TouchGFX hangs starting a project

[RickLeinen]

I am recently retired and have used TouchGFX for my past job.  I typically run a Mac, so I decide to buy an inexpensive PC so I can do some development with TouchGFX.  I'm using a GMXtec NucBoxG3_Plus.  I've installed TouchGFX and it runs, but when I try to start a project using either the STM32F469I DISCO or the STM32H743I EVAL2, the progress bar increases to 88%, then hangs and the program exits.  I have about 400GB available on my SSD.  Any ideas?  Thanks

[ferro]

Hi @RickLeinen 

Close GfxDesigner, delete its log file, start your project, post the log here.

c:\Users\aa\AppData\Roaming\TouchGFX-4.26.0\TouchGFXDesigner.log

[RickLeinen]

Thanks for the reply ferro!

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling.  No change.  I've attached the .log file.  On the TouchGFX webpage, there are two software downloads?  I downloaded both and installed the top one; X-CUBE-TOUCHGFX.  The second one will not install;

 ---------------------------
Error
---------------------------
Selected Folder does not include valid TouchGFX installation!
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

[ferro · Accepted solution]

ChatGPT

The key line in your log is this:

Failed to load native freetype library!
System.IO.FileLoadException

So the problem is not actually the .NET version.
The app starts correctly, but when it loads fonts it fails to load the native FreeType library used by TouchGFX Designer.

This is a native DLL dependency problem, not a managed (.NET) one.

Most common cause (90% of cases)

Missing Microsoft Visual C++ runtime.

TouchGFX uses a native FreeType DLL compiled with MSVC, so Windows must have the Visual C++ Redistributable installed.

Install both:

Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable (x64)

Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable (x86)

Even on 64-bit Windows you usually need both.

Download from Microsoft:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist

After installing → reboot → try again.

Second possible cause

The FreeType DLL is missing or blocked.

Check inside:

C:\TouchGFX\4.26.0\designer\

Look for something like:

freetype.dll
libfreetype.dll

If it exists:

Right-click → Properties

If you see:

This file came from another computer and might be blocked

→ click Unblock.

Third possible cause

Antivirus removed the DLL.

Some corporate antivirus deletes unknown native DLLs.

Check if the file exists in:

C:\TouchGFX\4.26.0\designer

If missing → reinstall TouchGFX Designer.

The Windows version is fine

Your log shows:

Windows NT 10.0.26100.0

That corresponds to Windows 11 version 24H2, which is supported.

So the OS is not the issue.

Quick checklist for the client machine

Install
VC++ 2015–2022 x64

Install
VC++ 2015–2022 x86

Reboot

If still broken → reinstall TouchGFX 4.26

💡 One more thing I’d like to know

Does the folder exist on his machine:

C:\TouchGFX\4.26.0\designer\bin

and does it contain something like:

freetype.dll

If you want, paste the file list from that folder and I can pinpoint the exact cause in seconds.

[RickLeinen]

Installing the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime solved the problem.  Thanks!