Illegal Operation

And you thanks for posting V_V hope it gives Jason any clues.
In my case it was only the window log, not the whole thing, and it might have taken one or two minutes and/or toggling to another window or program to see it all back once looking at PE again. Are you sure all your system files are still ok?
I uninstalled a kind of BHO i had for years and since PE runs better and surfing is a much happier experience. Had forgotten how nice it can be, this board was already more speedy with the new software, but with uninstalling that little program it seems even double speed now! PE logging is much better now. As i have a slow old system i keep all logging on the lowest values and empty the socket spy frequently.

 

Posting at the same time, no you're no spammer, this is information for others too looking for the tool.
No need to lay down unless you want to sleep anyway! Sleep well!

 

Hi Jooske,

As to the system files being ok, I can only venture a guess. I think so. If someone wanted to post relevant file versions, I would check to see if they are the proper versions at least.

Only three BHO's on this system(DLExpert, Adshield, SpywareGuard).

My system is three years old(700MHz, 128mb). By today's standards, much room for improvement. Have to keep an eye on resources with the 98SE system.

 

Each system can use improvement, and some really need, i run in trouble with the 128MB RAM at times but teaches me not to use toooo much at a time.
For required files i look in the TDS pages, Jan copied it here:
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=2906
Maybe ZA/Pro causing problems or an enhancer with logging function, never know.

 

OK, on the system files I downloaded that zip file some time ago. One file was older and I changed it at that time.
When I get the chance, I will make sure something didn't slip an older version back in. Thanks.

 

I'd always suggest putting a limit on the WINDOW log, file log doesn't matter as much. In my programming environment when debugging some things I have made a listview have around 32000 items in it, and it basically froze the whole app when it tried to clear it, now maybe if I had of waited an hour or so it might of came back but it did take a very very long time so I just closed the app and restarted.. it seems its more a problem with your CPU and MEMORY when clearing a listview, they could of designed it a lot better. The system I was on at the time was an AMD AthlonXP 1600+ so it wasn't exactly a slow system either.

Thats why you should limit the window log to a few thousand items max I think unless you have a really fast machine.

-Jason-

 

Hi Jason,

As noted before, am trying a few experiments. Right now the window logging is disabled. Will run it for a few days that way and see what develops.

Last night, got the Illegal operation error again, but just moved the window out of the way and ignored it because I was in the middle of something. Apparently waited longer than Windows appreciated. Message window went away by itself and everything locked up. Waited for a while, no change, had to use reset button. Won't wait like that again!

 

Hi V_V ,
is it crashing for you WHILST running the program or only on shutdown? If it isn't crashing on shutdown what things are you doing immediately before the crash, can you reproduce it?
-Jason-

 

Hello Jason,

Never crashes when shutting Port Explorer down. As near as I can tell, there is no common theme as to what I am doing; it seems random so far. I definitely cannot reproduce the crash at will. There is nothing to give me a clue it is coming. I know I am not giving you much to go on, but I am afraid at this juncture I just don't have any additional info. I'll just keep plugging along and if I am able to spot anything that may help, you'll be the first to know. I appreciate your help, thanks again.

 

V_V, a new release of Port Explorer is coming out in a few days so I'd like you to give that one a whirl
-Jason-

 

OK Jason,

Will download and install new version as soon as available. Thanks.

 

Update on this issue: Window logging has been turned off since 5/27. No problems of any kind with Port Explorer. Installed new version after uninstalling completely the 1.620 version. Turned window logging back on, leaving setting at default value.(500 items) Port Explorer crashed about 3 hours later.

This may not "prove" anything, but I strongly believe that the windows logging feature in Port Explorer has everything to do with my crashes. I will leave the logging disabled until receiving any advice on how to proceed.

 

Hi Vietnam_Vet,
You run ZA too, like me, and do you also use VisualZone,
( www.visualizesoftware.com )
the ZA log file interpretation and if so, does it make any difference for you if you have that up or not?
Did you only use the windows log or also the file log in PE?
Does it make any difference if you clear the log file in between manually?
I run win98Se too, ZAPro, IE6.0 and i saw more the other time we have in common.
My windows log on 500 items and file log on 1 mb max.

 

Hi Jooske,

I'm running the free version of ZA and, yes, I do run Visualzone. It was not running at any time during the session when Port Explorer crashed this last time. Can't say for sure during earlier crashes, but would guess it was running when some of them occurred.

Have only used the file logging a couple of times, briefly.

Clearing the log is something I only did when experimenting, trying to gain some insight into this situation. This may bear some more experimenting to see if it has any effect on the crash problem. The only thing I noticed with the clearing was with it on the unlimited setting, as mentioned earlier in the thread.

I don't really believe this is a Port Explorer problem, as no one else has mentioned anything about it. More likely, it is some reaction with something else I have installed, or, a problem with my windows installation, maybe. Unfortunately, the only time it manifests itself, the message only refers to Port Explorer causing a fault in the kernell32.dll module. Maybe Jason will have some ideas about the logging angle to this issue.

 

Thanks Vietnam_Vet for trying to locate the problem. I will take a look into the window logging to see what it could be doing that might cause a crash... does it NOT crash with say file logging on and window logging off? Or have you not tried that combination.
-Jason-

 

As win98se systems have their ways handling threads and all that there are a few interesting tests:
--have window log and file log on, on lowest values
see if you can work on normally all time.
--what happens if you leave the computer on and are not around several hours, what you notice at your return
--now do all the same with VisualZone fired up in the same situations.
Then you can do the same tests with either windows log on plus or without VZ, and another time with only the file log on with and without VZ.
A few tests you did already.

 

Download again, uninstall/reinstall the new version and it should be fixed !

 

Hello Jason, Jooske, and Gavin,

Jason,

Never tried it with file logging on and window logging off.

Jooske,

Will get back to your post in the event the newest version does not fix the problem. Will say that Port Explorer and several other apps such as TDS or Spyblocker are normally only running when connected to the net. On dialup with Never Dial a Connection set in internet options. Password is not stored for my connection to Earthlink. Do not think it is necessary for these apps to run during offline time under these circumstances so haven't done any testing this way.

Gavin,

Had already installed latest version(over the top) before coming here and reading these posts. Saw the posting about it while at DiamondCS Forum. Went back and uninstalled cleanly and reinstalled anyway, just to be on the safe side.

Everyone,

Have now reenabled windows logging and we'll see what happens. By the way, if it is ok to ask, was something found in regard to this problem, since Gavin did say it should now be fixed? Thanks again for all help and advice offered

 

Hi Vietnam Vet, yes I found a problem of sorts thanks to you. When I was checking the Windows Logging code I realized it was only going to kernel32.dll to do one thing, and that was to get the filename of the process ID, so I checked that and there was a small handle leak. It only affected 9x machines because the codepath was only for 9x machines, it seems after a few hours it would run out of handles then crash. It has been fixed now.
-Jason-

 

OK thanks Jason for the additional info. Really appreciate the hard work and perserverance working out all the details. Can't be too easy when the vast majority seems to have no problems, and only a few computers(or maybe just one in this case) refuses to behave. Hats off to you and everyone involved.

 

Just one last follow-up to anyone interested. Although it has been only a short time with the new version, Port Explorer is working fine, with the added bonus of a speed increase when clearing the logs or shutting down the app. Before when shutting Port Explorer down with a large amount of items logged, it took a noticeable amount of time, during which it wasn't possible to access anything else. Now the shutdown is just a few seconds. Great job, Team DCS.

 

Thanks glad it is working fine for you now. I think it is running better on Jooske's 98 machine also now.

-Jason-

 

Yes i was several times long time not around the computer, with VisualZone out or running, window log always up and file logging always on the lowest value, collecting lots of emails at a time and even deleting spam mails (the kind with the many call home signals) with the preview open, and i don't get clogged up after a few hours.
Normally after such long times not being around and activating all at a time all of a sudden seem to have been the circumstances causing the most problems on my system.
I still think to see many lines in the log per connection, which i don't remember to have been that many per connection before this 1.680 series.
Try a page refresh in one of the forums, the main site and see the many lines added at a time.
Of course our poor win98se systems have a hard time to keep up with actually doing it and logging it all at the time !
It's nice to see how data is crawling with send / receive packets via FW / PE / IE or OE or VZ / on and back via those, with the country resolving the VZ / PE travel a few times extra.
Tracing them (colored) to see which is which a few moments could be nice, but we do with the socketspy already a lot!
I do remember to clean that capture.bin a lot as it really can grow fast!
I now don't have to reboot every few hours anymore.
I see a system uptime of almost 20 hours this moment, which was 7 at most in the former situation.
In fact my experience since the earlier versions of PE was win98se works faster in releasing dead sockets and recalling space with PE installed and up then without PE installed at all.
I thought i work with it several days to see the results and i have a normal working system back it seems.
Thanks Jason!

 

Glad to hear it Jooske!
Now go try the new beta

-Jason-

 

Yep, and the new color scheme pack, ahh eye candy