AbsoluteTelnet3.77.exe 2,226,531 bytes.
I just remembered something that might or might not be relevant. My computer is old, a Pentium Pro 200MHz 64MB RAM, running Windows 98 SP 1 with all MS critical updates current, although the problem occurred much earlier seemingly without reference to the MS updates.
Because of the small (by today's technology) RAM, the disk works a lot, aparently while Win is swapping in and out. I can hear it and see the disk activity light.
When A.T. starts normally, I can hear the disk working for several seconds, see the indicator for dialup networking showing data transfer to and from the host, and then get the login screen from the host. However, when the failure to start occurs, which is the subject of this thread, the disk works very briefly and then stops, much more quickly than a normal start, even though the Win98 taks list shows an entry for A.T.
You're right. That file was somehow corrupted, possibly in my original upload.
Try this one:
Also, your description of how the application appears to sit and wait very soon after a brief amount of disk activity is consistent with my theory of the hang at startup. This type of hang would have begun at version 3.50 and (assuming I'm correct) be fixed in 3.77 and 3.78.
The theory goes like this... There is a Windows function 'FindWindow()' that I use to find other running instances of Absolute in order to calculate the Session number for the title bar. FindWindow() has a nasty habit of sometimes hanging when there is another hung window or process (belonging to any other app). Some other window is probably hanging, which causes AbsoluteTelnet to hang at startup.
One possible reason Explorer is also hanging is that it may also use the FindWindow() function and be subject to waiting on the same hung window of the other application.
In version 3.77 and above, I've removed the FindWindow() function and replaced it with EnumWindows() function which is much safer to use and will not hang itself when enumerating windows.
The FindWindow() issue repeatedly comes up in programming discussions where a programmer wants to limit only one copy of the application to run at a time. The issues are similar to our situation, though. You need to first see if any copies of the app are running. If so, you need to do something special.
This may be more detail than you want, but I'm providing it here in case it may be useful to anyone else who happens to come by.
Let me know how it goes!
I appreciate the explanation. I am no Windows expert, but I do have some programming experience, so the explanation is welcome. I was able to download the new version, but I won't get it tested tonight. My PPP connection to the server has been cranky this evening, and that would throw off any testing.
No problem.
About how long after you start using it do you think it will take for you to know for sure that the problem is (or isn't) gone?
B
Give me three or four days. Some days I use A.T. only once; some days twice. Because the failure to start was not happening every time, it may need several times to check. A short time ago 3.78 started without any problem.
Last evening (I haven't used it yet today) I did have a partial lockup with 3.78. Usual configuration: MS Dial-Up Networking active; Mozilla (1.7.2) in the system tray but not open; task scheduler active; Norton Personal Firewall running; Norton System Doctor in the system tray. I clicked on the .tnt file to start 3.78, and I got the failure to start which has been the subject of this thread. Then I started Windows Explorer (I use a shortcut icon on the desktop). As soon as Explorer opened, then A.T. finished starting and worked normally. I keep forgetting to open Explorer first, because that would be contrary to my usual operating style.
Ok,
Sad to hear that, but here's another test....
I've created another version of Absolute, this time with some extra debug information applied around the area of the program's startup.
To view the debug information, you'll need to install DebugView from sysinternals:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/debugview
When DebugView is running, AbsoluteTelnet will generate output similar to the following:
[Absolute] Entering WinMain()
[Absolute] Determine Max Session
[Absolute] Entering InitApplication
[Absolute] Registring Application class
[Absolute] Registering Screen class
[Absolute] Registering hidden class
[Absolute] Create notification thread
[Absolute] Return from InitApplication
[Absolute] Create mutex
[Absolute] Loading RichEDIT Library
[Absolute] Loading accelerators
[Absolute] Allocating memory for scrollback
[Absolute] Creating main window
[Absolute] Parsing command line arguments
Ok, so here's the plan.... Run things as you do normally. The next time you run AbsoluteTelnet and it hangs, immediately start DebugView (keep a shortcut handy on the desktop or wherever) Now, once AbsoluteTelnet resumes execution and displays the main window, we'll see where it begins in the log... If the first debugMessage we see is 'creating main window', we'll know that the hangup occurred somewhere on or after 'allocating memory for scrollback'
Follow? Let me know if this isn't clear. You can download AbsoluteTelnet w/debug here: <broken link removed>
The instructions are clear enough, although I admit that I am not overwhelming enthusiastic about running debugging software that I know nothing about. In any case, it would be a bit before I can get to that much. (I have only a slow dialup connection, among other things, and a class I am taking is soaking up some of my time.)
[size=1][ February 23, 2005, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: Paul O. Bartlett ][/size]
sysinternals is a very reputable site. They've been around almost as long as Windows itself. Lots of cool stuff on that site. DebugView *can* be a little large, I know.
The DebugViewer isn't a debugger itself. It just gives you (the user) the ability to see debug information from any programs you might be running. Not all programs produce debug information, of course. Normally, debug code is left out of the retail-level products because it tends to bloat and slow the code down. For this installation of AbsoluteTelnet, I've left some of the debug information in so we can find where in AbsoluteTelnet the error is occuring.
After you install 3.80 and DebugView, you can continue on as you have normally. You don't need to run DebugView until after you experience a lockup. Once you notice AbsoluteTelnet hanging, immediately run DebugView and capture the messages that occur when Absolute continues. It's where AbsoluteTelnet begins in the log, then, that will lead us back to the source of them problem.
I know this is a pain in the neck, and I'm glad you've hung in there!!
Brian
OK. I have them downloaded. I will do a virus scan on them and see what I can do in the next few days.
I downloaded, virus-scanned, and installed A.T. 3.80 and DebugView. What I have done so far is to start DebugView minimized to the system tray and logging to a file. Then I have started A.T. So far I have not had a lockup. However, there is a new wrinkle which might point to some unknown cause in my own configuration. I recalled that something like this happened at least twice before but didn't give much attention to it at the time.
I have Norton SystemWorks 2002 installed. On a frequent basis I run LiveUpdate, which is a subscription service to keep virus signatures and other security software current. This afternoon I started SystemWorks and clicked on LiveUpdate as I have so many times before. The disk worked briefly and stopped. Time goes by. Nothing happens. As soon as I open Windows Explorer from a desktop icon, LiveUpdate finishes its initialization and starts up. This is just the behavior of A.T., so it might be some unknown factor in my own setup. However, I will continue the logging process to see if it gives any hints.
Finally I have a lockup to report. I started DebugView as I mentioned above and then went to start A.T. 3.80. The disk whirred briefly and stopped. Some seconds went by. Nothing. (Usually if A.T. is going to start normally, the disk will keep going until A.T. connects with the server and displays the login screen.) I opened Internet Explorer, and A.T. finished starting. I went through the normal login to the remote host and then stopped DebugView. Here is the log file:
[\\\\I8P9D0]
00000000 0.00000000 [Absolute] Entering WinMain()
00000001 0.05189920 [Absolute] Determine Max Session
00000002 0.06584480 [Absolute] Entering InitApplication
00000003 0.07696720 [Absolute] Registring Application class
00000004 0.07732960 [Absolute] Registering Screen class
00000005 0.07746560 [Absolute] Registering hidden class
00000006 0.07757760 [Absolute] Create notification thread
00000007 0.07864640 [Absolute] Return from InitApplication
00000008 0.07869040 [Absolute] Create mutex
00000009 0.07879520 [Absolute] Loading RichEDIT Library
00000010 0.09529120 [Absolute] Loading accelerators
00000011 0.09538480 [Absolute] Allocating memory for scrollback
00000012 0.14580480 [Absolute] Creating main window
00000013 19.61354560 [Absolute] Parsing command line arguments
As soon as I open Windows Explorer from a desktop icon, LiveUpdate finishes its initialization and starts up. This is just the behavior of A.T., so it might be some unknown factor in my own setup.
It could be a system-wide hang, or it could just be a programming glitch common to both programs. I won't be able to tell which until we isolate the problem a bit further....
The log file you provided is *perfect*. The time index tells me exactly where to look next. I've built a new version that adds some additional debug info around the area we are looking at. It should isolate the issue for us even further....
Let me know when you get a chance to try it.
Brian
I donwloaded the version, but as I have mentioned, the lockups come sporadically and unpredictably, so it might be several days before anything turns up. In the log that I posted, the final interval includes the "think time" before I decided that the program was not starting and opened Explorer.
