Hard Light Productions Forums
Hosted Projects - Standalone => Diaspora => Diaspora Tech Help => Topic started by: Swifty on September 19, 2012, 03:13:57 am
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If you're still getting crashes in Mission 6 of Diaspora and can't reproduce the crash using our debug builds, you can still help us track down the crash using a different method. This method will only work with 32-bit Windows users as my development environment is Windows 7 32-bit.
The way this works is by crashing a Release build and generating a memory dump. Once I get a memory dump from a user, I will be able to look at the disassembly and memory values to see what happened with the gameplay session.
- First, you need to download Process Explorer here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
- Next, download this ZIP file which contains an EXE file (fs2_open_3_6_13r_INF_SSE2.exe) and a PDB file (fs2_open_3_6_13r_INF_SSE2.pdb). Put both in your Diaspora folder. http://www.mediafire.com/?zb7894u22llxuo4
- Run Process Explorer. Keep it open and set it aside.
- Open up the Diaspora Launcher. In Basic Settings, there is a dropdown for FS2 Open executable. Set that to Freespace 2 Open 3.6.13 Inferno SSE2.
- I also recommend you go to Advanced Settings and make sure Run in window is checkmarked under Dev Tool.
- Press the Play button in the Launcher to load up Diaspora and play Mission 6.
- Once you get a crash, DON'T CLOSE THE CRASH DIALOG BOX.
- Instead, immediately go to Process Explorer. Look for fs2_open_3_6_13r_INF_SSE2.exe.
- Right click it. Go to the Create Dump sub-menu and select Create Minidump. Save that DMP file somewhere.
- Once that's done, it's safe to terminate Diaspora and Process Explorer.
- That DMP file you saved is what I need to analyze what was going on in the engine when you crashed. Upload it to Mediafire or something and get that link to me.
You are welcome to reproduce multiple crashes and send multiple DMP files to me.
When you are done collecting crash info, please delete fs2_open_3_6_13r_INF_SSE2.exe from your Diaspora folder and make sure to point "FS2 Open executable" in "Basic Settings" back to "FreeSpace 2 Open Build 1 Diaspora". We wouldn't want you still use that executable when we release a new patch. :)
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Thanks for the efforts to troubleshoot this, but I can't get the mission to crash in debug or using this method. Yet it consistently crashes in the release build :-/ Will the same crash dump method work using that EXE?
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The reason why I provided my own release build is because the one in 1.02 doesn't have PDBs or disassembly with source code generated from it.
But that's an encouraging sign you're not getting crashes from the mission as I've based this off of Trunk 9197. Consider it a bonus for attempting to troubleshoot this. :P
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I've had the odd crash in mission 2 as well recently using the non debug release build but it seems quite rare. I'll try to generate some crash data for you over the next few days/weekend.
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Had couple of playthroughs of mission 6 and managed to generate a crash dump (http://www.vprnet.co.uk/Files/fs2_open_3_6_13r_INF_SSE2.dmp) shortly after the 3rd basestar had arrived.
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Damn, you're running Windows 7 64-bit. I knew not upgrading would bite me in the ass eventually. :(
Thanks for the file anyway. I appreciate what you've done.
Does anybody with a 32-bit version of Windows want to help out? :D
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I have 64-bit Win7 so I'll stop trying to replicate it and just have fun :P