Windows 2003 Server hangs while debugging in Visual C++ .Net 2003

Question

Hi,

I am having issues with my Visual C++ .Net 2003 environment. It works well while coding, but while debugging, after a while the whole O.S. hangs. No Remote Desktop connection or VNC works during this time, but pings work. The only workaround is to reboot the host manually. I am using Windows 2003 Server Standard Edition (32-bit). If I am not debugging, everything works well. 

Please try to resolve this issue.

thanks,

-- Sangram

Answer 1

Hi Sangram,

Is this issue occured after you installed VS or it behaves normally before?
Have you applied latest service pack? If no, please apply it.
Does this issue occur for any project or specific one? Please create a new project for try.
Does this issue occur for any machine or specific one? Please have another machine for try by using same project.

Please try the following steps:

1. Try to reproduce the issue in windows safe mode
2. Create a new user and try to repro the issue in new user's profile
3. Run the following commands:
devenv /resetskppkgs
devenv /safemode

Thanks.

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Answer 2

Hi Sangram,

Is this issue resolved?

Please let me know if you need any further help.

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Answer 3

Hi,

I have the same issue with VS2008 with SP1 under different OS (XP, Vista, Win7) and for different machines. When I try to debug my application (using step commands - F10, F11), OS GUI completely hangs and doesn't respond to any command. When it happens only mouse cursor continues moving.

According to your advice I tried to reproduce the issue in windows safe mode. I couldn't... Debugger works well when OS runs in safe mode, nothing hangs. But it doesn't solve the problem because it's impossible to work in safe mode day-to-day. It seems there is some program or service on the system which prevents the debugger to run properly. I has already tried to shutdown the number of resident programs (such as firewall, antivirus ect.) - without result.
Then I created new user profile, it didn't help.
Adding /safemode parameter to the link has no effect, OS still hangs while debugging.

Experience has shown that the issue occurs regardless of project size or the number of working threads. I experimented with small known-good single-thread projects in unmanaged code.

There are many records about similar issues in the Internet. For example, this one: http://www.virtualdub.org/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=118
Author of that article suggested to disable "Text Services Framework" in Regional and Language Settings. It seems it does work under WinXP! I ran the debugger a few times, and nothing hung. But I don't know how to do the same thing with Windows 7, i didn't find similar option.
Another possible workaround of the issue - disable downloading new symbol database files (PDB) from Microsoft download server. How i can do this? According to MSDN I couldn't find out the value of _NT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variable. Where I can find it?

Thanks in advance. And sorry for my english.