WeBuilder freezing XP - anyone else or just me?

[Distendo]

Webuilder 2014
Version 12.0.0.148

Since updating to this build, I am experiencing a significant number of incidents where Webuilder freezes, using 99% cpu. Soon after ending WeBuilder, via the Task Manager, Windows Explorer starts hogging the cpu. Shutting down sees a series of windows appear at long intervals about individual backgound progams not closing down. The only option is to restart the PC, and that by using the reset button.

It only seems to be WeBuilder which kicks off this cascade.

When WeBuilder grinds to a halt, I have noticed that the Task Manager 'Applications' tab shows two instances of WeBuilder: I only have one instance running and only when editing one web page.

I have searched this forum using 'crash', and have found no relevant topics, so I'm assuming this is some system glitch on my PC, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else is experiencing such problems. I think I recall reading a post elsewhere on this forum commenting that WeBuilder 2014 was more stable.

One thing: the auto-recovery facility seems to work very well, but it's not something I want to rely on!

[Distendo]

Follow-up...

I restored an image* of my 'C' drive partition (reserved solely for Windows and programs), created a few weeks ago before installing the first version of WeBuilder 2014. Having done so, I uninstalled WeBuilder v10 (keeping the settings), and installed the latest 2014 version.

It may have done the trick (beforehand, WeBuilder was freezing up about every 10-15 minutes, followed by the entire computer choking, but seems to be ok now). If it hasn't, I'll mention it here.

*Using Acronis True Image - very effective insurance against system glitches. Before doing the above, I created an image of 'C' drive as it was, in case I wanted to revert to it, or copy any settings from that image: e.g. Application Data & Favorites.

[Distendo]

Same problem again today: doing manual find and replace across multiple (about 15) open documents, WeBuilder freezes, maxes out cpu. On closing WeBuilder down, Windows Explorer 99% cpu, have to use reset button on PC case to restart windows (XP). WeBuilder is the only program on my PC which does this repeatedly.

[Distendo]

I'm supposing this is only me, then...
Same problem continuing. WeBuilder maxes out CPU, but on closing it (using Task Manager), Windows Explorer maxes CPU. Each time have to reboot.
It's the only prog I have which does this (Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Ext occasionally falls over, but it doesn't take the whole OS with it: the prog just needs restarting).
Obviously this is annoyingly inconvenient.
Yesterday, working on the same .htm file, WeBuilder crashed three times, as above, within a few minutes of rebooting and opening prog.
On rebooting XP the 4th time in succession, I timed how long it took WeBuilder to crash the next few times: 9m 29s, 11m 56s & 12m 48s.
One rebooting again, I opened and worked on a different file: this time WeBuilder remained stable, 56m+.
So I'm wondering: is there any way that WeBuilder saves an .htm file in such a way that some element of the coding, the editing, or whatever WeBuilder does with that file 'behind the scenes', that means under certain circumstances, the .htm file itself could be the cause?

One last thing: the autosave feature which means you don't lose work if WeBuilder crashes seems to work very well. If it wasn't for the time spent rebooting...

[Aivars]

I can't imagine what could cause this as WeBuilder is not integrated with the OS that much. You could for sake of experiment try disabling File Explorer or other parts of WeBuilder and check if that changes anything.

[Distendo]

Thank you.
I'll try this.

This morning, came to add something to another .htm file. WeBuilder lasted just over 19 mins before bringing entire system to a halt.
Autobackup mean I lost only the last two characters entered.

I can't be rebooting the PC every 15 minutes or so: had no such problem with previous version of WeBuilder, or the ones before that...

[Aivars]

The symptoms sound like you might have a crashy shell extension. Sounds like the problems start when the shell extension is loaded in 2 processes (in this case Windows Explorer & WeBuilder) and the extension goes berserk when one of its instances is killed. There is a list of some of the shell extensions that could cause the problem: http://shellfix.nirsoft.net/shell_problems_list.html but it might be something unlisted. This is advanced stuff but if you're up for it, here's some info on how to do it: http://www.helpwithwindows.com/techfile ... ashes.html

[Distendo]

Thanks for the additional suggestions there, Aivars!

Since your last reply (on the 18th March) I've been busy on other work, so haven't used WeBuilder much (I have used the computer a lot, though, without untoward crashes etc.).

What comparatively minimal work I have done with WeBuilder has (as far as I recall) been unaffected by crashes since I tried disabling File Explorer, as you suggested. I then re-enabled it, but chose 'Combined View': having thought about it, this problem seems to have arisen since I set it to (I think) 'Tree view'. As yet, with what use I've given it, WeBuilder seems to be functioning as intended, for periods longer than the 10 minutes I was getting out of it!

If I get any further malfunction of this type, or if I believe there's any useful feedback I can submit concerning your shell extension advice, or indeed if after some further use the program continues to appear stable, I'll add to this thread.

[Distendo]

Nope.
Still crashes, sometimes within 10 minutes (even with Explorer view off), triggering a cascade of other background programs (including Windows Explorer) using 99% cpu, meaning a reboot each time.
It's the only program on my machine which has ever done this.
Had no problem with previous versions of Webuilder.

[Distendo]

I re-installed WeBuilder 2011 side-by-side with WeBuilder 2014 (i.e. without uninstalling it), and have been using that without glitch for some days now.
So I'm thinking there's some difference in - and particular to - WeBuilder 2014 which is conflicting with XP and/or background prog.

[xtom]

I have WeBuilder 2011 and 2014 installed on my XP netbook and I haven't had a problem when using them. Must be more to it than the OS.

[MikeyB]

I've just installed WeBuilder 2014 on my laptop which has XP, and so far has not shown any freezing.
I have previously had 2011 on this laptop (although not for a while) and that was also didn't freeze.

Are you using local files, files on FTP or via a network share?

[FrankC]

Distendo,

Would you happen to have MS Visual Studio installed (and removed) on (from) your machine? That gave clashes with WeBuilder, and only WeBuilder, on my (Vista) machine. I had to remove Visual Studio completely, in particular the Just-In-Time debugger, to solve those problems.

[Distendo]

Thanks for the replies!

I installed the latest update (2014 12.1.0.149), but no improvement.

Something I observed: if I open WeBuilder 2014, but do no work with it, it sits happily in the background for many hours. If I use it, within 10 minutes or so it brings everything to a grinding 100% cpu halt, requiring the reset button to reboot. So I'm wondering about the 'auto-recovery' function. Plus since the update, instead of as pre-update losing a few seconds' worth of work each time it crashed, on restarting WeBuilder, auto-recovery failed to recover several minutes' worth. Very frustrating when it's mainly content, not code.

xtom: I agree the cause is unlikely to be a simple conflict with the OS, hence my mentioning that it may be conflicting with some background prog. I don't know if it may be some aspect of Windows that's been 'interfered with' by an installed prog. I tried installing WeBuilder 2014 onto my laptop and (of course) it runs fine there (on XP Home).

MikeyB: The files I work on are local files, path: D:\Websites\xampp\htdocs\work\Job-a\Site_v01

FrankC: I don't have MS Visual Studio installed.

I appreciate that this problem may well be (as the subj line has it) 'is it just me?' and appreciate that this sort of infuriating glitch may be something next-to-impossible to pin down, and I'm certainly not suggesting my (seemingly unique) experience reflects badly on WeBuilder: a Web editor I'd highly recommend! Obviously I'm posting in hopes of some remedy, but also for the additional reason that someone else may experience a similar prob.

[Aivars]

Your point about auto recovery gives me an idea - could there be some synchronization or backup program on your computer that could somehow block the auto-recovery by blocking the files (as many or these do, e.g. sugarsync, google drive)? It still shouldn't crash, but if there is something like that on your computer, it could give us some direction to look for the problem.