2.0.9.0 Hangs 3 times tonight …. Help!

[Cburg]

I ran a small Halloween Show tonight with 5 sequences forming a program. I then setup the scheduler to start this one program beginning at 5pm to repeat until 11pm. The system came on and ran fine for 1hr 50mins (about). The show stopped and I had to “restart current timers” to get things going again. This time is run for about 45 mins before hanging once again. This time however everything in Vixen was frozen. I have to restart the computer. The last time the show stopped was just short of 2 hours again. Resetting the timers did not help but closing Vixen and restarting Vixen started the program working that time. (I did not restart the computer)

At the end of the night I stopped the program and Vixen crashed. When I started to write this report I wanted to look at a few things so I began to start Vixen. While the house was one, An error box popped up. I took a screen short of the message. When I clicked OK Vixen finished loading without any problem. I did not; however, try to do anything at that point except look around to write this report.

I was using a Parallel 8 Plug-in (with a kit76) and the adjustable Preview. (the preview was running during the show)

I have an old Sony FX150 running Windows ME.(Ver 4.90.3000) 254MB Ram.

They were a fresh install of both .net and Vixen. About 4 weeks ago.

Not other programs were running (that I know of)

*** One last fact, all three times the show stopped it stop in about the same place in the last sequence of the program. This sequence is a 1 min in length of just random lights with no music.

Any help or Ideas about the cause or better yet a fix would get greatly appreciated.

KC has dine a fine job with this software. I am sure if others are having a problem along these lines he will figure it out!!

Thanks
Carl

[mrpackethead]

I ran a small Halloween Show tonight with 5 sequences forming a program. I then setup the scheduler to start this one program beginning at 5pm to repeat until 11pm. The system came on and ran fine for 1hr 50mins (about). The show stopped and I had to “restart current timers” to get things going again. This time is run for about 45 mins before hanging once again. This time however everything in Vixen was frozen. I have to restart the computer. The last time the show stopped was just short of 2 hours again. Resetting the timers did not help but closing Vixen and restarting Vixen started the program working that time. (I did not restart the computer)

At the end of the night I stopped the program and Vixen crashed. When I started to write this report I wanted to look at a few things so I began to start Vixen. While the house was one, An error box popped up. I took a screen short of the message. When I clicked OK Vixen finished loading without any problem. I did not; however, try to do anything at that point except look around to write this report.

I was using a Parallel 8 Plug-in (with a kit76) and the adjustable Preview. (the preview was running during the show)

I have an old Sony FX150 running Windows ME.(Ver 4.90.3000) 254MB Ram.

They were a fresh install of both .net and Vixen. About 4 weeks ago.

Not other programs were running (that I know of)

*** One last fact, all three times the show stopped it stop in about the same place in the last sequence of the program. This sequence is a 1 min in length of just random lights with no music.

Any help or Ideas about the cause or better yet a fix would get greatly appreciated.

KC has dine a fine job with this software. I am sure if others are having a problem along these lines he will figure it out!!

Thanks
Carl

Go back to 2.0.5 And turn off auto-updates..

[rlilly]

Also, turn off the Adjustable Preview when running a show.
It consumes CPU horsepower, and is not needed for a running show.

[Cburg]

How do I go back to 2.0.5? I never had it to start with.

I did test it with Preview off and Auto-update off. I ran the program 5 times and just stopped. I checked the laptop again, The screen saver was off but the power manager still turned off the screen after 35 min. I want to try the test again with the manager set to "never turn off"



Maybe I should try a different box. I got an old one that is running Windows 98.

[WWNF911]

How do I go back to 2.0.5? I never had it to start with.

I did test it with Preview off and Auto-update off. I ran the program 5 times and just stopped. I checked the laptop again, The screen saver was off but the power manager still turned off the screen after 35 min. I want to try the test again with the manager set to "never turn off"



Maybe I should try a different box. I got an old one that is running Windows 98.

Here you go:

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2648&highlight=Vixen+finally

I wouldn't recommend the other box. I changed to a newer box running XP to get around performance issues. You might want to have a dedicated machine. One that you just have for vixen. i.e. no network connections, isp/internet, virus, spyware programs etc. just a thought.

Leon

[wingrunr]

One thing I do is to have the computer automatically reboot once a day. This clears whatever memory gunk has built up. Just set Vixen to automatically load on start up and you are good to go.

[rca]

So I'm running DMX with a bunch of Lynx gear and having lockup issues as well. I had installed and let the auto update run, so I was at 2.0.9. I have since installed 2.0.5 in a different directory, but it is still giving me lockup issues. Do I need to do something special to remove the 2.0.9? Any other ideas? Is there a version before 2.0.5 I could test?

Thanks.

Ron

[Macrosill]

To delete a version of Vixen simply delete the folder it is in. That's it. Vixen does not install anything on your machine, so simply removing the folder is enough.

[Brad H]

I too have had a lockup issue when using the scheduler. I am running 2.0.9 and after reading this thread and others it would appear that reverting to 2.0.5 does no good. The system is a stripped down 98SE no other software or internet connection. The controller is a Renard 16 and I also use Adjustable Preview. The Program is 7 sequences and runs 14:54. I set the scheduler to start at 6 and stop at 9. Usually at about 2 hours I will get an error that either freezes or throws one to many dialogs up. I am NOT using a Profile nor am I setting the output Plug-Ins via the program (Plug-Ins set in the sequences). The only reason I did not set them in the Program is that I could not figure this thing out and ran out of time.

Anyway the dialogs that I see are (top)...

Plugin Error! An output plugin called the following exception: Safe handle has been closed exception has been stopped. OK

When I click OK there is another dialog underneath...

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

It seems like if there is only one of each of these the show will continue to run but if it gets 3 or more it freezes and needs the AltCntlDel to get control back (which closes Vixen). Starting again with or without a system re-boot yields random results. But it never runs without at least one error.

[rlilly]

I'm running 2.09 without issues tonight. I ran 2 shows back to back to entertain some relatives early, then ran 1 show for the remainder of the evening flawlessly.

[dnesci]

I'm running 2.09 and it has behaved flawlessly. My show is 5 hours and 3 minutes long. It then plays music for the remaining 19 hours in the day. I'm on the third day and the software has been great.

I did have freezing problems over the summer in testing, but the problem was the computer was a little too slow and I was only using 384k of memory. I'm now running a 500mega hertz machine with 1 gig of memory. Not the fastest but enough for my 128 channel show.

[bmcgeeny]

I'm running 2.09 and it has behaved flawlessly. My show is 5 hours and 3 minutes long. It then plays music for the remaining 19 hours in the day. I'm on the third day and the software has been great.

I did have freezing problems over the summer in testing, but the problem was the computer was a little too slow and I was only using 384k of memory. I'm now running a 500mega hertz machine with 1 meg of memory. Not the fastest but enough for my 128 channel show.

Don't you mean 1 Gig of memory?

[crazybob]

One thing I do is to have the computer automatically reboot once a day. This clears whatever memory gunk has built up. Just set Vixen to automatically load on start up and you are good to go.

How do you set the computer to reboot by itself? I'm running XP and can't find the option in the control panel anywhere.

[vairmoose]

How do you set the computer to reboot by itself? I'm running XP and can't find the option in the control panel anywhere.

try the info here: http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6086387.html

[dadams14]

I had my vixen hang last night numerous times.
I am using 2.0.9.0
and I was running a program of 3 scripts.
The scripts with music seem to be ok
the 1 minute filler (no audio) with all lights on was getting the following error

(Router)
An outlet plugin caused the following exception:
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.


please give details about turning off auto update , since this machine is not connected
to a network
and how do I trun of the viewer.?

I took out the filler and the program ran flawlessly until 11:00 (lights out)
Thanks in advance
Dennis

[marx1]

I have the same problem when my background script is running - and a scheduled show starts. I have also had it do it randomly during the day while everything is off.

[Cburg]

please give details about turning off auto update , since this machine is not connected
to a network
and how do I trun of the viewer.?


To Disable Auto-update: Go to Tools > Preferences > then put a check in the box "Disable auto-updates" Click ok.

To Turn off Preview: (if not using a Profile)
1) Click : Attached Plugins (upper left of the Sequance window)
2) Clear check mark for "Adjustable Preview"
3) Click "Done"

To turn off Preview: (if using a profile)

1) (note: Attached Plugins button in sequence window is grayed out)
2) Go to Profiles > Manage > double-click the profile being used.
3) Click "Output Plugins"
4) Clear check mark for "Adjustable Preview"
5) Click "Done" ..... click "Done" again


Hope that helps .....


Cburg

[zaker]

my 2.0.9.0 ran my halloween show, and is running Christmas the last 6 days, all on autopilot with the scheduler.

Do you have another computer to try it on? Uninstall any software not used on that computer and disable any extra programs running on startup.