diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 13bf0b3e..d73ed0ef 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ SET(SNAP_VERSION_PATCH 2)
 SET(SNAP_VERSION_QUALIFIER "-beta")
 
 # These fields should also be modified each time
-SET(SNAP_VERSION_RELEASE_DATE "20240926")
-SET(SNAP_VERSION_RELEASE_DATE_FORMATTED "September 26, 2024")
+SET(SNAP_VERSION_RELEASE_DATE "20241111")
+SET(SNAP_VERSION_RELEASE_DATE_FORMATTED "November 11, 2024")
 
 # This field should only change when the format of the settings files changes
 # in a non backwards-compatible way
diff --git a/GUI/Qt/Windows/MainImageWindow.cxx b/GUI/Qt/Windows/MainImageWindow.cxx
index 83eb1df7..3acebe9a 100644
--- a/GUI/Qt/Windows/MainImageWindow.cxx
+++ b/GUI/Qt/Windows/MainImageWindow.cxx
@@ -1260,43 +1260,52 @@ void MainImageWindow::dragEnterEvent(QDragEnterEvent *event)
 
 void MainImageWindow::LoadDroppedFile(QString file)
 {
-  std::string filename = to_utf8(file);
-  // Check if the dropped file is a project
-  if(m_Model->GetDriver()->IsProjectFile(filename.c_str()))
-    {
-    // For the time being, the feature of opening the workspace in a new
-    // window is not implemented. Instead, we just prompt the user for
-    // unsaved changes.
-    if(!SaveModifiedLayersDialog::PromptForUnsavedChanges(m_Model))
-      return;
-
-    // Load the project
-    LoadProject(file);
-    }
-
-  else
+  try
     {
-    if(m_Model->GetDriver()->IsMainImageLoaded())
+    std::string filename = to_utf8(file);
+    // Check if the dropped file is a project
+    if(m_Model->GetDriver()->IsProjectFile(filename.c_str()))
       {
-      // check if it's a label description file
-      if (m_Model->GetDriver()->GetColorLabelTable()->ValidateFile(filename.c_str()))
-        {
-        m_Model->GetDriver()->LoadLabelDescriptions(filename.c_str());
+      // For the time being, the feature of opening the workspace in a new
+      // window is not implemented. Instead, we just prompt the user for
+      // unsaved changes.
+      if(!SaveModifiedLayersDialog::PromptForUnsavedChanges(m_Model))
         return;
-        }
-
-      // If an image is already loaded, we show the dialog
-      m_DropDialog->SetDroppedFilename(file);
-      m_DropDialog->setModal(true);
 
-      RaiseDialog(m_DropDialog);
+      // Load the project
+      LoadProject(file);
       }
+
     else
       {
-      // Otherwise, load the main image directly
-      m_DropDialog->InitialLoad(file);
+      if(m_Model->GetDriver()->IsMainImageLoaded())
+        {
+        // check if it's a label description file
+        if (m_Model->GetDriver()->GetColorLabelTable()->ValidateFile(filename.c_str()))
+          {
+          m_Model->GetDriver()->LoadLabelDescriptions(filename.c_str());
+          return;
+          }
+
+        // If an image is already loaded, we show the dialog
+        m_DropDialog->SetDroppedFilename(file);
+        m_DropDialog->setModal(true);
+
+        RaiseDialog(m_DropDialog);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+        // Otherwise, load the main image directly
+        m_DropDialog->InitialLoad(file);
+        }
       }
     }
+  catch (exception &exc) // for minor exceptions, no need to crash the entire program
+    {
+    ReportNonLethalException(this, exc, "File Dropping Error",
+                             QString("Failed to load file %1").arg(file));
+    }
+
 }
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
diff --git a/Logic/Mesh/GuidedMeshIO.cxx b/Logic/Mesh/GuidedMeshIO.cxx
index d365cebc..02413090 100644
--- a/Logic/Mesh/GuidedMeshIO.cxx
+++ b/Logic/Mesh/GuidedMeshIO.cxx
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ GuidedMeshIO::FileFormat
 GuidedMeshIO::
 GetFormatByExtension(std::string extension)
 {
+  if (extension.empty()) // possible when reading dicom series
+    return FileFormat::FORMAT_COUNT;
+
   // All format string in the map include '.' prefix
   if (extension.at(0) != '.')
     extension.insert(0, 1, '.');
@@ -187,9 +190,18 @@ bool
 GuidedMeshIO
 ::IsFilePolyData(const char *filename)
 {
-  auto reader = vtkNew<vtkDataReader>();
-  reader->SetFileName(filename);
-  return reader->IsFilePolyData();
+  auto fmt = GetFormatByFilename(filename);
+  if (fmt == FORMAT_COUNT)
+    return false;
+
+  AbstractMeshIODelegate *ioDelegate = AbstractMeshIODelegate::GetDelegate(fmt);
+
+  if (!ioDelegate)
+    return false;
+
+  bool ret = ioDelegate->IsFilePolyData(filename);
+  delete ioDelegate;
+  return ret;
 }
 
 GuidedMeshIO::FileFormat
diff --git a/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.cxx b/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.cxx
index 4d495845..339166e1 100644
--- a/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.cxx
+++ b/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.cxx
@@ -24,11 +24,28 @@ VTKMeshIODelegate::ReadPolyData(const char *filename)
   return polyData;
 }
 
+bool
+VTKMeshIODelegate::IsFilePolyData(const char *filename)
+{
+  // VTK file format support 5 different types of data
+  // So we need to use the reader to check whether the underlying data is polydata or not
+  vtkNew<vtkPolyDataReader> reader;
+  reader->SetFileName(filename);
+  return reader->IsFilePolyData();
+}
+
+
 VTPMeshIODelegate::VTPMeshIODelegate()
 {
 
 }
 
+bool
+VTPMeshIODelegate::IsFilePolyData(const char *)
+{
+  return true; // VTP file format is always polydata
+}
+
 vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData>
 VTPMeshIODelegate::ReadPolyData(const char *filename)
 {
diff --git a/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.h b/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.h
index b7a6f380..c4625291 100644
--- a/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.h
+++ b/Logic/Mesh/MeshIODelegates.h
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ class AbstractMeshIODelegate
 
   static void GetDelegate(GuidedMeshIO::FileFormat fmt, AbstractMeshIODelegate *delegate);
 
+  virtual bool IsFilePolyData(const char *filename) = 0;
+
 
 };
 
@@ -28,6 +30,8 @@ class VTKMeshIODelegate : public AbstractMeshIODelegate
   ~VTKMeshIODelegate() = default;
 
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData> ReadPolyData(const char *filename) override;
+
+  bool IsFilePolyData(const char *filename) override;
 };
 
 class VTPMeshIODelegate : public AbstractMeshIODelegate
@@ -37,6 +41,8 @@ class VTPMeshIODelegate : public AbstractMeshIODelegate
   virtual ~VTPMeshIODelegate() = default;
 
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyData> ReadPolyData(const char *filename) override;
+
+  bool IsFilePolyData(const char *filename) override;
 };
 
 #endif // MESHIODELEGATES_H