# HDR efex pro2 not launching



## Les White

I have Windows 7 and Lightroom 3.6 (I have ordered LR5)--I just purchased Nik Collection and all programs work effectively except HDR (I had problems with it during the demo NIK application too).  The HDR app goes through all the steps except at the end of  when saving the image I get message saying the program has stopped working and "launching external application failed".  The preset under file shows that it has been properly installed.  Beats me what is going on.....any thoughts?


----------



## bobo

Hi Les,
I just purchased the Nik Collection and am having the exact same problem with HDR efect pro 2 as you. "stopped working" and "launching failed" errors. Did you ever get the problem solved?


----------



## Victoria Bampton

I'm hearing a few reports like this.  Which program stops working - LR or HDR Efex?  Has anyone asked Nik/Google about it?


----------



## bobo

From Lightroom 4.4 (LR) the photos transfer to HDR Efex Pro 2 (HDR). HDR appears to go through all the conversion steps until I hit the "save button". HDR appears to be saving until the end when I get the "HDR Efex Pro 2 has stopped working" message (windows message) followed by "Launching external application failed" message (LR message). The HDR image is not saved to LR (or anywhere I can find). The problems appears to be between HDR and LR saving and returning control back to LR. I have submitted the problem to Nik/Google but no solution yet.


----------



## bobo

Following is the fix that Nik/Google supplied to me. It worked for me. Hope if you have the same problem it works for you.

1)Use windows search to find the file  HDREfexPro.cfg  
2) double click to open
3) Windows will ask which application to use to open this file, locate and choose "Notebook"
4) At the very beginning (before all the text) of the configuration past the folowing code below verbatun:
*
<configuration>
**<group name="INTERN">
<**key name="UseSafeMode" type="bool" value="1"/>*
*</group>*
*</configuration>*
5) Now save the file, close it and relaunch HDR Efex Pro 2 and see if the issue has been resolved.


----------



## Victoria Bampton

Great, thanks bobo.  Did it work for you?  I wonder what caused it!


----------



## bobo

It does appear to have worked on my computer. I am very new to HDR Efex Pro, so it's too early to judge if it's had any negative effects on the overall program.  The problem appears to be related the GPU driver (Display/Video Card) in my computer not being compatable with the HRD software. This fix disables the Vidio Card. I'm treating it as a "temporary fix" until I can update/replace my Video Card. I suspect the program is running slower with the Video Card bypassed.


----------



## billybees

Tried this 'fix' on both Win7 & Vista OS's without success. Still unable to open HDR Efex Pro 2 without it crashing. Never a problem with NIK but Google is another story. The crash occurs with PS CS6, LR 5 or independently. All programs other than this HDR EFEX pro2 work w/o difficulty, though.


----------



## davidedric

If HDR Efex is crashing as it opens,  you could try disabling the "use gpu"  preference.    I had a similar problem,  and found that it stayed up just long to enable me to do that,  and the problem resolved.    (I subsequently upgraded to LR 5.3 and found the upgrade had re-enabled the preference!)


----------



## Les White

*HDRpro in the NIK COLLECTION*

i tried all the things mentioned in the various posts plus the steps mentioned below and it is still hit and miss (more miss) in terms of saving the HDR version of my photos










bobo said:


> Following is the fix that Nik/Google supplied to me. It worked for me. Hope if you have the same problem it works for you.
> 
> 1)Use windows search to find the file  HDREfexPro.cfg
> 2) double click to open
> 3) Windows will ask which application to use to open this file, locate and choose "Notebook"
> 4) At the very beginning (before all the text) of the configuration past the folowing code below verbatun:
> *
> <configuration>
> **<group name="INTERN">
> <**key name="UseSafeMode" type="bool" value="1"/>*
> *</group>*
> *</configuration>*
> 5) Now save the file, close it and relaunch HDR Efex Pro 2 and see if the issue has been resolved.


----------



## billybees

*Google supports NIK programs.*



Les White said:


> i tried all the things mentioned in the various posts plus the steps mentioned below and it is still hit and miss (more miss) in terms of saving the HDR version of my photos



I've been a NIK client/supporter for a long while and have the full suite. I, too, recently was unable to get HDR Pro2 to work: constant crashing. And I tried all the supposed fixes, none of which worked. Curious of how Google would react to the problem, however, NIK/Google became aware of my issues and, of their own accord, emailed me and offered a new download to the suite if I could supply the Keys to prove legitimacy. I did, and true to their word provided me a link for the downloads. Surprisingly, too, from first email with NIK/Google to being up and running was a matter of a few hours, almost immediate help. Wow! I'm still in awe.  I suggest contacting NIK/Google support at their site.


----------



## davidedric

Re the comment about Nikoogle support.   I had reason to contact them (from the UK) over a similar issue, and was also amazed:

- You ring them, and after a brief dialogue put your phone down, and they ring you back.  You are still in an automatic dialogue, but they are paying not you.

- I was quickly through to a real person who was able to help me

- The real person emailed me the link I needed, and then suggested he stay on the phone till the email arrived, just to be sure everything was in order

Very impressed, and the issue was resolved!

Dave


----------



## glennhwt

How do you launch HDR Efex Pro 2 from within Lightroom?  I have the full suite and can do it in Photoshop
but I don't see anything to launch it in Lightroom.   I'm using LR 5.3


----------



## davidedric

In Lightroom,  it's under the "Export" menu item


----------



## Den

It can also be set up to launch from "Edit In"


----------



## glennhwt

Thanks, I found it in the export menu.


----------



## LouieSherwin

Den said:


> It can also be set up to launch from "Edit In"



No unfortunately not. They don't seem to have figured out how or maybe want to use the "Edit in" workflow to render multiple images and then hand them off to the HEP app. I am not sure why not. I am must speculating but it may be because "Edit in" seems to need to bring a rendered copy of each image back into the library.

-louie


----------



## Den

I stand corrected. I just meant you can edit it in HEP from "Edit In". It doesn't put it back in LR like "Export" does, but the program does launch.  (At least on my machine it does).


----------



## clee01l

Den said:


> I stand corrected. I just meant you can edit it in HEP from "Edit In". It doesn't put it back in LR like "Export" does, but the program does launch.  (At least on my machine it does).


While the program launches, it does not open the TIFF files that LR just created for the HDR.  The files created by LR need to be passed as a commandline argument when the app is called. This only happens with the Export preset.

You can assign any executable program even non image editors like Word or Firefox to the Edit-In function.


----------

