---
title: "Why Final Cut Pro Keeps Crashing"
author: "Alex Johnson"
category: Troubleshooting
excerpt: "Direct solutions for fixing corrupted preferences, out-of-memory errors, and incompatible plugins in Final Cut Pro."
image: "/cutsio-thumbnail.svg"
tags: "Final Cut Pro, Crashing, Troubleshooting, Mac"
---

Final Cut Pro keeps crashing primarily because of corrupted application preferences, out-of-memory errors from complex timelines, or outdated third-party plugins.

Here are the direct methods to stop Final Cut Pro from crashing.

## How do you fix corrupted preferences causing crashes?
If Final Cut Pro quits unexpectedly the moment you try to open the application, its internal preference files have become corrupted and must be reset.

To clear corrupted preferences:
1. Ensure Final Cut Pro is completely closed.
2. Hold down the **Option (`⌥`)** and **Command (`⌘`)** keys on your keyboard simultaneously.
3. Click the Final Cut Pro icon in your dock to open the app while holding those keys.
4. A dialog box will appear asking "Do you want to delete preferences?". Click **Delete Preferences**. The app will open cleanly with default settings.

## How do you isolate crashing plugins?
If Final Cut Pro only crashes when you scrub over a specific section of your timeline or try to export, a third-party effect, transition, or title is failing.

To isolate crashing plugins:
1. Open your timeline and use the **Blade tool** (`B`) to slice the project into halves.
2. Select the first half and press `V` to disable those clips.
3. Try exporting or rendering the second half. If it crashes, the bad plugin is in that half.
4. Continue dividing the remaining clips until you isolate the single corrupted clip or effect, then delete and replace it.

## How do you fix out-of-memory crashes?
If you receive an error stating "Your system has run out of application memory" right before a crash, your Mac's RAM and hard drive swap space are completely full.

To fix out-of-memory crashes:
1. Close Final Cut Pro.
2. Open the **Activity Monitor** application.
3. Check the **Memory** tab to see if any background applications (like Google Chrome) are hoarding RAM. Force quit them.
4. Check your Mac's internal storage in **System Settings > General > Storage**. You must keep at least 15-20% of your hard drive completely empty so macOS can use it as temporary virtual memory. Delete large files or clear Final Cut Pro render caches to free up space.