Ive had this live 12 version for years now. I dont suspect its a plugin because I uninstalled all the new plugins i recently downloaded. Some of these projects that are crashing have the same plugins ive been using for years. Its not a workload issue because its still crashing on projects that are basically just audio samples and some plugins. Its usually when the projects been running for more than 30 minutes but not always. Also if its been running over 30 minutes and i try to collect all and save or export i get a serious program error has occurred and it deletes the project file out of the folder. But if i load it from the backup and re save it its fine, only when its been open for a little bit i cant save or export without a serious program error. lol I'm going to be dumping this system and getting a mac/logic because I just cant deal with this anymore but in the meantime i need to try and figure this out.

 

Spoiler: Gemini KI

Here is a breakdown of what is likely going on and how to stabilize it.

Before you jump ship to Mac/Logic, let's look at what's likely happening. Since you've ruled out specific plugins and CPU workload, the symptoms you're describing—crashing after 30+ minutes and failing during "Collect All and Save"—point toward file permission conflicts or a memory leak/disk buffer issue.

1. The "Vanishing File" Mystery
When Ableton crashes during a save and the file disappears, it’s usually because of how Ableton handles saving. It creates a temporary file, then replaces the old .als with the new one. If the process is interrupted (by a crash or a disk write error), the old file is already "gone" and the new one hasn't been finalized.

• Check your Drive Sleep Settings: Since it happens after 30 minutes, your hard drive (especially if it’s an external HDD) might be trying to enter a "power save" mode. When Ableton tries to write the "Collect All" data, the drive spin-up delay causes a timeout and a crash.
  
  
• Permissions: Ensure your project folders aren't synced to OneDrive or Dropbox in real-time. These services often "lock" a file to upload it the moment you hit save, which blocks Ableton from completing the write process, leading to that "Serious Program Error."

2. The 30-Minute Wall: Memory Leaks
Even if your CPU meter looks low, a specific plugin might have a memory leak. This doesn't spike your CPU; it just slowly fills up your RAM until the application can't address any more memory and collapses.

• The Test: Open your Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) while working. Keep an eye on the "Memory" column for Ableton. If you see that number steadily climbing over that 30-minute period without you adding new tracks, you’ve found a leak.
  
  
• The Culprit: It’s often a bridge or a visualizer plugin (like an analyzer) that isn't clearing its cache properly.

3. Clear the Preferences (The "Reset" Button)
Sometimes Ableton’s Preferences.cfg file gets corrupted over years of updates. This can cause erratic behavior during file exports.

1. Close Ableton.
   
   
2. Navigate to: %AppData%\Ableton\Live 12.x.x\Preferences\
   
   
3. Move Preferences.cfg to your desktop (as a backup).
   
   
4. Restart Live. You’ll have to reconfigure your audio/MIDI settings, but this often cures "phantom" crashes.

Comparison of Stability Factors
Symptom Likely Cause Fix
Crash on Export Disk Write/Permission Error Disable OneDrive/Cloud sync for project folders.
Crash after 30 mins Memory Leak or Drive Sleep Check RAM usage in Task Manager; Set Windows Power Plan to "High Performance."
Project File Deletion Interrupted Save Cycle Always "Save Live Set As" a new version before doing a "Collect All and Save."
Quick "Band-Aid" for your Current Projects
Since you need to get through these sessions before switching systems:

• Avoid "Collect All and Save" while the engine is running: Stop playback and wait 5 seconds before initiating a big save or export.
  
  
• Check your Temp Folder: Go to Ableton Preferences -> File/Folder and ensure your "Temporary Folder" is on your fastest, most stable drive (not a nearly full C: drive).
  
  
• The "Clean Slate" Method: If a project is acting cursed, create a brand new, empty project and use the Live Browser to drag the tracks from the "broken" project into the new one. This often leaves the corruption behind.

Does this crashing happen mostly on projects saved on an external drive, or is everything on your internal SSD?

Ableton - Optimizing Windows for Audio
https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209071469-Optimizing-Windows-for-Audio

 

Ive done all of this