topic Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo? in 3D Part & Assembly Design

What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

jvadalia-2 — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:54:58 GMT

Hi Everyone,

This is for general discussion for the possible cause of "fatal error" while working with CREO.

I would like to know from tech guys that what are the major reasons for this particular error.

Please if any body knows, please do share your views. This might be helpful to many.

And please give the reasons priority wise. Highest Priority cause to lowest priority cause.

Regards,

Jignesh

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

jvadalia-2 — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:15:00 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I think no one is concerned with the "Fatal Error" issues coming.

So assuming that no body has the answer..

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

StephenW — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 12:43:30 GMT

Your question is too general for Users (in my opinion). A search of the community delivers hundreds, if not thousands, of results.

A search of PTC support comes up with over 5000 results.

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

jvadalia-2 — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 12:57:54 GMT

Hi,

I agree with you that my question is general.

But for the general question, there should be general answer. At least PTC employees should answer this.

And just like you replied with the argument. I expect someone with some points to be noted on this. I know this question is difficult to answer. The emergence of the question is with the birth of CREO and was not there at the time of PRO/Engineer i guess.

For me this is the reason to ask a question. I had asked this to many local technical guys. But no one was sure about the answer. So I thought lets ask globally if i can explore on something.

Regards,

Jignesh

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

Mahesh_Sharma — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:12:58 GMT

Jignesh,

Fatal error in Creo is a generic message for any premature exit in Creo. There is no specific cause for such exits, some of the possible reasons which can share are.

> Exit from application itself.

This may consider an exit due to code failure in Creo
Exit due to data corruption. This can include corruption in data due to application or any external reason.

> Exit in application from Hardware side.

Graphics failure
System Memory

> Exit due to plugins.

Aarticles for reference :

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS105763

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS31618

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

mender — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 05:25:45 GMT

I would recommend that you file an SPR on any premature exit / fatal error / crash issue. They are generally the most painful for you and the easiest for us to diagnose/fix.

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

TomD.inPDX — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:33:08 GMT

The primary reason for any version of Pro|Engineer to crash is using the software to begin with.

How is that for a broad answer

Seriously, I can cause a fatal crash in any version of Pro|Engineer, including any version of Creo, within 30 minutes.

Just go and start working on a new command and beat the holy heck out of it.

I promise you, before you ever get the hang of the command, you will have crashed the system.

In a sense, it is the user that gets trained, not the software.

The problem is that it is easy to trip up the software. All you need to do is tie up the Windows buffers.

There are so many little buffer errors that go on in Windows it is amazing that everything doesn't crash regularly.

With Creo, WF, and Pro|E, The system is highly dependent on buffers. If something messes up the sync, you get a fatal crash.

Oh, and about that new command? Eventually you will learn to treat the system nicely and the system will behave from then on.

You will have learned how to interact with the command.

This has been obvious since very early in the Windows NT environment. In all the years I've use Pro|E, etc. this has been the case.

And I've always used "certified" systems or components.

There is a caveat, of course. Corrupt files will crash Creo on a very repeatable pattern. True bugs can fatal crash the system.

These are also repeatable and should be reported with all due diligence included.

..it happens, save often!

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

HamsterNL — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:38:04 GMT

Heck, most of the time I don't even get a messagebox...

You know what they say...fail fast, fail often...uuh, save fast, save often!

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

VladimirN — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 09:34:08 GMT

Hi Jignesh,

Please open a new Case for this issue: https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/case/case_logger.jsp

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

jjhahn2 — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 02:57:58 GMT

Most likely the crash is your creo_parametric_customization.ui file is corrupt. I've had to fix this several times. After updating Creo3, installing Creo4 and reconfiguring Creo4. I would get Fatal error entering sketcher, opening a simple part or other really simple things.

1.) Go to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\PTC\ProENGINEER\Wildfire\.wf\.Settings and rename or remove the creo_parametric_customization.ui you find there. NOTE; you may have the creo_parametric_customization.ui in your startup directory. It may be good to use yet. (used in step 3) If you don't have one in your startup, create one by exporting from customization dialog page - prior to deleting the one mentioned above.

2) After restarting Creo, your customized Ribbon settings will be gone.

3) Right click to "Customize Ribbon" then select Import/Export and choose Import Customization file. I start by selecting the creo_parametric_customization.ui file from my startup directory, and selecting "All modes."

4) If I still get crashes, start over at step 1, then in step 3 bring in one mode at a time (Part, Assembly, Sketcher, Drawing, Activated part in Assembly, etc.) and test the interface to see if crash still happens.

It's sad that PTC didn't provide this answer for us, or pay us to debug their fragile application by way of a reimbursement on maintenance.

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

TomD.inPDX — Sun, 23 Jul 2017 16:32:05 GMT

#1 reason for fatal crashes: Learning new features. This tends to solve itself over time when you learn to talk nicely to Creo.

#2 reason for fatal crashes: A consistent process causes a fatal error; Submit support case - it is either H/W or S/W

#3 reason for fatal crashes: The input buffer is stuffed up and Creo acts on eroneous input. Goes hand-in-hand with #1.

I can fatal crash any Creo session. I cannot always repeat it. And when I can repeat the error and report it, I still get shoulder shrugs from PTC.

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

K2 — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 11:46:55 GMT

TomD - I have trod that path. Your words are prophetic. I salute you.

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

JK_10614649 — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 21:46:29 GMT

What is an SPR and how do you file one?

Re: What are the possible reasons for "Fatal Error" working with Creo?

BenLoosli — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 22:10:02 GMT

Please do not respond to old posts. The last comment in this thread was 6 years ago.

A SPR is a Software Performance Report and they are opened by PTC employees when they find that a feature is not working to specification. You would need to start by opening a call with the PTC support staff and then have them investigate your issue.