Sudden notification problem

[terrypin]

Grappling with an issue I've never had before and looking for any insights please.

While running a normally reliable macro I suddenly started getting an unstoppable succession of notifications:
"Macro Express Pro
An event was logged"




Had to use Task Mgr to terminate.

I went to Win 10 Settings > Notifications & Actions > 'Get notifications from these apps', in order to disable them, but there is no entry for Macro Express Pro.



 

[acantor]

Hi Terry,

 

I've noticed the identical message recently, although the messages have not, so far, prevented me from continuing on with whatever I was doing.

 

 

[Samrae]

That message means that something has been added to the Macro Logs. Have you looked at the logs?

[terrypin]

Thanks both. I'm a novice about error logging so currently struggling. When I've studied some of the basics I'll no doubt be back here for help! Meanwhile the logs and their contents offer no enlightenment.

 

Given that I've had many log reports, I can't fathom why this sudden display. Perhaps some change in Win 10 security settings following my update from 1909 to 20H2, but so far can't identify a likely culprit.

 

Do you both include error log commands in your macros? I see that rberq does, and recall that Cory does too.

 

Alan: What did you do after getting the notification? Did the log help you discover a problem with a macro? And was it the first time, you'd ever seen that message, as in my case? If so do you suspect any particular cause?

 

[acantor]

56 minutes ago, terrypin said:

Alan: What did you do after getting the notification? Did the log help you discover a problem with a macro? And was it the first time, you'd ever seen that message, as in my case? If so do you suspect any particular cause?

 

 

Hi Terry, I've been ignoring the notifications, and I haven't tried to chase down the source as Macro Express has continued to work. My sense is that the notifications are associated with certain scripts, but I'm not sure.

 

I first noticed these notifications a couple of weeks ago. Next time it happens, I'll check further and report back.

[Cory]

I do use error logging. You shoudl be able to see from the logs which macro you have added the Log Errors command to that are reporting problems with your script. To be clear this sounds like a command you added to your macro doing what it's supposed to do. Check out the help section "Log Errors" for this command. 

You could also export your macro to text and search for all occurrences of the command. I posted a macro here for that some time ago BTW. 

[Samrae]

If you post the content of your Macro Logs it would help us understand what is happening. Click Tools, Macro Logs to see the folder where the logs are saved.

[terrypin]

Thanks Cory.

I've never used the Log Errors or Log Messages commands in my macros. (But I checked the macro that was running at the time of this 'notification flood', to make sure one hadn't snuck in.)

 

In Preferences > Playback > Miscellaneous I do not have 'Log all errors...' enabled.

But in Preferences > Playback > Miscellaneous I have both of these enabled.

"Log unusual events

Any unusual events that occur when playing back a macro will be logged. The information will be stored in the same file where all macro log information is stored."

 

"Notify when unusual event logged

This option, enabled by default, displays a notification when an unusual event is logged."

 

I'd like to have seen a few examples of 'unusual events' but I'm guessing that 'Access violation' is one. There are about 250 lines like this  in the log file called macexp.exe_Events_20210325.log

25 March 2021 20:59:29:054: SetBoolean error: 
  Access violation at address 00404FB0 in module 'macexp.exe'. Read of address 74736122

All identical, but in a few 'groups' separated by lines like this:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25 March 2021 22:19:57:745: SetBoolean error: 
  Access violation at address 00404FB0 in module 'MacExp.exe'. Read of address 74736122

 

(BTW, I assume 'Unusual events' are not 'Errors' or 'Messages'? IOW all three are mutually exclusive definitions?)

 

Do you add Log Errors and/or Log messages to some of your macros? Or use Log all errors? I've always assumed that would slow the speed, but never tested that.

 

And, in general, have you found log files valuable? I've tended to treat them rather like Win 10 Event Viewer, which I avoid until desperate, as it's full of obscure warnings that I don't understand!

 

 

 

 

 

[terrypin]

1 hour ago, Samrae said:

If you post the content of your Macro Logs it would help us understand what is happening. Click Tools, Macro Logs to see the folder where the logs are saved.

 

As you may have seen from my reply to Cory, the log file covering the time of the 'flood' is called macexp.exe_Events_20210325.log

Its 250 or so entries must have finished when I forced MX Pro termination from Task Mgr

 

THE LIKELY CULPRIT
25 March 2021 20:59:29:054: SetBoolean error: 
  Access violation at address 00404FB0 in module 'macexp.exe'. Read of address 74736122
25 March 2021 20:59:39:951: SetBoolean error: 
  Access violation at address 00404FB0 in module 'macexp.exe'. Read of address 74736122
.
.
.
25 March 2021 22:21:44:513: SetBoolean error: 
  Access violation at address 00404FB0 in module 'MacExp.exe'. Read of address 74736122

 

I'd also like to raise a related question about many identical log files for a specific much used macro:

 

EXTRACT FROM THE LOG, SHOWING MOST RECENT ENTRY (of about 1,800 since 10th Jan 2019) 
26 March 2021 12:09:31:108: Macro Started (Open IrfanView & paste)
26 March 2021 12:09:31:108: Line 1: Comment
26 March 2021 12:09:31:108: Line 2: Delay
26 March 2021 12:09:31:217: Line 3: Comment
26 March 2021 12:09:31:217: Line 4: Delay
26 March 2021 12:09:31:311: Line 5: Program Launch
26 March 2021 12:09:31:342: Line 6: Delay
26 March 2021 12:09:31:546: Line 7: Clipboard Paste
26 March 2021 12:09:32:061: Line 9: Delay
26 March 2021 12:09:32:248: Line 10: Macro Run
26 March 2021 12:09:32:703: Macro Completed (Open IrfanView & paste)

MY MACRO (about 15 years old)
// Open IrfanView & paste image
Delay: 0.1 seconds
// Hotkey Ctrl+Shift+I
Delay: 0.1 seconds
Program Launch: "i_view32.exe" (Normal)
Parameters: 
Delay: 0.2 seconds
Clipboard Paste
Delay: 0.2 seconds
Macro Run: Current window LEFT HALF Global (c+Num4)

 

I tried to send a bug report last night, same time I posted here, but that tool appears to be buggy, giving error:

Cannot Access Database
An error occurred when accessing the database. Contact your Helix ALM
administrator if the issue continues.

 

[Samrae]

Those log entries indicate that you have logging enabled for the "Open IrfanView & paste" macro. Edit the macro in the Script Editor. Click on the Miscellaneous tab. Click to disable "Log all Errors" and "Log all Commands".

 

Normally I only use "Log all Commands" when I am debugging a macro.

[terrypin]

Thanks a bunch Samrae, you're right I should have checked that Misc tab. I now remember having trouble with that macro some years ago. Must have added those options and forgot to remove them.

 

As for the main issue, the 'flood' macro, pleased to say that I reached Support. They recognise the problem and are on the case.