I've just started a new job taking over from a graphics designer who's going back to college.
He uses Corel X3 and since he has all the necessary files and images saved in that format already it made sense for me to get a copy also. So when my boss asked me what software I would require I said to get Corel Draw.
As I waited for my computer to be delivered I downloaded the trial of X4 so I could practice using it. It worked fine on my home PC, bar a couple of chokes on some large .ai files, but I'll forgive that.
Yesterday I got a brand new PC, with Windows XP Pro with 1 gig of ram, a 2 gig processer, not top spec, but more than my home PC and also certainly above the min specs written on the Corel X4 box.
Anyway, the problem that I'm having is that, first off, when I launch the programme, there's a 50% chance that it will choke when I try to open a corel file or just click on "New". If I'm lucky I can then start using it but have no guarantee that it won't then just choke when I import something or try to save. When it eventually crashes (which is the only thing I can be certain of) and I end task it and try and launch it again the same thing happens and the only way I can get the programme up and running again is by rebooting the machine.
I installed the Corel service pack, but it made no difference and also wiped the whole installation and rereinstalled it, still nothing. Having explained the situ to my boss I was told I should get on to the IT guys asap but all I got was the standard "Add More RAM" response and I honestly don't think it's that.
Just for troubleshooting purposes, I took the disc home and installed X4 on my PC here. As with the trial it seems to be working perfectly, on a less powerful PC with a rather battered and worn-out XP pro install. The only thing is that I have Service Pack 3 on my work PC but am still on SP2 here at home. Other than some conflict with other software (Office 2007, Firefox 3, AVG Antivirus, Adobe Acrobat Reader 9, VNC) I have absolutely no idea what it could be.
When stuff happens randomly (e.g. 50% of the time you click on "New"). there's a chance that it's hardware related.
While I can't say for certain, It's possible that you have ram with a bad section that Draw sometimes fills. I would try running a test on your RAM, there's a few good programs for this. I think I've used Prime95 before (free), but I've been told that memtest86 is better since it does it at boot time.
Or, just swap your ram temporarily for testing purposes.
Regards,Hendrik
It's not the RAM. Because I got a replacement PC, basically the same model but a fresh installation. The only difference being that this new install has SP2 rather than SP3. I thought that might be the problem.
Unless it's a conflict with existing software (VNC, Office 2007, Firefox 3, Acrobat 9 [AVG uninstalled]) it can only be an issue with the hardware. (It works on my busted old Dimension 1100 no problem) I also have PSP Photo X2 installed but the problem originally occured before I had installed that. PSP works like a dream, though it may well still be a graphic card problem.
Here's the details from the PC properties:
Windows XP Pro SP2HP dx2400 MicrotowerIntel Pentium R Dual CPUE2180 @ 2.00 GHz1.20 Ghz, 0.99 GB of RAM
Graphics card is Intel G33/31 Express Chipset Family.
Fairly sure that's an inbuilt graphics card that's part of the motherboard. Could that be the problem? (A quick google brought up a load of game forum nerds whining about what a crap card it is so that could well be it)
This is quite a disaster
Joe, I understand the frustration that you may have. But, being snowed in, there on the "other"coast, is no reason to rant and rave without specifying a problem or a suggestion of a solution to a problem.
You may have found a way to crash PP, any time you wish, that does not make you a super hero, nor a nasty villain. And if you shared this experience and that person told you that it was forwarded to Corel for review, you can bet that it has been looked at, duplicated and some sort of fix, for that problem, has been implemented. Maybe or maybe not in this current release (X4), and if not, then in the next release of the CGS.
So what, if you can crash PP. I can crash Windows (XP, Vista or Win 7). I can crash many applications that run under these O/Ses. So what? I can even crash my car, if I want to. Should I blame the automobile industry (specifically which company?) for the ability to crash my car?
Hugh Johnson said:I can crash Windows (XP, Vista or Win 7).
Hugh how are you? How has you experience with Windows 7 been? I've been pleased with the use of system resources, color management and driver support for Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit. I did find an interesting lock up when using the floating task bar and have not tested it since installing about 15 updates.
I've been using Quark, Freehand and Adobe products under Mac computers for several years (including old models such as Quadra 900, and newest such as G3, G4 and G5 computers, without CorelDRAW on those computers except on one), and also I've been using Adobe software under Windows. Since I use computers since several years, starting with the PC-XT generation, DOS, Windows 1.0, Apple II, and more, I can talk about this because is not a partial experience. I also was teacher of Adobe and Corel for years and help many people and companies to configure and use their systems.
I know that some people have problems using CorelDRAW, specially with stabilty and files that doesn't open. But I can tell you that is not exclusive for Corel, it also happens on Adobe programs, and other. Adobe programs also crashes and also causes errores, and sometimes the files doesn't open or doesn't open propiertly. Quark XPress have an auto-recovery programs, because is very common have issues with stabiity and crashes sometimes.
What programs crashes more and why? is not easy to find a good answer. For have a real answer you must have similar programs with similar configuration on the same computer or very similar computers. If you compare a powerful Mac, with a common clon PC with virus, antivirus, trojans, malware, p2p software (emule, ares, etc) of course the results wil be different. If you compare a Mac wth only a few fonts (Extensis suitcase disable all fonts on every restart) awith a Windows system with hundreds or thousands of fonts, of course the result will be different. And, if you compare experienced users and professional designers against unexperienced users.
Altough Mac users sad that their computers never crashes and they don't need Ctrl+Alt+supr, Mac computers sometimes crashes and they need to use a shortcut when ths system freezes. And sometimes, Adobe programs also crashes and cause damage to their files. DO you ever read an Adobe forum? they have the same problems than Corel users,and perhaps more.
The funny side is how each company show their problemas and solutions. Adobe found bugs and errors and publish an "update", so their users are happy, because they have an updated program with less bugs and errors. If Corel found bugs and errors and publish an update, called "ServicePack", their users are unhappy and bothered. But both are the same. For what reason do you believe that Adobe versions changes constantly? You allways have v.12.1.2, 12.1.3, 12.2.1, 12.2.2, and more... but Adobe users believe that is good and normal. But CorelDRAW users haver the same and believe that is bad
Often Adobe users claim to "sell" the idea of using all of the same company, so for compatibility and because (supposedly) are the same commands and the same interface. In practice, then not so. Fit page on the screen in Photoshop is Ctrl +0 in Indesign is Ctrl +. There are programs that hide (on Mac) with Ctrl + H and others not. In Photoshop Ctrl + D is Deselect , in Illustrator is Shift + Ctrl + A, Ctrl + D is to place an image in Indesign, Illustrator is transform again, file information in Photoshop is Alt + Ctrl + I, in Illustrator Shift + Alt + Ctrl + I ... What are so alike? Everything is relative and depends on the habit of work of each. For example, on Freehand fit to page is Ctrl+0 like Photoshop, but Illustrator however does not use the same, QuarkXPress uses Ctrl + U (Ungroup) as CorelDRAW ... so the "same" or "different" often depends on the workflow of each designer.
And if it's about the errors made for users, if you believe that Adobe users doesn't have errors you must see better, including self company promotions.I do not even want to imagine what they would say if Corel did something similar.
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/adobe-wet-floors-are-dangerous.html
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-cheat-in-photoshop-by-reason-of.html
Strange reflections on Photoshop
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/2008/05/photoshop-world-photoshop-user-tv.html
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/402/kb402521.html
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4292
Ariel said:What programs crashes more and why? is not easy to find a good answer.
Excellent observation, even in test sites we see users with just God awful system stability. In my experience seperating the REAL BUG something that is just wrong in the software from USER INDUCED issues can be in some cases next to impossible remotely . Which is why i chomped on kutty, no information to go on only complaints.
What would people say if Corel's website was infected with virus from another site that was also owned by Corel? Would probably say that it isnot a serious company, and that you can not tolerate something like that. But if that happens to Adobe, is just an accident, isn't it?
http://www.sophos.com/blogs/sophoslabs/v/post/1863
What would people say if the trial version of Corel expire the next day? Surely that is unacceptable, and that programmers are useless and incapable. But if that happens to Adobe is just a curiosity.
http://www.creativepro.com/article/adobe-halts-some-software-trial-downloads
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403598.html
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/332263
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/506/cpsid_50656.html
I don't want to say that Adobe programs are bad, or advice to don't use it. I just try to show tht not only Corel software can have problems, because some people said: "CorelDRAW allways freezes, but Adobe programs never have problems". That's not true. Adobe programs have errors and Adobe users has problems, same or more than Corel users. This is only a false advertising of Adobe, but is not real.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Adobe-InDesign-1839/InDesign-CS2-freeze-m.htm
http://groups.google.com/group/adobe.indesign.windows/browse_thread/thread/9277d8ba214d3fa5
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/332/332260.html
http://groups.google.com/group/adobe.indesign.macintosh/browse_thread/thread/b0044485be67c3d4
http://groups.google.com/group/adobe.indesign.windows/browse_thread/thread/1e73b37e65c05c00?pli=1
.. of course, those are only a few samples, with different programs, versions and operating systems, only for show that not only some Corel users have problems, also Adobe users can have the same problems. I know a lot of people and companies that use CorelDRAW all day for all jobs and never have problems, never freezes the program or never lost a file.
<Ariel> wrote in message news:77243@coreldraw.com... I know a lot of people and companies that use CorelDRAW all day for all jobs and never have problems, never freezes the program or never lost a file.
I know a lot of people and companies that use CorelDRAW all day for all jobs and never have problems, never freezes the program or never lost a file.
I'm actually surprised at all the things coreldraw can do for me. I personally think the program is a bargain for what you get.
Like Jeff said "I push it pretty hard", I think I push it really hard too, and I rarely see the program crash. I've had macros that process files all day long for over a week without a crash.
I do see the vba editor crashing the program sometimes when coding, which I guess is because of all the possibilities and unavoidable coding errors during debugging.
I sure wish the vba editor had an autobackup. A many times I had to recreate hours of work because I forgot to hit save.
I was unhappy a small few times. After using ver 8 then 9,and loving it, and anxiously awaiting ver 10. Trying v10, ...Oh that was the biggest disappointment in my corelDraw history...lol
-John
PS..oh goody. Am I gonna get quoted too!