Kai Mallari's Notes'

EC - Crash Recovery Sequence

3 min read

Crash Recovery Sequence

Symptom: Capture One quit unexpectedly or was force-quit. Root Cause: Software crash (memory pressure, plugin conflict, corrupt file processing, or bug). Referred from: DIT Triage - C1 Crashed, DIT Triage - Tether Drops

What to Say to the Client

“Give me [30/60/90] seconds — I’m bringing the system back up. The images are safe.”

Pick the time based on your workflow tier:

  • Wired Only: 30 seconds
  • Pro: 60 seconds
  • Studio: 90 seconds

Diagnosis

A crash is self-evident — Capture One is no longer running. The recovery procedure depends on which workflow tier you are operating.

Fix

Wired Only Recovery (target: <30 seconds)

  1. Relaunch Capture One (Cmd+Space > “Capture One” > Enter)
  2. Session should auto-open to the last active session
  3. Verify the Viewer is displaying on the external monitor
  4. Re-enable overlay if it was active (Viewer toolbar > Overlay toggle)
  5. Test: trigger one capture to confirm tethering is live

Done. Total: ~20-30 seconds.

Pro Recovery (target: <60 seconds)

  1. Relaunch Capture One
  2. Session should auto-open
  3. Start the Image Server: Capture One menu > Image Server > Start (or it may auto-start)
  4. Verify Capture Pilot is accessible: check the iPad — it should reconnect automatically within 10-15 seconds. If not, force-close the Capture Pilot app on the iPad and relaunch
  5. Re-share Capture One Live if it was active: File > Capture One Live > Share (you’ll get a new share link — but existing viewers may reconnect to the session automatically)
  6. Verify overlay on the wired display
  7. Test: trigger one capture, confirm it appears on both Viewer and iPad

Done. Total: ~45-60 seconds.

Studio Recovery (target: <90 seconds)

  1. Relaunch Capture One
  2. Session should auto-open
  3. Re-open Client Viewer(s): Window > Client Viewer. Drag to the external display. Set to Follow Capture.
  4. Enable overlay on Client Viewer: three dots (…) > Settings > Appearance > Show Overlay
  5. Start/verify Live for Studio: the Live for Studio tool should show the current share. If it shows “Not sharing,” re-share the capture folder
  6. Start/verify Image Server for Capture Pilot: Capture One menu > Image Server > Start
  7. Check iPad(s):
    • Live for Studio app: should reconnect automatically. If “Session Not Found,” force-close and reopen
    • Capture Pilot app: should reconnect within 10-15 seconds
  8. Test: trigger one capture, confirm it appears on Client Viewer, iPad (Live for Studio), and iPad (Capture Pilot)

Done. Total: ~60-90 seconds.

If the Session Doesn’t Auto-Open

File > Open Session > navigate to the session folder. The session folder location should be in your pre-shoot notes. If unknown: check recent sessions in File > Open Recent.

If Tethering Doesn’t Resume After Relaunch

The PTP session may have dropped during the crash. Disconnect the USB cable, wait 5 seconds, reconnect. If still no camera detected, power cycle the camera.

Prevention

  • Save your workspace layout so it restores automatically after relaunch: Window > Workspace > Save Workspace
  • Keep Capture One updated to the latest stable release (not beta)
  • Avoid opening very large sessions (>5000 images) if memory is limited
  • Close unnecessary background applications to reduce memory pressure
  • If a specific file consistently triggers a crash, skip it and flag it for post-production

Documentation

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