runtime failed on Win98

[stefangs]

A user reported an error while trying to run my solution called StudioSystem which hasn't happened before. As I have next to no experience on Windows and do not understand the error messages, I'm posting here in hope that someone can at least interpret what the errors mean. On launch, there is a message that the progam performed an illegal instruction and will shut down. This hasn't happened before and I suspect that there may be some general stability issues with his system, but that's just a guess. Any pointers would be appreciated. This is what he gets:

STUDIOSYSTEM 4 caused a general protection fault

in module GDI.EXE at 0001:0000293e.

Registers:

EAX=0061637a CS=0467 EIP=0000293e EFLGS=00000282

EBX=000063fe SS=4ea7 ESP=000089da EBP=00008a5e

ECX=00008001 DS=05d7 ESI=00001a7a FS=0000

EDX=000005d7 ES=05d7 EDI=000016d6 GS=0000

Bytes at CS:EIP:

ff 5f 10 66 5f 66 5e c3 b8 01 01 33 c9 33 d2 f6

Stack dump:

00000000 36f70000 44f70000 637a8001 16d605d7 1a7a0000 26c80000 017721ab 01774e17 00ff0000 00de461f 00de0000 35320180 4eb702c0 00de00de 00de8a00

The program can be found at http://www.rootsolutions.de/downloads/stusys.exe

[SteveB]

I doubt that anyone except a Microsoft SE could tell you what the addresses in those registers refer to. I believe that the GDI.EXE is probably a screen graphics display EXE, but all of this is probably irrelevant since we can't determine what and who really triggered the crash. I would start with re-installing your solution.

[DykstrL]

Here are the things I would check:

1. The printer driver is either a wrong version or has been corrupted. The print spooler could also be corrupt. Even though the user did not print anything, keep in mind that FileMaker 'reads' the printer driver (or PPD on a Mac) to define the screen display. If the printer driver or the print spooler is corrupt - BAM - GPF.

If the printer is an HP, check to see that the graphics mode is set to raster and not HP-GL.

You did not mention if that machine was able to run the solution before. If it did, then either a software install or new hardware has replaced or corrupted one or more of the DLLs that the GDI.EXE file uses, causing the GPF.

Another thing that can cause a GPF in the GDI.EXE is a corrupt font file. It will be a font that is used on the layout that is being opened when the file is opened.

[kenneth2k1]

Good points.

It's hard to say, but I think it's high time Win98 went the way of the dodo bird. Protected memory space is wonderful.

[Anatoli]

RE: Protected memory space is wonderful.

Agreed! Even Apple Inc. went finally that direction

[kenneth2k1]

Good thing. Memory management in general is harder than it should be on OS prior to 10.

[stefangs]

Thank you all for your responses - I'm sure that this is a one-off. I told the user that there are probably the mentioned problems on this system.

regards.

[jnmorrison]

I too have had issues with Win98. I made a windows runtime application...runs great on XP...but in 98...nope.