Access Violation at startup

[brew]

I am running 1.8.5.1353 on Windows 10.

When I close PixInsight, then restart it, I get a memory access violation and the program will not start:

      Access violation: invalid memory read operation at address 00000000

It acts as though the PixInsight.ini file has been corrupted somehow. I have to go to AppData\Roaming\Pleiades and delete the .ini file, then it will start. Of course, this loses all my settings and I have to redo everything.

It would be convenient if this were fixed so I could retain settings from run to run:)

I have attached a copy of the bad file. I suspect there is something about my settings; when PI comes up without a .ini file, I can exit and restart with o problem. However, after I reconfigure the screen, swap files, etc, it will not restart.

[brew]

I did some more playing around, and it seems that the problem occurs when I run the Preferences process. My Preferences are to
a) remove Workspaces02-04
b) change some of the gui settings
c) set swap file locations
d) Remove some of the Explorer windows from the left toolbar.

I ran a diff on a good Pixinsight.ini and a bad one. Most of the differences were the expected settings (false to true, for example). However, there were two lines that seemed suspicious to me:

Good
MainWindow\Layout="@ByteArray(\0\0\0\xff\0\0\0\0\xfd\0\0\0\0\0\0\a\x80\0\0\x3\xbe\0\0\0\x4\0\0\0\x4\0\0\0\b\0\0\0\b\xfc\0\0\0\x3\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x1\0\0\0\b\0V\0i\0\x65\0w\x2\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x2\0\0\0\x10\0\0\0\x18\0\x43\0o\0l\0o\0r\0 \0S\0p\0\x61\0\x63\0\x65\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x10\0G\0\x65\0o\0m\0\x65\0t\0r\0y\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x32\0I\0n\0t\0\x65\0n\0s\0i\0t\0y\0 \0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0\x66\0o\0r\0m\0\x61\0t\0i\0o\0n\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0\x46\0i\0l\0\x65\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0\x45\0\x64\0i\0t\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\n\0I\0m\0\x61\0g\0\x65\x1\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0\x44\0i\0s\0p\0l\0\x61\0y\x1\0\0\0\xe3\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x18\0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0p\0\x61\0r\0\x65\0n\0\x63\0y\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0M\0o\0\x64\0\x65\x1\0\0\x1\xb1\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0Z\0o\0o\0m\x1\0\0\x2\xcb\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0P\0r\0\x65\0v\0i\0\x65\0w\x1\0\0\x4H\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0M\0\x61\0s\0k\x1\0\0\x5\xf1\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0&\0M\0\x61\0s\0k\0 \0R\0\x65\0n\0\x64\0\x65\0r\0i\0n\0g\0 \0M\0o\0\x64\0\x65\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x32\0S\0\x63\0r\0\x65\0\x65\0n\0 \0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0\x66\0\x65\0r\0 \0\x46\0u\0n\0\x63\0t\0i\0o\0n\0s\x1\0\0\x6\xb3\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x1a\0P\0r\0o\0\x63\0\x65\0s\0s\0 \0I\0\x63\0o\0n\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0P\0r\0o\0j\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x3\0\0\0\x5\0\0\0\x1a\0V\0i\0\x65\0w\0 \0S\0\x65\0l\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0o\0r\x1\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x16\0W\0S\0S\0S\0\x65\0l\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0o\0r\x1\0\0\x1\x45\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x10\0P\0o\0s\0i\0t\0i\0o\0n\x1\0\0\x1\xca\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0R\0\x65\0\x61\0\x64\0o\0u\0t\x1\0\0\x2\x8c\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x16\0I\0n\0\x66\0o\0r\0m\0\x61\0t\0i\0o\0n\x1\0\0\x4;\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0)"

Bad
MainWindow\Layout=@ByteArray(\0\0\0\xff\0\0\0\0\xfd\0\0\0\0\0\0\a\x80\0\0\x3\xbe\0\0\0\x4\0\0\0\x4\0\0\0\b\0\0\0\b\xfc\0\0\0\x3\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x1\0\0\0\b\0V\0i\0\x65\0w\x2\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x2\0\0\0\x10\0\0\0\x18\0\x43\0o\0l\0o\0r\0 \0S\0p\0\x61\0\x63\0\x65\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x10\0G\0\x65\0o\0m\0\x65\0t\0r\0y\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x32\0I\0n\0t\0\x65\0n\0s\0i\0t\0y\0 \0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0\x66\0o\0r\0m\0\x61\0t\0i\0o\0n\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0\x46\0i\0l\0\x65\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0\x45\0\x64\0i\0t\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\n\0I\0m\0\x61\0g\0\x65\x1\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0\x44\0i\0s\0p\0l\0\x61\0y\x1\0\0\0\xe3\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x18\0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0p\0\x61\0r\0\x65\0n\0\x63\0y\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0M\0o\0\x64\0\x65\x1\0\0\x1\xb1\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0Z\0o\0o\0m\x1\0\0\x2\xcb\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0P\0r\0\x65\0v\0i\0\x65\0w\x1\0\0\x4H\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\b\0M\0\x61\0s\0k\x1\0\0\x5\xf1\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0&\0M\0\x61\0s\0k\0 \0R\0\x65\0n\0\x64\0\x65\0r\0i\0n\0g\0 \0M\0o\0\x64\0\x65\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x32\0S\0\x63\0r\0\x65\0\x65\0n\0 \0T\0r\0\x61\0n\0s\0\x66\0\x65\0r\0 \0\x46\0u\0n\0\x63\0t\0i\0o\0n\0s\x1\0\0\x6\xb3\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x1a\0P\0r\0o\0\x63\0\x65\0s\0s\0 \0I\0\x63\0o\0n\0s\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0P\0r\0o\0j\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x3\0\0\0\x5\0\0\0\x1a\0V\0i\0\x65\0w\0 \0S\0\x65\0l\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0o\0r\x1\0\0\0\0\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x16\0W\0S\0S\0S\0\x65\0l\0\x65\0\x63\0t\0o\0r\x1\0\0\x1\x45\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x10\0P\0o\0s\0i\0t\0i\0o\0n\x1\0\0\x2\xf\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\xe\0R\0\x65\0\x61\0\x64\0o\0u\0t\x1\0\0\x2\xd1\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\x16\0I\0n\0\x66\0o\0r\0m\0\x61\0t\0i\0o\0n\x1\0\0\x4\x80\xff\xff\xff\xff\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0)

In the Good version, the byte array is surrounded by quotes. In addition, there are a couple of semicolons that seem to be translated in the Bad version of this line. There are other similar ByteArrays in the Good version without the quotes, however.


Good
Global\Preferences\Application\StyleSheetFile=core-standard.qss

Bad
Global\Preferences\Application\StyleSheetFile=win.qss

This may be fine, but it was different:)

[Juan Conejero]

I cannot reproduce this behavior on any of our working and testing machines, including Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 SP1. Your .ini file looks perfectly normal; it isn't corrupted as far as I can tell. However, the custom 'win.qss' core style sheet file is indeed suspicious. Have you selected it? A wrong core style sheet file can cause many and weird problems. If you haven't selected this file with Preferences, then something very strange happens.

[brew]

I don't know where the win.qss came from. I may have selected it some time ago when I was trying to figure out what some of the preferences did... Certainly not something I Deliberately Did for some reason.

I switched it back to core-standard, and things seem to run correctly now.

Thanks,
brew