# Designer Launcher shows project list but Designer doesn't open **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition81\ **Created:** [May 21, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523 "2025-05-21T18:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@BigByte](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/BigByte)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/1 "2025-05-21T18:56:50Z")
I've got a gateway backup from a customer site, and I'm trying to set it up in a virtual machine. Got Ignition downloaded, the gateway was restored and seems just fine. Got Designer Launcher downloaded. I can click the "open designer" button, and after signing in it shows the list of projects. However, when I select one to open, nothing happens. The project list goes away, and I see some loading windows like it's gathering resources. But then nothing actually opens. No error messages or anything. Is there something I forgot to install? ---
**Author:** ![ryan.white](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ryan.white/32/73193_2.png) [@ryan.white](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ryan.white)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/2 "2025-05-21T19:01:26Z")
Anything in the gateway or designer launcher logs( `~/.ignition/clientlauncher-data/designerlauncher.log`)? ---
**Author:** ![BigByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@BigByte](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/BigByte)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/3 "2025-05-21T19:16:46Z")
Looks like a database connection faulted. But why would a tag database failure prevent me from just opening up the designer to look at the views? ---
**Author:** ![ryan.white](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ryan.white/32/73193_2.png) [@ryan.white](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ryan.white)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/4 "2025-05-21T19:19:39Z")
Database connection is not likely what caused the issue. Check the designer launcher logs if you can. Just in case, post the full error here as preformatted text, see [Wiki - how to post code on this forum](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/wiki-how-to-post-code-on-this-forum/77831). Redact sensitive information as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![BigByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@BigByte](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/BigByte)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/5 "2025-05-21T19:36:32Z")
I found the log file. ```python ERROR [RuntimeException] [2025/05/21 13:00:50]: Uncaught exception in thread: JavaFX Application Thread java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "java.net.MulticastSocket.leaveGroup(java.net.SocketAddress, java.net.NetworkInterface)" because "this.socket" is null at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.launcher.common.service.MulticastReceiverService.destroy(MulticastReceiverService.java:74) at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.launcher.common.ui.base.BaseLauncherApplication.stopGatewayServices(BaseLauncherApplication.java:273) at java.base/java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1511) at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.launcher.common.ui.base.BaseLauncherApplication.lambda$onStageClosed$12(BaseLauncherApplication.java:484) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:86) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:234) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:191) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventDispatcher.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventDispatcher.java:59) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:49) at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198) at javafx.stage.Window.fireEvent(Window.java:1384) at javafx.stage.Window$12.invalidated(Window.java:1143) at javafx.beans.property.BooleanPropertyBase.markInvalid(BooleanPropertyBase.java:110) at javafx.beans.property.BooleanPropertyBase.set(BooleanPropertyBase.java:145) at javafx.stage.Window.setShowing(Window.java:1190) at javafx.stage.Window.hide(Window.java:1215) at com.sun.javafx.stage.WindowCloseRequestHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(WindowCloseRequestHandler.java:45) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventDispatcher.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventDispatcher.java:59) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:54) at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198) at com.sun.javafx.stage.WindowPeerListener.closing(WindowPeerListener.java:93) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassWindowEventHandler.run(GlassWindowEventHandler.java:147) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassWindowEventHandler.run(GlassWindowEventHandler.java:40) at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(AccessController.java:399) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassWindowEventHandler.lambda$handleWindowEvent$4(GlassWindowEventHandler.java:178) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.QuantumToolkit.runWithoutRenderLock(QuantumToolkit.java:424) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassWindowEventHandler.handleWindowEvent(GlassWindowEventHandler.java:176) at com.sun.glass.ui.Window.handleWindowEvent(Window.java:1336) at com.sun.glass.ui.Window.notifyClose(Window.java:1241) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:184) at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:840) ``` ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/6 "2025-05-21T19:38:50Z")
I think you're actually looking in the wrong logs right now. This designerlauncher.log file should have some long line that starts with "Starting Java with the following parameters: ..." You want to copy that long command, paste it into a terminal and run it, and then get all of the output that goes into that terminal. ---
**Author:** ![BigByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@BigByte](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/BigByte)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/designer-launcher-shows-project-list-but-designer-doesnt-open/106523/7 "2025-05-21T19:46:54Z")
Oh I see. Ran the command like you said, and it looks like there's not enough RAM for the Java runtime. Guess I need to allocate more to the VM. Thanks!