HLDJ crashes on Setup (IEBeta8 issues)

[Renegade]

For those experiencing HLDJ crashing on start or Setup, etc.:

The problem seems to be a rare issue with Internet Explorer 8, specifically mshtml.dll.
Some recommended solutions are:
1) Re-/Un-installing IE
2) Checking and disabling any untrusted mods, add-ons, or plugins

More solutions and information may be found searching this issue on google:
> http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&clien ... =&aq=f&oq=
> http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&clien ... =&aq=f&oq=

It should be made clear though that this is Microsoft's issue and is in no way an error in HLDJ. Although the occurrences seem rare, hopefully Microsoft will resolve their issues... but then again, it's Microsoft.

Note: With your help, it may be possible to locate the problem and implement a workaround. Please PM Renegade or post here if you would be interested in helping to test a solution.

Topic History Below
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posted by spartan:

Everytime I try to use the first run setup it crashes. If I click "no" on hte dialog box asking if I want to do the first run, it works. But if I click the setup button, it freezes and crashes again. I am on a Win Vista 32-bit Intel Core 2 Duo. I've search Google and the site, and I see that there is some slight problems with the Dual Cores, but I do not think that is the case for me (correct me if I'm wrong). I have all Windows updates. My A/V is Trend Micro Internet Security. I am trying to run this on Counter Strike Source.

Visual Studio debug breaks at:
"67762E20 test dword ptr [ecx+8],40000000h"

I think "test" is the CPU command being sent. Is "test" recongnized by my CPU?

I was able to successfully get HLSS to run and work. However, it's very confusing, because when I mean to play one song it's easy to get mixed up. The in game menu/sound selector is the main atraction for me.

[Renegade]

Which version of HLDJ are you using (should be 1.4.5 or 1.4.6). Does it occur consistently every time? Can you open the Options window?

I haven't been able to reproduce it on either version (using XP and win98) nor have I seen it before; it may be specific to your setup. Is there anything unique about your Vista install? (i.e. custom theme, language, unusual software, etc?). Try disabling your anti-virus, also if you have any other machine running Vista, try HLDJ on it as well.

[Rei]

Hello,

When I click the Settings button; as soon as the window opens HLDJ freezes. I open Task Manager and there were several drwtsn32.exe processes running.

hldj.exe disappears when I end drwtsn32.exe and vice versa. I tried using 1.4.5 and 1.4.6 to no avail. This log file could prove useful.

Any help at all is greatly appreciated!

[Renegade]

Thanks for the log, it'll help in tracking this one down (so far, three confirmed cases). I notice that you're running Service Pack 3... I'm willing to bet msoft has changed some of the API semantics again (would also explain why it's still a rare bug as most people are probably still running SP2).
I'll see if I can't get SP 3 on a spare machine and get it to repro, either that, or I'll try for a build minus the usual suspects (i.e. COM stuff)

edit: here's the latest binary (zipped), run that and see if it still crashes.

[Rei]

I fixed it!

Looks like the culprit is the IE8 beta 2, which crashes in the same why as HLDJ whenever I paste text into the address bar. I uninstalled IE8 and HLDJ works fine now! I wouldn't have attempted doing so if you didn't mention Microsoft could have been responsible, so thank you and good luck!

[Raccoon]

I have the same problem, it says "HLDJ has encountered an error and needs to close." I hit "Debug", then something called "DrWatson's Debug Program" or something "needs to end".... Please help!

[Killthehorde]

I fixed it!

Looks like the culprit is the IE8 beta 2, which crashes in the same why as HLDJ whenever I paste text into the address bar. I uninstalled IE8 and HLDJ works fine now! I wouldn't have attempted doing so if you didn't mention Microsoft could have been responsible, so thank you and good luck!

I also have IE8 Beta xD

[y0himba]

Ugh. I don't want to go back to IE7, I have IE8 customized the way I like it. Any hope on a compatibility fix when you are less busy?

Oh yeah, "hi"

[Renegade]

hey, that was fast! Fortunately (or unfortunately) this problem seems to be cropping up elsewhere in other applications, even msoft's own flagship applications, like VS.NET!! My hope is that, since its still in beta, msoft will figure out what they've broken and fix it.
I haven't checked too thoroughly, but there maybe some workarounds here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949787

For an attempted compatability fix, you can try the binary in the first post (note: it's an older version though), but it's just a shot in the dark guess at a fix. My guess is something in the CommonControls library or maybe COM (which HLDJ uses very little of), but I haven't been able to test for sure though; still need to get my hands on a copy of Vista (and a spare machine too) for testing.

[y0himba]

I have it working under Vista with IE8, but when I run it or open the config it tells me it cannot find a few files. I have all of my games installed on the D: drive by default, and HLDJ lives there also. It's a separate physical drive, not a partition.

When hitting the Options button I get the error: the file binds.hldj could not be opened it could be corrupt or missing. Same thing when editing a game in the list.

When hitting the green checkmark (save) I get The file hl2res.hldj could not be opened it may be corrupt or missing.

Where are the files supposed to reside? I can just make a blank text file and rename it for both.

[Renegade]

Wait, so is this the beta IE8? If so, how did you manage that, would be of great help to know!


(p.s. those files need to be in the same directory as hldj.exe; unzipping the entire archive should take care of all that though...)

[y0himba]

I did nothing. I grabbed 1.4.8, put it in a directory, and ran it. I just grabbed the executable though, no archive or the other files that are supposed to be with it. It created the /audio directory and a /custom directory as well as hldj_custom.cfg and settings.hldj when I ran it. I had removed the old version first. Creating the files manually fixed the missing files issue, and it is still working.

IE8/HLDJ 1.4.8

Edit: Not quite working. Won't play my wav file, only seems to key up my mic...wav file attached, it's 11025Hz frequency, 16-bit sampling rate, mono-channel

[The extension wav has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

[Renegade]

Can you determine if unzipping fully from the archive has any effect (it shouldn't)?

[y0himba]

It didn't. However, it stopped working. As soon as I deleted the directory and ran the 1.4.8 executable, it worked, but only keys up my mic.

Where do the files filehl2res.hldj and filebinds.hldj reside?

[Renegade]

So fully unzipping HLDJ, then running hldj.exe results in crashing, but running hldj.exe alone is fine? Interesting... could be a problem with file reads/writes...
HLDJ looks for all .hldj files in the same dir as the executable.

edit: I'm not sure if the playback problem is related, just in case, check that, after selecting a song, the file "voice_input.wav" is created in the folder 2 levels up from the "cfg' directory.