First off, let me apologize upfront. I know there are some diehard Corel fans out there (I used to be one of them) and so nothing personal. This is just my recent experience after coming back to Corel after a few year away.
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I’ve missed my buddy DRAW. I had been using it for so many years I felt I could do almost anything with it, and I wanted my buddy back.
It had been about five years since I worked with CorelDraw. Illustrator has been a reliable piece of software and since online stock sites require eps files, using Illustrator made the most sense as I create a lot of stock images. But that monthly fee to Adobe was something I just did not feel good about.
I tried Affinity Designer and though it is great software, it’s still missing a few key features that I consider necessary for my drawing style. So, I thought “maybe Corel has made some progress and worked out some of the bugs since X6.” So, I created a new partition on my mac and installed Win 10 and CorelDraw Graphic Suite 2017, and set down to work.
It took less than an hour before the first crash. Wow, REALLY?! Fresh install, updated software, no customization to the interface? Not even virus protect other than Windows Defender. Are you kidding? Yup, nothing has changed since the last time I used it. Maybe a fluke? So, I kept going and…yup, another crash, then another, this time losing about a half hours of work. At some point, DRAW stopped saving but let me continue to work, proven by the outdated backup file.
Currently, I am working with Corel Tech Support to figure out why I have slow launch times, like over 4 minutes. I was told to reinstall/repair the application, delete temp files, reset Corel to defaults even though it was set to defaults, update to the latest version (it was), and here is the fun one...create a new Windows user account. Really!? I told them that this sounds like a workaround rather than a fix.
I don’t understand. After these many years, I would think Corel or any software would have better knowledge on how to prevent instabilities and make a decent piece of software. I know, I know, I’m not a programmer and I don’t know how any of this works, but dang COMMON. I have minimal problems with other software, even FREE software like Blender and Gimp. Then again most of my work in done on a mac so maybe that is the difference.
As I mentioned, I was a big Corel user and so I guess I didn’t know how messed up Corel was until I used something else for a long enough time to become proficient with it. When I started using Corel again, I was surprised at how little it had changed. And not only is DRAW an unstable beast but PhotoPaint is outdated, Corel Capture is useless, Corel Connect is unnecessary and missing real functionality (compared to Adobe Bridge), and Web Creator (web creator? really?) is an antique. Adobe has come so far in comparison, and if Affinity keeps doing what they do over there at Serif they are going to kill Corel’s market, and they make software for both Win and Mac platforms, something I and many others have been ***’n to Corel about for years.
Bottom line, I’m angry that I spent the money on Windows 10 and Corel Graphics Suite 2017, and disappointed Corel has done basically nothing to advance its software.
I'm sure I am upsetting the hardcore Corel users, and I am sorry for that, but sometimes the truth hurts. At one time I too thought Corel was the best but now that I forced myself to work with something else I have realized I was wrong. Corel is not the best, far from it.
I have been fighting DRAW all day today. Constant crashing. I've reset the defaults, deleted registry folders, everything I've managed to either collect over the years or have recently read here in the forums. I though I had a short term work around by copying and pasting into a new document, but that didn't work. I just don't get it.
SO frustrating!
Which version are you using? You may have to rin system restore in Windows.
Hi William, I hear you and all the others that have issues with with CorelDRAW crashing.I don't know why but I guess I've been one of those who might have been blessed. When my CDRAW crashes, it's because I'm pretty sure I've been givin' it a hard time. ex: 2GB files. And a lot of opened programs at once.I'm pretty sure I give DRAW a hard time most of the time. I guess I've learned from older versions what not to try with it too.Like...welding very complex vectors might be subject to crashing or rotating complex extruded objects with lighting effects. These two examples have existed since version 8! Not X8...but 8! So I don't play around with them. 'See where I'm getting at? But, for me, the only version I worked with that had random crashing issues was version 10. With Corel ARM...But now, since version X4, It's PhotoPAINT the problem. Darn it! It always crashes randomly. For any reason at all. After apply a transparent gradient, saving from the cut out lab tool...anything at all. I've developped a way to preset a save option on my Logitech Performance Mouse (it's really effecient and fast).But...Come to think of it. Google crashes more often, Microsoft Word crashes more often. Adobe products crash just as much as CorelDRAW.I guess, for me, it's mostly due to the fact that I deal a lot with files from other sources that might have not necessarly been created from the specfic programs. Like, a PDF file created from a Microsoft program or an .AI file created from FlexiSign. Or like the pretentious designers from high-end graphic design companies that like to show off the absolute latest versions of AI, that don't care if you also might have that latest version or not. Those files cause trouble too.But all in all, it's sad to hear all the trouble you people run into. I must say, I consider that I don't have time to lose with computer and software issues. So I always aim for very performant machines I can rely upon. Last year I've purchased a Dell XPS with a i7 6700K with 24gigs RAM 256g SSD Hard drive. (Booting this baby takes me less than 15 seconds!) It was a 2300$ CAD computer on sale at 1699$ CAD on a boxing day special at DELL.ca. No monitor. I bought my two monitors separately. I've done that twice so far. My last computer was a DELL XPS also. It lasted me 5 years, and now my son uses it as a gaming computer!!! Doesn't lag one bit.Maybe your crashing issues, are they due to border-lines / limited performance machines?Just asking. 'Don't know heck about programming I just don't want any problems related to performance!Good luck guys!
Welcome aboard my friend. Your PC is fine. Mine is fine too. Poorly coded application is the culprit. At first I was sad. Later I was dissapointed. Then I was angry.
I was using their software for YEARS, starting from version 8 and up to 2017. 2017 is probably one of the worst releases and often forcing me to go back working on X6. Random crashes, problems with undo options, broken previously working tools, being able to install it only on ONE machine instead of THREE, abnormal behaviour on systems with Radeon graphics cards with drivers never than 17.7.1...
I don't remember encountering such issues with Adobe software and that is the reason why I WON'T waste my time doing such things like reinstalling Windows or buying SSD (which I have on every PC). All my computers are PERFECTLY FINE and NO OTHER SOFTWARE keeps crashing like Corel's. Sometimes you can work without a hassle for a whole day. Sometimes opening few files can cause Photo-Paint crashing and slowing down your mouse cursor to 1 fps.
Today I've discovered that I don't have to wait for any updates or fixes anymore. Corel releases "fix" in a shape of brand new CGS 2018 with probably the same or worse bugs as I could encounter so far for a once again hefty price. Looks like fixing their previous software to WORK as intended never was an option. Money it was all what matters and this trend is escalating rapidly. Now I am not angry anymore. I am disgusted. So much, that I've made my definitive decision: after so many year of experience and great workflow with Corel software, the 2017 version was the last I've ever bought. My patience and tolerance are depleted completely.
For now I'm going to stick with X6 as long as I will be able to, and use 2017 version only as last resort. But this situation created my great urge for further studying how to use Photoshop in tasks I've usually had done with Photo-Paint. It was faster and easier for example in UI design and prototyping. For years Corel software was simplier, cheaper and faster alternative. Not anymore. I would rather spend some extra time doing things rather than re-creating them due to undo issues and app crashes. It would be still faster anyway.
So, to sum up, as a hardcore Corel user I'm officially done with this software, regreting being past 30-day period for returning it back. Anyone who is wondering if Corel can be a substitute for Adobe, as long-term user of this software I can assure: go for other solutions or Adobe itself, really. Save you time, money and health.