Visual C++ runtime error

[BOAC]

I've Googled 'til I'm blind. I am trying to watch a streaming video from my local council (.asx file for an .asf video). Three other clips on their site run fine.

Whichever browser I choose, as it buffers to run, I get 'Visual C++ Runtime Library

runtime error -
Abnormal programme termination.'


and the browser is shut down. Where do I start? presumably I need to reinstall something? I've run CCleaner through the registry.

[green granite]

Logically, if the other three clips on their site run ok, and assuming they're the same format, then the file must be corrupted causing the error.

[BOAC]

My thoughts, but a mate viewed it ok, and my laptop does too. Confusing?

He sent me the URL for the vid, and it more or less runs in VLC. The others all open in WMP 'as advertised'.


EG This link works
one (http://www.westsussex.public-i.tv/asx/westsussex12feb10_13418_en_GB.asx)

This one does not
two (http://www.westsussex.public-i.tv/asx/westsussex11mar10_13741_en_GB.asx)

EDIT: Should have said - both my machines XP SP3

[Gertrude the Wombat]

'Visual C++ Runtime Library

runtime error -
Abnormal programme termination.'
Well, about 1000:1 on this means that you're running something written and compiled with Visual C++ that has a bug in it.

One might guess that it's a codec with a bug, and the same codec is run from your different browsers. Further one might assume that the bug doesn't always happen (otherwise why would the author have shipped the software??) but is triggered by something it can't cope with in the incoming data stream.

The "correct" approach to this is

(a) find out which piece of code is crashing
(b) contact the authors asking for a fixed version.

Your suggestion of "reinstalling something" will work, provided that you correctly identify what to reinstall (see (a) above), and of course provided that you don't simply reinstall the same thing with the same bug, but instead reinstall a later version that has the bug fixed (see (b) above).

Identifying exactly which codec is being called to process a particular file is beyone me, I'm afraid, and I used to write software in this area. The dynamic knitting that goes on inside Windows might as well be black magic.

[BOAC]

GtW - yes, that is pretty much what Google concluded for me. I reinstalled theWMP codec with no change.

I expected M$ to have some ideas, but the only 'help' page from them tells me it is 'not for my version of Windows'.:ugh:

The puzzle is that it works on other machines and on mine with the other URLs.

[green granite]

A few years ago I would have suggested it might be a RAM module boundary problem, ie where the address changes from one module to another, but I thought those problems didn't happen any more.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I expected M$ to have some ideas
Don't see why. Sure they sold the compiler, but you can't hold them responsible for all the buggy code that other people choose to write with it.

[BOAC]

GtW - I agree, but when you ask the KB for help with XP Runtime library problems I do not expect an answer that does not apply to XP! Your (logical) solution does not help when it is just one file on just one machine that has the problem. That I cannot fathom.

Where on earth do I look for clues? My whole add/remove is littered with M$ things that mention C++ - which module will this 'library' be in so I can 'update' it?

[Tim00]

Audio & video under Windows is a bit of a gamble. Codecs in Windows often 'bid' for support of types of media file (or stream): there might perhaps be 2 or more codecs on your computer that can handle 'format x', and the codecs are permitted to express their 'keenness' to handle that format. Windows will attempt to assemble components in order to render these formats, & part of its decision is influenced by which codes ‘bid’ the highest. Sometimes the bid values that the programmer chose may mean that the correct choice doesn't get made.

You may have installed something (probably not explicitly, but as part of something else) that might be causing the error. Or you might not have. So the problem might or might not lie with Microsoft's codecs.

The specs for parts some types of media encoding are also open to interpretation, & this can cause issues too.
Generally to try to solve these issues, there are tools such as GSpot, Graphedit etc. but it’s often more trouble than it’s worth, particularly when the video format is itself merely a container for other media types (as is the case with .asx).
Best advice is usually to ensure that you’ve all Windows updates installed, & if that doesn’t fix it, give up.

[BOAC]

I have even reinstalled Visual Studio 2008 Express to no avail.

Tim - re the last sentence - I concur fully, and I will put this down as one of the great M$ unknowns.

Thanks to all for the time and effort.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Where on earth do I look for clues?
Like I said, it's beyond me, and I've read all the technical specs and tried to program this stuff.

Once Upon A Time there used to be a Dr Watson thingy that would produce a crash report with rather more clues in it, like for example the name of the module that crashed, but I haven't seen that for years.

If it happens on my machine, which has VC++ installed, it'll ask me "do you want to run this in the debugger" and I'll have a good chance of being able to sort it, but I'm not about to suggest that you fork out a grand for a tool you don't know how to use!