Help Lightroom 5.6 Spontaneously Reboots

Lightroom 5.6 is installed on a new computer running Windows 8.1.  All other software appears to be running fine.  Imported my existing catalog into a freshly installed Lightroom 5.6.  Tried generating 1 to 1 previews on a group of images and the computer spontaneously rebooted.  After the reboot I tried to start Lightroom again, received a message saying; “error in previews and Lightroom needs to close”.  Kept receiving this same message each time when starting Lightroom again and was unable to open Lightroom.  Uninstalled Lightroom and ran CCleaner to clear registry entries, rebooted computer and then re-installed Lightroom.  Thinking that there may be some sort of error in the existing catalog I decided to start a new catalog and re-import all images.

After importing all images into the re-installed Lightroom tried creating 1 to 1 previews and experienced the same spontaneous reboot of the computer.  Thinking that there might have been some kind of error in the downloaded software, I downloaded a new copy of Lightroom 5.6 and re-installed the software.  Again Lightroom spontaneously rebooted the computer when attempting to create 1 to 1 previews.  Uninstalled and re-installed Lightroom in the manner previously described above.  After re-importing all images I decided NOT to create previews this time.  But as I was selecting images in Library, Lightroom spontaneously rebooted again; however this time I was able to restart Lightroom without receiving an error message.  Unfortunately as I tried to select a new image in Library the computer once again spontaneously rebooted.

At this point I have uninstalled and re-installed Lightroom 5.6 six times.  Each time I have carefully searched the computer to make sure that all vestiges of the previous installation have been deleted by using CCleaner and searching the registry to make sure that there was nothing left of the prior Lightroom installation.  I also deleted the catalog and all presets.  So at this point I am at a loss as to what my next step should be.  Any suggestions?  Thank you.

It sounds like you have a corrupted image cache which isn't deleted when you reinstall.  Find a folder on your computer called:
yourcatalogname Previews.LRDATA and delete it.

You can simply search for *.LRDATA to find it.  you may have to enable searching hidden folders and system folders.

E.J. Peiker wrote:It sounds like you have a corrupted image cache which isn't deleted when you reinstall.  Find a folder on your computer called:
yourcatalogname Previews.LRDATA and delete it.

You can simply search for *.LRDATA to find it.  you may have to enable searching hidden folders and system folders.

E.J. the search came up empty. I believe I have already deleted those files when I deleted the LR Catalog, Presets and Previews folders. As far as I can determine there is nothing on the computer from LR except for old LR backups created from the prior computer installation dated before this computer was built. 
Any other thoughts? 
The only thing that could possible have any anything left over from the importation into the new installation of LR are the image .xmp sidecar files. But I just checked them as far as I can see the dates all predate the problem.

Have you tried using the Adobe manual uninstall instructions?
http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/man ... troom.html

E.J. Peiker wrote:Have you tried using the Adobe manual uninstall instructions?
http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/man ... troom.html

E.J. I haven't but will now. 
Have found the Adobe site a nightmare to navigate and find anything other than how to join the CC.
Thanks for your help once again

E.J. I had removed everything they listed BUT AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Preferences\Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefs
Now that these files are removed is there anything else I should do/be on the lookout for, before re-installing LR for the seventh time?
The reason I'm asking is that I can't understand why this whole problem started in the first place as I've installed various versions of Lightroom starting with LR 1 and every version update since on at least 35-40 computers over the years and never experienced any problems.

Ah, the preferences file is always the very first thing you should kill on any Adobe product. I would just kill that and see if it works before uninstalling/reinstalling.

I had already uninstalled prior to asking for help so I'll install and see what happens.
Thanks again for your speedy responses and expert help  

Well the saga continues - still having problems. After re-installing LR I looked for the Export with Preset for "ColorChecker Passport" which was not to be found. So I tried to install ColorChecker again but couldn't as each time I tried I got an error located in the User\AppDate\Roaming\Temp file. Each time I tried to locate this file it wasn't to be found where it said to be located. So I gave up and started using LR. I used it for about 15 minutes and got another spontaneous reboot. This is after spending a couple of hours looking for stuff that I couldn't find. So I uninstalled LR for the 8th time. After LR was removed I deleted ALL the preferences and LR folders and tried to install ColorChecker but couldn't as I keep receiving the same error message (although the file name kept changing slightly). Fed up I decided it was time for drastic measures. I opened the Registry and did a search for "lightroom" and proceeded to delete every reference I found. I could not believe how many references I found and deleted them all (remember this is after running CCleaner on the registry). The first test I tried after rebooting was to install ColorChecker and it installed!  Next I re-installed LR and ColorChecker appeared under Export with Preset. I'm in the process of importing the images into a new Catalog. I'll let you know how it goes.

LR spontaneously rebooted the computer again. I was able to run ColorChecker from within LR and closed LR and reopened LR so the newly created profile would be listed and when I clicked on a new image it rebooted. I'm at a loss of what to do. I have opened the Event Viewer but don't really understand where I should look and what I'm looking for. Since the reboot happens so quickly one second the program is working then the screen goes blank (no blue screen) and then you see the booting process. It happens instantly so I'm not sure that the Event Log has time to react. Any thoughts?

After studying the Event Log I'm thinking that the cause of the reboots is not listed. There are a number of references to the fact the computer shut down without properly closing programs and windows but nothing as to what caused the shut down. Take this assessment with a grain of salt as I really don't understand much of what's listed in the Event Viewer.

I think you may have some memory issue on that machine. Not many apps will use all the memory in your system but LR will. Try removing all your memory modules, swapping them around and reseating them. Make sure you are grounded when you do this so that you don't damage the memory. Also make sure your graphics card is properly ventilated and make sure that no other card is right next to it. Relocate any card that is in the slot next to the graphics card. We are trying to rule out any thermal issues with that where a card next to the graphics card is overheating - i've seen that cause uncommanded reboots many times over the years.

E.J. Peiker wrote:I think you may have some memory issue on that machine.  Not many apps will use all the memory in your system but LR will.  Try removing all your memory modules, swapping them around and reseating them.  Make sure you are grounded when you do this so that you don't damage the memory.  Also make sure your graphics card is properly ventilated and make sure that no other card is right next to it.  Relocate any card that is in the slot next to the graphics card.  We are trying to rule out any thermal issues with that where a card next to the graphics card is overheating - i've seen that cause uncommanded reboots many times over the years.

E.J. will try what you mentioned tomorrow as it is late here.
FYI at the moment I'm using the MB's built in graphics instead of a separate card.
Do you think this could be the cause of the problem?

No it wouldn't be that then. I'm out of ideas for now.

Dick, have you checked that your motherboard video driver is updated? I think serious video driver bugs / incompatibilities could trigger spontaneous reboots, especially if video driver versions for Windows 8.1 have been reworked and not had time to stabilize yet. Unlike Photoshop, I don't see anywhere in LR preferences that you can tune or disable use of GPU functions.

Thanks Royce, I'll check the Gigabyte website, as I've depended on windows update for keeping all drivers updated.

E.J. my wife has needed to get some newsletters done in InDesign (it's the only computer with it installed) so she hasn't let me take the computer apart to check/move memory slots and test fan function etc. I posted my problem on the Adobe Lightroom community forum and the only response I got said that he didn't believe that LR had access to the OS in a way that could trigger a spontaneous computer reboot; so he was inclined to think that the reboots were triggered by a hardware issue - most likely heat related overheating of CPU or memory or video seems very similar to your latest thoughts.

This whole reboot issue seems strange because I haven't actually done any real work in LR before the reboots happen. I've only been in the Library grid view, for the most part, and clicked on some images and bang it reboots. I've been able to import my wife's images, about 11,400 images and generate minimal previews without a hitch - done it 8x's now. The reboots happen after import and all previews have been generated; when we start to click on some images and display a single image and the reboot happens - no adjusts of any kind were made or keywording nothing was being done other than clicking an image to select it. (Since only minimal previews were created the computer had to generate full previews to view the full size image not at 100% thought just the full image.)  I believe when the computer reboots that particular image preview gets damaged making the preview file unreadable because that is the image LR is keyed on to open when LR is restarted - as an error message appears saying the preview file is damaged and LR needs to close. I then go to LR Previews and delete all the preview files and LR opens but reboots as soon as I select a new image. My wife has been able to use InDesign CS6 and so far hasn't had any issues. Don't know if this additional info is of any help but let me know if you need clarification on anything as this whole thing is beyond "my pay grade".

Thank you again.
 

Royce Howland wrote:Dick, have you checked that your motherboard video driver is updated? I think serious video driver bugs / incompatibilities could trigger spontaneous reboots, especially if video driver versions for Windows 8.1 have been reworked and not had time to stabilize yet. Unlike Photoshop, I don't see anywhere in LR preferences that you can tune or disable use of GPU functions.

Royce, downloaded the Intel MB video drivers from the Gigabyte website and was told as I was about to install them the files on my computer were newer than the ones I was about to install. So I guess MS is up to speed on driver support for Gigabyte MB's.

E.J. I've done some investigating on overheating issues and installed HWMonitor.
Here's a sample read out with the computer basically idle.
The CPU is a i7-4790K Haswell 4.0GHz 
I suspect that this is running hot but don't really know what the temps should be.
The first thing I want to check is that the fan cooler is seated properly and the thermal compound is still sealed properly.
I had detached and reattached the cooler fan when I tried to install the CPU in my other computer.
After thoroughly cleaning the heat sink I used Arctic Silver 5 to re-seal the cooler to the CPU but since I had never done this before I could have messed it up.
Visually I can see that the CPU cooling fan is running as well as all the case fans

Followup on CPU Temps. Here is another screen shot from HWMonitor withe the computer running for more than 2 hours. Lightroom was not used the only thing that were done is email in Outlook 2010 and internet and other non graphic intensive programs. 
Question is the fact that video graphics is on the MB and processed by the CPU adding to the work load and increasing the CPU temps?

Strange that Microsoft would have a newer video driver than the maker of the motherboard itself. But I'd also check directly with Intel rather than Gigabyte or Microsoft, if the onboard video chipset is made by Intel. Whomever produces the video chipset is where the new drivers ultimately come from, and the latest should be found there.

Your issue doesn't feel to me like an overheating problem. If it was, you'd be able to trigger spontaneous reboots without using Lightroom at all. E.g. run a video-intensive application (or a video benchmarking app) and see if it resets the system. Plus using LR immediately after powering up the machine from a cold shutdown shouldn't instantly trigger an overheating-related reboot, but it appears from your tests that you can make it do exactly that. Could LR make something "overheat" that fast when nothing else you run so far has done so? Seems unlikely to me.

Run the HWMonitor and look at the temperatures it reports while you bring up LR and click an image or whatever else triggers the reboot. Try to take note of the current temps just before the screen blanks out. If nothing is pegging high on the scale that would seem to support that it's not overheating.

To me it seems more like LR is doing something specific that's triggering a particular fatal fault somewhere. To have a reboot happen like this means the fault has some kind of low-level system driver or hardware component to it, that bypasses all of the operating system protections & controls over malformed code. Video is the thing that springs #1 to my mind. Maybe it's also a memory issue like E.J. mentioned before. Or it could be a hybrid video / memory issue since you're using the onboard video controller.

One thing that could help rule in or out a video issue would be to get a dedicated video card installed, ensure the driver is up to date, and see how that goes. If no more crashes then it was probably the onboard video driver. Other than that, I'm not too sure what else to suggest here...