Crash in develop module RAW files with sidecar files from Lightroom 3

Question

The issue probably has to do with the differences in settings between the two versions but I figured I would document what I am experiencing. 
I am using the 64 bit version of Windows 7.
I imported a group of pictures with the XMP sidecar files generated with Lightroom v3.  All the image files, a mixture of Canon Mark 5D II RAW and jpg files from my point & shoot UFO camera, imported without issue picking up all my tagging and GPS settings. When importing you are put into the Library module and from the Library module I could click on any RAW or jpg file, look at the meta data and view full screen.
I then entered the Develop module with a jpg picture selected and none of my settings made it across. The process was set to 2012.  I was able to try out the new adjustments and all worked very well. 
I then selected a RAW file while still in the Develop module and all hell broke loose.
I got a tip window pop up, the film strip went orange, the rest of the app screen then became greyed out and then behind tip pop up a crash window containing this information appeared:
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: lightroom.exe
Application Version: 4.0.0.1
Application Timestamp: 4ef2621d
Fault Module Name: MSVCR100.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.0.40219.1
Fault Module Timestamp: 4d5f034a
Exception Code: c000041d
Exception Offset: 000000000003c1be
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: cc7e
Additional Information 2: cc7e9ac0f4374c9d4c9f2c948a85a235
Additional Information 3: 41e7
Additional Information 4: 41e779def86567567ae94271de75e4e9
There was no other path but to have the app close after that.  Now since Lightroom has left off with the RAW file in the develop module when I restart the app it starts in the develop module with that same RAW image selected and I crash before I can change to a jpg.   I am probably going to have to delete and recreated the data file to use the app again
After the all this I went back and checked to see how I had the catalog settings in LR 3 set because there were no sidecar files for the jpg images.  I did not have the option to write settings to jpg and tif files but did have write settings to sidecar set.  So I have a bit of a mystery why I have no sidecar files for jpg files when I should have based on the way the settings were.  This probably explains why I had no issues at all with them in LR 4.
I am going to get LR 4 working again and then import the same batch of pictures without any sidecar files and see if I have any issues.  I will report back soon.

Answer 1

When I imported the files without the sidecar files I had no issues at all but the RAW images came under older process not the 2012 process. There were no settings without the sidecar files so why would the app not start the images at the most recent process level? I updated then to 2012 and some of the setting sliders changed.  I tried all the adjustment might use with both RAW and jpg files and no issues were observed.
The new develop module does seem to light darker areas without impacting other lighter areas better.  The brush toll does work better and I see some additional settings were added along with presets.
As I posted elsewhere, I am disappointed content aware fill and healing were not included.  This is the functionality that would save me from going to Photoshop when I have some undesirable reality in an image.
I tried out the new geo coding functionality and I really like it as it beats using Google maps on the web (painfully slow these days), dropping latitude / longitude markers, copying and pasting the data from the markers into a Lightroom plug-in and then going through a time consuming three step process.