Are you running Window Blinds or another desktop enhancement software? If so, configure the software to allow DVD Profiler to use standard Windows controls.

If not, please try running a database repair: You can run the repair utility directly from the Start menu under the DVD Profiler program group.

If DVD Profiler still won't start, press and hold CTRL as the program launches. You'll get a diagnostic startup screen that will help determine the cause.

If bypassing the version check solves the issue, the problem is being caused by your local firewall - configure it to allow DVD Profiler access to the Internet.

Press and hold ALT while starting DVD Profiler. DVD Profiler will not load any plugins. Then, visit Tools->View Plugins and make sure the offending plugin is not selected. Select OK from that window to save your changes.

First, check for other running programs which may be monopolizing system resources. Right-click the task bar and select Start Task Manager. Click the CPU column to sort and look for programs which are using significant CPU time. Consider if any can be closed. In particular programs which make heavy use of the hard drive can cause DVD Profiler to start and operate more slowly.

Each of the following will change/remove some functionality, so read before trying, but each is also reversable if you don't like the change.

Taken together, these changes will shave up to 40% from the program startup time. Start with #1 or #2 and check the performance change before continuing.

1) Uninstall (not just unload) any plugins you don't use. You can uninstall the ones that ship with DVD Profiler by uninstalling the program (don't select to remove your database or other important items), then reinstalling without plugins.

2) Select Tools->Options->Defaults and under "Regions to Include," uncheck any regions you don't need loaded. This affects the list of available profiles in the Add to Collection window.

3) Add a registry entry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Invelos Software\DVD Profiler, called 'DisableEffects' as a DWORD value and set it to '1'. Program windows will not fade in/out.

4) Add a registry entry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Invelos Software\DVD Profiler, called 'ConserveMemory' as a DWORD value and set it to '1'. You may notice flickering or extra individual item painting in some areas such as the collection thumbnail list.

This is usually caused by a missing or corrupted Tahoma font. The Tahoma font is a standard Windows font that is installed by default on all versions of Windows from 95 and up.

You can download the tahoma font here. Download and open the file to install it. Alternatively, open the Fonts section of the Windows Control Panel and install it via that interface.

This error can also be caused by a corrupted online profile list file. To correct this, from DVD Profiler's main menu, select Online->Refresh Online Profile List while holding CTRL.