Crash after CD removal

[Surranó]

I need your help and I'm willing to test
WinXP sp2 non-admin (but can try)
TC 5.51 and 6.03a
ini file set to be stored in user directory.

Sometimes TC freezes (hourglass) and can't even kill it (not responding, but xp's End Task doesn't work). It's very annoying that I have to reboot if I want to remove those tasks from the taskbar (btw configured TC to minimize to systray, but --understandably-- once it froze, it won't go there)

It seems to be quite regular, and I think it happens if all of these are true:
- there is a CD/DVD on one of the panels
- TC is *not* focused
- I remove the CD
- And then get TC focused
The program won't revive even if I reinsert the same CD into the same drive.

In Win2k, I didn't have this problem.
Any ideas?

[Sir_SiLvA]

2Surranó":
1st: Hello on board!
2nd: Sounds for me you messed up ur system normaly the TC reacts on CDEvents and notices that the cd/dvd is gone

[Sheepdog]

You may try the

Code: Select all

[Configuration]
NoReread={driveletter of CD}

option in wincmd.ini

sheepdog

[Surranó]

2Sir_SiLvA

Sounds for me you messed up ur system, normaly the TC reacts on CDEvents and notices that the cd/dvd is gone

I know that, but don't think I messed anything. Even if it's my first XP install, I think I know what I did. Installed XPSP2 (in one step), Windows Update-ed, Panda AV, and maybe Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird before installing TC.

I did not change anything suspicious, but could check some file/dir permissions if I knew what to check. Any ideas?

2Sheepdog
It helped indeed. I set it for one drive and didn't for the other. When I got TC back to focus, the unset drive selected, TC froze.

Any ideas about who is responsible? I mean, not only TC freezes, but XP can't even kill it (a wild guess is an unfinished I/O operation (maybe an unfinished ASM command? ) and XP tries to wait for it to end)

[Sheepdog]

I do only know that TC waits for the 'ready' message from Windows. And I know that Explorer uses somtimes undocumented API functions - to prove that M$ always has a few features where it is better than competitors.

As you mention your AV, it maybe this soft, that tries to access the drive to check for viruses. So, if possible, try o exclude CD-drives from scanning. Or even for test purposes disable the AV.

sheepdog

[Surranó]

2Sheepdog

Or even for test purposes disable the AV.

Heh heh... as you gave me this hint, I did some extensive testing. Tested NoReread + NoAV, tested one of them at a time and tested both off (drive letter excluded from NoReread and Permanent File Protection enabled on all drives)

The results are interesting... since there is no difference at all, no matter if NoReread active or AV is disabled. There are two cases:

A) Start TC. Read CD. Unfocus TC. Eject CD. (TC keeps CD's dir in window). Focus TC.
Result: freeze.

B) Start TC. Read CD. Unfocus TC. Focus and Unfocus TC again. Eject CD. (TC goes back to drive C in window). Focus TC.
Result: all ok. Close TC.

Now this is something more interesting to explain. I guessed that maybe I don't wait enough before ejecting the CD in case A, but also tried waiting a little more. Now that I accumulated 12 TC's on my tray, it's time for a shutdown... goodnight

[Sheepdog]

It is indeed mysterious.

I did the same testing: Start TC.Read CD. Unfocus TC. Eject CD. (TC moves to C:\) Focus TC. Result. everything is fine

Then I disabled 'autoinsert notification'. Then: Start TC. Read CD. Unfocus TC. Eject CD. (TC keeps CD's dir). Focus TC. Result. everything is fine. exepct I cannot switch into a Dir at CD - there's no CD in. If I click at the drive-Button the CD-drive is closed and TC rereads the CD Directory.

Thus maybe it helps to enable this autoinsert notification.
For XP it is the registry key

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom\AutoRun 

To enable it the value is 1 (disable is 0).

sheepdog

[Surranó]

2Sheepdog
Hmmm... Are you using XPSP2, too? What was your NoReread setting? (btw isn't there a widget for this on the Preferences GUI?

I have autorun enabled (and XP keeps annoying me asking what to do even though I checked "don't ask me again", but look at this:

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AutoRunAlwaysDisable: REG_MULTI_SZ
NEC     MBR-7   
NEC     MBR-7.4 
PIONEER CHANGR DRM-1804X
PIONEER CD-ROM DRM-6324X
PIONEER CD-ROM DRM-624X 
TORiSAN CD-ROM CDR_C36

Actually, I have a NEC ND3500AG drive and a Plextor PX116A2 (neither of these listed here), but only tested with the Plextor drive. However, experienced both drives to fail, so I think it's not drive dependent.

[Sheepdog]

2Sheepdog
Hmmm... Are you using XPSP2, too?

No only XP with no SP. I will test try to test with a SP2 Installation later.

What was your NoReread setting?

AB\/: wich means both disc drives; networkneighbourhood; Plugins; Virtual folders (as Desktop etc.)

(btw isn't there a widget for this on the Preferences GUI?

Don't know the actual meaning of widget but if you are looking for a tool : Ultra TC config Editor is a good one. You also may have a look at the other tools by the same author.

I have autorun enabled

It is different from "autoinsertion notification". Autorun lets Windows start the autorun.inf on the root of CD.
Autoinsertion Notification checks permanently if there is a disc change occured in a CD-drive. So if disabled Windows (and TC) do not notice if you put another CD in, even if you got the CD-folder opened in TC.

But when your autorun works I think "autoinsertion notification" must be enabled.

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AutoRunAlwaysDisable: REG_MULTI_SZ
NEC     MBR-7   
NEC     MBR-7.4 
PIONEER CHANGR DRM-1804X
PIONEER CD-ROM DRM-6324X
PIONEER CD-ROM DRM-624X 
TORiSAN CD-ROM CDR_C36

The same key at my PC without any of these drives. I guess it is for known troubles with Autorun and these types of CD-Rom. So if Bill Gates does not find the bug in his soft he puts the drives on a 'blacklist'

sheepdog

[Sheepdog]

I tried again with XP SP2. What happens when you do the same with Explorer? And maybe it is the autorun that leads to the delay?

If you would like to disable autorun feature I recommend TweakUI for XP . So you can easily test different settings. You find Autorun under "My Computer" in TweakUI.

For autorun feature you haven't even to restart/ relogin.

sheepdog

[Surranó]

Don't know the actual meaning of widget

I meant a checkbox or edit field in TC's preferences.

It is different from "autoinsertion notification".

I just checked the reg key you wrote, and you wrote "AutoRun". However, I found these keys, with no values:

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HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE\CdRom_NEC_DVD_RW_ND-3500AG___________________2.18____\5&2dfcc752&0&0.0.0\Device Parameters\MediaChangeNotification
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE\CdRomPLEXTOR_DVD-ROM_PX-116A2________________1.00____\5&1b4316ad&0&0.1.0\Device Parameters\MediaChangeNotification

[Sheepdog]

I meant a checkbox or edit field in TC's preferences.

Sorry, there isn't. But the mentioned program allows you to set all entries in wincmd.ini very easy. Pls give it a try.

I just checked the reg key you wrote, and you wrote "AutoRun".

I'm sorry again. But this inconsistent naming is under M$ responsibility.
The "autorun" - Key I mentioned is related to the "Autoinsert Notification" while the Autorun feature is located somewhere else in the registry.
I always set the autorun with TweakUI for XP.

However, I found these keys, with no values:

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HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE\CdRom_NEC_DVD_RW_ND-3500AG___________________2.18____\5&2dfcc752&0&0.0.0\Device Parameters\MediaChangeNotification
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE\CdRomPLEXTOR_DVD-ROM_PX-116A2________________1.00____\5&1b4316ad&0&0.1.0\Device Parameters\MediaChangeNotification

I do not know what these keys are for - so I would leave them untouched.

Now I have to go to bed. Good night.

sheepdog

[Surranó]

Pls give it a try.

I will, thank you.

I always set the autorun with TweakUI for XP.

Hmm... I installed TweakUI (already used an older version in Win2k, and liked it, esp. tab completion), but for AutoPlay, all this new version said was to open My Computer, drive properties, AutoPlay tab. har har.

Ah and one other thing (now this is offtopic indeed): If I select "do nothing" for all media types (audio, dvd, video files, misc, etc), it still pops up the CD content in an Explorer window. Even though I used this window for testing, I'd like to get rid of it. Any ideas?

What happens when you do the same with Explorer?

Interesting. The CD remains focused, and Explorer seems to work. I "can" rename folders on the DVD, etc. However, if I click to My Computer, it goes to Happy Bit Fields. I guess it's because it tries to re-read the disk. Re-feeding the disk doesn't help, just as in TC. But, at least, I can kill it. (of course, Explorer takes the tray with it, and actually the process seems to have remained in memory. Right now I have 2 Explorer processes in my task list )

After all, you proved this bug to be somewhere outside of TC. Do you think there is a workaround?

[Sheepdog]

Ah and one other thing (now this is offtopic indeed): If I select "do nothing" for all media types (audio, dvd, video files, misc, etc), it still pops up the CD content in an Explorer window. Even though I used this window for testing, I'd like to get rid of it. Any ideas?

Happes the same to me, so I've disabled autorun. Maybe somone else knows a Registry tweak for this?

After all, you proved this bug to be somewhere outside of TC. Do you think there is a workaround?

I personally would try to install XP above the current Installation. Maybe that helps. Otherwise you should have to know what's wrong with your system. And Igot no more ideas, sorry.

sheepdog

[Surranó]

I've disabled autorun.

That's what I tried in AutoPlay, so exactly how do you completely disable autorun?

I personally would try to install XP above the current Installation

I may try it, thanks for your patience.