Paul - I don't know if it's a bug, so I haven't submitted it as such. I was under the impression that fogbugz was for bug reports, and I've been proceding under the assumption that this is a Windows issue - not a VT issue. I've been swapping out hardware, and each time after I've swapped something have been unable to reproduce the crash, only to have the customer call me back a few days later telling me that it was crashing. Once I started following his procedure exactly, I can crash it every time - even with all the new parts. Thus, I'm considering that it might be a bug, which is why I'd really like someone to follow the steps below and see if their machine crashes. If it is a bug, I'll be upset (obviously, since I've spent all this time, energy, and money chasing a hardware problem) but at least I'll know what the problem is. I've been messing with this for far too long now...
I did find memory problems using MemTest+, and these only went away when I swapped the motherboard, leading me to conclude that the MOBO had a bad memory controller (new RAM failed MemTest+). Unfortunately, neither new RAM nor a new MOBO solved the crashing problem.
I've tested with my known good VT5 card - no joy.
I've gone through Microsoft's laundry list of possible sources of the kernel32.dll error I'm getting. Here are most of them.
Updated all drivers
Replaced the motherboard with the same Supermicro C2SBX.
Replaced the CPU
Replaced the RAM
Replaced the hard drive
Reinstalled WinXP
Replaced the power supply
Removed the RAID array from the system
Reinstalled VT5 and patched to 5.3
Tested with a known good nVidia card (and tested with three previous driver versions.)
Tested with a known good SX84
Tested different DVI monitor
The only hardware that hasn't been replaced is the chassis and the DVD drive. I also never did anything with the BIOS, since the system has the most current version.
I'm in the process of building a new system with a different motherboard (X7DAL.) I only recently switched from the Supermicro X7DAL to the C2SBX, and I'm exploring the idea that the C2SBX is somehow not compatible with the VT5 (although I do have another customer using a computer identical to this one, and they aren't reporting any problems. Maybe they aren't following the exact same sequence of steps, and aren't seeing the crash for that reason.
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Here are the exact steps that I could do to reproduce the crash every time. I realize that some (even most) of them are probably irrelevant, but I'm been following the steps exactly to eliminate any possibility of introducing another variable.
(WinXP desktop in Dual-Monitor Span on nVidia 9500GT)
1. Run 'Reset Configuration' and allow auto-calibration to run.
2. Open [Switcher] and place at bottom of left screen
3. Open three (3) [Video Monitor] Place 'DSK' just above [Switcher], place 'Preview' in upper left of left screen. Place program next to preview. (All monitors at default size.)
4. Open [Audio Mixer] Run in compact mode and place in lower left of right screen.
5. Open [DDR] and place in upper left of right screen.
6. Open [DDR2] and place directly below [DDR]
7. Add a clip to [DDR] Play a few seconds, then stop it.
8. Open and close [Input Setup] twice (Make sure "Follow Preview" is checked.) Leave [Input Setup] closed until step 10. 'Live Matte' does not need to be turned 'On.'
9. Select 'Input 1 on 'Preview Row, and 'Input 2' on Program Row. Take from 'Input 2' to 'Input 1', then back from 1 to 2.
10. Open [Input Setup}
Program will crash with a faulting module of VT5.exe, and a kernel32.dll error.