Version 6 - various crashing problems

[mikebuckler]

I have major stability problems with Robohelp 6.
All the problems appear to be linked to a variety of Microsoft supplied DLLs ranging from the HTML parser to the Visual C run time library which are all loaded in process.
When one of these throws an exception, for example while parsing a web page which contains invalid syntax, Robohelp handles the error by crashing. The worst part about this is the complete lack of error logging - I have no idea what Robohelp is doing at the time it crashes.

When trying to import a thousand topic help project it would die half way through. I had to resort to using the Windows Filemon application to figure out which HTML file was causing the problem because Robohelp told me absolutely nothing.

Several time a day while previewing a help topic the in-process chm viewer crashes and takes the rest of Robohelp with it.

Today I tried using the Robohelp command line compiler (rhcl) to compile a 1000 topic project which compiles OK when using the GUI. The command line compiler just crashes in the Visual C run time library with no information as to what it was doing at the time.

Can someone at Adobe please send me a version which either generates extensive logging information, or which contains debug information so that it can generate a stack trace when it crashes.

Thanks

Mike Buckler

[Captiv8r]

Hi Mike and welcome to our community

From what you have posted, it would seem that you believe Adobe folks are here in the forums and watching for posts such as yours. Unfortunately, aside from perhaps a month or so after a new product version release, they pretty much leave us here to help one another. And that's the way it was intended all along.

If you really want Adobe's ear, I'd suggest two things:

1. Report things you find and consider to be bugs by clicking here and completing the form.
2. Speak to Adobe Support. The link is at the bottom of this web page.

Cheers... Rick

[mikebuckler]

I've reported the problems via the free "Feature Request/Bug Report Form", which doesn't guarantee a response.

It would appear that I have to purchase a $US 175 Bronze support plan in order to "open a case" which does guarantee a response of some kind?

Mike

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Hello Mike,
I installed and removed RoboHelp 6 many times and nothing helped. I updated all available Windows updates.
I think we have the same problem:
"Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
Run time Error!
Program: c:\ProgramFiles\Adobe\RoboHelp6.0\RoboHTML\RoboHTML.exe
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information."

My PC: Windows XP Professional, Word 2003.
If someone finds a way around this problem, could you please post the workaround here?
I am freaking out!
Thanks!

[Guest]

Are you using Word as your editor?

Also, try a Google search on "This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way" there are many complaints of this error ocurring in a variety of applications since the advent of XP and its updates. May be worth a look to see if any of their solutions may help (too many for me to troll through at the moment - sorry )

Hope this helps,

Brian

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Hi Brian,
Thank you, you were quite fast.
I am not using Word as Editor.
I found a Windows XP hot fix for this error, before I posted in this form. Unfortunately, my IT says that it is a general error and that it may not fix the problem at all, because it is RoboHelp only (hence it costs a fortune). In sum, I am still searching for a workaround.
I am thinking about reinstalling my PC all over again,
Thanks for your time once again.

[Peter Grainge]

Was RH installed as described on my site?

[Guest]

Just a shot in the dark, as this is a Microsoft generated message, is there any clues as to what is happening in the event viewer?

Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Event Viewer, check both application and system events around the date/time that the error occurred.

Might provide some more information as to the cause.

Brian

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Thanks Peter.
Yes, your site is awesome I have been reading it for some time.
I do have administrators rights and I also tried disabling my NOD anti virus. RH6 still crashes... I cannot use RH at all I am not able to generate HTML Help, add topics, etc.

[Peter Grainge]

But was RH installed with your logon and was NOD disabled then? Have you since tried uninstalling and reinstalling? I think the answer to those is Yes.

Did you also see the instructions for a full uninstall? Not sure that will help but nothing else is working.

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

HI Peter,

RH is installed with my logon and was NOD disabled then. I followed the instructions, RH crashes with the same error.
Well, have a nice weekend. Anyway, your site is great, thank you for your help.

[Peter Grainge]

When you say you followed the instructions, I am assuming you mean about the full uninstall.

I have a feeling this has been posted before. I'll let you know if I can find it. Follow up Brian's suggestions and then post back.

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Hi,
I do not know why, but RoboHelp works now.

[Peter Grainge]

Any connection with fixing the other problem you posted?

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Hi Peter,
It is not working anymore, the same thing again. What else can I do?

[Peter Grainge]

Have you thought of applying a drop test to your PC? Preferably from at least ten floors.

Given the number of posts and the different threads, it would really help if you could summarise in one post what has gone wrong, the fixes and the problems you now have.

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

Hi,

First Problem:
When opening a project, RH crashed with this error:
"the exception unknown software exception (0x4000005) occurred in the application at location0x781346b6"
First Fix:
I removed the process"CiceroUIWndFrame." responsible for "Speech and Handwriting Recognition" part of Office XP.
http://www.attention-to-details.com/newslog/391-remove-cicerouiwndframe-to-avoid-crashes.asp
Second Problem:
When opening the same projet, RH crashed with this error:

"Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
Run time Error!
Program: c:\ProgramFiles\Adobe\RoboHelp6.0\RoboHTML\RoboHTML.exe
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information."
Second "fix":
Complete uninstall RH more then 5 times> This did not work.

[Peter Grainge]

In another post you are asking about a problem with your project, here you cannot open the project. Is that correct and if so can you clarify?

Ignoring that, open RH but do not point to one of your projects, instead point to one of the supplied projects. Does that open OK?

From there, create a new project onto your hard disk. Is that OK?

You are definitely opening a source project rather than some generated webhelp?

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Peter Grainge
In another post you are asking about a problem with your project, here you cannot open the project. Is that correct and if so can you clarify?
>Yes, I had a problem with pop-ups in a HTML compiled file .(CHM) Not the project source.

Ignoring that, open RH but do not point to one of your projects, instead point to one of the supplied projects. Does that open OK?
>No, RH crashes with the "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
Run time Error!
Program: c:\ProgramFiles\Adobe\RoboHelp6.0\RoboHTML\RoboHTML.exe
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information."

From there, create a new project onto your hard disk. Is that OK?
>No, RH crashes with the above error.

You are definitely opening a source project rather than some generated webhelp?
>Yes, source project from ClearCase snapshot view on hard disk.

---

[Peter Grainge]

The truth will out. ClearCase. You kept that one back. I have not got any personal knowledge of it but I keep seeing references to it on the forum. Here's one.

http://tinyurl.com/2dddfu

I don't know if this would impact on projects other than those under version control but if you have uninstalled including a full uninstall, then I think that has to be the starting point.

The other thing to try is installing RH to another PC and opening the supplied project there. Obviously a PC that has no knowledge of ClearCase.

[OLH_DEVELOPER]

My team uses ClearCase for this project I am using a snapshot view, for RH it is an equivalent of a project saved on hard disk. I was told that this is the safest method.
Some files are checked out, such as .cpd and .fpj.

I will try drop testing my PC.
Thank you...

[Gravenstein]

Although my company is a ClearCase house, we help developers had to give up on using ClearCase with RoboHelp. The official word was that ClearCase doesn't support RoboHelp, and RoboHelp doesn't support ClearCase. Even trying to use it in a passive way, we found that checking in a medium-to-large webhelp project that had any kind of hierarchical folder structure was a nightmare.

It was a big relief when we got permission to bypass ClearCase. Personally, if I were you, I'd look for a way to do the same.

My two cents.

G

[MergeThis]

Wow, you mean ClearCase hasn't improved on this yet? The last time I was in a software house that used it was 5 years ago (both for the app software and for the doc), and they also finally had to dump it and revert to VSS.

Glad your house is "moving on."


Good luck,
Leon

[Peter Grainge]

If the CPD is checked out to someone else, you cannot possibly work on the project. Leon, where are to explain again the files that must not be checked in and out.

No liability accepted if the PC fails the drop test. It looks like the PC may be innocent though so hold off the death sentence.

[MergeThis]

As I recall, the files are .cpd, .hhp, .ldb, and .pss. Some files are averse to CMS treatment (.cpd), whereas others are local-machine-specific and would not react properly on another user's machine.


Good luck,
Leon