LibreCAD Main Errors – Solution

LibreCAD is a powerful, open-source 2D CAD application that serves as a reliable alternative to paid software, but its community-driven development means users occasionally encounter specific stability quirks on Windows systems. These errors often stem from configuration conflicts, outdated rendering libraries, or specific drawing command sequences that trigger unhandled exceptions. This guide provides practical solutions to the most frequent technical issues reported by Windows users in late 2024 and 2025.

Common Errors

• Startup Splash Screen Freeze: Application hangs on "Loading..." without opening the main interface
• Hatch Boundary Crash: Immediate closure when defining hatch areas with specific snap settings
• Cursor Disappearance: Crosshairs vanish after switching between Layout and Model views
• Text & Font Failure: Text entities appear as empty boxes or fail to load custom LFF fonts
• Printer Driver Loop: Printing consistently defaults to "Print to File" regardless of printer selection

Fix 1: Startup Splash Screen Freeze

This issue frequently affects Windows 11 users running recent Release Candidates (RC builds). It often indicates a corrupted configuration file or a conflict with the Qt platform plugin cache.

1. Close LibreCAD completely via Task Manager if it is stuck running in the background
2. Open File Explorer and type %AppData%LibreCAD in the address bar
3. Locate the file named LibreCAD.conf (or just LibreCAD if extensions are hidden)
4. Rename this file to LibreCAD.conf.old to force the software to generate fresh settings
5. Launch LibreCAD again; if successful, you can manually restore your preferences

Fix 2: Hatch Boundary Crash

Users report immediate crashes when attempting to draw lines to define hatch boundaries, particularly when "Snap to Entities" is active. This is a known stability issue in version 2.2.1 logic.

1. Open your drawing and immediately save a backup copy
2. Navigate to Options > Device Options
3. Locate the "Snap" settings and temporarily disable Snap to Entities before initiating the hatch command
4. If the crash persists, ensure the area you are hatching is completely closed by using the Trim tool on all corners
5. As a workaround, draw a temporary polyline over the boundary, hatch that polyline, and then delete the outline

Fix 3: Cursor Disappearance

The mouse cursor or crosshairs can disappear when saving a file while inside a Model Space viewport within the Paper Space tab. This leaves you unable to see your drawing position.

1. Press Ctrl + S to ensure your work is saved despite the visual glitch
2. Type the command VPCONTROL and toggle it from Off to On (or vice versa) to refresh the viewport overlay
3. If that fails, switch tabs by clicking Model at the bottom of the screen, then click back to your layout tab
4. If the cursor remains invisible, press Ctrl + Shift + R (if a custom redraw shortcut is set) or simply restart the application

Fix 4: Text Appearing as Boxes (Draft Mode)

If your text entities suddenly display as empty rectangles, you likely activated "Draft Mode" accidentally, or the font path configuration is broken. This mode simplifies rendering to speed up performance on heavy drawings.

1. Go to the View menu in the top toolbar
2. Uncheck Draft if it is currently selected
3. If text is still missing, go to Options > Application Preferences
4. Select the Paths tab and check the "Fonts" directory path
5. Ensure the path points to your actual font folder (usually C:Program FilesLibreCADresourcesfonts)

Fix 5: Printer Stuck on "Print to File"

A persistent bug in the Windows version causes the print dialog to lock into "Print to File" mode, ignoring your physical printer selection. This often happens after a failed print job or PDF export.

1. Close LibreCAD completely
2. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter (proceed with caution)
3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareLibreCADLibreCADPrint
4. Locate the key named PrintToFile
5. Double-click it and change the value from 1 to 0
6. Restart LibreCAD and try printing immediately

Prevention Tips

• Enable Auto-Backup: Set auto-save to every 5 minutes in Application Preferences to mitigate crash data loss.
• Clean Block Library: Avoid copy-pasting complex blocks repeatedly, as this bloats the file memory and causes lag.
• Use DXF 2007 Format: Save files in "R12" or "2007" DXF format for maximum compatibility unless you need specific newer features.
• Disable Unused Snaps: Running with all Snap options enabled consumes excessive CPU resources and triggers instability.

When to Contact Support

You should seek help from the official community forum or GitHub tracker if you encounter repeated corruption of DXF files that refuse to open, or if you find a repeatable sequence of actions that causes a hard crash on a clean installation. Before posting, prepare a copy of the DXF file causing the issue and your exact version number found under Help > About.