diff --git a/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotTableViewController.java b/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotTableViewController.java
index ec865db6c5..4ee7b0fa9e 100644
--- a/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotTableViewController.java
+++ b/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotTableViewController.java
@@ -247,8 +247,15 @@ private void takeSnapshot(Consumer<Optional<Snapshot>> consumer) {
             snapshot.setSnapshotData(snapshotData);
             showSnapshotInTable(snapshot);
             if (!Preferences.default_snapshot_name_date_format.isEmpty()) {
-                SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat(Preferences.default_snapshot_name_date_format);
-                snapshot.getSnapshotNode().setName(formatter.format(new Date()));
+                String dateFormat = Preferences.default_snapshot_name_date_format;
+                try {
+                    //The format could be not correct
+                    SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat(dateFormat);
+                    snapshot.getSnapshotNode().setName(formatter.format(new Date()));
+                }
+                catch (Exception e) {
+                    LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, dateFormat + " is not a valid date format please check 'default_snapshot_name_date_format' preference ", e);
+                }
             }
             consumer.accept(Optional.of(snapshot));
         });
diff --git a/app/save-and-restore/util/src/main/resources/save_and_restore_util_preferences.properties b/app/save-and-restore/util/src/main/resources/save_and_restore_util_preferences.properties
index 40254d8408..e2b9fa1382 100644
--- a/app/save-and-restore/util/src/main/resources/save_and_restore_util_preferences.properties
+++ b/app/save-and-restore/util/src/main/resources/save_and_restore_util_preferences.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # -----------------------------------------------
-# Package org.phoebus.applications.saveandrestore
+# Package org.phoebus.saveandrestore.util
 # -----------------------------------------------
 
 # connection timeout (in ms) when taking snapshot