Skip to main content

Next Design cannot be started.

Phenomenon​

When launching Next Design, an error message may appear, preventing the application from launching.

Cause​

The cause of this problem varies depending on the operation and launch method, but the following are possible causes:

  • Insufficient/damaged required environment
  • Invalid/damaged files loaded by the application
  • Security protection

The following solutions are listed for these causes. Please try the solutions in the order listed below and proceed while checking whether the application can be launched.

Solution​

(1) Check the operating environment and use it in a compatible environment.​

The operating system and the version of the associated application may not be within the supported environment.

For details on the supported environment, see below.

https://www.nextdesign.app/requirements/

(2) Install using the Next Design installer.​

If you attempt to use an EXE file or DLL file copied from another source without using the Next Design installer, the DLL may not load due to a security violation in the operating system.

Please delete all of these files and then install and use the Next Design installer.

(3) Reinstall or Repair Required Components​

When installing using the Next Design installer, required components such as the .NET runtime are automatically installed.

However, there may be cases where these components are incompletely installed or corrupted for some reason.

For example, if there is a problem with the installation of VC++ Redistributable, the following error log will be recorded and Next Design will be forced to close mid-launch.

20250830101004: Logging from NextDesign.App.App: System.DllNotFoundException: Unable to load DLL 'LexActivator' or one of its dependencies: The specified module cannot be found. (0x8007007E)
   at Cryptlex.LexActivatorNative.SetProductData(String productData)
   at Cryptlex.LexActivator.SetProductData(String productData)
   at DensoCreate.Licensing.Cryptlex.Implements.LicenseActivators.Cryptlex.LexActivatorWrapper.SetProductData(String productData)
   at DensoCreate.Licensing.Cryptlex.Implements.LicenseActivators.TrialLicenseActivator..ctor(ActivationType activationType, String activationInformationFilePath, String productId, String productData, ILexActivatorWrapper lexActivatorWrapper)
   at NextDesign.Licensing.NDTrialLicenseActivator..ctor(ActivationType activationType, String activationInformationFilePath, String productId, String productData, ILexActivatorWrapper lexActivatorWrapper)
at NextDesign.Licensing.NDLicenseActivatorFactory.Create(ActivationType activationType)
at DensoCreate.Licensing.Framework.LicenseManager.InitializeActivators(ILicenseActivatorFactory licenseActivatorFactory)
at DensoCreate.Licensing.Framework.LicenseManager..ctor(String applicationName, ILicenseActivatorFactory activatorFactory, LicenseSystemSettings licenseSystemSettings, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory, UInt32 TrialPeriod)
at NextDesign.App.App.CreateLicenseManager(IUserSettings userSettings, ILoggerFactory logFactory)
at NextDesign.App.App.App_OnStartup(Object sender, StartupEventArgs e)

In the above case, reinstalling or repairing the required components required to launch Next Design may resolve the issue. Please follow the steps below.

The Next Design installer package contains the following files.

<Example for Next Design V4.0.x 64-bit>

NextDesignSetup_x64.exe
└─SetupResources
NextDesignSetup4.0.14.50616-ja-x64.msi
VC_redist.x64.exe
windowsdesktop-runtime-8.0.6-win-x64.exe

Run each of the *.exe files (type: Application) in the SetupResources subfolder above. If "Repair" is displayed as an option, repair it.
Then, restart the OS and try launching Next Design again.

(4) Launch with Administrator Privileges​

Without administrator privileges, the application may be unable to load necessary files and launch.

Grant the logged-in user administrator privileges before launching Next Design.

(5) Delete the user settings file​

Start Next Design after deleting the usersettings.json file stored in the following path.

  • {user home path}\AppData\Local\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\user\usersettings.json

Example of a user home path: C:\Users\user-name

Note

The above {user home path}\AppData folder is a hidden folder.
To access it from Explorer, enter it directly in the address bar or enable the [View] > [Show/Hide] > [Hidden Files] checkbox in the Explorer ribbon.

Additional Information

The information stored in the above user settings file is as follows. Deleting it will reset this information.

  • Configuration management integration function settings, such as repository registration information
  • Optional display language settings

(6) Delete cache information files​

Start Next Design after deleting the following folder.

  • {User home path}\AppData\Local\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\user\cache\
Note

The cache information stored in the above folder is as follows. Deleting it will reset it.

  • Recently opened projects
  • Window size, display position, and editor display width
  • Model and tree expansion state last displayed in the project

(7) Check extensions​

Extensions may be affecting the startup process.

Empty the extension storage folder, prevent extensions from loading, and then start Next Design.
Unless otherwise specified, extensions are stored in the following folders. If these folders exist, delete the files and subfolders within them.

  • {Next Design installation folder}\extensions
  • {user home path}\AppData\Local\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\extensions
  • {user home path}\AppData\Local\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\installed-packages
  • C:\ProgramData\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\extensions

Default Next Design installation folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\DENSO CREATE\Next Design
Example user home path: C:\Users\user-name

If you can start the program after emptying these folders, there is a problem with the extension.
Contact the extension publisher.

Supplement

The above {user home path}\AppData and C:\ProgramData folders are hidden folders. To access them from Explorer, enter them directly in the address bar, or enable the [View] > [Show/Hide] > [Hidden Files] checkbox in the Explorer ribbon.

(8) Recovering the OS Performance Monitor​

Check that the OS Performance Monitor is operating properly.
To check, launch [Start Menu] > [Windows Administrative Tools] > [Performance Monitor] in Windows, and then check whether the [Performance] > [Monitoring Tools] > [Performance Monitor] item is present in the list on the left.
Furthermore, if you select the [Performance Monitor] item and the monitor screen appears, it is operating properly.

If the Performance Monitor item does not exist (or cannot be displayed), refer to the following page and try steps 1-4 of "Rebuilding Performance Counters."
https://learn.microsoft.com/ja-jp/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/manually-rebuild-performance-counters#rebuild-all-performance-counters-including-extensible-and-third-party-counters

(9) Close security software before launching the application.​

In rare cases, a false positive, such as a security violation, can prevent necessary files from being accessed or loaded.

Close other applications, such as security software, and then launch Next Design.

If the problem persists​

If the problem persists after trying steps (1) through (9) above, please contact technical support.

If a problem occurs, the application may output a log file. Please check the following folder and, if there is a log file (.log), send it to technical support (ndsupport@denso-create.jp). This may help resolve the issue more quickly.

  • {User Home Path}\AppData\Local\DENSO CREATE\Next Design\logs

Example of a user home path: C:\Users\user-name

Note

The above {User Home Path}\AppData folder is a hidden folder. To access it from Explorer, enter it directly in the address bar, or select [View] > [Show/Hide] > [Hidden Files] from the Explorer ribbon.

Please note that the log file does not contain any personal or design information about you.

Last updated on