Hey there, let's dig into this SSMS crash issue you're facing—since you've already tried the standard fixes, let's walk through some targeted steps to get it working again:

• Pull Crash Details from Windows Event Viewer
  Open Event Viewer by typing eventvwr in the Run dialog, then head to Windows Logs > Application. Look for Error events tagged with SQL Server Management Studio or Application Error around the time SSMS crashed. The event will list a faulting module (usually a .dll file) — this is critical because it might point to a conflicting component rather than SSMS itself.

• Launch SSMS in Safe Mode to Bypass Add-Ins
  Even after uninstalling RedGate, residual add-in entries might still be causing conflicts. Test this by starting SSMS in safe mode:

  1. Press Win + R, enter ssms.exe -SafeMode, and hit Enter.
  2. If SSMS opens successfully, the problem is tied to a third-party add-in. You can then go to Tools > Options > Environment > Add-in Manager to disable leftover add-ins, or clean up their registry entries:
     • Open Registry Editor (regedit), navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\SQL Server Management Studio\<your SSMS version>\AddIns
     • Delete any entries for non-Microsoft tools (like RedGate, ApexSQL, etc.)

• Reset SSMS User Settings to Default
  Corrupted user configurations can break startup. Reset them with this command:

  1. Close all SSMS instances.
  2. Press Win + R, enter ssms.exe -ResetSettings, and follow the prompt to restore default settings. Try launching SSMS again afterward.

• Repair Corrupted System Files
  Damaged system files can interfere with SSMS. Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

  • sfc /scannow (scans and repairs core system files)
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth (fixes Windows image corruption)
    Reboot your PC after running these, then test SSMS again.

• Check for Recent Windows Update Conflicts
  If the crash started right after a Windows update, compatibility issues could be the culprit. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update History to see what updates were installed the day before the crash. You can temporarily uninstall recent cumulative updates to test:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Optional updates > Uninstall updates
  2. Select the most recent updates, uninstall them, reboot, and try SSMS again.

• Test with a Fresh Windows User Profile
  A corrupted user profile might be causing SSMS to fail. Create a new local administrator account, log into it, and try launching SSMS. If it works, your original profile has corrupted SSMS-related settings that need to be cleared.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者SamyCode