CVI 8.5 IDE fatal errors

[LuisG]

We're still investigating each report that is coming in. The memory addresses and descriptions are helpful, but barring a repeatable crash, it will still be difficult to come to a conclusion on what's causing this. What would help, though, would be if you had a crash dump for each crash, that you could then attach to a post here.

Here's how you can have Windows create a crash dump:

Windows XP

1. Run c:\windows\system32\drwtsn32.exe -i

(this will register Dr. Watson as your "just in time" debugger)

2. Whenever you get a crash and you see the "Please tell Microsoft about this problem..." dialog, click "Don't Send".

3. Browse to the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson folder. The dump and log files are there. Keep in mind that if you have a second crash, it should overwrite the previous dump.

Windows Vista

Dr. Watson is not available in Vista, and its replacement (Windows Error Reporting) is very flaky, when it comes to generating crash dumps. So your best bet is to use windbg.

1. Install the Windows debugging tools.

2. Run C:\Program Files\Debugging Tools for Windows\windbg.exe -I

(this will register windbg as your "just in time" debugger)

3. When you get a crash, windbg should start up automatically. At that point, in to its command window type .dump /ma c:\temp\mydump.dmp to generate the dump file.

I'm cross-posting this info in the Tips'n'Tricks forum thread.

Luis

[menchar]

I am using 8.5.0.279.

I had autobackup enabled, I've disabled it now.  I have autosave enabled.

I had been seeing IDE crashes from the very first as I started using 8.5 as I recall now.

I've enabled the Dr Watson (I'm running on XP Pro SP2).

I am using Intel compiler for release mode.

Hard to understand how 8.5 can be so unstable for at least a few of us.  Are other 8.5 users not seeing the problem, or are they just not reporting it?

Menchar

[gvan]

Changed the target source file, generated a mnu callback using the UIR tool.  CVI displayed the callback in the file, then ...

001B:103C9FF7

I was prompted to save the file. Then CVI closed/crashed gracefully.

I did not have windows debugging tools running.. I do now...

Greg

[menchar]

Oddly enough, now that I have Dr Watson running, I haven't seen a crash in a couple of weeks.  It had been crashing every few days.  Maybe I should re-enable Auto Backup.


Message Edited by menchar on 02-29-2008 09:07 AM

[LuisG]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the report. I'm hoping that this will happen again with the debugger enabled, so that we can look at the crash dump. However, in this particular instance, the debugger might not have helped, since it looks as if CVI caught the exception and closed gracefully.

This crash address is the same that you reported a few posts ago, so it probably has the same root cause, even though the description of what you're doing is different. After you restarted CVI, did you try regenerating the callback to see if it would crash again? If any of these crashes is reproducible that will be the best option we have to getting to the bottom of the problem.

Also, I just want to clarify what exactly you were doing. But "UIR tool" do you mean that you had right-clicked on your menu in the UI editor, and when the small CVI menu comes up, you selected "Generate Control Callback"?

Thanks,

Luis

[gvan]

Luis,

The callback was for a mnu item so I used Code->Generate->MenuCallbacks.

I have several projects open in the workspace, the callback was set to the proper .c and did get generated properly before the crash so I didn't have to generate it again.

I may or may not have hit ctrl-s before the crash... I have a ctrl-s twitch/reflex when I see a source window so I can't say for sure that I didn't save before the crash.  CVI did prompt me to save on exit though.

Greg

[gvan]

Got another 001B:103C9FF7.  Same gracefully crash as before.

Again, I just created a callback, this time for a button control using -->Generate Control Callback.  I then went to the file source file, the callback was there, and ---pooof--- fatal error.

If it makes any difference, I often have two instances of CVI open as was the case with at least my two most recent 001B:103C9FF7 errors.

Greg

[menchar]

I also was working with a workspace with multiple projects when I was seeing the crashes.    Maybe this is related.

[gvan]

Another 001B:103C9FF7 .

This time I broke on a debugger caught error and stopped the application.  I had time to look at the source for about 10 seconds and then ---poof--

Only one instance of CVI open, a workspace with multiple projects.

Greg

[LuisG]

Thanks, guys.

One other suggestion: can you try disabling collapsible regions for a few days (Options>>Editor Preferences>>Show Collapsible Regions) and then see if this crash still happens?

Thanks,

Luis