If DSS creates 32 bit TIF's, ASTAP can't read them. 16 bit should be no problem.
The darks don't need to be at the same temperature. Any dark will remove the hot pixels. Unless "classify" is checked (bottom section) it will take any dark(s), makes a master file from it and use it. If you classify on temperature it will look for a dark(s) of the same temperature.
Yes normally it would/should not crash. Can you send me a sample file(s), so I can see (in the debugger) where it crashes. No guarantee I can fix it but let' s have a look.
Reading sub-directories is removed in version ß0.9.293 (for Linux AMD64 and Windows). I didn't realise it was there, but was simple to remove with setting of one parameter.
I had a brief look to your images. For de-bayering you have to set for your camera de-mosiac pattern at "RG". Since the files are 12 bit CR2 files, set de-bayer method "AstroC, colour for stars. Range 0-16383". "Convert OSC images to colour"=checked, "Auto levels and colour smooth"=checked.
The blue halos around the brightest stars are strange for me. Is this from the optics? Do you see similar halos using DSS?
Tested out latest version ASTAP and it doesn't fail. Did have a funny when I ran DSS/AT while ASTAP was loaded ASTAP live stacking decided to stack the same files 16 times (there are only 5 orig CR2) but stacking should have stopped when renamed files back button pressed. Not sure whan was going on there. Tried it again withou startong DSS/AT - all was well.
Yes the blue halo can occur but in DSS/AT I just drop the contrast.up the black and it reduces the problem - maybe it the optics or that the dslr is modified for Astro use.
If I use Dithering will that effect ASTAP live stacking ?
See attached screen prints
Sill the problem ,on Win 64,seems to be gone - Many thanks
For your stacking, I forgot to mention that with live stacking there is no final automatic colour correction so M31 becomes in your case pretty yellow. To correct this, go to tab PIXEL MATH, section "Colour correction", press AUTO, press APPLY. This will guarantee that the stars are average white coloured and the background is average grey coloured. For normal stacking this can be done automatic but not for live stacking, because the program doesn't know when the stack is finished.