LV8 random system crash (BSOD)...had been OK, but now crashes everytime

[FFB]

I have LV8, NI-VISA 3.4, NI-488.2 2.4, NI-Serial 1.8, MAX 4.0 on a WinXP service pack2. I'm using an Agilent 82357B USB-to-GPIB (with Lib suite 14.2) and a prolific USB-to-RS232 adapter. Everything was running fine for a long time, then in late Oct. the first signs of trouble appeared--a random reboot (blue screen of death) occurred. After reboot, things were OK for about a week, then it happened again. It then started occurring every couple of days, but now it happens 99.9% of the time when I run a program to measure amplitude/freq on a SpecAn (FSU8). I compiled an executable, and ran it on another system with just LV8 runtime, and it happened there too. Older code that was compiled several months ago runs OK...what happened???

Symptoms:

-occurs only when running code, not during editing

-problem occurs on other PC (with Win2k serpk4), Airlink USB-to-Serial adapter, and Agilent 82357B USB-to-GPIB (with Lib Suite 14.2) running LV8.0.1 runtime & NI-VISA 3.4.1 runtime, using executable created on original system.

-started with occasional reboot, that is occurring more and more often. The point at which BSOD occurs is random (never the same place twice...that would make it too easy to debug)

I rolled back OS to early Oct. before any signs of trouble, thinking that some windows update had hosed me. But it didn't help. I updated, and re-installed the USB-to-GPIB & Serial drivers...didn't help. So my thinking is that it is a problem with LV8 and/or support software... something may have become corrupted.  I thought about ripping-out LV8 and re-installing it, but I have so much code/instrument drivers/user controls/etc. that I want to do this as only a last resort. I'm hoping a more targeted re-install of components may work, like just 488.2 or VISA. I also disabled the system reboot upon BSOD so I could read the error message. It just says problem with ser2pl

(the USB-to-Serial driver). That is why I updated it from 1.6A to 3.3 (latest), but it didn't help. I think that like most error messages, the problem occurred before this, but was only flagged here. My focus has come down to either NI-VISA or 488.2 as likely causes of prblem.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to what may of happened, and how to proceed?

[Matthew_Kelton]

Well, from your error message, it appears that you know what is causing the problem.  Do you have no hardware serial ports to check against?  Even though the manufacturer of the USB to Serial converters may be different, the chipset may be the same. It may be worth checking to see if the two adapters you have use the same chipset.  If so, find another that uses a different chipset.

As far as NI drivers are concerned, NI-VISA is the only thing that would be causing the problem I believe.


Message Edited by Matthew Kelton on 12-14-2007 02:12 PM

[Amanda_H]

Hi FFB,

I would recommend double-checking the order that your software has been installed. Additional information on this can be found in this KnowledgeBase article. Also, have you tried this on another PC? You might want to format your PC and re-install all NI software. Let us know how everything works out!