A VRPC problem and some...

I’m gonna try and keep this simple…

I have three Win 10 computers, each has a VRPC-DL installed on it, suddenly one of the computers fails to run its VRPC-DL.

The two others continue to run their VRPC-DL installs without problems.

If I take the VRPC from the errant PC to one of the good PCs it works okay.
If I take a VRPC (Different install)from the good machine to the errant machine it immediately fails to run.

I’ve also installed from the original VRPC-DL download .zip file, but that also immediately fails to run.

With some guidance from a MS forum I’ve been through a number of testings and processes and finally an advisor examined the .dmp file generated by the VRPC failure and posted me the following today:

Independent Advisor

You did it correctly and I was able to open the dump files. It appears the issue with your program is manifesting inside one of the Visual Studio .NET:tm: 2003 dependencies (mfc71.dll) based on the stack:

STACK_TEXT:
WARNING: Stack unwind information not available. Following frames may be wrong.
0019fd00 7c16e0b0 00000364 00000000 7c170228 VirtualRPC_DL+0x5eefb
0019fd20 7c16e14f 00000364 00000000 00000000 mfc71!CWnd::WindowProc+0x22
0019fd80 7c1557f7 00000000 00020344 00000364 mfc71!AfxCallWndProc+0x91
0019fda4 7c14fe63 0002034c 00000364 00000000 mfc71!CWnd::SendMessageToDescendants+0x46
0019fdcc 7c14fede 00be2650 00000001 7c150290 mfc71!CFrameWnd::InitialUpdateFrame+0x5b
0019fdd8 7c150290 00be26c0 00be2650 00000001 mfc71!CDocTemplate::InitialUpdateFrame+0x11
0019fe10 7c142e92 00000000 00000001 004937b0 mfc71!CSingleDocTemplate::OpenDocumentFile+0x19b
0019feac 0044a911 004937b0 004937b0 7c172fb6 mfc71!CDocManager::OnFileNew+0x7c
0019ff70 75fdfa29 003e7000 75fdfa10 0019ffdc VirtualRPC_DL+0x4a911
0019ff80 77d875f4 003e7000 36e2f6d7 00000000 kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x19
0019ffdc 77d875c4 ffffffff 77da7355 00000000 ntdll!__RtlUserThreadStart+0x2f
0019ffec 00000000 0046b32c 003e7000 00000000 ntdll!_RtlUserThreadStart+0x1b

I am guessing that the install files for this program include the VS .NET 2003 components, since there is no distinct download from MS for 2003 runtimes. As such, there is no option to individually repair those components natively. That, coupled with the fact this is a 3rd party program, really means you need feedback from their support.

I can’t recall if I asked, but I assume you already completely uninstalled the program and reinstalled it?

As per his suggestion in an earlier posting about asking on this actual Forum (He gave me the url), and as I’m already a member, I though it was time to see if folks here had any useful thoughts.

Thanks
Dave

Has it ever worked on the errant PC ?

When you try to run it does it just do nothing ? Have you tried looking in eventvwr ?

Other versions of VirtualRPC can fall over with the atapicd component
C:\VirtualRPC-SA\Plugins\atapicd
create a folder called disableplugins and move the atapicd folder in there, so that it is not seen at startup

This would be C:\VirtualRPC-DL\Plugins\atapicd on a VirtualRPC-DL set up. Although when I installed VirtualRPC-DL on my W10 Laptop the atapicd component is not there, so it
may not be relevant in trhis case.

Some of these fault finding things on Virtual Acorn may be helpful ?
http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/articles/indexpc.htm
Apologies if you’ve already had a look

Thanks for your thoughts Acorndave.

In order…
Yes, for years both VRPC-AdjustSA and in more recent times VRPC-DL both running RO 6.20 have worked okay.

I’ve used the output from the ‘Event viewer’ log to post to the MS Forum, I’ve also had the ‘Task Manager’ processes tab open while attempting to run VRPC.

The MS throbber circles for a couple of seconds, VRPC displays in the Processes list, then it vanishes.

With regard to Atapicd, it was removed on all my various VRPC installs years ago.

I’ve been through a whole slew of testings, for malware, antivirus, Firewall on or off, disabling startup services, etc…

A couple of days ago the MS forum asked me to post the Crash Dump file relating to the VRPC failure, and here we are after the dump file was examined by the advisor ‘William Dz’

Bemused by the fact that identical installs of VRPC on two other Win 10 machines all work okay.

Thanks
Dave

Not really done any PC stuff for quite some while but I cast an eye over it

I am guessing that the install files for this program include the VS .NET 2003 components, since there is no distinct download from MS for 2003 runtimes

is a reference to Windows 2003/XP (server and desktop tags there) and those are the .NET components from that era.

There certainly used to be distinct downloads, but MS modernised (code for dumped their old stuff) so to re-install that specific version of .NET you need those as per the hint from the “Independent Advisor”

Aaron should have that in his developer package, so he’s your best bet for a known clean¹ copy of the right era .NET installer. Being old there will probably be a few lot of patches to that .NET that need applying.

BTW. Where were you hiding when Gavin was seeking advice on replacement s/w &/or hardware for his other half?

¹ I have no doubt that a copy or two of the 2003 .NET install files are out there on the net, but whether they have been tampered with is a concern.

acorndave wrote: Some of these fault finding things on Virtual Acorn may be helpful ?
http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/articles/indexpc.htm
Apologies if you’ve already had a look.

Ah! But not looked at it recently, so I went for a butchers…

I’d been through a number of the(Ahm!) VRPC quirks in my testing, but there was one that I’d forgotten.

Quote:
“VirtualAcorn products need an audio adapter that can play sounds. If such as device isn’t present then VirtualAcorn products won’t work. So, if Windows disables the audio device in the computer because nothing is connected, VirtualRPC will fail to run and will generate an error.”

End Quote.

I tested the PC and sure enough I couldn’t get a damn peep out of it, strange business I though (Stronger words were used of course).

The audio adaptor was off and not available or responding.
Ping! I remembered a short while ago I’d reorganised that end of my desk and had unplugged the speakers, then when finished I’d failed to plug ’em back in again…

So, long story short, got the audio adaptor alive again and Yehaw! All versions of VRPC now work again. :-)

So Acorndave thanks for the prompt that got me looking elsewhere.

Dave

Quote:
“VirtualAcorn products need an audio adapter that can play sounds. If such as device isn’t present then VirtualAcorn products won’t work. So, if Windows disables the audio device in the computer because nothing is connected, VirtualRPC will fail to run and will generate an error.”

End Quote.

I remembered a short while ago I’d reorganised that end of my desk and had unplugged the speakers, then when finished I’d failed to plug ’em back in again…

WTF??

Has anyone hit Aaron with something heavy yet?
That should be simply a message to the user saying “Audio unplugged or missing” and then carry on to a working VA desktop.

So disabling the audio (little icon in the tray at the right, or key above F12 in this lappie) as I am won’t to do when surfin’ the net, would kill VA?

Yehaw!

Yep, definitely cowboy material.

I’m not sure where .NET2003 is coming in to this, VirtualRPC predates .NET by a long way (back when it was Red Squirrel) and its barely been touched since. As can been seen from the stack dump it’s dependant on Microsoft Foundation Classes mfc71, and that should be available as a separate install.

I’m not sure where .NET2003 is coming in to this

That was the item/version referenced in the dump. Hence people suggesting concating support to ask about the .NET setup.
As it turns out the problem isn’t crappy MS code it’s crappy Aaron code where the whole app goes a*** over t** if it doesn’t see an active sound device so Dave unplugging his speakers made the VA install fail.
If that doesn’t deserve a WTF, I don’t know what does.

Wasn’t there a build a while back (like probably ages ago) that would start up if you had an empty CD-ROM, but would crash if there was a disc in the drive?

As (the real) Steve says, something really ought to work with what’s available and cope intelligently with deficiencies. Sound is not important ¹. Nice to have, certainly, but inexcusable as a show stopper.

¹ I have no sound from my Pi. The speaker jack is plugged into my net radio as it is more useful to me to listen to Delain (etc) than the occasional beep.

Visual Studio .NET 2003 was a thing back in the day. Just the successor to Visual C++ 6.0 really with some .NET tat added. As you might guess from mfc71.dll, it was Visual C++ v7.1.

I had hoped to erase those days from my mind!

On VRPC with no audio device…

…no-one can hear you scream.

I think that one was the only 32-bit Visual C++ variant that I never used.

What’s even more bemusing…

In the VRPC Menubar Tools-Option-Audio Tab you can disable sound.

That in itself doesn’t stop VRPC from running. :-)

Dave