.NET (Core and Framework)

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

1-Feb-06 6:22

I have a Winforms app written under .net1.1. After it is installed on a client, it will fail to launch until such time as someone with machine admin rights logs on to the client and runs the app once. Then it works for any other non-admin user that logs on and the failure cannot be reproduced even if we subsequently remove the app and the framework and reinstall everything from ground zero.

Current theories are (1) code access security problem or (2) problem accessing isolated storage for the very first time. I use a little bit of isolated storage for form / user settings and the like. We don't consider (1) likely because it's installed on the local machine (full trust zone) , and it operates fine for non-admins once an admin runs the program on the client once. I thought of (2) because this is the first .net app deployed to the clients, and we install .net 1.1 as part of the setup process, so it's likely that nothing has ever attempted to access isolated storage on the client prior to this program.

The error message displayed when the app is launched is cryptic. It’s not even a normal .net unhandled exception dialog that displays where it was at in the call stack or displays problems related to code access security. Just "an unhandled exception has occurred, process ID XXXX, Thread ID XXXX, Click OK to terminate or Cancel to debug."

I'd love any additional theories or suggestions.

Pat

Pat K.

malharone1-Feb-06 11:34

malharone

1-Feb-06 11:34

Select "Debug" and find out what the exception stacktrace is. Finding out the Exception message, inner exception etc is critical in solving these types of issues.

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

patgrape1-Feb-06 12:10

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

1-Feb-06 12:10

That's the fun part, it says no debugger is installed... apparently installing one requires the visual studio install cd... so I'll have to bring those to work and repeat the process on yet another clean machine and install .net debugging components if I can figure out how to do that. I can't figure out how to replicate the problem on a given machine once I've run the app as machine admin so I'll have to scrounge for more machines.

It's very weird - every other unhandled exception situation I've ever seen displays the .net "unhandled exception" dialog with a "details" button that will list where it is in the call stack when it failed, and a "continue" button. This one just has OK and Cancel and absolutely no information other than the thread and process ID.

malharone1-Feb-06 12:48

malharone

1-Feb-06 12:48

Aha.. ! two options:
a) modify the code so it records the exceptions to a textfile (make sure you're taking care of Unhandled exceptions, application exceptions, and thread exceptions.

b) you dont need VS installed on that machine to be able to debug. You can remotely attach a process. From the machine that does have VS installed, select "Debug Process" from the menu. Specify the name of the computer to which you want to connect. Select the process... etc. You will be able to debug the same way as if you had the program running on your machine if you copy the build PDBs to the application folder on your remote machine also.

- Malhar

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

patgrape1-Feb-06 15:53

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

1-Feb-06 15:53

regarding b)

I tried this yesterday (but without PDB's present). Added self to remote machine's debugger users group. Got an error about could not debug. I read what little I could find in MS documentation about remote debugging and it said you had to do all this crap (install remote debugging components on the target machine using the VS.Net setup CD) to be able to debug a process on a remote machine. Are you saying that if the PDB files are present on the remote machine then that process is not needed? If so, I'll give it a try. The 2 clients I initially tried this on were 2000 miles away, so I did not have physical access to go install stuff from a CD. The machine I had to play with today (locally) I wrecked - i.e. accidentally forgot I was logged on as admin and launched the failing app, so that it began working for non-admin, before I got any further. Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can stick PDB files somewhere and get some info.

patgrape2-Feb-06 4:53

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

2-Feb-06 4:53

RegistryKey.OpenSubkey method failed when attempting to wrie the first ever EventLog entry for my application. Seems I need to look into having the EventLogInstaller class do something as part of my setup package.

Dave Kreskowiak2-Feb-06 5:32

Dave Kreskowiak

2-Feb-06 5:32

If you're creating a custom EventLog, not using the standard Application or System logs, this requires admin rights to create the new log. After that, anyone user account can write to it.

You're correct. You'll have to add a custom action to your Installer to create the new event log. Admin rights shouldn't be a concern considering you normally need admin rights to install an app anyway.

RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome

Re: .net app fails to launch until once executed by machine admin

KreativeKai2-Feb-06 9:22

KreativeKai

2-Feb-06 9:22

I ran into the same EventLog issues over a year ago. Here is the link with info on how we solved it.

[http://www.codeproject.com/script/comments/forums.asp?msg=991861&forumid=1650#xx991861xx[^]

Hope this info helps Smile | :)

Lost in the vast sea of .NET

Proxy for email

Brisunifreddyp1-Feb-06 4:27

Brisunifreddyp

1-Feb-06 4:27

Hi,

Is there any way of using a web proxy (i.e. using the WebProxy class in .NET) to send e-mails through as part of an e-mail client, without changing IE Settings?

The key is that I need to be able to mask IP addresses in e-mail headers sent from my e-mail client via an SMTP server, like GMail. The headers for GMail have the IP address in them if you don't send them from thei webmail cliet, you see...

Any and all help appreciated!

assigning null value

raj kumar reddy31-Jan-06 23:27

31-Jan-06 23:27

hi,

this question look silly but i need it.

i am extracting values from a pdf file and am assinging those values to a string array of fixed length. if i get extracted value as empty ( empty string) i have to assign that particular value as NULL . (becoz i have to insert this value into the database) using null option in the vb is not working. can any body help me ....

raj

-- modified at 5:27 Wednesday 1st February, 2006

Guffa1-Feb-06 0:43

Guffa

1-Feb-06 0:43

Use DbNull.Value.

---
b { font-weight: normal; }

raj kumar reddy1-Feb-06 1:27

1-Feb-06 1:27

thanx for giving reply..

but dbNull inserting empty value into the database(sql server) . but i want it as "NULL" value.. ( i mean i want "NULL" word insted of empty )

raj

-- modified at 7:28 Wednesday 1st February, 2006

Darell F. Butch Jr.1-Feb-06 1:35

Darell F. Butch Jr.

1-Feb-06 1:35

Make sure the table column is define as allowing nulls and doesn't have a default value specified.

raj kumar reddy1-Feb-06 1:40

1-Feb-06 1:40

hi,

i am sure the table column is define as allowing nulls ...

thank you

raj

Darell F. Butch Jr.1-Feb-06 2:14

Darell F. Butch Jr.

1-Feb-06 2:14

I have tested both techniques and the database has the <null> value:

SqlCommand Lcomm;
DataSet Lds;
SqlDataAdapter Lda;
SqlCommandBuilder Lcb;
string LstrQueryString;

LstrQueryString = "Insert into Table1 (id, name) values (1, NULL)";
using (SqlConnection Lconn = new SqlConnection(@"Data Source=.\DA;Database=Testing;Integrated Security=SSPI"))
{
Lconn.Open();
Lcomm = new SqlCommand(LstrQueryString, Lconn);
Lcomm.ExecuteNonQuery();

LstrQueryString = "Select TOP 0 * From Table1";
Lds = new DataSet();
Lda = new SqlDataAdapter(LstrQueryString, Lconn);
Lcb = new SqlCommandBuilder(Lda);
Lda.Fill(Lds);
Lds.Tables[0].Rows.Add(2, System.DBNull.Value);
Lda.Update(Lds);
}

raj kumar reddy1-Feb-06 17:12

1-Feb-06 17:12

thanx for reply ...

But sir , u r inserting values threw query. but my values are in an external array. Like

str(0)="1234"

str(1)="$"

str(2)"asdf"

str(3)="qwer"

now i have to insert this values into the data base.

before inserting i am checking the string array for symbol "$".

but my question is if i get "$" i have to push that value as

NULL to the databse.

i tried for dbNUll but it inserting value as empty space NOT NULL.

like

LOOP:

if str(i)="$" then

str(i)= DbNULL

end if

END LOOP

"Insert into Table1 (name1,name2,name3,name4) values ('"& str(0) &"','"& str

(1) &"','"& str(2) &"','"& str(3) &"',)";

raj

Darell F. Butch Jr.2-Feb-06 0:59

Darell F. Butch Jr.

2-Feb-06 0:59

Ooooh, now I understand what you are doing.

I believe you will have change you logic a little. The DBNull is only a database value. I believe if you change the code to the following this should solve you problem.

DataSet Lds;
SqlDataAdapter Lda;
SqlCommandBuilder Lcb;
object[] LaobjValues;
string LstrQueryString;

using (SqlConnection Lconn = new SqlConnection(@"Data Source=.\DA;Database=Testing;Integrated Security=SSPI"))
{
Lconn.Open();

LaobjValues = new object[2];
LaobjValues[0] = "5";
LaobjValues[1] = DBNull.Value;

LstrQueryString = "Select TOP 0 * From Table1";
Lds = new DataSet();
Lda = new SqlDataAdapter(LstrQueryString, Lconn);
Lcb = new SqlCommandBuilder(Lda);
Lda.Fill(Lds);
Lds.Tables[0].Rows.Add(LaobjValues[0], LaobjValues[1]);
Lda.Update(Lds);
}

raj kumar reddy2-Feb-06 18:21