I find that when I add a featurewriter to my workspace and try to open the settings FME crashes. How can I find out what is causing this? I can add another writer to the workspace, but it crashes when I try to get into the settings.
It is a relatively decent size workspace with about 10 readers/writers and just over 140 transformers.
Sounds like its time to call on support, you could try opening a new empty workspace and copying all of the old workspace content into the new one.
I've seen several workspaces of that size but never had any problems like you describe.
I would first try re-installing FME and see if that helps.
If not, open a new workspace and copy-paste the old workspace contents into it. Save and see if the problem goes away.
If nothing else works, consider sending the workspace and log to Safe support.
nb: What format is it? Is it GML/XML/KML? I've recently had problems with a crash trying to add that format (when I check the parameters) but we can't replicate it and no-one else has ever reported it.