Logs drop-down list on the left and then Applications
3. With the Applications logs selected, navigate to the right side of the window and select Save All Events As... and save them as .evtx (the default option).
4. Attach this saved file to your reply here.  

Can you also please confirm that none of the following apps are installed on your PC?

Your reply should hopefully include the log.txt, the 3 most recent .DMP crash reports, and the .evtx event viewer log.

Many thanks in advance!

I unfortunately have to head out for the office right now, but when I get back this evening I'll walk through all these steps and log the results for ya! Till then.

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, v_kyr said:

By whome, which process, if APh isn't running? Also who's changing the permissions for others to open it, after 5 mins if the lock file persists and APh is not running?

By the next Affinity app some user runs, when that user tries to open the file with the out-of-date ~lock~ file.

When you try to Open a file, and the ~lock~ file exists for it, the application examines the data for/in the file which records the information about whether it is still in use or not. If it appears to be in use (e.g., timestamp is within 4 minutes) then it is still in use, and the Open fails. If not within 4 minutes (e.g., some Affinity application crashed 5 minutes ago while the file was open) the Open is allowed, and the old ~lock~ file is deleted or simply rewritten by the new application that's Opening the file.

Update: An experiment I just did shows that the Affinity applications (at least on Windows) try to catch crashes and delete the ~lock~ file as part of their cleanup. I suspect that processing was unsuccessful for the OP. For my experiment, I created and saved a file, verified that the ~lock~ file was present, then killed the application using the Task Manager. At that point, the ~lock~ file was gone.

Edited September 28, 2023 by walt.farrell
Added some info

[v_kyr]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

By the next Affinity app some user runs, when that user tries to open the file with the out-of-date ~lock~ file.

When you try to Open a file, and the ~lock~ file exists for it, ... If not within 4 minutes (e.g., some Affinity application crashed 5 minutes ago while the file was open) the Open is allowed, and the old ~lock~ file is deleted or simply rewritten by the new application that's Opening the file.

Did you approved and monitored that for correctness under Win,  or do you just repeat here what the FAQ tells?

[walt.farrell]

9 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Did you approved and monitored that for correctness under Win,  or do you just repeat here what the FAQ tells?

No, I haven't tried it.

Why do you doubt that it works as the FAQ explained?

[EEN]

1 hour ago, Dan C said:

Hi @QuinnTheHuman,

Welcome to the Affinity Forums & sorry to hear you're having trouble!

Can you please confirm for me:

• If you use File > New to create a new file, does the app also crash?
• What location are you trying to open this file from? (ie local folder, Cloud sync'd folder, external USB device etc)
• If you move the file location, for example to your Desktop, does the crash continue to occur?

I'd also like to request some further information from you to try and determine the cause of this crash.

Firstly, please open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) then paste the following string, depending on which Windows version you have installed, and press OK:

Affinity MSIX -

%USERPROFILE%\.affinity\Photo\2.0\

Affinity EXE - 

 %appdata%\Affinity\Photo\2.0\

In the window that opens, please select log.txt, then attach this to your reply here.

Secondly, in the same folder as above, please open CrashReports and then reports - if any reports have been generated, they will be found here. Please attach the latest 3 .DMP reports from this folder.

Finally, I'd like to request a copy of your event viewer log, to generate this please do the following.

1. Open Windows Run (Windows Key + R) and type the following - eventvwr
2. In the window that opens, select the Windows Logs drop-down list on the left and then Applications
3. With the Applications logs selected, navigate to the right side of the window and select Save All Events As... and save them as .evtx (the default option).
4. Attach this saved file to your reply here.  

Can you also please confirm that none of the following apps are installed on your PC?

Your reply should hopefully include the log.txt, the 3 most recent .DMP crash reports, and the .evtx event viewer log.

Many thanks in advance!

Hello Dan,

I have been having exactly the same issue as QuinnTheHuman so I hope it's ok if I jump in here.

My Affinity 2 installation worked fine a couple of days ago, and worked fine for a while this evening, then started crashing and is now unusable. I have repaired it, uninstalled it and reinstalled it from a fresh download, rebooted, and completely shut down Windows, all to no avail. The problem persists whether I open an existing file or create a new one.

I have attached the files you have requested above, hopefully these will help when investigating Quinn's files. I can also confirm that I have none of the software installed that is listed as causing known issues. 

I am signing off now for the evening, but eagerly awaiting your advice.

Thanks,
Emma

5128da2e-49bb-4f75-9613-7d7aea7d7460.dmp 5b324c86-459a-4aaa-a4be-d4ee3939e5cc.dmp ba862a84-155d-40e4-8869-eadbf07077ab.dmp Event file.evtx Log.txt

[v_kyr]

11 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Why do you doubt that it works as the FAQ explained?

Well there are so many bugs and misbehavings in v2.2 apps already, and since "the mother of the porcelain box is careful". - Thus I would check if it really always behaves foolprove wise like that, aka "updates every 4 minutes", " lock is always deleted when the file is closed", "the 5 minute timeout for other user access" and also if it has no other possible sideeffects or impacts here then.

[v_kyr]

7 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

If you think the FAQ is wrong, show it with an example rather than a call to the generality that (all) software has bugs and therefore the FAQ is wrong.

I didn't said that it is (all) wrong, I just asked after it's concreate meanings after a crash and if it really then behaves that way. - Further I can't prove that locking behavior myself, as I can't run v2.2 apps anyway. -  But if you feel confirmed in your statement, then you can do it!

[Dan C]

Welcome to the Affinity Forums @EEN 

Thanks for providing these file for me!

I can see a few interesting things from these;

• Your AMD driver is 3 years old, and is a known pre-release driver that can cause crashing behaviour. Please see the following AMD guide on how to remove and update this driver - 
  https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/56879-1-00
   
• "AcerRegistrationBackGroundTask.exe" is crashing often on your PC - this may be unrelated but as that app is using .NET runtime (which Affinity also uses), its possible that the background crash of the Acer.exe is affecting the Affinity app. You may want to investigate this issue and remove the offending app if no longer required.

I suspect that removing and updating the AMD driver issue should resolve this for you, as the behaviour you have described sounds like an issue between Affinity and your driver - but should you still be having trouble after completing this, please do let me know and we can assist further!

[Dan C]

Please keep this thread on-topic for the users experiencing crashing issues in Affinity, so that our team can assist these users in the easiest and most clear-cut way.

If you wish to discuss the ~lock~ files themselves, or the contents of the aforementioned FAQ, then I suggest creating a new thread.

Many thanks

[v_kyr]

10 minutes ago, Dan C said:

If you wish to discuss the ~lock~ files themselves, or the contents of the aforementioned FAQ, then I suggest creating a new thread.

NOPE no need for that (aka endless discussions), Walt already told and explained a little bit more how it is meant to behave after app crashes, further I usually trust your FAQ statements, which are always valueable. - Beside all that time will either way show & tell, if things do always work flawlessly for this new file locking scheme.

[carl123]

8 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Update: An experiment I just did shows that the Affinity applications (at least on Windows) try to catch crashes and delete the ~lock~ file as part of their cleanup. I suspect that processing was unsuccessful for the OP. For my experiment, I created and saved a file, verified that the ~lock~ file was present, then killed the application using the Task Manager. At that point, the ~lock~ file was gone.

"Killing" a running application (i.e. one that has NOT crashed) via Task Manager is probably more akin to closing the application. Hence in that scenario I would expect the ~lock~ file to be successfully deleted, as if the app was closed normally.

Ergo, I don't think Task Manager can be reliably used to simulate a crash situation compared to an app that has actually crashed.

 

[EEN]

13 hours ago, Dan C said:

Welcome to the Affinity Forums @EEN 

Thanks for providing these file for me!

I can see a few interesting things from these;

• Your AMD driver is 3 years old, and is a known pre-release driver that can cause crashing behaviour. Please see the following AMD guide on how to remove and update this driver - 
  https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/56879-1-00
   
• "AcerRegistrationBackGroundTask.exe" is crashing often on your PC - this may be unrelated but as that app is using .NET runtime (which Affinity also uses), its possible that the background crash of the Acer.exe is affecting the Affinity app. You may want to investigate this issue and remove the offending app if no longer required.

I suspect that removing and updating the AMD driver issue should resolve this for you, as the behaviour you have described sounds like an issue between Affinity and your driver - but should you still be having trouble after completing this, please do let me know and we can assist further!

Thanks for the info Dan  I have addressed these two issues and done a fresh install of Affinity, but unfortunately it is still not working. The behaviour is a little different now though - before I could open documents and start to click around then it would freeze, but now Affinity opens but it won't open or create documents at all, nothing happens even after waiting for over 5 minutes. Do you have any other ideas I could try please?  

PS. I should also add, I can't actually close Affinity normally now, I get the message below. I have to 'end task' to force it to close. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by EEN
Additional information

[carl123]

If it has not been tried before, go into...

Edit > Settings > Performance 

and switch off Hardware acceleration (if enabled)

Restart the app and try again