Knowledge Base

Problem

CatWalk XT software crashes immediately on launch, or functions until the user attempts to auto-detect the control unit, at which point it crashes. In some cases the software opens only when the walkway is powered off.

Details

Affected versions include pre-10.7 builds. Symptoms include: software closes with no error message after auto-detecting the control unit; camera connection succeeds but control unit auto-detection triggers a crash; software opens normally when walkway is off but crashes when walkway is on and control unit is detected. A separate but related issue (#3509) presents as a small splash window appearing briefly and then disappearing when double-clicking the CatWalk XT executable.

Solution

1. **Power cycle sequence (most important first step):** Shut down both the CatWalk walkway and the PC. Power on the walkway first and wait 1–2 minutes for the camera to fully initialize, then start the PC and open CatWalk XT. Do not launch the software before the walkway is ready.
2. **Check user account permissions:** Ensure you are logged in as a standard (non-administrator) Windows user to run the software. CatWalk XT should not be run from the administrator account used during installation — doing so can cause file ownership conflicts that prevent correct startup.
3. **Clear corrupted configuration files (for splash-window-only crash, ticket #3509):** Navigate to `C:\ProgramData\Noldus\CatWalk\XT 10.7` and delete all files in that folder. Re-plug the hardware USB cable, then relaunch the software.
4. **Upgrade to CatWalk XT version 10.7:** If the above steps do not resolve the crash, upgrade the software to version 10.7. This version resolved the control-unit crash in confirmed cases. Contact Noldus support for a download link.
5. If the crash persists after upgrading, contact Noldus support for further diagnostics.