Symptom 1

You open a document in the Editor view and you move to any segment in the document. SDL Trados Studio displays the following error message:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object

When you try to confirm a segment, you receive the error message:

TM update failed

 

Symptom 2

You start Studio immediately after installing it. When you switch between different dialogs and views, Studio displays the following error message:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Solution 1

If Studio starts, but shows the error message Object reference not set to an instance of an object when you switch between different dialogs and views:

1. Open Studio.
2. Activate the view where the error occurs (for example the Editor view).
3. Click View > Reset Window Layout.
4. Click OK to confirm resetting the window layout.

If the error message still appears after following the steps above, follow the instructions under Solution 2 below.

 

Solution 2

1. Rename the setting files and run a repair installation

   1. Close all SDL applications.
       
   2. Go to the following folder: 
      • SDL Trados Studio 2011
        • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[USER_NAME]\Application Data\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\10.0.0.0
        • Windows Vista/7/8: C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\10.0.0.0
      • SDL Trados Studio 2014
        • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[USER_NAME]\Application Data\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\11.0.0.0
        • Windows Vista/7/8: C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\11.0.0.0
           
      • SDL Trados Studio 2015
        • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[USER_NAME]\Application Data\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\12.0.0.0
        • Windows Vista/7/8: C:\Users\[USER_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\SDL\SDL Trados Studio\12.0.0.0
           
   3. Rename the following XML files (for example, add an underscore before/after the filename):
      • BaseSettings.xml
      • Plugincache.xml
      • UserSettings.xml

   NOTE: If you do not find this folder, make sure that these files are not hidden. See article #000001137: Show hidden files and folders on Windows operating systems.

2. Run a repair installation

   1. Open the Control Panel:
      • Windows Vista/7: Start > Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
      • Windows 8: Right-click on the screen at bottom-left corner and choose Control Panel > Uninstall a Program.
         
   2. Click to highlight the damaged SDL Trados Studio version and click Repair.
       
   3. Restart Studio.

There are a few possible explanations for this problem:

You installed Studio using Download and run...(also known as Save and run) or Run... in your Internet browser. This means that you have run the installer from within your browser without first saving the installer locally on your computer.
Studio was running while installing a Cumulative Update or a Service Pack.
Various Studio layout settings could not be properly accepted and updated while starting Studio.