GP8 - Troubleshooting Guitar Pro 8 Crashes or Startup Issues

Launch issues with Guitar Pro 8, crashes on startup, or unexpected freezes are always frustrating and clearly not supposed to happen. They are most often related to the operating system or audio devices in use, but can usually be resolved quite easily. We invite you to follow the steps below to try and fix the issue.
 

1. Update everything

Make sure the following components are up to date:

• Guitar Pro 8
  Launch the software and go to the Guitar Pro 8 menu (on macOS) or the Help menu (on Windows), then click Check for updates.

• Your operating system
  Install any pending updates for macOS or Windows.

• Your audio drivers
  This includes external sound cards, USB interfaces, Bluetooth headsets, etc.

If you're unable to update Guitar Pro 8 from within the app (because of a crash or installation issue), we recommend:

• Uninstalling your current version of Guitar Pro 8

• Downloading the latest version directly from these links and make sure to install it as administrator:
  👉 Guitar Pro 8 for Windows
  👉 Guitar Pro 8 for macOS

• Avoid using the installation DVD, which may include an outdated version
   

2. Reset Guitar Pro 8 preferences

If the software crashes immediately at launch, resetting the preferences may help.

Windows

• Quit Guitar Pro 8

• Press Windows + R, type cmd, then press Enter

• In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command:
   

"C:\Program Files\Arobas Music\Guitar Pro 8\GuitarPro.exe" --reset

• Press Enter to execute

macOS

• Quit Guitar Pro 8

• Open the Terminal application (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal)

• Copy  and paste this command:
   

/Applications/Guitar\ Pro\ 8.app/Contents/MacOS/GuitarPro --reset

3. Reinstall soundcard drivers (if applicable)

Depending on your setup, reinstalling your audio drivers may help resolve stability or playback issues.

• Windows users
  If you are using an external USB audio interface (Focusrite, Steinberg, Behringer, etc.), download and install the latest ASIO driver from the manufacturer's website. After reinstalling, restart your computer.

• macOS users
  If you're using an external audio interface, ensure that you have installed the latest driver or control software available from the manufacturer's website (if required). Most recent macOS-compatible devices are plug and play, but it’s worth verifying.
   

4. Still having issues?

If the problem persists, please contact our support team and include the following details:

• Your operating system version (e.g. Windows 11 22H2, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1)

• Your current Guitar Pro 8 version (e.g. 8.1.4 - build 43)

• The brand and model of any external audio devices connected to your computer

• A description of the steps to reproduce the issue

• If the crash involves a specific file, please attach it to your message

• If you already tried resetting the preferences, please mention it in your message.

We’ll do our best to assist you as quickly as possible.