jv16 PowerTools 2006 hangs

tagteam

Whenever I run the first instance of jv16 PT 2006, usually after a reboot, the program just hangs. Although it opens fine and I can see the main screen and all the icons, the program is totally nonfunctional; the toolbar is greyed-out. So, basically, nothing works and I can't even close the program except by killing the process in task manager. Funny thing is that after I kill the process in TM and restart jv16, the program runs perfectly.

FWIW, I am running Windows XP (MCE), have a ton of RAM, and installed jv16 PT 2006 over the 2005 version.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

tullik

I can confirm this. It has happened two to four times on my notebook. I haven't noticed it on my desktop.

I don't always have to kill PT. Usually it will close from the taskbar (much to my surprise).

When I start PT again, all is OK. :)

krese1

I'm also having the same problem with v1.5.2.336 on my laptop (XP/SP2, 2gb RAM).

krese1

tullik

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jv16

Try to uninstall the software, delete the installation dir and then re-install it.

Also add the PT's main executable (jv16pt.exe) to the exclusion list of your anti-virus program.

lashiec

Not having that problem on Win98, but it takes significantly more time to start than .335

tullik

jv16 wrote
Try to uninstall the software, delete the installation dir and then re-install it.

That cure may be worse than the disease. Because I don't want to fiddle with preserving Backups, Settings/Preferences, etc.

I'm going to try something else first, namely the following:

I have been running with a FileCache.dat that looks like this:

Created=38826.8121147917

MaxAge=15

LastAsked=38826.8120988773

c=True

d=False

k=False

l=False

m=False

n=False

I have taken out "n" which gets assigned to a USB stick (on the rare occasions when it is present) and will see if that makes a difference over time ...

bobkat

When I updated to .336 I get the screen with icons but nothing will work.

I seems like I have an open dialog box and windows wants an answer before allowing functionality. Each time I try to click on an icon, I get the windows" duh dom "sound. I did go through the questions when installing but cannot find any open dialog box.

krese1

jv16

I un-installed, deleted directory, & re-installed and the problem still exists.

I already had jv16pt in my AV's exclusion list.

dane

Same result here, jv16 still hangs after restart. :(

mathieu

Hi,

same problem here. version 1.5.2.336 takes more time to load.

One time, it just got frozen like told above by Tagteam (with options in grey etc.). I had to close the program by ending the jv16-task in the Windows Task Manager. When starting jv16 Powertools a second time, it stated normally.

eli

I have the same problem.

Full ugly details: I am running Windows 98SE, fully updated, but old and decrepit as it was last reinstalled over 6 years ago. When I start JV16 it opens in an inactive window (the window's title bar is not as brightly colored as it would be if you were actively working in it.) Clicking on the window does not make it the active window; clicking only elicits the Windows "default sound". Clicking on an icon gives the same sound. Closing with Ctrl-Alt-Delete and Close Program closes the window. When I then start JV16 2006 336 again, everything is normal, and the program is usable.

Truly a unique workaround!

Summary: The problem occurs happen in several versions of Windows, and to users with different Windows personalizations. I have never seen this behavior with any other software. Thus, it qualifies as a JV bug.

eli

Following up on JV's suggestion about antivirus:

For antivirus, I run Eset NOD32. Since having problems with JV16 2005, I set NOD32 not to check files whenever they open, close, create, modify, etc. It checks email, Internet, and network activity; this should be sufficient unless you are truly paranoid.

Even after quitting NOD32, so it is not running at all, JV16 2006 release 336 still exhibits the strange behavior. So antivirus (at least in my case) is not the problem.

Thinking it might be my firewall or some antispyware application, I went to MSCONFIG, checked Selective Startup, unchecked Load Startup Group Items, and rebooted. JV16 2006 release 336 still shows the same bad behavior. So it is not something in my Startup Group.

I will leave it to JV and his support staff to see if there is anything in the win.ini or system.ini files that might conflict with 336, or whether 336 is broken. I lack the courage to root around in win.ini and system.ini without mentoring.

lashiec

Seems that NOD32 causes several problem with PowerTools. Some other users reported problems like yours. Try to add PowerTools to NOD32's exclusion list, and make sure that you have enough memory to run everything. I don't have the post around here right now, but a user reported that his problems with NOD32 and PowerTools were due to the amount of memory installed on his computer, 128 MB. 256 MB should be enough.

tullik

It's over here in the PT2005 forum.

dane

I have tryed uninstall the software, deleted the installation dir and then reinstalled, but I still have the same problems as Tagteam.

Btw. I am using BullGuard's AV.

Is there anything else I can try to solve the problem? :

tullik

Until it is fixed, I'm living with this workaround: close PT from the taskbar and start it again -- takes about 30 seconds and the problem doesn't happen very often on my machines.

Haven't had to kill it with task manager but that would take maybe 45 seconds.

dane

Okay,- Thanks! :

eli

The computer in question has 128 MB of RAM, which maxes out the mainboard. A new bigger faster machine is near the top of my agenda.

In any case, release 336 shows this bad behavior with none of the Start Group items running. No antivirus, no firewall, no antispyware, and so forth. There are fewer than 10 processes running altogether. Since NOD32 was not running at all, it cannot be the problem here (it is the cause of other problems).

If 336 is being interfered with by some other program, it is something a little more essential to Windows, and not just on my old slow decrepit 98SE.

tullik

jv16 PowerTools 2006 hangs

I hit the hang condition again. Perhaps these observations on my notebook will help find the cause:

1. I let PT run for about two hours



2. TaskSwitch.exe (a Microsoft Power Toy) showed two jv16pt.exe tasks

     2a. When I switched to one, the main window had focus, 
         but clicking on it only produced the windows "not responding" sound

     2b. When I switched to the other, the main window did not have focus, 
         and clicking on it also produced the windows "not responding" sound

3. Process explorer nt and task manager showed PT using 5 to 20% of the 
   single cpu for about two minutes

4. Then PT spiked to 60 to 100% for a few seconds -- 
   this pattern continued every two minutes for the whole two hours

5. During each spike, PT accessed a subdirectory in the Backups folder -- 
   it was not the same one each time

6. Sometimes, a PT access to BackupPruning.dat was also visible during the spike

7. PT had about ten active threads the whole two hours

8. PT could be ended with a "Close" on the taskbar

9. All this suggests PT was in an interruptible loop, perhaps in the BackupPruning function

10. When PT was restarted, all was fine.