It is quite frustrating when SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) randomly crashes, all too often for my liking. If you have the following screen shot then read on.

Digging into the event logs I noticed the following error:

Faulting application name: Ssms.exe, version: 2015.130.15000.23,
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7601.18847,
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x0000812f
Faulting process id: 0x209c

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\130\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\Ssms.exe

<SNIPPET>

Application: Ssms.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException
at System.Windows.Media.Composition.DUCE+Channel.SyncFlush()
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndTarget.UpdateWindowSettings(Boolean, System.Nullable`1<ChannelSet>)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndTarget.UpdateWindowPos(IntPtr)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndTarget.HandleMessage(MS.Internal.Interop.WindowMessage, IntPtr, IntPtr)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.HwndTargetFilterMessage(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(System.Object)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)

SSMS crashes are caused by a wide variety of things, looking at current (and closed) connect items I couldn’t really find a fix. The next best option is to follow the advice in the workaround section which states “Try installing the latest Update”.

Within SSMS check for updates.

Clicking the UPDATE button takes you to the URL http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=531355 where you will need to manually download and install.

Hopefully I will get less random crashes… we shall see.