Anki frequently crashes and forced to reset window sizes once every week at least

[jeffjeffjeff]

My anki app on my macbook crashes at least every week forcing me to reset window sizes after each time it does. This has become really frustrating and I am wondering if there is any other fix? I cannot use the small window size it resets to and must have the window be near full screen to unlock/search for cards.

Thanks

[AnkiHub_AI_bot]

Thinking

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Thanks for the clear description, that does sound frustrating.

A few things to check/try that often help with crash + window-size issues on macOS when using Anki + AnkiHub:

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1. Check whether add-ons are involved

Crashes and weird UI behavior are often caused by an add-on conflict.

1. In Anki, go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Click Toggle Enabled to disable all add-ons.
3. Restart Anki and use it for a while (ideally long enough to see if the weekly crash would normally happen).
   • If Anki stops crashing / resetting window size:
     • Re‑enable add-ons in small groups until the problem comes back.
     • If you find a specific add-on causing it, keep it disabled or look for an update.

If the crash only happens when AnkiHub is enabled, please mention:

• Your Anki version (e.g. 24.04.1),
• macOS version,
• AnkiHub add-on version (from Add-ons → AnkiHub → View Files → manifest.json or from the add-ons list),
  and we can help narrow it down.

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2. Reset Anki’s window & UI settings (without losing your decks)

Sometimes UI config gets corrupted.

1. Close Anki.
2. In Anki, go to Help → Open Backups Folder (this shows you the profile folder location). Go one level up to your profile folder (e.g. User 1).
3. In that profile folder, look for:
   • guilayout.dat
   • prefs21.db (or similar prefs file)
4. Move those files to a temporary folder on your desktop (do not delete your collection.anki2 or media folder).
5. Reopen Anki – this will recreate UI and preference files and often fixes window/resizing glitches.

If you’re unsure about the files, you can post a screenshot of your profile folder in this topic and I can guide you more precisely.

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3. Make sure you’re on a current Anki + AnkiHub version

Frequent crashing on macOS has sometimes been fixed in newer builds.

• In Anki: Help → About and note your version.
• Compare/update from: https://apps.ankiweb.net/
• Also update the AnkiHub add-on via:
  • Tools → Add-ons → Check for Updates

After updating, restart Anki a couple of times and see if the crash + resize still happens.

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4. Collect crash details

If it continues after the above:

1. When Anki crashes, note exactly what you were doing (reviewing, searching, syncing, using AnkiHub browser, etc.).
2. Check if a crash report shows up in macOS (Console app → Crash Reports) or if Anki shows any error message on restart.
3. Post those details here in this topic (you can paste the text or a screenshot, removing any personal info).

This will make it much easier to see if it’s a known issue or something specific to your setup.

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Can you reply with:

• Your Anki version
• macOS version
• A list of “major” add-ons you use (especially anything UI-related besides AnkiHub)
  so we can give more targeted next steps?

[Brian_BH]

Hello,

I would be happy to help.

At a glance, this sounds a bit like it may be a quirk best served by checking in with the Anki folks, who are likely better able to be in a position to help troubleshoot and hopefully resolve this issue for you

It does sound fairly frustrating, and I’m sorry you’re going through that. I believe that the official Anki forums are where you’d best be able to find help in troubleshooting Anki software issues: https://forums.ankiweb.net/

At the very least, were I in the same position that’s where I would start. Please let me know if that answers your question, and if there’s anything else I can help with.