More Details on Frequent Crashing

[George Simmons]

This is an addendum to a previous thread about the same topic. Visualizer still crashing - twice this evening so far.

3.1 Dual core, 4G, Windows 7 PC with LOR and Excel the only two visible applications running. Visualizer has only a mega tree and a spiral tree in the file.

Crash #1 occurred after PC (along with human sequencer) awoke from a nap. The human, the PC, and LOR awoke just fine and continue to operate properly up to and including the posting of this thread. The Visualizer turned gray the first time it was asked to do anything.

Crash #2 occurred after Windows 7 alerted me to high CPU usage by the Visualizer. Task manager said it was over 90%. It stayed there for probably ten seconds before dropping down to 2%. I then went back to the SE and played the sequence I was working on. When I pushed the play button on the Vis it once again turned gray and went away...

And just exactly what is the Visualizer DOING when it's hogging 90% of dual-core CPU? (This isn't the first time that happened, either - I've seen that message before but never paid it the attention that maybe I should have. But thisis the first time I can say for certain it was related to the crash, because the Vis worked fine just three or four minutes previously.) The Vis was stopped. Was it having a digital seizure or something? Maybe copying my entire hard drive and sending it Big Sis or somewhere??? I smell a rat...

[Guest guest]

Its those sequences you bought at K-Mart (before they bought Sears). They are known to cause crashes.

[LOR Staff]

George, I'm happy to try to help you but I ask that you please refrain from making comments that the Visualizer is some kind of virus that is stealing your data. That simply leads to speculation by others and makes all of our lives much more difficult when dealing with support issues.

We have to remember that we are asking something to render large scale data in real time. In order to even get close to doing that, we have to sacrifice memory and CPU usage.

Windows returning from sleep mode is a common area where programs crash. This is usually because as programs wake up, they start to re-allocate memory. Poorly written programs sometimes don't play by the rules and allocate memory that the Visualizer correctly assumes belongs to it.

There are a myriad of reasons the Visualizer could be using high CPU, even if you aren't actively 'using it'. It could be trying to clean up the communications queue, or doing a garbage collection (remember, we use a LOT of memory).

The next time it 'crashes', note the exact time and then post your errorlog. I'll see if there is something there that can help you pinpoint where things are going wrong.

[George Simmons]

DevMike wrote:

George, I'm happy to try to help you but I ask that you please refrain from making comments that the Visualizer is some kind of virus that is stealing your data. That simply leads to speculation by others and makes all of our lives much more difficult when dealing with support issues.

Hey Mike - the next time Mary lets you get anywhere near the official LOR medicine cabinet, take advantage of the opportunity. Search the shelves for a bottle of clear blue liquid. I'm sure they have one. It's usually pushed way to the back on one of the lower shelves. It will be labeled "Humor, Sense of". When you find it, open it and take a big swig.