Windows 8 keeps crashing

I am sick of Windows 8. On Windows 7 my Xara work on Photo & Graphic Designer 2013 never faltered with it.
Since forced to invest in a new PC & upgrading to Windows 8 my work constantly crashes. I do save work of course every few minutes, as does Xara too. But lately Windows crashes & freezes and I just can't get back on to my work. It has crashed 4 times this morning and again just now. I just can't get back onto my work.
Always the message: Photo & Graphic Designer MX has stopped working correctly Windows will close the programme & notify you if a solution becomes available:



At the hair pulling stage now. Any comments would be much appreciated. Francesca

Is this happening with any other software? if not try reinstalling the program, also before that might be worth checking to see if your xara installation is up to date.

Thank you so much for your reply. No I don't get any problems with any other programmes. Things have moved on from then. I will try reinstalling just hope it works as I have 'lost' a whole itinerary that I have spent 2 days on. Programme says It's not in my files it says 'that file seems to be empty' Where do they go to I wonder? I have checked my recycle bin, nothing. I tried to get it back by searching my PC, the name of the Itinerary shows up as being a Xara file but I get the same message when I click on it..
Thank you.

I don't know if this could help but if Win 8 has a compatibility mode (right click on the Xara icon to "Troubleshoot Compatibility") to run your Xara with as if it were using Win 7 that might be worth a try. I'm using Win 7 and have used the compatibility mode to Win XP for several older programs and they worked fine after that.
---Maya

have you tried opening it from backups - last item on the 'file \ open recent' menu ?

if you have to reinstall do it as administrator - might also be worth running it as administrator [right click on shortcut] first

it sounds likee some other program may be in conflict

EDiT - and Maya's suggestion is a good one - [you can try re-installing in windows 7 mode as well as run if all else fails]

I'm not sure I understand exactly where you're looking for your lost work?
But, if you go to: File > Open recent > Backups...
Then this is where Xara makes backups of your work at regular intervals.

Is your work not in that location?

Thank you all so much for your replies.
Have been through Files-Backup, file looks like its there but when I click on it message says: that file seems to be empty.
At the moment searching for my Xara CD before I actually uninstall it, when I went into all programmes there was a 'repair' alternative. It started repairing, took a while then asked for my CD to finish. But>>> have decorated moved stuff about, can't just lay my hands on it. All other Xara update CD's but not that one.
Not sure if I dare uninstall at this point until I lay my hands on the 2013 CD.
Had thought of actually buying the pro version maybe that would install over it.

Found my CD at last. Still working away in the background. I am hopeful, but I'm an optimist :) Fingers crossed now.

Well, all has failed no trace of my lost file. I spent a long time on it with lots of graphics & photo's. 4 pages.
I wonder where 'lost files' go to. If they are not in Backups then where are they. I didn't delete it, it disappeared when the programme froze. Tried accessing the files from other places like 'All Xara Files' but when clicked on I get the same message. 'That file seems to be empty'

So, thank you all for your input. It was much appreciated. Francesca

There may be a way of recovering your file, or part(s) of it. If you follow this link to Xara Users you will see a couple of links to a utility called ExpandXar posted by athman (Steve Ledger). Use the 2nd link in the post to download it. ExpandXar has been successful in recovering corrupted .xar files for me in the past.
Bob.