Strange ICONS problem crashes GameEx

[corvette]

I want to add icons to GameEx, but then GameEX will crash at startup.

When i point GameEx to a different icon dir ( ICONSNEW , which is empty ), it start without any problem.

When i copy a few icons in that folder, it starts normally and also shows the icons.

But when i copy all the icons ( approx 1900 ), to that same folder it crashes again.

In the log there is a line which says: memory could not be read .......

i checked the rights ( NTFS ) on folder and files, they are good.

What can cause this problem ??

[bkenobi]

Post the entire log. It's helpful to see system configuration etc when diagnosing the problem. Thanks.

[corvette]

Here is my log:

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: GameEx: Version 9.60: Starting Log

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: Operating System Platform: Win32NT

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: Operating System Name: Windows XP

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: Operating System Version: 5.1.2600

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: Checking for versions of .net Framework installed

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: .net Framework 2.0 Installed

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 1.70GHz, 503MB

17:35:42.2 10/17/2008: 1.7Ghz

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Running Randomize()

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Loading PlugIns

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Checking for applications to Launch On Startup

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Running Misc startup tasks

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Setting Menu types

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Opening Configuration File

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Getting Configuration Values

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Using Theme: Default - Arcade-Classic 800x600

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Checking for alternate Image Directory for Theme: Default - Arcade-Classic 800x600

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Launching HideOS.exe

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Initialising Video/MNG DLL's

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: GameEx will check for media insertion (may affect performance)

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Hiding Taskbar

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Is Media Center running?

17:35:42.3 10/17/2008: Checking/Creating LCD Registry values

17:35:42.4 10/17/2008: Check Media Center Exit/Start Mode

17:35:42.4 10/17/2008: Media Center Mode 2

17:35:42.4 10/17/2008: Video previews on. Warning: Only recommended on modern systems

17:35:42.4 10/17/2008: Snap Delay set to: 2

17:35:42.4 10/17/2008: Get other settings

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Desktop set to Hide ICONS and set Background to Black

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Backing up Registry Wallpaper Settings

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Set: Find emulator artwork on best match basis

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Start work for Form

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Getting Original Screen Size

17:35:42.5 10/17/2008: Opening Database Connection

17:35:42.7 10/17/2008: Initializing Component

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Retrieving resolution setting

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: MAME Path is: C:\MameLive

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: MAME EXE file is: Mame32.exe

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: ROM Path is: C:\MameLive\roms

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Catver.ini is located at: C:\GameEx\DATA\catver.ini

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: controls.ini is located at: C:\GameEx\data\controls.ini

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: History.dat is located at: C:\GameEx\DATA\history.dat

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: nplayers.ini is located at: C:\GameEx\DATA\nplayers.ini

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: MAMEinfo.dat is located at: C:\GameEx\DATA\mameinfo.dat

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Loading Controls.ini map file

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Snap Path is: c:\mamelive\snap

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: AVI Snap Path: Not Found

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Flyer Path is: C:\MameLive\flyers

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Cabinet Path is: C:\MameLive\cabinets

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Title Path is: C:\MameLive\titles

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: PCB Path: Not Found

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Artwork Preview Path: Not Found

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Panel Path is: C:\MameLive\cpanel

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Manual Path: Not Found

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Icon Path is: C:\MameLive\iconsnew

17:35:42.8 10/17/2008: Marquee Path is: C:\MameLive\marquees

17:35:42.9 10/17/2008: Loading Custom Emulators

17:35:43.3 10/17/2008: Using 2D Animations

17:35:43.3 10/17/2008: Using General Font: Trebuchet MS

17:35:43.3 10/17/2008: Using Title Font: VAGRundschriftD

17:35:43.4 10/17/2008: Attempting to load game list

17:35:43.7 10/17/2008: Initialising DirectDraw

17:35:43.8 10/17/2008: Applying GameEx is Loading Image

17:35:43.8 10/17/2008: Creating DirectDraw Device

17:35:43.8 10/17/2008: Using Device: Primary Display Driver

17:35:44.8 10/17/2008: 56mb video memory available

17:35:44.8 10/17/2008: Setting Resolution to 800x600 32 bit color

17:35:46.4 10/17/2008: Creating DirectDraw Surfaces

17:35:46.4 10/17/2008: Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode

17:35:46.5 10/17/2008: Creating Back Buffer

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Version 2 Theme being used. Loading.

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Loading Button Data

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Loading Font Data

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Loading Layout Data

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Loading Taskbar Data

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Loading graphic Surfaces

17:35:46.6 10/17/2008: Display is running at: 800x600 32bit color, 60hz

17:35:46.7 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Flags

17:35:46.7 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Misc and Dialogs

17:35:46.8 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Volume

17:35:46.8 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Arrows

17:35:46.8 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces GameEXlogo Text

17:35:46.8 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Toolbar

17:35:46.9 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Backgrounds

17:35:47.1 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Toolbar Controls

17:35:47.2 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces GameEx Logo

17:35:47.2 10/17/2008: Creating Surface Unselected

17:35:47.2 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Home & Exit

17:35:47.2 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Snaps

17:35:47.2 10/17/2008: Creating Surfaces Menu and List Bars

17:35:47.3 10/17/2008: Creating Fonts

17:35:47.3 10/17/2008: Creating Game Font

17:35:47.5 10/17/2008: Creating Game Font Faded

17:35:47.6 10/17/2008: Creating Title Font

17:35:47.7 10/17/2008: Restoring Title Font From Cache

17:35:47.8 10/17/2008: Creating Menu Font

17:35:47.9 10/17/2008: Creating Font Black

17:35:48.2 10/17/2008: Creating Font Black Small

17:35:48.4 10/17/2008: Fonts Created Succesfully

17:35:48.4 10/17/2008: 14mb video memory left available

17:35:48.5 10/17/2008: Creating instance of global keyboard hook

17:35:48.5 10/17/2008: Starting GameExtender Publisher

17:35:48.5 10/17/2008: Text/Language: English

17:35:48.5 10/17/2008: Applying Language/Text

17:35:48.6 10/17/2008: Initialising Bass Audio Library

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: MAME CMD options: -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Loading last used Game List

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Setting Music Volume

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Cannot Load Play List. Check Path and filename

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Creating DirectSound Device

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Trying: Primary Sound Driver

17:35:48.9 10/17/2008: Loading Sound Files

17:35:49.0 10/17/2008: DirectSound Device Created Successfully

17:35:49.0 10/17/2008: Creating ICONS

17:35:49.0 10/17/2008: Recreating ICONS

17:35:50.1 10/17/2008: Initialising DirectInput for Gamepad support

17:35:50.8 10/17/2008: Unable to create a joystick device

17:35:50.8 10/17/2008: Initializing MCE Remote

17:35:50.8 10/17/2008: --**--

17:35:50.8 10/17/2008: Error: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.SafeNativeMethods.Gdip.GdipCreateFromHDC(HandleRef hdc, IntPtr& graphics)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Graphics.FromHdcInternal(IntPtr hdc)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Font.GetHeight()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Font.get_Height()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control.get_FontHeight()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase.get_PreferredHeight()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase.get_DefaultSize()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control..ctor(Boolean autoInstallSyncContext)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.TextBoxBase..ctor()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.TextBox..ctor()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.ThreadExceptionDialog..ctor(Exception t)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.OnThreadException(Exception t)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProcException(Exception e)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnThreadException(Exception e)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.SafeNativeMethods.SetWindowPos(HandleRef hWnd, HandleRef hWndInsertAfter, Int32 x, Int32 y, Int32 cx, Int32 cy, Int32 flags)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control.SetVisibleCore(Boolean value)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Windows.Forms.Control.set_Visible(Boolean value)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at q.a(Boolean A_0, String A_1, Boolean A_2)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at q..ctor()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: Closing database connection

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: GameEx is exiting with errors

[bkenobi]

500 Mb of ram should be plenty, so I don't think that's your issue. I've had bad ram in the past and it didn't cause this problem for me, but that's not saying that couldn't be the problem. I think it might be best for Tom to take a look at this and see what he thinks. He probably knows where it's failing at a minimum so it might help figure out why.

My suggestion would be to try adding about half the icons in the directory and see if it loads. If it does, remove those ones and put in the other half. If it still loads, then it's not a single corrupt icon file, it has to do with the quantity of icons for some reason. You may need to reduce this from half to a third, a quarter, etc. to find a quantity that will load and then use the procedure above.

[corvette]

i copied a group off roms in the Icon folder, tested every time -> it worked. Also when i copied all the icon files, it still worked. For 2 weeks ...... Gameex crashed again today. I deleted all my icons -> solved.

But i decided i don't need the icons. So this one is solved.

And i have my doubts about my harddrive ...... ( bad sector maybe ).

[bkenobi]

I would guess (and did guess originally) that this is a file corruption issue. An undetected bad sector of your HDD could explain how the file became corrupted. I would run a utility to check all sectors on your drive (one by one) and have it mark all bad ones. If there's more than just a few, you might look into getting a new drive before you lose all your data.

[Palmore]

This may be a dig in the dark, but how beefy is your vid card? how much video ram?

looking at your log file....

17:35:48.4 10/17/2008: 14mb video memory left available

Then you get a graphics memory error

17:35:50.8 10/17/2008: Error: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.SafeNativeMethods.Gdip.GdipCreateFromHDC(HandleRef hdc, IntPtr& graphics)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Graphics.FromHdcInternal(IntPtr hdc)

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Font.GetHeight()

17:35:50.9 10/17/2008: at System.Drawing.Font.get_Height()

Could it just be, using 1900 icons and depending on what else is happening / loading at the time you are just crushing the RAM on the vid card?

[bkenobi]

I suppose that's possible. I thought the icons were cached, so it shouldn't be pulling that many of them at once. You shouldn't have more than ~20 displayed at once unless you have a Hi-Res theme, right?