Periodically I will run into a situation where the FF engine keeps crashing. Sometimes it will crash as a project is loaded. Other times it will crash before FireFly itself loads. I thought it might have to do with a module that had been moved to another folder. I tried creating a new project and started adding the forms to it. It crashed as soon as I loaded the main form for the program. I tried loading one of the example projects and that works fine. Any ideas?
hmmm.... that's a tough one. I don't really know what would be the primary cause however I have seen it crash periodically as FireFly itself is loading. It seems to do this more often on Vista. Maybe something to do with where the project is located? Vista uses a virtualization to move writable files out of the Project Files directory. Where did you install FireFly and where is your project located?
It could also be due to the Armadillo Software protection that is used on the FFengine.exe file.
Please let me know if you can uncover a pattern to the crashes.
Both Firefly and the project files are installed on an external hard drive. The paths are:
Program:
E:\PowerBasic\FireFly Visual Designer
Project:
E:\LA\FireFly 09
I am using a Vista 64bit system. I have tried running FireFly normally and as an administrator with the same results. I tried running a couple of the examples that come with Firefly and they seem to work fine. The tutorial 2 example, which is the web browser, didn't crash but it also would not compile due to an error.
I moved the project files to a folder located where the example files are stored. Still crashes.
Tried shutting down all other main applications, loading Firefly (okay), and then the project. Crashed.
Rebooted and tried loading this as the first and only application running. Still crashed when loading the project.
Paul
Could you be using an older version of Armadillo for your copy protection? A lot of reports of Armadillo prior to about 5.20 not playing nice with Vista DEP.
Jim
Still getting the crashes.
I have two laptops I am using. I do most of my work at home using an HP laptop with Vista Home Premium (32-bit). I try to do some coding during lunch at work when I get a chance. The laptop at work has Vista Business (64.bit). The main application I am working on at home works fine with home laptop. When I bring a copy of the code to work on at work, Firefly will crash repeatedly when I try to load the project. However, I am able to use Firefly on the home laptop to create a new project with no problem. I can save, load and compile a minor project I am creating on the work laptop but as soon as I try to load the code created on the home laptop, it crashes during the load. I have no idea how to fix this, so for now I will just have to skip doing any firefly coding on my main project during my lunch break.
Any thoughts on what might be causing this problem or things I can try to diagnose the problem? Unfortunately there are no error messages with the crash to aid in tracking down the issue. Just a report that FireFly has stopped working.
The main project I am working on does have a couple of DLL's - one is MLG, the other is PolarZip. The DLL's are both in the project folder on both machines.
Dick
Hi Richard,
I'll email you a test version of FireFly later on with a new implementation of Armadillo to see if that is what was causing the problem. If the crashes remain then I have a Plan "B" (but I would rather not have to go to Plan B). :)
Hmm... I bet plan B is to release Firefly 3 at this stage of development. ;)
;D
FWIW, i used to switch between FF projects by opening and closing them, but its WAY more
convenient to open each project in a diferent FF instance. In order to do so, you need to
allow more than 1 instance of FF in the configuration.
Thats how i got rid of crashes. :)
I tried setting that option. It did not change the crashing.
It's worth noting that even when Firefly is generally working well for me, it will crash periodically when it loads. Usually I'll retry to start it up a few times and it eventually loads. Once I get it loaded it has been quite stable. When there has been a crash after it is loaded, it has been due to my code and not Firefly. Must be a clue in this random behavior during loading on what is causing the problem.
Dick
What AV, firewall, Windows DEP settings? Any types of debuggers running? Anything like Winspector running? Any of the above could also cause the Armadillo crashing. I often forget and have Winspector open and it crashes until I close it.
Hello Paul,
I just updated to FF 2.91 and it now locks up when trying to load a PRJ file that loaded fine in 2.86
Running XP x64 edition.
EDIT:
Turns out it was NOT hanging up on loading the project.
I have two monitors and when I load it from the File menu I get a Dialog on the main monitor that says it can not find one of the Include files, which is correct because I have moved them to a different folder since last opening this Project, but when opening by double clicking on the PRJ file from within Windows Explorer the Dialog comes up on the second monitor and I just did not notice it ... too many Windows opened on two large monitors.
David, you're just being waaaaay too efficient! :) Two monitors going at once... I have hard enough time trying to concentrate on one monitor.
An update on Dick's crashing problem: We've been emailing back and forth a bit over the past few days and it turns out that Dick's problem was related to how he had a 3rd party external control set up. Once corrected, there were no crash loading problems.