I'm really frustrated and I hope someone here can help.

I installed Carrara 8 pro a week or so ago and it worked fine, several times.  I was busy with other things and did not try it again until yesterday. 

It now refuses to start up at all.  When I launch the program, I get a very brief view of the start up splash window beginning to form (less than one second) and then the program dies.

The only thing I can think of that is different with my system since it last worked was a set of operating system updates to Windows 7 from Microsoft (part of standard periodic updates).  I'm not savvy enough about system patches to know much of the details.

My system is a PC running Windows 7 (64 bit home).
I have an Intel(R) 3.0 Ghz Core(TM)2 Quad CPU with 8 GB  RAM.
My Graphics Card: is an NVIDIA Geoforce GTS 250:
I thought it might have issues, so I made sure I had the latest driver for it, but that did not help.

In frustration, I also did a complete uninstall and re-install of Carrara 8 pro.
That also did not help, same results.

I have an open support email with DAZ on this problem, but I have not yet received any help from them.   I was hoping maybe by posting here I'd get some additional assistance.

Any help or suggestions appreciated, especially if you have dealt with a similar issue or know of some specific new windows 7 update bug that is biting Carrara.

I had the same auto-update, but it didn't affect my installation.  Have you checked the Windows error logs in the event viewer to see if there is any info being reported when it crashes?  You can get to the event viewer from the control panel, in administrative tools.  Loot at the application and the event logs.

Another thing the daz people will ask you: if you launch C8 with a right click and "run as administer", does it open ok?

The event viewer tells me nothing.
Apparently no error or info is reported when the failed start up occurs.
I've tried repeatedly and no new log entries of errors or any info at all appear.

As to running as administrator, yes, I've tried launching the program as Admin as well, and no, unfortunately, that doesn't make any difference.

I appreciate these ideas... I wish they helped... any others?

I havent  used windows 7 heavily but I would recommend cleaning temp folders.

In XP I would look at these locations, might be similar in Windows 7

C:WindowsTemp
C:Documents and SettingsUserNameLocal SettingsTemp

In Windows 7
C:usersusernameAppDataLocalTemp

Sometimes files that were not properly cleared from those folders can cause a crash.

I frequently run a program called CCleaner that among other things, cleans out the Windows Temp folders you mention.

I was pretty sure that wasn't the issue, but I ran it anyway after your email and still get the same no-launch problem from Carrara.

Have you run any registry cleaning programs?  I had something like this happen with C7 once.  I had to do a full uninstall, then use Registry Mechanic to clean up a bunch of registry keys the program's uninstaller left behind.  Then I manually cleared out all of the temp and cache files and reinstalled and it fixed my problem. 

Did you installed something new or uninstalled something this week? Try to install Carrara again.

I appreciate the idea, I am really terrified of doing anything to the registry.
A couple of years back I did one edit to my registry, following explicit instructions from MacAfee to "fix" a screw up of theirs in their stupid anti-virus program, and it lobotomized my operating system and caused a nightmare requiring paid techs to fix.  They just shrugged and said "oops".

If DAZ has written code that can't clean up after itself properly (which I'm starting to suspect, since all my other major graphics software, including Poser and ZBrush, run fine) then I want to hear it from them personally what I need to do.

Man, this is SO frustrating.
I do not have an unusual or atypical setup in any way shape or form:  All my settings and hardware are largely vanilla.  WHY do I always end up being the one guy who ends up with the "test case" for an unknown software glitch?

You're not the only one, trust me..  And it's not just DAZ.  There are a LOT of applications which can cause weird problems like this.

Follow up:

Carrara does not uninstall well ... it leaves a whole slew of folders and orphaned files.
I manually went in and removed all traces of it I could find after uninstalling it.
I then also did do a registry scan and fix (with CCleaner). 
It had left a bunch of orphaned registry items as well, which CCleaner fixed.

After all this, I reinstalled Carrara for the umpteenth time, as administrator.

And it STILL crashes instantly on launch, leaving no error message or helpful info as to what is wrong.

I'm really fed up after a whole day of trying to fix a program that was working okay then just quit with no explanation whatsoever.

I seem to remember that C6 had a certain file that was in an unusual folder, that could cause trouble and periodically had to be zapped.  I think it was either a preference file or some kind of Cache file, but it's been so long that I can't remember exactly.  Maybe Ringo or GK know what it was.

Never had this kind of crash... only after using it a lot. I am using her ein Win7 64 bit also and not wrong. I think this is some piece of software that was instaled after Carrara, or we can think in Video Drives too... are  you using the most recent versions for your board? You did some twick in Windows?

The video card driver is the most recent available, just re-installed today to make sure.

Windows 7 is completely up to date with the latest downloads from Microsoft.

All my other high-end graphics software (Poser 2010 pro, ZBrush 3.5, Hexagon 2.5) is working perfectly fine.

Nothing has been installed after Carrara ... because I have re-installed Carrara completely several times today.

Carrara did work previously on this machine with this hardware and system configuration.
It stopped working suddenly, and the only change was the latest system updates from Microsoft.  But I can't see anything in those updates that would have caused an issue.

I have tried changing some settings on the NVIDIA video card's options, but no combination seems to have any effect -- and why did it work before but not now?  It doesn't make sense.

My last Win 7 update have a Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1. This i ssomething that Carrara always install )DazStudio and others too) as part of the process... maybe something related to this??

Yes, It's possible that the C++ part of the update is the problem.
But if it is, why didn't everyone else's copy of Carrara break when they got the update?
Why just on my computer?

One would think more people would be reporting a problem if the update broke everyone's Carrara, so most likely it did not.

I don't personally know how to revert to an older version of my operating system ... I know it creates a restore point and that it's possible ... but I don't really WANT to revert my operating system back.  For one thing, there are important security patches in those updates that I need.

What I need is for Carrara to be fixed relative to Windows 7, not Windows 7 relative to Carrara.
And I'm still not even sure that the update was the issue.

Windows 7 has a backup point it creates before updating. You could roll back to the last restore point and see if carrara works. That would test if it was the update that messed things up.

Do you have any added plug-ins to carrara? I once had a plug-in that was out of its trial date and C7 kept crashing after startup until I deleted the plug-in from the extension files.

In answer to the last question, Carrara 8 pro is a new install for me.   Everything's new on this machine in an fresh upgrade of several pieces of graphics software and a move up to Windows 7.     I have some Carrara plugins, but I had not even installed them yet.

But unfortunately  things have now gotten even worse.

While trying to diagnose the problem, I tried to roll back Windows 7 to previous restore point, and doing so seems to have blinded my graphics card. Apparently, going to a restore point back past a graphics card update is a no-no, because now the entire operating system boots up blank (black screen, unresponsive).  I can't get a default VGA to come up, either.
The hardware is all near-new, so I'm relatively positive it's not that.

The agony is, I can't reset back to my current registry restore point like they promised it could do, because without a functioning graphics setup, I can't see my desktop and can't issue any commands to get it to revert.

I'm going to have to take the machine in for service tomorrow and pray that they can use some tools I don't know to see what they're doing and undo this mess.

I don't know who to be angrier at, DAZ, NVIDIA, or Microsoft, but software really should not cause this kind of nightmarish collapse.

Its a very strange behavior...so I think that could be a problem with your video card them software. The idea is that you need to boot in Windows using F8 to enter in the Safe Mode so you can get things back in place.

I already tried that.
Safe mode does not work either.

Okay.  You may need to do a repair reinstall of Windows.  You will need to boot the system from your Windows 7 CD.  There should be an option to repair or restore windows.  Try a restore first.  If that fails, do a repair.  Make sure your bios is set to have the CD/DVD ROM as the first boot device.  I have not yet had to do that in Windows 7, but I know a few folks who have and they told me it was pretty easy.  Just follow the onscreen instructions.

I already tried that, too.

I booted from the disc, but the system disc for Windows 7 offered no repair options.
It only offered the option of doing a new install of  the operating system, which would overwrite the hard disk. 

I don't want to lose all my unbacked data on a perfectly good hard disk when the only thing wrong on the entire setup is one stupid registry setting involving the video card that makes the entire desktop unseeable.

I may have to do this, but if I do, the entire thing will have been ten times the agony it should have been.

I'm taking the machine in for service now, hoping that techs there have other ideas.
Word of advice to all :  Do NOT believe windows when it says you can easily revert to a restore point.  Obviously you can't, if your rollback has glitched the registry somehow.

I'm still really angry at DAZ, NVIDIA and Microsoft.
And DAZ still has not replied to my original request for help, which is now almost a moot point.
Eventually if I get Windows restored, I still will have a Carrara issue.

Well, there is one other option which would probably be less expensive than a Tech.  Get a second drive and install new onto that one.  Then it won't zap your data.  You can then reinstall and shift data files and have a fresh install.  Drives are so dirt cheap nowadays that it wouldn't cost much at all.  And then you get some more space as a side benefit.

I commented on your problem to a tech person, who said he suspected a hardware issue: a defective card or connection. His logic was that windows has a default low-level routine for talking to any video card in safe mode. If that is not working, the card is very suspect.
Carrara, with its card-heavy user interface could have walked right into the problem, but only by coincidence.
Sorry you are having all this trouble! I would be chewing my keyboard by now, if this happened to me! :)

I have to disagree with the tech.  I have been building, upgrading and repairing PCs for almost 20 years.  If he is getting a BIOS screen at boot, then the PC should be fine as for video.  If he tries to boot to the Win 7 CD/DVD and he gets the same issue then I would suspect soem hardware issue, but probably not video.

NO way Sparrow... I had a really big trouble here because the company that assembled my computer used a small power supply. Since I couldnt open it I couldnt see that... so I had to take it to garantee 2 times and nothing get fixed. I could see the bios setup, but when tried to enter windows all get wrong. Using software to test memory get a lot of errors, but I didnt have another module to try. I think that the better thing is to take it to a responsable tech yes. He can test part by part... unless you have another pieces to try for yourself.

That's why I suggested booting to the Windows disk.  If by some chance it IS the video card, as soon as windows starts to load the GUI, he will get the same issue.  The problem with your system was the power supply, not the video card.  This isn't the case here because he WAS able to boot up before W7 got trashed.  First losing a piece of software and then the OS could be anything from a messed up driver, to a completely hosed registry to a virus.  But if it was working fine up to the update, it is probably not going to turn out to be hardware.  At least not video.

Have you tried  using "Last Known Good Configuration" on bootup?

One other thing I should note, which I've read elsewhere, that when you install Carrara, there are Hidden and encrypted Registry keys that you cant even remove manually.

What Daz needs to do is either make the un-installer better, or provide a Tool that removes all Daz Products from your system when needed.  Like how Norton or McAfee provide such tools.

I left the machine with the tech guys.  It will be some time before I know any more from them.
I will report it here for anyone interested.

I'm 99% certain it is not a hardware issue with either my computer's main hardware or the graphics card.   The problems only came about with respect to the update and my attempted rollback.  Everything else had been operating 100% perfectly.

I could not get any configuration of Windows 7 to launch properly after the rollback to the old restore point, and I strongly discourage anyone from relying on the restore point if any updates have altered your registry with respect to video drivers.

This is now two issues, one with Windows 7, and one with Carrara.

I agree with what was said just above:  I know for a fact Carrara does NOT uninstall cleanly.
And if it is actually leaving additional hidden keys that do not uninstall or reinstall properly, I'm really angry at DAZ, and their needs to be a complete and clean uninstall tool made for it.

It has now been two full business days without a response from DAZ support (other than an automated acknowledgment), which tells me they're either busy with issues, or else they're stumped by my problem.   Either way is not good for me.

I agree about the uninstaller.  I really hate it when any software puts anything I can't see and remove on my system.  There really ought to be a law about that...

Quote - Have you tried  using "Last Known Good Configuration" on bootup?

One other thing I should note, which I've read elsewhere, that when you install Carrara, there are Hidden and encrypted Registry keys that you cant even remove manually.

What Daz needs to do is either make the un-installer better, or provide a Tool that removes all Daz Products from your system when needed.  Like how Norton or McAfee provide such tools.

Its hard to diagnose problems like this.  I have win7 and have upgraded and installed beta's as well.  I did have a problem a while back but not with carrara turns out something in the .net app system messed up and certain .net apps wouldn't run it was very frustrating.  Something underlying got corrupted and there was no way to 'fix' so I had to re-install.  I didn't know it was .net apps as there was no real message.  The author of a screensaver I use had a lightbulb moment when the software didn't run.  He sent me a 'hello world' app as a .net app and that pinpointed the problem.