Stuck in "Failed to load window layout" loop

Question

When working on a custom editor window in Unity 2020 I caused the editor to crash. Upon trying to re-open it I received a "Failed to load window layout" dialog with the option to load the default layout or to reset to factory. Neither of these solutions would fix the issue and my only recourse was to cancel opening the editor. Does anyone know how to get Unity back up and running?

Failed to load window layout loop

Things I have tried:

Deleting the Library and other generated project files
Creating a new project (Results in the same error)
Uninstalling and re-installing Unity
Deleting AppData\Roaming\Unity\Editor-5.x\Preferences\Layouts\default\LastLayout.dwlt

Editor.log

 Failed to load window layout: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
   at UnityEditor.ContainerWindow.GetWindowID () [0x00070] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0 
   at UnityEditor.ContainerWindow.get_windowID () [0x00010] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0 
   at UnityEditor.ContainerWindow.SaveGeometry () [0x00001] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0 
   at UnityEditor.ContainerWindow.Save () [0x0000d] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0 
   at UnityEditor.ContainerWindow.Close () [0x00001] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0 
   at UnityEditor.WindowLayout.LoadWindowLayout (System.String path, System.Boolean newProjectLayoutWasCreated, System.Boolean setLastLoadedLayoutName, System.Boolean keepMainWindow) [0x000b7] in <a820952c8bdb44eba9c4c39808ab1e8a>:0

Answer 1

Best Answer

Answer by AtticusMarkane · Mar 29, 2020 at 08:40 PM

Managed to solve the issue with help from a colleague at Unity who pointed me to the public source code for this part of the editor.

I was on the right track. The issue was caused by the editor trying to reload my custom editor window but being unable to for whatever reason (probably broken tbh). Deleting LastLayout.dwlt in the Roaming folder should have resulted in the editor falling back to the default layout, however what I did not realize was that there is an equivalent CurrentLayout file in the Library for the project. Deleting both the LastLayout.dwlt and the Library/ before attempting to re-open the editor cleared up the issue.

While I am here I want to point out that all of the solutions that I previously tried are valid solutions for different occurrences of this error; They were provided and tested by other users and provided as valid answers in other questions. If my answer does not solve your problem, consider trying one of those.

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flashframe · Sep 03, 2020 at 03:30 PM 0

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Thank you so much for following up with your solution. Had the exact same problem, and deleting the CurrentLayout did the trick.

binoman · Sep 17, 2020 at 01:42 PM 1

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Thank you very much. It was the only thing that works. One annoying thing though, I need to do this every time I create a new project. Is there a permanent solution?

AtticusMarkane binoman · Sep 17, 2020 at 02:31 PM 1

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I have not had this problem and my guess would be that you have something in your custom editor UI that is repeatedly putting you into this state. I recommend disabling all of your custom editor UI and then enable them one at a time. This will be tedious, but it should help you pinpoint if one is breaking the layout. Good luck!

binoman AtticusMarkane · Sep 20, 2020 at 04:23 AM 3

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I have no custom ui at all

Ratherjolly · Oct 03, 2020 at 02:28 AM 0

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Oh man. Thank you so much. I got this error starting Unity 2020.1.6f1 for the first time. Not to mention I started it up for the purpose of Doing the Ludum Dare Game Jam. Seriously, man. You saved my butt.

sophiepbh · Oct 06, 2020 at 10:13 AM 1

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Where is the CurrentLayout file? I have no clue as to where it is. I am new to unity and i was going to create a new project but it won't open when i press create or try to open otherwise

AtticusMarkane sophiepbh · Oct 07, 2020 at 12:30 PM 3

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Its deeper in this directory: C:/Users/YourUserName/AppData/Roa$$anonymous$$g/Unity/

jaysonhanlon8 AtticusMarkane · Oct 09, 2020 at 08:57 PM 0

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hi, sorry could you totally walk me through how to do this.. I am lost sorry

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NKBDL · Oct 14, 2020 at 03:59 AM 0

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YES this solution does it. It happens that I started to get 2 windows on launch. One being black and if I close it it closes the project one and for all. Then the loop began... Prior to that I started using some custom package (that recorder one)

Anyways, removing the last layout from both the AppData and the your project folder works.

Now back to Unity. Thank you thank you!

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Answer 2

Answer by zaxvax · Oct 01, 2020 at 12:37 PM

@metinevren Copying \Library\CurrentLayout-default.dwlt form any working project to problematic project works like a charm.

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lqvinh2 · Oct 14, 2020 at 07:32 AM 0

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this OK, THANK YOU, work in unity 2020.1

Sanjay1987 · Oct 21, 2020 at 01:52 PM 0

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Yes this got my project working.!!! Was stuck and annoyed but finallyy!!!!

mcroswell · Nov 07, 2020 at 05:32 AM 0

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Only this solution worked for me. v2020.1.6f1

RobotGame · Nov 19, 2020 at 11:02 AM 0

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Awesome this fixed it for me in unity 2020.1.12f1

ahmedaniss · Dec 01, 2020 at 08:13 PM 0

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problem fixed here : https://youtu.be/Av9zt1gcpqc

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Answer 3

Answer by ahmedaniss · Oct 10, 2020 at 12:20 PM

problem fixed here : https://youtu.be/Av9zt1gcpqc

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StuckProblem · Oct 22, 2020 at 02:55 PM 0

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Does it fix it permanently though? I have this problem with every new project just like someone else in the solution comments.

RoyBarina · Oct 28, 2020 at 01:56 PM 0

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It's not a fix it's a workaround. nothing on this page is a fix they are all workarounds.. to fix this damn issue one must change the algorithm and the code.

StudioZooka · Nov 25, 2020 at 04:25 AM 0

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Worked for me!, thank you for sharing!

Answer 4

Answer by metinevren · Sep 19, 2020 at 04:26 AM

It did not work. I cannot open a newly created project!! So ther ecannot be custom windows!

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binoman · Sep 20, 2020 at 04:26 AM 0

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Try deleting the stuff @matticus99 suggested after everytime you create a project

AtticusMarkane · Sep 23, 2020 at 05:10 PM 0

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These settings are shared across projects iirc. I one project left it in a broken state, then a new project would not change it.

binoman AtticusMarkane · Oct 06, 2020 at 12:22 PM 0

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Not exactly. There is a last layout file saved in the Library folder of the project. With this file, you would open the same layout on every computer you'd use. And there are layout files in the appdata, which are cross project and used to create new projects.

biskitdev · Oct 02, 2020 at 08:40 AM 0

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this also happens to me

metinevren · Oct 02, 2020 at 04:05 PM 0

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After clicking "load default layout", go to the folder, make a copy of the LastLayout.dwlt. Because if you don't, Unity corrupts the file again.

JeffreyStrate · Nov 03, 2020 at 10:52 AM 0

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Du must erst alle Layout löschen dann kommen neue.. .- aber lösche mit Unity oben in Delete Layouts...

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Answer 5

Answer by Kriztoff · Oct 07, 2020 at 09:44 AM

I found the location: Reddit

,For the people having trouble with the location of the file, i found the solution on: Reddit

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Stuck in "Failed to load window layout" loop

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