ide.exe not launching?

[jwiede]

Problem: Running IDE.EXE causes bit of disk spin, then prompt returns without ever opening window, providing error, etc. regardless of cmd line args given.

No matter how I execute ide.exe, and with what arguments, it will not open up an IDE window or such. Run from inside either TCC or TCmd yields the same result, the machine spins a bit and then returns to the cmd prompt without giving any error message. I've seen this with both 15.00 & 15.01.39/40 releases now, across multiple reboots, etc.

Has anyone else seen this? Any ideas on how to resolve it and get ide.exe functional again?

Thanks!

Machine config:
Win 8 Enterprise (6.2.9200)
Intel [email protected] (4C/8P), 16GB RAM, NV Quadro 1000M

 

[rconn]

Do you have an ide.exe task showing in Task Manager? (If so, kill it and try again.)

Try starting REGEDIT, then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JP Software, and delete the "IDE 15.0" key. (IDE may be trying to start up offscreen; deleting the key will cause it to revert to the defaults).

 

[jwiede]

Aha! Just noticed in Windows Event Log that IDE.EXE was dropping the following error message (critical) every time it was run. Any further ideas? BTW, it was not already running in task list, and removing the IDE15.0 key didn't change anything.

999 4/26/2013 4:59:38 PM Critical Application Error 1000 Faulting application name: IDE.EXE, version: 15.0.1.40, time stamp: 0x517ae501
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000008721a90
Faulting process id: 0x1970
Faulting application start time: 0x01ce42da1c146790
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\JPSoft\TCmd15x64\IDE.EXE
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 59fc743b-aecd-11e2-be88-9c2a7082e6e8
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

[rconn]

That error report isn't particularly useful, because (1) the error address isn't in the IDE.EXE code, and (2) it doesn't list the module name where the exception actually occurs.

My guess is it's either a Windows dll, or (more likely) third party code that's being injected into the IDE.EXE process. (Not uncommon for things like screen managers and antivirus apps.)

 

[jwiede]

I'll hook it up to windbg and see what there is to see, and try to pin down where it's faulting.

One note (could be unrelated): I did see v14's IDE.EXE generating a fault about a missing scintilla-sounding DLL, and noted it wasn't actually present in the install dir (nor appears present in v15, though v15 isn't giving the same error). Is ide.exe scintilla-based, and if so, what DLLs should be present in the install to function?

 

[rconn]

One note (could be unrelated): I did see v14's IDE.EXE generating a fault about a missing scintilla-sounding DLL, and noted it wasn't actually present in the install dir (nor appears present in v15, though v15 isn't giving the same error). Is ide.exe scintilla-based, and if so, what DLLs should be present in the install to function?

Yes, it uses SCILEXER.DLL (as does TCMD.EXE).

 

[rconn]

You might also try running the 32-bit version of TCMD / IDE and see if that makes any difference. I've seen a *lot* of third-party apps that are injecting broken 64-bit code into TCMD / TCC / IDE. (Presumably the programmers have an insufficiency of testing + ability when it comes to 64-bit development.)

 

[jwiede]

Yes, it uses SCILEXER.DLL (as does TCMD.EXE).

And where in the install should that DLL be located? The same dir as TCC & TCMD?

 

[jwiede]

Well, I took a closer look with DependencyWalker, and it found a few delay-load dependencies that appear to be missing. Next question is whether they're coming from IDE.EXE itself, or from some wanton injection. Can you say whether IESHIMS.DLL, TCL85.DLL, and TK85.DLL are normal dependencies of IDE.EXE?

Thanks!

 

[jwiede]

BTW, according to DependencyWalker, they're dependencies of TAKECMD.DLL, and don't appear to be associated with any injected modules. I do not have tcl/tk enabled, but as they're delay-load, I'm more inclined to believe the issue has to do with the "Warning: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function..." message.

 

[rconn]

And where in the install should that DLL be located? The same dir as TCC & TCMD?

Yes.

 

[rconn]

BTW, according to DependencyWalker, they're dependencies of TAKECMD.DLL, and don't appear to be associated with any injected modules. I do not have tcl/tk enabled, but as they're delay-load, I'm more inclined to believe the issue has to do with the "Warning: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function..." message.

The TCL and TK dll's are not loaded/used unless you're executing a TCL script. (And IESHIMS.DLL isn't used at all; Dependency Walker tends to think every program is missing that.)

TakeCmd.dll is used by TCC and TCMD as well as IDE.EXE; if there were missing dependencies of TakeCmd.dll then nothing would work.

 

[jwiede]

Hmm, any ideas where to go next then? I can launch it from within VS to try and get better visibility into the code causing the crash, but otherwise I'm running out of ideas. I'll also try the 32-bit version when I get into the office, to see if that works.

 

[rconn]

Is SCILEXER.DLL in your installation directory? And did you get a chance to try the 32-bit version?