"Refreshing components" FC7.1 frozen [Solved]

[stefan.erni]

I can not open (create) a new procect with flowcode 7.0
A windows shows "Refreshing components" but the computer is frozen. Even 20 minutes later......

I have run the patch to update to 7.1. It's the same.

I remove 7.1 (version with patch) and install again the 7.1 (with msi) . It's the same.

[SimonB]

Hi Stefan,

Are you able to load previous projects or does this only happen when you try to create a new project?

Simon

[stefan.erni]

Hi Simon

Thank you for the message.
No I can not load previous projects.
But on a second computer,( I have more than one license) I can open all my previous projects.

On the second computer, one of the component " led_bicolour_5mm" from my last working projects was missing.

Maybe I have a problem with this component?

Stefan

[SimonB]

Hi Stefan,

I am not sure why this is happening for you but it might be because you have a corrupt component file. It does sound like for some reason the components directory on the computer that is not working is somehow different to the one on the computer that is working.

At this stage I do not think there is a bug in Flowcode that is causing this problem, but there are a couple of things that you can try.

First of all you could try deleting (or moving to be safe) the components directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode 7\components) on the computer that is not working and then copy the components directory from the computer that is working. Then try flowcode again and see if you can create a new project.

Or, on the computer that has the problem go in to the components directory and you will see all the component files in there (the .fcpx files). Move all the component files out of that directory and put them somewhere else then run flowcode and see if it lets you create a new project. If it does then it sounds like it is a problem with a component file.

You can then try to figure out which file is the problem by moving a few files at a time back in to the components directory and then running flowcode each time and trying to create a new project, then when problem happens again you will know that one of the files you just put back is causing the problem.

Let me know how you get on

Simon

[Benj]

Hi Stefan,

Are you running the same antivirus or firewall software on the two PCs? I wonder if it could somehow be related to something like this getting in the way of Flowcode scanning components.

The BiColour LED Should still be there under the outputs category but I think it is licensed under the IO component pack now which may be slightly different from the 7.0 version.

Something else you can try is

Uninstall v7 from the Programs control panel,
Navaigate to the Flowcode 7 directory in Program files and ensure the directory is deleted,
Reinstall from the MSI installation

This ensures there are no old or custom files lurking from the previous installation. though even if there were I don't see how this would cause the types of issues you're seeing.

Whoops, just seen Simon's reply

[stefan.erni]

Hi Simon

Both was not helping.
I remove all the components and copy them from the good computer.
Still the same.

I remove FC7 complet and deleted all the folder and files. I install 7.1 new.
Still the same.

Just a small detail, not just FC 7 is freezing, the complet computer is freezing.
CTL ALT DELET is not working
I have to press the reset button on the computer.

Before FW was working on the "bad" computer.
It's a win7 64bit.
regards


Stefan

[SimonB]

Hi Stefan,

Flowcode 7 is much bigger than Flowcode 6 was. There are new components, new chip packs, new graphical interface, new compilers etc. The installation of Flowcode has increased in size from about 1 gig to about 4 gig in total. I realise that this is probably not what you want to hear, but could it be the case that your PC is simply running out of memory/resources or is otherwise just too old and slow to handle Flowcode 7? Another potential issue is that sometimes anti virus programs can cause problems if they incorrectly identify part of a program as being a threat or they spend so long scanning the files of a program that they make the computer grind to a halt. There are many things that could be be causing a computer to grind to a halt, but we are not receiving other reports of Flowcode causing this issue and I must confess that I do not have any other ideas for what could be causing your problems at this time.

I do have an idea for something that you can try though that could maybe help to test if the problem is being caused by other applications on your computer eating up memory & other resources. Do you know how to restart your PC in Safe Mode? If you can restart your PC in Safe Mode (with networking) then there will be no other software running on your PC. Then install flowcode 7 and try to run it and see if it works. If it works then we know that the problem is being caused by some other software on your computer.

Simon

[EtsDriver]

Could you open task manager (press ctrl+shift+esc) before opening flowcode and take a screenshot of the Performance tab using windows integrated "Snipping tool" or similar, and attach it to here? Or if snipping tool is not option (=computer jams totally), use phone to take picutre or similar to us see the last state of the charts before V7 starts?

[stefan.erni]

Hi Simon and EtsDriver

Thanks for the infos. I call the computer bad computer bc FC7 is not working. It's a fast computer and a lot of ram.

I turned of antivirus and firewall. Still frozen...

I startet in SafeMode and FC7 was working.

I need a good idea now.....

[DavidA]

Hi Stefan,

If you started Flowcode in Safe Mode and it is working, then that points to some other piece of software interfering with Flowcode. In this case it is usually an antivirus program, can you add the entire Flowcode to your "whitelist" and no scan list. You may have thought you had disabled your antivirus but sometimes many AVs have multiple "components" to them, and turning off one via the dialogue switches does not REALLY turn them off.
Finally if you are comfortable with it, and just as a test, completely uninstalling your Antivirus, trying Flowcode, then reinstalling the AV is a very good way of ruling out the antivirus program.

Next, if the AV is ruled out, look at other pieces of software which may cause Flowcode problems when running, some people purchase programs like "System Mechanic" which claims to speed up your computer etc, usually these pieces of software end up causing more harm than good.

Finally, ensure all your drivers are up to date, especially your graphics driver.

If none of that works, please check your application logs for errors relating to Flowcode around the time you opened it:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lib ... g.65).aspx

[stefan.erni]

Hi David

I did it all. But still FC7 is not working.
In the eventlog I can just see when I pressed the reset button.

regards

Stefan

[SimonB]

Hi Stefan,

I am not sure what else to suggest. If Flowcode is working in Safe Mode then it means there is nothing wrong with Flowcode and there is nothing wrong with the hardware on your PC. As David said it might be that there is some other piece of software that is interfering with Flowcode or maybe there is some other problem like your user account being corrupted etc.

Windows has been designed so that when an application runs it will be allocated its own resources on your computer and the memory that it runs in is kept separate from all other programs that are running. This means that if something goes wrong with a application and it crashes or does something that corrupts the memory then it will only every harm itself and make itself crash or freeze and not Windows. This is what happens when you get that window pop up that says "This application has stopped responding" with the End Task button. Even though the application has gone wrong it does not stop all of windows working like what you are saying is happening.

It sounds to me like you have got something very wrong with your Windows installation or with your user account or that there is some other nasty software on there like a virus or malware or whatever and this is what is causing your problems.

You could try running some different anti malware/virus software to see if you can find an infection, or you could try creating a new user account and see if it is OK on there or as a last resort maybe you could even consider a fresh install of windows. But at this time I do not believe that there is an issue with Flowcode that is causing your problem so I don't know how else we can help you.


Simon

[stefan.erni]

Hi Simon and all

I have a Win7 and a Win10 computer (both good computer) for programming, so I installed FC7.1 on the Win 10. On this computer FC7.1 is working.

But maybe with a FC7.2 the problem is fixed in the future.....

Thank for all the friendly help

Stefan

[stefan.erni]

I instaled today FC7.2 but it's the same. FC7.2 is crashing to. So I still use my win10 computer for FC7 and wait for 7.3....

[stefan.erni]

Hi Simon

I instaled today FC7.3 but it's the same. It's crashing, but I don't like to wait for 7.4

I tried my luck to fix it
and found the problem...

Flowcode VIEW/Global options/Application
Graphics engine
I have to change from
OpenGL hardware to OpenGL software

So Flowcode on the win7 computer is working again...