MEP Crashing on specific computer

[Rustywinger]

This is one of those "at my wit's end" posts.

 

A macro I have been working on for weeks suddenly "crashes" MEP. This is not a typical crash, with a crash reporter bug coming up. When I run a certain macro, The window effects of the closing script window take place, and it all minimizes to the system tray, with the running man in motion. I am able to open the MEP window again by clicking on the M but I can't get the macro process to stop. I end up restarting.

 

Now anytime I run a macro that has a Set String Variable to Filename with a prompt to locate the file, the above happens. Even on a new Macro file with just that command alone. I even changed the macro key trigger to see if it was conflicting. Nope. If I try to get a filename prompt up, bye-bye, MEP. The macro that I had worked for weeks on starts with this command and it worked perfectly up until today. Below is the start of the macro in question, I didn't post the rest as it has no relevance to the issue.

 

I have just tried this macro on a different machine and it works. What in the world could be causing the above to happen on a specific machine?

 

 

Thanks!!!!

 

<COMMENT/>
<VARIABLE RESTORE Option="\x00"/>
<VARIABLE SET INTEGER Option="\x00" Destination="%ExcelRowNum%" Value="0"/>
<VARIABLE SET INTEGER Option="\x00" Destination="%SavedImages%" Value="0"/>
<VARIABLE SET INTEGER Option="\x00" Destination="%NoImages%" Value="0"/>
<VARIABLE SET INTEGER Option="\x00" Destination="%totalrows%" Value="0"/>
<COMMENT/>
<VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x08" Destination="%CurrentCSV_FilePath%" Value="Please specify a file to process" _COMMENT="Prompts the user for file to process"/>

[Cory]

I don't have an answer for you but don't forget that aborting a macro will only take effect on the next command. So if you have a command that's hanging or taking a really long time the abort will not happen until it's done and the running man will still be apparent.

 

The first couple places I would look is your file system and any other utilities or malware that may have infected you. Run a spyware and virus scan. Then I would boot into safe mode and run the macro there to see if the problem tracks. But the file system may have issues. If it lags due to a bad HDD things can get really unresponsive really fast.

 

FYI you don't need to set your integers to zero. They are in effect zero even if they appear blank in the debugger.

[kevin]

FYI you don't need to set your integers to zero. They are in effect zero even if they appear blank in the debugger.

But since these follow a Variable Restore: Restore All Variables maybe he wants to make sure they are reset to 0 after the restore.

[Rustywinger]

FYI you don't need to set your integers to zero. They are in effect zero even if they appear blank in the debugger.

Okay, thanks Cory... when I get back in tomorrow, I will look into this, the info about it not aborting until next command and hanging makes sense, in that effect it would not acutally be 'crashed'. If I take out the file prompt, the macro goes merrily on (without a file name haha)

 

RE:integers- those commands followed a variable restore, I wanted those particular values "emptied out", they would generate errors at zero, but not at the values they may have been saved with later on in the Macro.

[kevin]

I don't have a specific solution either but, have you tried deleting some of the commands prior to the Variable Set String %CurrentCSV_FilePath%: Prompt for a filename command? Specifically, is the Variable Restore: Restore All Variables command causing the problem?

[Rustywinger]

I don't have a specific solution either but, have you tried deleting some of the commands prior to the Variable Set String %CurrentCSV_FilePath%: Prompt for a filename command? Specifically, is the Variable Restore: Restore All Variables command causing the problem?

 

 

Yes, on this specfic computer, I turned off everything else in the file except the prompt. Tried pasting it all into a new file. I created a new macro with just the file prompt. What happens is the Macro script window minimizes, and the MEP main window minimizes into the system tray... then nothing. running man runs.

 

I ran this on another machine and it worked fine. This function was working right up until the sudden bit-flip. What keyboard command could I possibly have hit that would minimize windows? I was running it with CNTL-SHIFT-S and changed that to CNTL-SHIFT-U just to see if there was a conflict, but same result. One thing I didn't check now that I think about it, was if the prompt window was minimized too, but it's all on my work machine so I can't check right now, but I doubt this escaped my notice.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Rustywinger]

Okayy...

 

Got in to work today, tried running the macro while ME was minimized. The macro maximized ME then minimised it again, then hung. Yes, this is the "Variable Set String" with "Prompt for filename" command in a fresh macro file, fresh macro script, and same problem. Couldn't test in safe mode because I have no access to it and the IT boys probably wouldn't appreciate a program that can be fired up remotely by monitoring googletalk!

 

No question about it, this is a bug or corrupt application. (v4.0.1.1) Unfortunately, I have no way to reproduce this as the same macro works fine on other machines and there do not seem to be any logs. Are there suggestions of where else I might look to glean information about this problem, some windows specific logs on my machine?

 

ANYWAY- I reinstalled MEP (v4.0.2.1) and then everything worked. Tah-Dah. Which means I must get back to work now, thanks for the proffered thoughts!

[Cory]

No question about it, this is a bug or corrupt application. (v4.0.1.1)

In the future you might consider upgrading to the most recent version as a first troubleshooting step...