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R2d2 Software -> Virtual Desktop Toolbox -> Virtual Desktop Toolbox help and support -> VDT fails out on opening
Post Info TOPIC: VDT fails out on opening
erikanderson3


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VDT fails out on opening
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I just recently stumbled across VDT, and boy was I happy -- I'd gotten used to the convenience of multiple desktops on Linux, and was sad to have to go back to XP. So thanks for the incredible usefulness! And it's so much better than Microsoft's own feeble desktop manager...

Be that as it may, though I've gotten VDT installed and happily working on my office machine, I can't get it to work at home. So first off, my home setup:

  • Dell Dimension 5150, Pentium D dual core
  • Win XP fully updated
  • Far East language support added -- language setting for non-Unicode programs is Japanese

    The R2D2 kernel authority service runs just fine, but the VDT component itself consistently fails out. On every login and on every attempt at manually running VDT, I get a Dr Watson dialog saying:

    Virtual Desktop Toolbox has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience. yada yada ...

    Clicking to see the details shows the following:

    Error signature

    AppName: vdtlbx.exe
    AppVer: 2.72.0.1
    ModName: version.dll
    ModVer: 5.1.2600.2180
    Offset: 000015b2
    then some MS boilerplate...

    I've got the tech info attachment with further details (XML content) that I'd be happy to post or attach if you'd like (it's not that big, but I don't want to clutter up the board).

    Anyway, every time, it's the same error, same offset, same XML. Might VDT not work on SMP systems? Is there a Unicode issue here (probably not as my office machine is Win XP Japanese, and VDT works there...)? Or does it not play well with others? Possible problematic other software includes:

  • ZoneAlarm
  • WinPooch w/ Clamwin
  • Dexpot (another virtual desktop manager w/ some pretty cool features, but not quite as useful as VDT)

    Walking through some basic bug-hunting, uninstalling Dexpot didn't work, nor did allowing VDT and the R2D2 kernel service in WinPooch and ZA, nor did disabling WinPooch. I'm not comfortable uninstalling ZA and WinPooch as a final solution, but I'll try doing so temporarily this weekend (if I can find time), then uninstall and reinstall VDT and see if that works. Any hints anyone else might have would be much appreciated!

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    R2D2


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    Well, can you first download and install VDT 2.72.2. What happens when you try to manually run VDT, using the start menu shortcut?


    Then, can you send the tech info to support@R2d2-Software.com


    Thanx



    -- Edited by R2D2 at 13:07, 2006-05-26

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    Anonymous

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    Fabulous, thanks for the updated version, R2D2. I'll download this evening after work and give it a try. As a minor version upgrade, I'm guessing this is only a bugfix release, but do you have any changelog info? Would it be worthwhile to upgrade my (presently working) office machine to 2.72.2?

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    erikanderson3


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    Ah, found the changelog info. Given that there's no need to uninstall, I'll go ahead and apply to my office machine too. Will post again once I see if 2.72.2 works at home...

    Thanks! -- Erik

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    erikanderson3


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    Still no dice with 2.72.2. Works fine at the office, and fails at home. Same memory offset too, 000015b2.

    Just wondering, might there be some service aside from the R2D2 kernel authority that VDT depends on?

    I'll email you at the support address with the details.

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    Well, this is strange ; I need your help to debug.


    Can you do this...


    First download VDTlbx.exe here http://www.r2d2-software.com/VDT/VDTlbx.EXE (don't use the file I sent you by e-mail) and copy it to your VDT folder (usually C:\Program Files\R2d2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox).


    Then open the registry editor, go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\R2d2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox\Project options key and create a REG_SZ value called DebugMode; give it the True value. This creates a file called VDT<ProcessNumber>.log in your temp folder (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<YourName>\Local Settings\Temp) everytime VDT is executed.


    Logon (VDT should crash) and try to execute VDT from the Start menu shortcut (VDT should crash too) ; send the VDT*.log files to support@R2d2-Software.com (by the way, the file you sent me a few hours ago was empty).


    You can send too the VDT*.log files you will find in the C:\Documents and Settings\<YourName>\Local Settings\Application Data\R2D2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox folder.


    Thanx



    -- Edited by R2D2 at 05:04, 2006-05-27

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    erikanderson3


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    Sorry for the delay -- we seem to be in different time zones on the one hand, and I've had a busy Saturday on the other. Anyway, I've done as instructed, and gathered the log files. There weren't any under Local Settings\Application Data\ R2d2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox, but they were in the Temp folder. I'll send those along shortly.

    Incidentally, opening MMC and looking at the Event Viewer -> Application logs shows errors when VDT attempts to run, the same error every time. The text is slightly different from what Dr Watson shows, so I'll post here just in case it's useful.

    Faulting application vdtlbx.exe, version 2.72.0.2, faulting module version.dll, version 5.1.2600.2180, fault address 0x000015b2.


    HTH, -- Erik

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    erikanderson3


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    RE: VDT fails out on opening -- found it!
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    I found it --

    I went into the xml files and read through what I could make out. One thing that all three MATCHING_FILE elements have in common is the attribute VER_LANGUAGE="English (United States) [0x409]". Prompted by this, I thought, what if I see what happens when I open Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options -> Advanced tab, and change the language for non-Unicode programs to English.

    So I tried it, rebooted as required, and sure enough VDT works now. I'll have to double-check my settings on my office machine, as I'm certain I left it set to Japanese and still got VDT to work. But then, the whole OS there is Japanese, whereas my home machine is English, so that might change things.

    The problem is, setting the non-Unicode program language to English means I cannot use my Japanese dictionaries, which is a serious problem as I'm a Japanese - English translator by trade. Is there an easy way of fixing VDT so that this isn't an issue? Or would it require some major rewriting to build in Unicode support?

    Hopeful, -- Erik

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    RE: VDT fails out on opening
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    The files you sent helped me; can you download again VDTlbx.exe here http://www.r2d2-software.com/VDT/VDTlbx.EXE and copy it to your VDT folder (usually C:\Program Files\R2d2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox).


    Thanks


     



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    erikanderson3


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    Still no dice -- immediate failure on running, with the same memory offset too, 000015b2. I'll send the files momentarily.

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    Can you open the registry and go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\R2d2 Software\Virtual Desktop Toolbox\Project options key; please give me the content of the EncryptionMode value.


    Thanks


     



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    erikanderson3


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    The value is a REG_SZ of 99.

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    Ok, I need to install the same OS than you to make more tests. I will do it this week and give you feedback when available.


    See you later



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    erikanderson3


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    If you need any other reg settings or configuration info, just let me know.

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    erikanderson3


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    UPDATE --

    Back at work now, I've been able to double-check the settings of my office machine.

  • Win XP Japanese, all updates applied
  • Regional and Language Settings -> Advanced tab -> language for non-Unicode programs is in fact Japanese, and VDT here is working just fine.

    We ran into one obscure issue here with different software that makes use of the .NET framework, where my machine is the only one on which this software runs correctly with the non-Unicode program language set to Japanese. I also seem to be the only one here at the office with the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Japanese Language Pack. Any chance this might be related?

    I'll go about getting the same .NET components installed at home and see if it helps at all.

    Cheers, -- Erik

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    Well, it is really strange.


    I installed a XP computer with the Japanese MUI and I have the problem you described. So I tried to debug, but it is not an obvious problem in my code; the whole program behaves in a different way. Even the IF conditions sequence is different


    I will continue to make tests...



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    erikanderson3


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    R2D2 wrote:
    ... the whole program behaves in a different way. Even the IF conditions sequence is different ...


    Not good. Not good at all.

    I did some googling, and though I didn't find much, this link suggests the upgrade to MSVBVM60.dll from 6.0.96.90 to 6.0.97.82 might have broken things. Search on the page for the phrase "a quick peek".

    http://www.northcode.com/v3/problemitem.php?filter=all&pattern=

    I don't know if this is the same issue; I tried renaming my current MSVBVM60.dll and replacing with version 6.0.96.90 and running VDT, but saw the same error. But I didn't reboot after renaming, so I'm not sure my experiment was tightly controlled enough.

    Anyway, here's hoping you can figure out what the deal is!

    Cheers, -- Erik

    PS -- You already knew this no doubt, but installing the .NET Japanese language pack didn't do anything useful.

    -- Edited by erikanderson3 at 02:00, 2006-05-31

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    I finally found a few things:



    • I removed the optimization options when compiling (thank you MS)
    • I reviewed the installation process and I always set the default folder when running VDT (the default folder must be explicitely defined on Japanese MUI)

    This new version works on my Japanese computer, but... the global behaviour is so strange!


    Click here to download; please note that this is a new relase I'm working on: it should be bug free, but I'm still testing.


     



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    erikanderson3


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    A couple things --
    • Still doesn't work. Same memory offset, 000015b2. Files to follow shortly.
    • I realize that my setup is not what you've installed. I don't have the Japanese MUI. I have the regular vanilla US English XP install, only with the optional East Asian language support enabled. Go to Regional and Language Options -> Languages tab -> Supplemental language support, and click on "Install files for East Asian languages". Then go to Regional and Language Options -> Advanced tab -> Language for non-Unicode programs and select "Japanese" in the drop-down. You'll probably have to reboot after this.

    Thanks again for looking into this, and good luck! -- Erik

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    Sorry for the inconvenience, but I unfortunately have to enter into a step by step debug process . I found something related to the version info of the Shell32.dll file that is different depending on the character set used.


    Can you download again here and try



    -- Edited by R2D2 at 12:43, 2006-06-01

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    erikanderson3


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    I'd love to hear what you did, as it now seems to work. I've been successfully running VDT all this evening, with no crashing. I've noticed a couple odd issues (which I've also run into on my office machine), but these are minor and will be the subject of a separate thread. As it is, my last test is to reboot and make sure VDT launches correctly now that I've got it mostly configured as I want it. So thank you!

    Final confirmation to come in a moment, -- Erik


    ** UPDATE

    Looks like whatever you did has done the trick. VDT is now loading and functioning, so I'm one happy camper! Thank you, R2D2, I will definitely be registering.

    Cheers, -- Erik

    -- Edited by erikanderson3 at 02:08, 2006-06-02

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    Ok, don't forget to remove the DebugMode values in the registry.


    Thank you for the feedback



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