What could cause a VB.NET application to crash before running any code?

Question

My VB.NET application compiles, installs and works fine on the development PC.

However, when I take the install package elsewhere, it installs ok but crashes before any code is executed.

The error is " has encountered a problem and needs to close..."

I have removed all references to external files e.g. icon files etc.

I have only one local dll and the reference seems ok.

What other issues could cause this problem?

Thanks! Jon

Update: On 1 PC, re-installing MDAC has solved the issue. However most client's are XP, and so this is not going to help.

I am still receiving the same error on some Windows XP laptops.

Answer 1

Sorry to ask the obvious, but does the target PC have the .Net Runtime installed?

Answer 2

You can look in the Event Log (start with "eventvwr" in the Run box) for more information.

Answer 3

Ok - event viewer has helped. I think.

Looks like some of the reference are not being found during the installation.

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Here are the last 6 entries...

Faulting application pa.exe, version 2.0.1.26594, stamp 496e0437, faulting module kernel32.dll, version 5.0.2195.6946, stamp 40d78cce, debug? 0, fault address 0x0002bbf3. 

Detection of product '{3CA9D9FD-E8CD-4B73-8053-8C406ED8CB28}', feature 'DefaultFeature' failed during request for component '{ACA3C479-D7C7-902C-092A-E6635AD9A8B1}' 

Detection of product '{3CA9D9FD-E8CD-4B73-8053-8C406ED8CB28}', feature 'DefaultFeature', component '{7D04E12E-2803-6F47-E11C-B8146C27E61B}' failed.  The resource 'C:\Program Files\pa\pa-update.exe' does not exist. 

Faulting application pa.exe, version 2.0.1.26594, stamp 496dffb9, faulting module kernel32.dll, version 5.0.2195.6946, stamp 40d78cce, debug? 0, fault address 0x0002bbf3. 

Detection of product '{3CA9D9FD-E8CD-4B73-8053-8C406ED8CB28}', feature 'DefaultFeature' failed during request for component '{ACA3C479-D7C7-902C-092A-E6635AD9A8B1}' 

Detection of product '{3CA9D9FD-E8CD-4B73-8053-8C406ED8CB28}', feature 'DefaultFeature', component '{30A51F7D-D0DA-E436-F48F-1092ECE7858D}' failed.  The resource 'C:\Program Files\pa\pa-common.dll' does not exist.

Answer 4

I've seen this before with an invalid app.config file. Given the error you just posted, you might check the manifest file for the machine as well.

Answer 5

Could you be targeting a higher version of the .NET platform than is installed on other machines?
You can check the target framework of your project (VS.2008) in "My Project" in the complile tab. Click Advanced Compile Options...
At the bottom of the Advanced Compiler Setting dialog there will be a drop down list with each framework.
On the client machine you can check .NET version in the "programs and features" control panel (Vista) or "Add & Remove programs" in XP

Answer 6

I dont know about .NET but in Delphi you can use one instance of the IDE to debug a second instance. Then to debug problems on startup (before proper debugging begins) you can attach IDE A to IDE B for Debugging, then in IDE B run your application, your code open in IDE A may give you some clues as to your problem.

Answer 7

Two possibilities:

That is the type of error you get when vb.net encounters an error during initialization. For example, if you have

dim iClass as new myClass

in the global area (before subs or functions) of the startup form or module, and if an error occurs during the creation of the instance iClass, then you get a fairly worthless error message without a clue where to find the problem.

You can also get this type of error if a spurious firing of a control event occurs during initialization causes an error in the event handler before _load begins execution. This event firing happens occasionally, "by design" according to Microsoft. This can be prevented using a flag that is toggled after _load executes to tell the handlers whether it's safe to run, and possibly by judicious use of design-time assigned control properties.

Answer 8

There are some 3rd party DLLs that act strangely. Try this, in your deployment, change them to include instead of auto include.