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Author Topic: Strange DSLStats situation  (Read 14444 times)

broadstairs

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Strange DSLStats situation
« on: June 27, 2014, 07:58:32 AM »

Eric I need some advice from you. I have been having some strange issues with my W2K PC which I think I fixed yesterday as some malware was detected in notepad.exe which got deleted. I have now got a new copy but each time I try to start DSLStats I get an access violation which if I ignore it opens without loading the .ini data and then complains when I try to close it saying it cannot save the ini. If I delete the .ini it starts ut apparently will not save a copy when closed and next start goes back to the access violation.

Any ideas?

Stuart
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roseway

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2014, 08:30:03 AM »

Stuart, my first thought is that this is related to the fact that, with the Windows version of DSLstats, the .ini file can be in one of two different places (either with the other DSLstats files or in the location advised by the OS). I'll check this out this morning, but in the meantime it may be worth making sure that there isn't a .ini file in either location.
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broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2014, 08:33:04 AM »

Eric this happened after I cleaned the malware and re-booted the PC. DSLStats had been running OK prior to the re-boot but would not start immediately after the re-boot. I save the .ini files in the program folder. It would appear that DSLStats could not open the existing .ini file for some reason, it may be that there is an old one somewhere so I will check.

Stuart
Edit: Just checked and the failed starts today had created the files in Documents and Settings so deleted them and copied back the original .ini file to the program directory but it still fails with the errors on start.

Edit again: One question does DSLStats call notepad at all?

Yet another Edit: Renamed the old dslstats folder and created a new one and downloaded the latest beta again and unpacked. All went OK and .ini moved to program folder OK but on close and restart it still fails!
« Last Edit: June 27, 2014, 09:12:37 AM by broadstairs »
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roseway

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2014, 10:11:31 AM »

Quote
One question does DSLStats call notepad at all?

No, it doesn't call any external programs.

I've got a working W2K system here, and I'm going to try to reproduce this problem.
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  Eric

broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2014, 10:56:12 AM »

OK Thanks....

Stuart
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roseway

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2014, 04:17:39 PM »

I'm afraid I've been completely unable to reproduce this error after trying all sorts of startup conditions, and different options set in the program before closing down. In particular, starting with a completely clean situation (all copies of dslstats.ini deleted) works with no issues at all, regardless of of how you play with the options.

The log entry "Unable to save configuration to.." is the result of an exception being trapped while trying to save dslstats.ini, and I can't see any remaining ways in which this can occur apart from a problem with the filesystem.

I'll continue to look for possible causes, but at the moment I can't see any.
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  Eric

broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2014, 06:59:06 PM »

OK thanks for looking Eric. I'll run chkdsk and see if it throws anything.

Stuart
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NewtronStar

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2014, 10:19:22 PM »

OK thanks for looking Eric. I'll run chkdsk and see if it throws anything.

Stuart

Which Malware Software did you use ? and I am not pointing the finger at the Malware removal software as yet but some go to far into the system files IE the (Registry)
« Last Edit: June 27, 2014, 10:27:23 PM by NewtronStar »
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broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2014, 08:03:52 AM »

Which Malware Software did you use ? and I am not pointing the finger at the Malware removal software as yet but some go to far into the system files IE the (Registry)

I used Superantispyware free edition and it removed two things a corrupt notepad.exe (since re-installed from W2K CD) and another in an AutoIT file (since uninstalled this as it is no longer used). It also complained about a whole bunch of tracking cookies which were also removed. I do not leave Superantispyware running.

DSLStats is the only program on the affected PC which fails. I have checked the file systems with chkdsk which has found some minor issues and fixed them but DSLStats still fails. As I said I downloaded a new copy of the latest beta and installed a new copy but to no avail.

Stuart
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roseway

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2014, 08:30:28 AM »

I'm really puzzled by this, Stuart. Can I be clear about the sequence of events?

Before the malware event, what version of DSLstats was working? Is it the same version which now doesn't work? If they're different versions, does the release version 4.53.3 work?

Have you tried removing all traces of DSLstats in both locations (i.e. the folder where the program files are stored and in C:\Documents and Settings\<Your name>\Local Settings\Application Data\dslstats) then starting with a completely clean new installation?

Starting with a clean new installation, can you run DSLstats then immediately close it down again without configuring anything? If you do this, does it still fail to save the configuration file?

Sorry about all the questions, but I do want to establish where the failure is occurring.
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broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2014, 08:43:27 AM »

OK I'll try to set this out.

1.DSLStats latest beta was running normally
2.Ran Superantispyware to clean up two trojans, one in notepad.exe and one in an AutoIT file
3.Rebooted W2K all started ok EXCEPT DSLStats which started to error
4.Ran chkdsk to clean up minor errors on partitions with several reboots
5.DSLStats still failing

Now at this point I tried the latest stable DSLStats which started OK but failed after stop/start. I had also tried downloading a new copy of the beta and install it but it did not fix it.

So now to the latest tests this morning. I downloaded a new beta copy and installed it in a new folder on a different partition (which is actually on a second HDD). This has been started, configured and is running OK. Next test is to stop and start it to see what happens, which I will do now....

this has now failed to start with the access violation error. I can see in the folder that on exit the .ini file was updated but if I click OK instaed of Cancel to the violation it comes up with no settings from the .ini!

Hope this explains what is going on but to be honest I am getting a little confused with what I have and have not tried!

Stuart

Edit: just tried a new folder and started and stopped DSLStats and it will start OK each time, so without doing any config it will start OK each time.

2nd Edit: Just tried using OS location for .ini file but on second start get the same error.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2014, 08:55:16 AM by broadstairs »
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renluop

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2014, 10:05:40 AM »

As a sort of aside ( hopefully with some slight relevance), although I use free Revo Undelete on its strongest setting to clean uninstall, out of curiosity I have found left overs on a second run, also items left in Registry.
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broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2014, 12:33:53 PM »

As a sort of aside ( hopefully with some slight relevance), although I use free Revo Undelete on its strongest setting to clean uninstall, out of curiosity I have found left overs on a second run, also items left in Registry.

Although I have run ccleaner I dont believe DSLStats uses the Registry at all so that is unlikely to affect it.

Stuart
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roseway

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2014, 12:36:10 PM »

That's correct Stuart.
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  Eric

broadstairs

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Re: Strange DSLStats situation
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2014, 12:49:25 PM »

Eric would there be any mileage in turning off you trapping of access violations and see if Windows gives any more information? Please dont bother if this causes you a lot of work though.

Stuart
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