IMatch closes unexpectedly when importing or updating files

[Beach Photog]

This behavior started about 3 weeks ago, and I thought I had the problem under control by restoring most of the default settings. I can open some old, simple databases and not try to import any new files and everything is OK, but when I created a new database to experiment with some recent files the same thing happened - iMatch terminated with no warning from either iMatch itself nor the Windows 10 OS, and no special crash log was created. I have attached the iMatch debug log for this instance. It is quite small because iMatch crashes the moment it gets into completing the metadata import for the image directory. Two questions then: How do we cure this behavior, and how can I step in and stop iMatch from executing the metadata queue when it starts up? - no keyboard command seems to be fast enough.

I note that the log shows iMatch reporting  "IMatch2020x64.exe], version info: 20.5.6 not found", but that is the version iMatch reports it is using in the "About" window, along with ExifTool version 11.99. These problems started around the 15th of May, about the same time Microsoft updated Windows 10 and an update for iMatch arrived. Everything was fine before that.

[Mario]

There are no errors or warnings in this log file.
I see no operations relating to ingesting or processing metdata.
The log stops when IMatch is ingesting a DNG file (the first DNG file!) from drive S:
It has calculated the CRC checksum in 16ms seconds before and now starts to load the DNG file.

Have you tried to re-install IMatch in case something installed later has broken something?

IMatch configured as an exception in your virus checker? Note that the file name for IMatch 2020 has changed, so a previously created exception may not be working anymore.

Did you run a database diagnosis?

Does this problem happens always when you process DNG files?
Which WIC codec is used for DNG files? Run a WIC diagnosis for one of your DNG files via Help > Support > WIC Diagnostics.
It seems you have multiple WIC codec packs installed an this may be an issue.

If you suspect that IMatch has something 'bad' in the processing queue, you can clear the queue via Database menu > Tools > Clear Processing Queues.
This command can be quickly reached via Alt+D, T, L and then <Enter> to clear the File Queue.

[Beach Photog]

Thanks for the rapid response. Answering your questions in order,

1 Yes, I reloaded iMatch about a week ago after first uninstalling the existing copy to try to resolve this issue, but I'm never sure that all traces of a program are removed when that is done so there may be some carry-over. Certainly there was as far as my photools account is concerned because my information was intact.
2 Virus checker re-configured today. I excluded  imatch6\iMatch2020n64.exe,  imatch6\exiftool.exe,   imatch6\iMatchChromiumHelper.exe   from Norton360 virus scans. These indeed were not current for the new version 6.
3 Yes, I run a database diagnosis fairly regularly with no issues reported.
4a Yes, there are multiple codecs for DNGs as well as several other formats, but only the Microsoft codec for Fuji. Nikon is supported by the latest Microsoft codec, as well as the current version from Nikon.
4b DNG is obviously a problem. I found when searching for this type of file that I have captured a number over the years as outputs from certain software such as camera color calibration analysis, and produced some using Adobe's own converter for camera formats that I wanted to ensure against becoming indecipherable. Now I find that Adobe has been making changes that might obsolete early versions of these. Searching for DNGs on my system, I found a number that actually crash the Windows Explorer! Where I can, I am either deleting these apparently bad copies or placing the more civil ones in storage out of reach of iMatch, at least until I return to smooth operation.
4c. I just set iMatch to prefer its own Codec raw processor. We will see what happens, but how do you remove a codec from Windows 10 where there is obvious duplication?
4d. I will run a WIC diagnosis if I have a problem in the future after all these changes.

I will keep you posted.

[Mario]

Adobe makes indeed changes to DNG whenever they need something 'new' for one of their products.
And they no longer develop or ship a DNG codec, relying on Microsoft or open source products like LibRaw to do their work.

Other software which creates DNG files produces more or less 'compatible' DNG files.
All this has become a big mess. DNG never lived up to the initial promise. And we still have to live with a constantly growing number of proprietary, undocumented and incompatible RAW formats.

If you have DNG files which crash the DNG codec installed, and in reaction crash Windows Explorer...this will also crash IMatch.
If the codec crashes and triggers the Windows crash handler, the hosting process (Explorer or IMatch) will be terminated by Windows automatically.

You can uninstall (I believe) the separately installed Microsoft Raw Image Extensions (which you have installed) but no the built-in WIC codecs.
If you have a DNG which crashes the Windows DNG WIC codec, I recommend to report this to Microsoft so they can fix it, maybe.