Suddenly unable to run GB-PVR

[keith_leitch]

I was connected to my new flat panel TV, trying to iron out some kinks about changing resolution. PVRx2 was not loaded at the time, although the recording service was running as always.

When I changed to 1080p, I got a blue screen and had to restart. After restarting, nothing related to GBPVR would run any longer; not the config program, not PVRx2 and not the recording service. I calmly (for a change) restarted the computer to no avail, then upgraded to version 1.4.7 (which I wanted to do anyway). I did install the Visual C++ runtime upgrade as advised on the website.

However, even after another restart, none of the GB-related programs or services will start; they simply dump out of memory with the standard Windows complaint and offer to report the problem.

I don't think there's any point in attaching logs, as the software is unable to run to generate any. Needless to say, this is very distressing, and I am anxious to hear from anyone who finds this problem familiar.

[keith_leitch]

The problem turned out to be very simple (as usual). The crash corrupted an XML file that configures the software's settings. Once that is gone, none of the related software will run. Because it was corrupted, not emptied, I didn't notice anything wrong with it.

I had an old configuration file. It is missing some of my settings, but things could be a whole lot worse.

[keith_leitch]

OK, this is getting bad. My system has similarly crapped itself to a blue screen about 8 times since. The reason I am posting here again is because every time it does it, it corrupts exactly one file: GBPVR's config.xml file. Everything else (as far as I've been able to tell) is untouched. I feel that there must be a connection.

[martint123]

Do a full system search to ensure you only have one config.xml file
Which Operating System ??

[keith_leitch]

Do a full system search to ensure you only have one config.xml file
Which Operating System ??

Ah, yes, the O/S. Sorry, it is XP Home, SP3.

There is only one in the GBPVR program folder. I do have copies elsewhere (espcially now), but they wouldn't have an effect on the system, would they?

This seems to happen only when my Radeon card is changing resolutions, particularly from 480i or 576i to one of the high-res modes. Having said that, I'm sure I was doing so last without system crashes. It would sometimes "blank" the screen, but that was the extent of it; now it's the blue-screen-of-death and a corrupt config.xml, every five or six times.

[martint123]

OK, so it's not one of the Vista oddities.
Copies of config.xml copies can cause problems, but AFAIK only if in the executable search path like windows\system32 etc.

What happens for the config.xml file, can you run FC or somethign to compare the corrupt one with a saved good one?

I can't think of anything else, but until someone can think of a reason, would setting it to readonly temporarily solve the corruption problem?

Just a last minute thought - how about running filemon http://download.cnet.com/Filemon/3000-20...20837.html and set it up to see what is writing to config.xml??

Martin

[whurlston]

Have you edited the file in Wordpad by any chance? Wordpad will corrupt it.

[keith_leitch]

Just a last minute thought - how about running filemon http://download.cnet.com/Filemon/3000-20...20837.html and set it up to see what is writing to config.xml??

Martin

No, no Wordpad edits, Whurlston. It's actually a very strange sort of corruption; the file ends up filled with spaces (or similar); enough of them to make it a very similar size to the good file, but with none of the content.

Good idea about Filemon. I will keep this in mind for when I am off work in a couple of weeks, and can once again dedicate my whole spiritual self to keeping my Windows computers running. At the moment, I am trying a system restore to about two weeks ago, to see if that makes any difference.