Guitar Rig Crashes at Startup

1. Enable Full Disk Access

On macOS, Native Instruments products and the audio software they are used with require Full Disk Access to function correctly.

Please grant Full Disk Access to all NI apps, NTKDaemon, and other audio software (incl. your DAW):

1. Open your Mac's System Preferences and select Security & Privacy.
2. In the Privacy tab, choose Full Disk Access.
3. Click the lock icon in the bottom left of the window and enter your macOS password.
4. Ensure that your desired app appears in the list.
   If it does not appear in this list, click the + icon and add the location of the app from here:
   - Native Access and other audio software: Macintosh HD > Applications
   - Other NI apps: Macintosh HD > Applications > Native instruments
5. Once completed, click the lock icon again.
   
   Note: the look of the Full Disk settings can vary depending on your macOS version.
   
6. Restart your computer.
7. Start Guitar Rig as a standalone application (not in your DAW). If it still crashes, proceed with the next chapter.

2. Delete the User Preference (PLIST) File

1. Go to the following location of your computer:
   Macintosh HD > Users > *Your User Name* > Library > Preferences
   

   Note: The User Library folder is hidden on macOS. See this article for instructions to access this hidden system location.

2. In the Preferences folder, locate the plist file for your Guitar Rig version and delete it. In this example, we delete the plist file for Guitar Rig 6.
   
   

   Note: Deleting other plist files could result in unexpected behavior with other applications.

3. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

3. Reinitialize the Application Database

1. Go to the following location:
   Macintosh HD > Users > *Your User Name* > Library > Application Support > Native Instruments
   

   Note: The User Library folder is hidden on macOS. See this article for instructions to access this hidden system location.

2. Locate the folder for your Guitar Rig version and delete it. In this example, we delete the folder for Guitar Rig 6.
   
   

   Note: Deleting other NI product folders could result in unexpected behavior with other applications.

3. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

3. Remove and Reinstall the Guitar Rig Software

If the solutions listed above do not solve the problem, please try to completely remove and reinstall Guitar Rig.

Note: Uninstalling/reinstalling will not affect your DAW projects or saved documents. Reinstalling on the same computer does not affect your allowed number of authorizations (see this article for more info).

1. Please follow this article for detailed instructions on how to remove Guitar Rig manually.
2. Once the Guitar Rig application has been removed, it can be reinstalled using Native Access.

1. Delete the USER Registry:

1. Click the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen and type 'regedit' to search and open the Windows Registry Editor.
   
2. Go to the following location in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > Native Instruments
3. In the Native Instruments folder, locate the folder for your Guitar Rig version and delete it. In this example, we delete the folder for Guitar Rig 6.
   
   

   Note: Deleting other registry folders could result in unexpected behavior with other applications.

4. Close the Registry Editor and reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

2. Reinitialize the Database

1. Go to the following location:
   C: > Users > Username > AppData > Local > Native Instruments
   

   Note: The "AppData" folder is hidden on Windows. See this article for instructions to access hidden folders on Windows.

2. Locate the Guitar Rig folder and delete it. In this example, we delete the folder for Guitar Rig 6.
   
   

   Note: Deleting other NI product folders could result in unexpected behavior with other applications.

3. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

Further Troubleshooting

If Guitar Rig is still crashing please try these additional solutions below.

1. Update Windows

1. Click the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen and type 'Windows update' to search and open the Windows Update Settings.
2. Click on Check for updates and allow all Windows updates to install.
   
3. Once all Windows updates are installed, restart the computer.
4. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

2. Update the Graphics Card Driver

The easiest way to check for updates for your graphics card driver is on the manufacturer's website. To find the name and model of your graphics card, follow these steps:

1. Click the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen and type 'device manager', to search and open the Windows Device Manager.
2. Click to expand the Display adapters in the list to find your computer's graphics card.
   
   

   Note: You may find one or more graphics card adapters on this list.
   

3. Go to the manufacturer's website for your graphics card(s) and download the latest drivers.

4. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

3. Display Monitor Settings

Sometimes the display resolution settings can cause problems with Guitar Rig. Please try these steps to set the default scaling and resolution settings:

1. If you have multiple displays connected, disconnect all of the extra displays leaving one connected.
2. Click the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen and type 'Settings' to search and open the Windows Settings app. 
3. Choose System and click Display.
4. Use the drop-down menu under Scale and Layout and select the recommended scale setting (e.g. 100%).
   

   

5. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

4. Antivirus Settings

Antivirus software can interfere with or prevent Guitar Rig from opening. You can temporarily disable your antivirus software, or add Guitar Rig to your antivirus list of exceptions (i.e. programs or folders your antivirus will not scan).

1. Please check with the manufacturer of your antivirus or security software for instructions to disable it or add exceptions.
2. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

5. Administrator Mode

Please follow these steps to open Guitar Rig in Administrator mode:

1. Go to the following location of your computer:
   C: > Program Files > Native Instruments
2. Open the folder for your Guitar Rig version. In this example, we open the folder for Guitar RIg 6.
   

   Note: You can also use the Guitar Rig app shortcut on your desktop.

3. Right-click the Guitar Rig app icon Choose Properties.
4. On the Compatibility tab, select the option to Run This Program As An Administrator.
5. Click Apply and OK to confirm.
   

   Note: This setting will always run Guitar Rig in Administrator mode.

6. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.

6. Sound Card Settings

Make sure your audio interface outputs are set to the same sample rate. Different sample rates could cause the application to crash.

Note: If using more than one audio interface device, this sample rate must be set for all sound cards connected.

1. Click the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen and type 'Sound' to search and open the Windows system, Sound settings.
2. On the Sound settings page, click Sound Control Panel on the right.
3. In the Playback section, click the first device entry and click Properties.
4. In the Properties window, click the Advanced tab and select a bit depth and sample rate. We recommend using 2 channel, 24 bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality).
   

   Note: If you experience playback issues, choose 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality) instead.

5. Repeat this process for all entries in the Playback section and make sure to choose the same bit depth and sample rate settings for all outputs.
6. After finishing all the output entries, repeat this procedure for all input entries in the Recording section.
   
7. Reopen Guitar Rig to check that the issue has been resolved.