Keynote crashes

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SBR1963 Author

Level 1

5 points

Keynote crashes

I've recently upgraded my MacBook Air to macOS Monterey and I've started having problems with Keynote. It often (not always) crashes immediately after trying to open a presentation file or just when launching the app. I seem to have installed the last version of the app (11.2) and the OS is also fully updated (12.3.1) and it doesn't seem to be a problem with a specific file, since Keynote crashes upon trying to open any of the presentations I've build with the app in the las couple of years.

Has anyone found similar problems? Is there any solution? This is really becoming a serious issue, because I am a teacher and I have a number of presentations that I have not been able to complete.

Any recommendation will be of great help. Thanks!

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.3

Posted on Apr 3, 2022 3:55 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Gary Scotland

Level 7

25,856 points

Apr 3, 2022 4:31 AM in response to SBR1963

Try this procedure which is known to sort this type of issue.

complete all of the following steps in the order listed:

ensure you have a current backup of all your user files, saved to a separate drive

close all applications

uninstall Keynote; for this procedure to work, an application removal tool must be used, App Delete has a free trial and works for this procedure. It can be downloaded from the developer’s website here: App Delete

empty the Trash (Finder > Empty Trash)

restart the Mac (Apple Menu > Restart); Immediately after the Apple startup sound, press the shift key on the keyboard, release shift when the Apple icon appears. Start up will take longer than usual as the Mac is performing a software repair of the start up drive

After the Mac is fully powered up, restart the Mac normally: Apple Menu > Restart

reinstall Keynote from the Mac App Store

Restart the Mac again and test Keynote

If Keynote still continues to crash, create a new Mac User Account and test Keynote, as described here:

Set up users, guests and groups on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

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Answer 2

Apr 4, 2022 10:00 AM in response to SBR1963

The new user account must be a new Administrator account, and not a guest account.

The next step would be to either clean install Mac OS which is to backup everything on the drive then erase the start up drive and install a reliable stable version of Mac OS to run your Mac

the reasons for starting from an external are:

use a different Mac OS from what you have now, use Catalina

keeps your existing user files and Mac OS intact
prevent existing software from interfering with Keynote
act as a back up drive for your Mac
would not delete anything on your existing
the system would be as fast and efficient as using your internal drive

I always have an external bootable drive ready as a back up in case of emergencies.

If you have or prepared to get a solid state drive, try the procedure described here:

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/macos-external-drive-3659666/

The Catalina installer from the Mac App Store is here:

macOS Catalina

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Answer 3

SBR1963 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 4, 2022 8:37 AM in response to Gary Scotland

Hi,

After 24h behaving well, Keynote started crashing again, after deleting with App Delete and reinstalling. Please, could you be more specific about the procedure of creating a new Mac User Account? Should it be an administrator? A group sharing my account? Also, if Keynote continues to crash, what should I do next?

Thanks,

srg

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Answer 4

SBR1963 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 4, 2022 10:59 AM in response to Gary Scotland

OK, thanks. One more question. I actually possess two identical Airs. Would it be feasible to restore one of them to the original setting (I think it was Catalina) and then use migration assistant to transfer files, apps ans everything else from the other still running Monterey?

Thanks again,

srg

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Answer 5

Apr 4, 2022 2:00 PM in response to SBR1963

Yes that's a good idea, however:

1 - download and test Keynote and other Apple apps first before transferring any files and other apps over as there may be a conflict

2 - apps should be downloaded from the Mac App Store or from the third party developer to get the correct version of the app that is compatible with Catalina.

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Answer 6

SBR1963 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 5, 2022 3:33 AM in response to Gary Scotland

Hi, Gary,

Well, it doesn't work. Migration assistant won't allow a transfer from Monterey to Catalina. Anyway, at least I now have an Air running Monterey and another one running Catalina, where Keynote works. Is there any hope for Keynote (and other apps, like Zoom, e.g.) to run normally on Monterey someday?

Best and thanks for your help.

srg

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Answer 7

Apr 5, 2022 4:18 AM in response to SBR1963

Restore your user files by copying to an external drive connected to the Monterey machine or using your backup drive, then connect the drive to your Catalina machine and use Finder to copy the files over.

We don't have any issues with Keynote running in Monterey on any of our systems.

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