I load M4... I notice it doesn't refresh (I am really starting to dislike the new library, sorry BB, I know you put a lot of work into it.)
So I refresh.
And every one I did has  << empty >> in it.
I've just LOADED M4 from it, so I know he's there. I checked the folder (moment of panic, there, believe me), yup, they are all there. (If your windows rattled near London... that would be because a huge weight dropped off me)
I loaded mats -- you guessed it. << empty >>
On restart they were back, but quite frankly... I've never had a problem with any version of Poser before, I can't send this one back as the return has expired by now, but if I had the option?
I'd actually ditch it this time round.
Nothing but hassle with it so far. Crashes like a sumbish, I actively HATE the library now, it's giving me so much grief.
Disappearing libraries which cannot be gotten back unless you restart Poser are just the icing on the cake.
The main header is still there, but the content listing goes to << empty >> and even a refresh doesn't work. (I loathe and detest that I have to refresh every time I install something new btw. Never had to do it with the old library.)

Quite honestly... I don't care if I lose the search. Give me the old library back. I didn't have to guess every time I wanted to do something. (And no, Search didn't find it either when it came up << empty >>)
This was after 5 minutes of having poser open, loading 1 (!!) figure and the elite morphs and textures. That's it. Nothing else open, nothing else running, nothing else in the scene.
WinVista Ultimate, 5gb RAM, Quadcore, 1gb Graphics RAM -- and I have trouble keeping the thing from crashing?
They gotta be kidding me.

Did you post this on the SmithMicro support site?
Check out other threads, Bagginsbill has talked a number of people through similar problems.
I spent 3 days with MsConfig trying to sort this out before finally identifying that the problem was ZoneAlarm firewall.
I agree, it is really frustrating that the library is so vulnerable to factors in the computing environment. You have my sympathy, but you need to do some systematic troubleshooting.

Trouble is, "Systematic Troubleshooting" is not helped by the damned app crashing every few minutes. I can't troubleshoot, because it won't stay running long enough to shoot anything but myself, out of sheer frustration. :/
I've changed just about every setting there is, trying to keep it running but if I dare load M4 up with morphs... ferget it. Boom.
I'm seriously fed up with it now.
Going to learn DS3 I think, and use P7, because by now... I'm tearing my hair out, I'm fed up, and I don't want to use P8 anymore.
It was more stable for me without SR1, I think, but even then it crashed constantly.
So right now, I'm going to rip the entire thing off my machine, reinstall and if it's still falling over all the time... I'm going to dump it.

I wish I'd have returned it when I had the chance, now it's too late. That's what I get for hoping SR1 is going to make it better for me. I also wish SM had extended the return until after SR1.

You're right, there is the crashinc part too. It didn't crash any more often for me than Poser Pro. Do try it with a diagnostic startup config though and see if that helps.

I have rapidly learned to just
1.  Save whatever I can regularly..

2.  restart Poser 8 whenever I add another figure int a scene..

It takes a lot of time but it is the only thing that keeps My library active.

But nothing gives any joy with backgrounds in the material room.

Reinstalled P8.
Reinstalled SR1.
Reinstalled Flash10.

Added 4 Runtimes (external ones)

Library displayed on load.
Refresh after install of new goodies... << empty >>

Since that pretty much happened last time, it seems to me that installing new items into an existing runtime is causing me problems for some reason.

I'll keep my eyes on it, in case I can narrow it down.

@ Noel -- I haven't really got into the Material room much, my P8 seems to think I have no business being there, should keep my paws out of it's nodes and shuts down on me if I dare persist. :) I keep expecting a Python popup saying "You're not BB, get outta here, kthx!"

I can't tell if it's the Material room that's crashing me or something else, since the app falls over no matter which room I'm in, it seems.

What's the deal with the backgrounds?

im glad i didnt install SR1... like SR3 for poser 7 this just makes things worse.... Do the powers that be realise that they are supposed to be fixing issues not making them????

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3530911&ebot_calc_page#message_3530911

It seems to be an issue with the image,  not a Poser thing (for a change).