Help! I have a Crash! (A User's Guide)

Help! I have a Crash! 

OK, not really.  Sometimes users have the mistaken understanding that another user's crash must be "the same problem" as the one they are experiencing. This fallacy can be found in the forums regularly, but most often appears when a new version is released. While it is possible for new bugs to be discovered in the days following a release, it does not follow that every crash occurring at that time is related. 

All crashes are not made the same.

Consider the following: 

If a police officer comes to the scene of a car crash on New Year's Day, should he automatically assume drunk driving and issue a ticket for DUI? Of course not! The crash may be due to:

• the fault of another driver.
• poor road conditions.
• a deer.
• drowsiness or distracted driving.
• brakes going out.
• user error.

The crash may indeed be a case of drunk driving. The timing of New Year's Eve makes that an increased possibility, but the officer must first investigate before jumping to conclusions.

The same is true when dealing with software that is crashing. There can be any number of reasons for a crash, and it is fallacious to assume that another user's problem is that same as yours. Consequently, it is also wrong to assume that the fix for one user's crash will work for another's. To do so would be like taking someone else's medicine. We wouldn't want you to spend 5 hours re-indexing your computer when it won't solve the problem and there is a simple fix.

What should I do if I am experiencing a crash?

The forums are a great place to get help, and it's a unique mix of newbies and seasoned vets. Some users have little technical expertise, while others are programmer's themselves. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. It's good for you to know when to ask for help and your own ability to assess the situation. Here are some tips:

1. Make sure your Logos software is up to date. You can use the command update now to check, although there are some situations where this will fail to bring you up to date. In those situations, you can manually install the software engine. 
2. If you are experiencing a repeated crash, and are desiring help, don't hesitate to create a new thread. Please do. It is difficult to juggle a "conversation" with several users in one thread, especially when the topic isn't the same. Remember: if you know that it is the "same problem", then you must also know what the problem is and how to fix it… so why post in the first place.  Even if the issue actually turns out to be the "same problem," it helps us as a volunteer community to provide the best assistance to each user when you create your own thread. It's kind of rude to do otherwise. 
3. Make sure to enable logging. This allows Logos employees and techies to "look under the hood." We are not looking for logs produced by your OS, but rather ones generated from Logos. Logging is turned off by default and must be "turned on" (enabled). Mac users can learn more HERE. Windows users can learn more HERE.
4. When you post logs, please attach them via the paperclip icon in the formatting pallet. Please don't copy and paste long amounts of text into the forum. 
5. Make sure you provide adequate details. "Help! I have a crash!" doesn't quite cut it. It is helpful to know a number of things: 

• What platform are you on (Mac or PC)?
• What version are you running? Be specific (i.e. L5.0 SR-4) [You can find the version number in the About box; on the Help (?) menu]
• If the crash happens after start up, what are there steps you can perform to reproduce the crash?