Desktop Help Crashes "Fun, but use with caution"??

Archives Forums/BlitzPlus Bug Reports/Desktop Help Crashes "Fun, but use with caution"??

David Boudreau(Posted 2008) [#1]
Update: FALSE ALARM sorry not a bug:

It seems replacing onboard graphics driver from manufacture's website cleared it up (though I never had problems before doing graphics programming on this PC- surprised I was able to get away without it for so long).

I knew my request was kinda strange considering it would be really hard to reproduce on other PCs. Sorry for the hassle!

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The Command Reference help file for Desktop and DesktopBuffer contain code that consistently Reboots my PC immediately when I run it. This started happening with other code I wrote since about a week ago, usually when trying to copy from the desktop to a createdImage (in my general efforts to get or at least fake a transparent/semi-transparent background of a window/canvas). But I'm just talking about the help file/command reference's code, in it's own file, nothing else, no more no less, it immediately causes my PC to reboot itself. Monitor gets no signal for a second or two, I hear the HD stop and it starts up again with the fan and monitor displays boot sequence etc as it would normally boot when I turn it on/reboot it myself.

I copied and pasted the code, exactly as it is in the Help file. The one where it copyrects a screenshot of the desktop and saves to c:\mydesktop.bmp, exactly as it is, no changes. It just says in the description "Fun, but use with caution!" What caution?? What are the dangers? I imagine few others would have this problem but something is definitely screwy going on! Please help!

Here is a user decl in my userlibs folder if that matters at all:

.lib "User32.dll"
SetWindowLong%(hWnd%, nIndex%, dwNewLong%):"SetWindowLongA"
SetLayeredWindowAttributes%(hwnd, crKey, bAlpha, dwFlags):"SetLayeredWindowAttributes"

I am running Windows 2000 SP4 1.0Ghz 128MB RAM
and this is my monitor:
http://www.green-house.co.jp/english/product/lcd/pmf193sd/index.html

Update: not sure if this helps because I don't know what to do with a .dmp file this crash generated but openning in WinDbg
lets me read it, here is some of it:

Unable to load image ntoskrnl.exe, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe
Windows 2000 Kernel Version 2195 (Service Pack 4) UP Free x86 compatible
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0x80400000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x80481580
Debug session time: Wed Dec 10 16:54:34.656 2008 (GMT+9)
System Uptime: not available
*********************************************************************
* Symbols can not be loaded because symbol path is not initialized. *
* *
* The Symbol Path can be set by: *
* using the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. *
* using the -y <symbol_path> argument when starting the debugger. *
* using .sympath and .sympath+ *
*********************************************************************
WaitForEvent failed


Also, this seems to be a System Crash or bug crash etc. but if I uncheck "Automatically Reboot" in win2k control panel, System properties, Advanced tab, Startup and Recovery,
it doesn't even give me BSoD (Blue Screen of Death), instead, it gives a very grey gray screen of death and just hangs, so I have to power cycle (physically press hold in my power switch on the PC for a few seconds until it shuts off). I haven't changed any hardware or added any drivers since this started happening (it also happens with other code eg that involves desktopbuffer and possibly createimage but this system crash is reproducible 100% with the Help Command Reference's code sample). Searching my PC for ntoskrnl.exe gives back 3 entries in different directories, one dated 2003 other two dated 2007 and this problem only started happening in past week or so. What could this be??


David Boudreau(Posted 2008) [#2]
Sorry- it seems I cleared away the problem by simply replacing the graphics driver. Much apologies for the false alarm!

I'd like to get this thread moved to the Bug Bin Forum, or at least change the subject line of this thread if possible so people understand it was own fault, not Blitz+ of course, i.e. nothing to get alarmed about.

btw Looking at the kernel dump (not minidump) mentioned a dll for(that was) my graphics driver, though WinDbg still complained about "symbols" wherever those are for blitz .exe's.