PI Crash when Opening Files / Accessing File System

[andyschlei]

PI 1.8 RC3:  PixInsight Core 01.08.00.0963 RC3 Ripley (x86_64) crashes fairly often for me when I go to access the file system.

After some period of work, if I go to open a file or add files to a dialog, PI crashes, giving me the Windows warning that PI has stopped working and will close.  This has happened about one in 10 times for me since updating to RC3.

--Andy

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Andy,

I cannot reproduce this problem (and I have tried hard). I need more information. In particular, I need to know:

* Does the error happen while a File|Open dialog box is visible, or when you select a file and the open dialog closes?

* Does PI show any error message? (error message boxes, messages written to the console, etc.)

* About your computer: Version of Windows, total RAM installed, free disk space, processor model...

* Do you have a firewall/antivirus software running? What firewall/antivirus?

* Does anyone else have similar problems?

Thank you for your help.

[andyschlei]

Hi Andy,

I cannot reproduce this problem (and I have tried hard). I need more information. In particular, I need to know:

* Does the error happen while a File|Open dialog box is visible, or when you select a file and the open dialog closes?

It happens at the moment I select anything that requires access to open a file or select a directory (add files to an integration list, change output directory on alignment, etc.).  An incomplete file window opens and I get the Windows "your application has crashed" error.  It appears to be the moment I ask for the file information.  I get no response after clicking "Add files" or on the down triangle for selecting the directory.

* Does PI show any error message? (error message boxes, messages written to the console, etc.)

No messages.  It just quits once I click on the Windows dialog.  I'll try to get a screenshot.

* About your computer: Version of Windows, total RAM installed, free disk space, processor model...

Windows 7 64 bit SP 1, Intel i7 CPU 920, 9 GB RAM, 560 GB free disk space.

* Do you have a firewall/antivirus software running? What firewall/antivirus?

McAfee total protection (Virus, firewall, etc.)


I'll see if I can reliably re-create the error.  So far I have not found a pattern.

--Andy

[andyschlei]

I can generally re-create the error now.

• Open PI
• Open a project file
• Perform an image integration, 36 images, 64MB buffer, 4096MB stack
• Perform an Auto STF (ctrl-a) on the newly integrated image
• Click on the already open image alignment dialog, then click on the directory select.  The first time I did this, it crashed immediately.  The second time, it took several attempts and locked up without the dialog open.  The third time, it took several clicks and it locked with the dialog box open.

I've attached screen shots from the first crash.  I'll put the second one in another post.

Let me know if you need any other information.

Thanks,

--Andy

[andyschlei]

Here is the screenshot from the second crash, the one without a file dialog box.  If you want the third, let me know.

[andyschlei]

One other thought.  Since I have been having this problem, I have been saving my project files before any other file system access.  As far as I can remember, I do not get the error if I have saved the project.  And I do think that the error occurs mostly after performing an image integration. 

HTH,

--Andy

[andyschlei]

I believe that I have found the source of the problem.  I looked at the Windows Application Event Log and found the following related to the error I have described:

Code: [Select]

Faulting application name: PixInsight.exe, version: 1.8.0.963, time stamp: 0x51007c04
Faulting module name: McPvNs.dll, version: 3.1.116.0, time stamp: 0x506df6c1
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000002df152
Faulting process id: 0xe9c
Faulting application start time: 0x01ce0e38cf1642f7
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\PixInsight\bin\PixInsight.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\McAfee\MAT\McPvNs.dll

McPvNs.dll is related to the McAfee vault feature that is installed by default with McAfee total protection.

I worked with McAfee support through chat (they were VERY helpful, I am quite impressed with their customer service) and removed (well, uninstalled and reinstalled without) the vault component.  I have not been able to re-create the error.  So in ITIL-speak, I have a work-around but the problem still remains.

I wonder if there is some sort of a timing issue where the McAfee component gives a delayed response to PI that is not handled?  Or that McAfee doesn't work well in a fully multi-threaded application?

I am still willing to help debug as needed.  From my standpoint, the incident is closed and this is a known error as long as it doesn't happen again.

Thanks,

--Andy

[Juan Conejero]

Thank you for finding the origin of this problem. To be sincere, I suspected something like this since your first post, and especially since I saw your first screenshot.

Note that usually when I ask something like "What is your antivirus...", it's because I suspect that the problem is not being caused by PixInsight, but by an external process. That's not to say that I always known this is the case in these occasions (I always try to reproduce all reported problems), but I have seen many similar problems on Windows. In most cases these issues are caused by viruses and Trojans (although I have to be very cautious to say this explicitly), and in some cases by virus protection software, as has happened here, fortunately.

I am still willing to help debug as needed.  From my standpoint, the incident is closed and this is a known error as long as it doesn't happen again.

Thank you so much for your help. The issue is also closed from my end. Now we have one less problem to worry about before releasing an RC4 version, which is great

[andyschlei]

Happy to find it's not a virus and to take it off the list!