Help! SL Client Crash when any File Dialogue is opened. (on Vista)
July 9, 2008 3:14 pmAs shortly (I figured this was something that I could fix on my own) mentioned before, the new Acer can’t save snapshots to disk. Actually, it can’t open any file dialogue menu from within the Second Life client without enabled the ‘crash this client’ feature. Duplicating my JIRA issue ‘VWR-8106 Crash when any File Dialog is opened. RC & normal client, on Vista’ here, hoping someone can help me:
This is a Duplicate of Jira Issue VWR-7264 ‘Viewer crash (no error message) when attempting ANY asset upload’ assigned to ‘WorkingOnIt Linden’ (sorry!)
‘Hack’ fix: Xi Tuni suggests there: ‘Found a work around for this problem. Goto preferences to the tab communications, change path, from that moment on uploading and snapshot saving did work. I think the problem is related to the Vista SL communication. U have to do this everytime after login if want to upload and save to disk. Hope they can fix this or give us tip what todo in Vista. This works for me, but indeed, having to change the location of chat logs (I suggest to myself, switching between two set locations) on each login is a real pain, as I largely depend upon them.
File Dialogue crashes SL client
Using both normal client and RC, when attempting to open any file dialogue, this crashes the viewer, thus rendering the uploading of texture/animations and the saving of any snapshot to hard disk impossible. The latter is a showstopper for me. :(
Crash feature works with:
- File > upload image
- File > upload sound
- File > upload animations
- File > bulk upload
- File > Snapshot to disk
- File > Take Snapshot > enable ’save snapshot to hard disk’. The moment I press save, the client wants to show the file dialog and crashes.
Changing path is possible though, in Preference > Communication > Change Path. Changing the path here prevents the crash when trying to access file dialogue from File > menu. But you need to set a different path each time you reboot your client. Pfff.
Environment
CPU: Intel Pentium III/Pentium III Xeon (0.25 micron process) with external L2 cache (2494 MHz)
Memory: 3070 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (Build 6001)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce 9650M GS/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL Version: 2.1.2
LLMozLib Version: [LLMediaImplLLMozLib] - 2.01.16480 (Mozilla GRE version 1.8.1.13_0000000000)
Packets Lost: 5/6102 (0.1%)
Solutions attempted, but did not help
- Make sure to run as Second Life Client as administrator
- Disable Vista Aero. Disable all shading on windows, transparency, … .
- Run with compatibility settings set to XP
I have only one word for this: Help!
This renders a laptop purchased especially for SL use completely useless to me. :(
Tags: hardware, jira, second life client, SOS
16 Responses to “Help! SL Client Crash when any File Dialogue is opened. (on Vista)”
I recommend a solution by Microsoft that could come in handy called VirtualPC. Instead of using compatibility mode, it allows you to install a Windows XP partition and use it to run XP-only programs, that don’t work correctly on Vista. (You use XP in Vista in a window/full screen, no need to reboot.)
Just let me find the URL… There it is!
This might not be Vista but Acer (and it’s drivers). Trying to make sense out of all this.
I still recommend you to try my suggestion. Vista’s known for causing a ton of issues around software. :-(
I don’t think it’s Vista per se. It get’s a bad rap simply because it’s fashionable. XP pre SP2 was a much worse piece of junk than Vista ever was….
Anyways, I think you might want to try upgrading your video driver to a newer version. Normally you could just install the newest Forceware drivers, but this is a laptop and that will not work. You have to cheat.
Head over to here: Laptopvideo2go.com.. http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/
They have instructions on how to update the INF file so you can use the Forceware drivers to update your laptops drivers.
Vaugetech also has similar packages. http://www.vaguetech.com/
Be sure to make a system restore point before you start so you can back out the change if it fails.
VirtualPC is going to run SL way too slow BTW. It will work, but painfully slowly.
-Veyron
Makes me glad I use Linux.
Veyron, I must admit, that scares the hell out of me! Codie had a possible solution (to do with the file dialog format itself), if that does not work, I’ll take the risk (better do it now, now nothing ‘important’ is on the laptop yet. :)
It’s a pretty safe thing to do. Mostly what you’re doing is supplying a INF config file that allows the normal Nvidia driver to install on your laptop.
The laptop vendors don’t put out new drivers with any frequency so it is hard to keep up with bug fixes and performance improvements.
XP is still available - you spent so much money, maybe add another 70€?
http://www.amazon.de/Windows-Home-inkl-Service-Pack/dp/B000BQVA6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1215638303&sr=8-1
(thats what i did some weeks ago)
XP is not the answer. That’s going to cause more driver problems because you’ll have to chase down drivers for that laptop….
I just bought an Acer Aspire Desktop on wednesday and I realized I have this same problem on Sunday. I don’t crash as soon as I click the upload feature - I just get an empty fileupload dialog menu and if I try to force it to browse or find a file, it crashes immediately.
If you find any solution for this, I’d love to know. I went and voted on the JIRA …is this an Acer issue completely? I was noticing everyone in that thread has an Acer. Weird.
Dove, I think so, I did not have time to try out Veyron’s advice yet, but I suggest you give it a go? (Overruling Acer-supplied graphic card drivers.)
Codie said she heard from another avie who had that problem, and changed that by turning the file dialog boxes on Vista back to classic (but did not find out how to do that yet, it’s definitely not in the theming menu, and our Red Hawtness is on holiday at the moment). Until then, this little ‘hack fix’ is suggested:
‘Hack’ fix: Xi Tuni suggests there: ‘Found a work around for this problem. Goto preferences to the tab communications, change path, from that moment on uploading and snapshot saving did work. I think the problem is related to the Vista SL communication. U have to do this everytime after login if want to upload and save to disk. Hope they can fix this or give us tip what todo in Vista. This works for me, but indeed, having to change the location of chat logs (I suggest to myself, switching between two set locations) on each login is a real pain, as I largely depend upon them.
In return, will you keep me updated about a possible fix? ;)
I did go and get the latest drivers for my computer - no luck there.
I also tried the workaround, for me it does not work at all…I click on ‘change path’ and I crash instantly. I don’t even get an option to change it. :(
I have tried every solution thrown at me short of installing XP which I am terrified of doing. But I dunno, it’s either try that or take the computer back soon, because for all intents and purposes, this “bug” is rendering it useless to me.
VINT!! Uninstall edata security that comes bundled on your system. It worked!!
edata? Is that something the vendor puts in?
Veyron - yes it is. :(
Did not have the time to try this yet, but will definitely do so! Thank you for letting me know, Mr Dove!
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