6.2 --> 6.4 causing crashes on Win2K

[jdavidi]

Good afternoon,

Upgraded to v6.4 over the weekend on my 2 machines (one is Windows 2000 and the other is 2003).
On both machines, Visual Build is launched via the following command: "C:\Program Files\VisBuildPro6\VisBuildPro.exe" /configpath "\\erector\VBP6_files" /macros "\\ERECTOR\VBP6_files\visbuildpro.macros"

The 2003 server seems to working fine in all areas.

I am experiencing crashes on the Windows 2000 server now however, and think I have narrowed it down to the fact that Visual Build is called with the /configpath and/or /macros switches. While the builds themselves go through, I can't access any step properties - I'm getting an unknown access violation when double-clicking any of them.

Closing Visual Build sometimes kills the VisBuildPro.exe process and sometimes doesn't, but I'm always receiving the following exception as both a pop-up dialog and in the Event Viewer:

A catastrophic error has occurred: Access violation.
Exception 0xC0000005 occurred in module Unknown at address 0x001FC971, offset 0x000CC971.
The current project has been saved to C:\Documents and Settings\build\My Documents\VisBuildPro_tmp.bld.
The application will now close.

Launching Visual Build on this 2000 machine without the /config and /macros switches makes it work like it always did, and no exceptions are thrown. Nothing has changed with regard to access to the \\erector shares nor any new Windows patches applied to the server.

Suggestions on how I might proceed? I've already made some build script changes, so I'm not sure that downgrading is an option (and silly me overwrote the 6.2 VisBuildProEval.exe I had with the 6.4 one so I can't attempt the downgrade myself as I didn't see it on the website anymore). Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

--jdavidi

[kevina]

The previous 6.2 build has been made available for download here: http://kinook.com/Download/VisBuildProEval62a.exe.

Please uninstall version 6.4 and reinstall version 6.2a, and confirm that something in version 6.4 is causing the problem to narrow the issue down a bit.

[jdavidi]

I get "page cannot be found" when following that link.

[kevina]

Sorry, the trailing period inadvertently got included in the url (previously, now fixed). Please try the download url again.

[jdavidi]

Thanks kevina,

I think we're back in shape. Here's what I did:

1) Uninstalled all VisualBuildPro versions from my 2000 machine (had entries for Visual Build Pro, Visual Build Pro 5.7, and Visual Build Pro 6.4 in Add/Remove Programs).

2) Installed 6.2a, opened it, applied our license.

3) Things tested fine as far as being able to access properties when I launched with the /config & /macros switches.

4) Installed 6.4 over 6.2a.

5) Re-tested, and am not having any trouble accessing properties after launching with the /config & /macros switches, in neither design mode nor debug mode.

In retrospect / mini-panic I realized I never attempted an uninstallation/re-installation until now so that might have long overdue as it was.

Thank you very much, as always, for your quick reply. The speed enhancements to the File Processing logic is AWESOME (I'd missed the 6.3 release)--it's taken over 41 minutes off our nightly build process, a 20% improvement for us!

I'll keep my eye on things, and let you know should I encounter anything else.

--jdavidi