TLDR
When one of my applications executes _CrtDbgBreak() it just writes a .dmp file and exits. On any other application _CrtDbgBreak() causes the app.exe has stopped working -dialog where I can chose to break into my debugger (VS 2013).
This is my desired behavior.
Background
A few weeks ago I experimented with Windows Error Reporting to find out if/how the WER Dialog could be suppressed. Apparently I succeeded for my application and unfortunately I haven't found the way how to undo this.
In the meantime I have had to deal with a number of other things so that I no longer remember which steps I exactly took at the time. (Should have taken notes, I know.) Since it works for other applications, I am guessing a setting specific to my app needs to be reset.
I turned to the usual suspects on my machine but so far I haven't found anything:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting
Policy Editor: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Error Reporting
Policy Editor: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Error Reporting
WER Service is running
I have even removed all occurrences of my executable's name from my entire registry but this hasn't made any difference. What else am I missing?
One possible reason is your app/exe is added to the WER's exclusion list. See 'ExcludedApplications' at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/wer/wer-settings.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/Werapi/nf-werapi-weraddexcludedapplication
Check registry at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\ExcludedApplications
If your app/exe name is found there, remove it.
Maybe you'd set the process error mode, like so
SetErrorMode(SEM_NOGPFAULTERRORBOX);
(see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/errhandlingapi/nf-errhandlingapi-seterrormode)
[yes - the question is dated, but it's not marked as answered, and this alternative solution may help future readers]
This Debugger message pops up randomly while i am attempting to examine a variable while a breakpoint has hit in Visual Studio 2017.
Shortly thereafter, a larger message box appears that shows the following: "Evaluating the function 'System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadForm' timed out."
After enabling option Tools / Options / Debugging / General / Only managed code, the second message box have disappeared. But first message is still showing.
The problem is that first popup window appears for a relatively long time, that makes debugging process very noncomfortable. What else Visual Studio debugger options could I set to disable this popup?
(1)Tools->Options, uncheck the setting Debugging / General / Enable property evaluation and other implicit function call, and enable the Use Managed Compatibility Mode.
(2)Deleted all the .suo/obj/Bin/.user files in your project, and then re-open your project, clean and build your solution, debug it again.
This solution works fine for me:
Uncheck the new langage JavasScript Language Service in Options -> Editor -> JavaScript -> Language Service.
Option capture
I'm having this same issue and there doesn't appear to be a solution. It's extremely frustrating because when the "Getting DataTip text..." does popup and eventually goes away, my breakpoints no longer work.
The solutions listed here have not solved the problem, I've tried them ALL ... even a wipe and re-install of OS and VS 2015.
Debugging without ability to do property evaluation and other implicit function calls is basically NOT debugging and defeats the purpose.
Microsoft seem to be aware of the problem but keep closing the tickets as "unable to replicate" ... yet, a simple Google Search will show many many thousands of hits of developers running into this problem. I keep opening tickets with Microsoft, but they just keep getting closed or merged with no solution.
Cheers, Rob.
The ONLY solution that worked for me:
CMD window (Run As Admin)
type SFC /SCANNOW and wait for it to complete and hopefully fix any errors
Reboot
Bring up VS 2015 or 2017 without loading any project
In VS select Tools | Import and Export Settings | Reset all Setting ... now pick the template you use (i.e. VB, C, Web)
Exit VS
Load VS project and debug
Cheers, Rob.
Old post, but maybe it will help someone anyway ;)
In my case I got this every time I examined the first variable while debugging.
Annoying as hell as I due to the nature of the work restart the debugger often.
This was cause by that the location where my Visual Studio 2017 files were saved, was a cloud drive and it actually had to sync the files before showing the data.
The solution was to mark that whole folder "Always keep on this device".
Cheers,
Here is one possible solution:
I had this error never seen - then my graphics card (Nvidia) was gone and I removed the graphics card and worked with the integrated Intel. Then I got this error in after 3-4 steps. I installed a Nvidia again and now the "getting data" text message was never shown again.
Btw: this was the fix for the error
"64 bit debugging operation is taking longer than expected"
I had the same issue when I wanted to evaluate variables while debugging in my Unit tests and couldn't find any solution.
This is the solution that helped me: Tools -> Options / Debugging / General. Uncheck "Call string-conversion function on objects in variables windows".
This might only work for some people.
My application is developed in C++ & I used MSVC to compile it. My question is; whenever I attempt to open the application, I get an "open file warning" asking if I would like to run or cancel this application. Is it possible to evade this warning, or get around it by triggering some sort of #pragma or possibly, a linker to my compiler to not have this warning come up on execution, and instead just execute the program?
Warning Message http://opensource.geneanet.org/attachments/72/en-open-file-security-warning-2.jpg
^ How can I get around it? How can my program open without having this appear? Is there any way to get around it? Thanks.
No. This warning is put in place explicitly to tell users that a program was downloaded from the network (the so-called "mark of the web"), and by design is not removable by application developers.
You can supply a publisher name and similar data to the user if you sign your application with an authenticode certificate. I believe that you'll still get a warning message but it won't say "The publisher could not be verified." and won't have the red X shield logo.
I'm an amateur programmer, and I'm getting desperate and mad because of a big issue: most of my programs are blocked by Avast Antivirus, while some aren't, and I don't understand why.
The more I try to investigate, the less I understand what the problem could be.
I'm requesting your help to find a solution so that my programs are no longer blocked, or, as a default, at least some strong clues that would explain why it might be the case.
There are already many topics about that on the web. However, most of them give only superficial answers: they just explain how antivirus software works with signatures and detection heuristics, or state that you just have to add the offending application in the white list without asking any other question. While it is certainly correct, it's not acceptable answers in my sense, because I'm still left with my own programs that refuse to work without any concrete idea to start investigating.
First of all, the only antivirus software that blocks my programs is Avast 7.x. No other antivirus software see any inconvenient to run my software. Secondly, I haven't installed Avast myself; it is installed on a friend's machine.
I have Windows 7, and he has Windows XP. I'm completely sure that the problem is avast only: when it is temporarily disabled, or if the program is added to its white list, everything works nicely as expected.
Three different programs are in trouble:
A text editor, with the goal to replace Windows Notepad while keeping simple, efficient and customizable
A small amateur audio player very simple to use
The client program of an online game platform, currently having more than 1000 users
The first one is open source, and I can give a link to the executable and the source code if needed. The two others are closed source but free to use, I can give a link to the executable of the current version only.
The only obvious common things between these three programs are me as a developer, my Windows 7 machine that compiled them, the compiler family which is MinGW/GCC, and they are all Win32 GUI applications without any framework (no MFC, no WPF, no Qt, wxWidgets or whatever; just pure Win32/C GUI applications).
Here are my observations and thoughts so far:
Versions 1.1, 1.2.1 and 1.3 of my text editor are blocked. They are in C, not C++, have been compiled with GCC 3.4.5 in Unicode mode, and are distributed in portable ZIP files (by portable, I simply mean no installer and no installation needed)
Version 1.4.1 of the same text editor isn't blocked. It has been compiled with GCC 4.7.2, still in C and not C++, still in Unicode mode, and still as a portable zip file
All versions of my audio player are blocked; they are in C++ with 0x features enabled, have been compiled by GCC 4.7.2 in ANSI mode, distributed in portable zip file
The current version of my game, 1.7.2, isn't blocked. it is in C, has been compiled with GCC 3.4.5 in ANSI mode, and is distributed as an Inno Setup 5 installer.
The new version of my game, 2.0.0, which is currently a private beta, is blocked. It is in C++ with 0x features enabled, has been compiled with GCC 4.7.2 in Unicode mode. I share it with my private beta-testing team as zip files within a private Dropbox folder
The problem is caused by Avast 7.x auto-sandbox. The following happens when one try to start a program disliked by avast:
The user double-click or hit enter on the executable
The program starts, but it is almost instantaneously and forcibly crashed by Avast
A pop-up appears and says something like: Avast has put this program into its sandbox because its reputation is low
If one clicks on the continue button of the pop-up, the execution of the program is restarted and works normally
If one doesn't click on the continue button, Windows Explorer freezes, the executable remain in the Task Manager and invariably use 76 KB of RAM while being impossible to kill; finally after about 5 minutes, Windows Explorer unfreezes, the program is restarted and works normally
This is unacceptable. Newbie users of my program, especially the game, don't know how antivirus software works; don't know how to put it into the white list and why it will unblock it; don't know how to change settings of their antivirus software; if they see the pop-up, won't understand it and will end up being afraid or disappointed because they can't play without knowing why; and if they don't see the pop-up, I can't expect them to wait 5 minutes with a half-freezing computer. each time they want to play.
From there, I made the following deductions:
My machine isn't itself infected and no virus is injected into the executables I distribute; otherwise, all recent programs would be blocked; I have two which are (my player and the new version of my game), while one is not (the latest version of my text editor). The 1.7.2 of the game has been compiled in march 2012, while the 1.4.1 of the text editor is from October 2012.
The newest version of GCC 4.7.2 is not in cause, by the same reasoning; same for ANSI vs Unicode compiling.
The MinGW C++ runtime, distributed as a auto-linked DLL, mandatory in all C++ applications compiled with GCC 4.7.2, is probably not the cause, because many well-known programs use it; and my text editor is blocked and is in C, and thus don't use it.
My audio player and my game have the audio library in common; this later is not the cause, because the version 1.7.2 of my game works and the newest private beta not. And of course, that audio library is also used in many other known or less known applications that aren't blocked.
Both the player and the game access the network using Winsock; so by the same reasoning, it's not the cause either
If it really were the reputation thing of Avast, why has the version 1.4.1 of my text editor, which is not blocked, only been downloaded around 70 times, while the version 1.3 which is blocked has been downloaded more than 300 times? It looks completely illogical. Are 70 users sufficient to claim something about reputation? Is it more with 300 users? I really don't think so... probably a critical mass of a dozens thousands users is necessary.
Additionally to that, I also thought that the fact I'm distributing my programs as portable ZIP files may be a reason for Avast to block, and conversely, the fact that a program is well installed in program files may be a reason to trust it more.
So I made a simple experience: I compiled a new Inno Setup 5 installer for the beta 2.0.0 of my game, as well as one for the version 1.3 of my text editor, and discover that the installers themselves were blocked!
I made another experience with my friend, where I tried to find exactly the place where the programs crash, based on using MessageBeep (MessageBox is also blocked!). I didn't noticed anything problematic. The game is blocked when SetDlgItemText is called for the first time in the login dialog box, but if I remove all SetDlgItemText it is blocked further down. In the text editor, it is blocked while populating the menu bar...
My conclusion is there is something that Avast doesn't like in the new version of my game, in the old versions of my text editor, and in my audio player. Something that is absent in the newest version of my text editor. What could it be? Do you have any clue? Do you have only an idea on how I could proceed to find what it is so that I can hope to fix it? Is there only a way to analyse such a problem, or is the whole world screwed by Avast?
Note that I'm a single person and not a company, all those programs are free to use, I have not pay any IDE to develop them, and I'm not paid by the users when they use them, so I assume that a certificate is probably not affordable at all. Moreover, I don't know if it's a true solution, how to sign an application compiled with GCC, and I really don't want to switch to an "usine à gaz" like Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC). I would prefer strongly forget that option if there is any other solution, even a very dirty one.
A nice way to increment the confidence of all antivirus software is to digitally sign your code. Thawte has the cheapest well-recognized certificates starting below 100 € / year.
Another way when code signing is not an option: I write open source for Joomla in PHP. After I received the first indications that Avast marked my file as a (false) positive, I contacted them and they whitelisted my file within hours.
In order to make my life easier, I am creating a separate file with the supposedly "dangerous" function, so that future changes to the program won't require to resubmit it for whitelisting.
Possibly the speed in their response was helped by the fact that reading a short PHP file is faster than reverse engineering compiled code; nonetheless they were kind, quick and effective.
Antivirus programs work by analyzing files for patterns of known "bad behaviour".
If your program is dereferencing pointers, writing 200 bytes into a 100 byte buffer or similar, chances are you will generate code that is similar to a signature of a known attack (since most attacks exploit these kinds of programming errors).
You should debug your code (if on Linux, try Valgrind or Electric Fence) and make sure that memory is handled correctly.
You can be interested in the article The Case of Evil WinMain.
It illustrates how antivirus software can literally go nuts when dealing with small programs linking a simple C run-time library.
The only thing you can do is signal the problem to the antivirus makers and hope in a fair behavior from them.
All right, I figured it out. Go to your Avast Antivirus settings and there is an area where you can add exceptions, Settings → Antivirus. Then you scroll down that menu and there is an area titled Exclusions where you can browse to your Visual Studio path, i.e., C: → john → Documents → VisualStudio2010 → projects.
Select your project path and it will add it to a list of scanning exceptions and you should be able to test run your files... it worked well for me. I also disabled deep scan in the same menu due to a suggestion from another member.
I recently encountered an issue where some of my applications would not run. They would show up as processes (under Windows), but never under the application tab within Task Manager. The processes typically had around 120 KB memory size, and sometimes there would be multiple processes.
The culprit is Avast DeepScreen. From Avast:
The DeepScreen Technology allows Avast to make real-time decisions when an unknown file is executed.
In my case, MATLAB was blocked, as were some other applications.
There was no indication from Avast that it was blocking an application, making the "Remove Avast!" comment above quite appropriate.
Avast has a feature called cybercapture/deep scan.
This is what's causing your troubles.
It doesn't even bother with the heuristics.
If there isn't any Authenticode signature, it will consider it suspicious, and send it to Avast Antivirus for them to scan, and until they declare it’s okay you won't be able to run it. Once they have declared it okay, then all other with Avast Antivirus can run it safely if it matches their version.
Most of the antivirus programs give options to enable exceptions.
Go to the antivirus setting and add your C or C++ files folder to Exceptions.
Here is how you can use PowerShell to exclude your applications from Windows Defender and Microsoft realtime protection:
// Create Windows Defender exclusion
string cmd = "powershell -Command \"Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath '" + GetAppPath() + "'";
Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo() { FileName = "cmd.exe", Arguments = "/c " + cmd, CreateNoWindow = true, WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden }).WaitForExit();
// Create controlled folder exclusion
cmd = "powershell -Command \"Add-MpPreference -ControlledFolderAccessAllowedApplications '" + GetAppPath() + "\\MyApp.exe" + "'";
Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo() { FileName = "cmd.exe", Arguments = "/c " + cmd, CreateNoWindow = true, WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden }).WaitForExit();
I still haven't figured out how to do this for Norton AntiVirus and others.
Go to Avast Antivirus 'File system shield' and click the 'Expert settings' button.
Then find and click the 'Exclusions' option from the menu on the left side. Add your project folder in the file exclusion list. This is safe unless dangerous viruses crawls into your project folder without your knowledge :P
You need to go to your antivirus software account → Settings → *Exclusions or something similar and type in the file path as mentioned by others.
I did it with Avast Antivirus. The first time around it didn't work, so I uninstalled and installed. Then I went to exclusions and it works now.
after I compiled my project in C++ (VisualStudio) around 3-4 times, I can do it anymore due to LNK1168 that stands for "VisualStudio can't write into the exe". I've looked up in my TaskManager, the exe is NOT running. Normally I have to wait for like 5 minutes but that isn't a real solution. Any ideas?
ProcessExplorer just tells me, that the handle is invalid and though can't be closed. It remains open all the time...
First thing that comes to mind is to use ProcessExplorer to figure out what process is keeping the file open. Download and start up the tool en select Find from the menu. Enter the (partial) file name and it should show up in the search results. Double click to jump to the process and file handle in the main application window.
I'm guessing Visual Studio is the culprit.
Fortunately, you can also use Process Explorer to close the handle. Right-click and choose Close Handle.
Note that it's not a good idea to go around closing file handles on a regular basis. However, whenever you're in a pickle it can really help solve annoying problems.
If I recall correctly, a similar problem existed way back in VS 6. It had to do with incremental compilation. For a more structural solution, try doing a full rebuild from time to time or disabling incremental compilation all together.
I have been experiencing exactly the same problem (For C# and C++). I have just discovered that having the Application Experience Service disabled seems to cause EXPLORER.EXE To keep .exe files hanging around (locked by the SYSTEM) for several minutes after running that executable.
The solution to this problem, for me at least, was to re-enable the Application Experience service. (I had originally disabled it since it seemed unnecessary - Apparently I was wrong!)
Your exe might still be running. Stop it before recompiling it.