TechNote

Troubleshoot systems error or freezes in Adobe Contribute CS4 (Windows XP)

What's covered

Before you begin
Beginning troubleshooting
Intermediate troubleshooting
Advanced troubleshooting

This document can help you to resolve system errors that occur while you use Adobe Contribute CS4 on Windows XP. System errors can manifest in many different ways, including (but not limited to) the following:

A blank or flickering dialog box
A frozen cursor or screen
A blue screen
An unexpected restart
An error message such as one of the following:
"This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor."
"Contribute caused a General Protection Fault in module [FILENAME]."
"Contribute caused an Invalid Page Fault in module [FILENAME]."
"Application Error."
"Unhandled exception detected. Application will be terminated."
"Illegal Instruction."
"Contribute has encountered a problem and needs to close."

Many different factors can cause system errors, including conflicts among device drivers, applications, operating system settings, hardware, and corrupt elements in specific files. Although a system error may occur only when you work with Contribute CS4, Contribute may not necessarily be the cause--it may be the only application that uses enough memory or processor cycles to expose the problem.

Before you begin

To benefit most from this document, perform the tasks in order. Keep track of the tasks that you perform and the results of each, including errors and other problems. Adobe Technical Support can use this information to better assist you if you need to call.

Note: The procedures in this document are based on the default interface of Windows XP. If the interface is customized, some procedures may vary. For example, a commonly encountered difference is the navigation to Control Panel from the Start menu: You may navigate Start > Settings > Control Panel instead of Start > Control Panel. Additoinally, the procedures in this document assume you are using the Classic View of the Control Panel: To view the Control Panel in the Classic View, click Switch To Classic View on the Control Panel navigation bar on the left side of the window.

Some of these procedures may require you to locate hidden files, hidden folders, or files by their full file names, which include extensions (for example, example_filename.ini). By default, Windows Explorer doesn't show hidden files, hidden folders, and file name extensions that it recognizes.

See "Show hidden files, hidden folders, and all file name extensions in Windows Explorer (Windows XP)" (Technote kb404856) for details.

Beginning troubleshooting

The tasks in this section can help you resolve the most common system errors. Before performing any of these tasks, back up all personal files. Always restart the computer after a system error occurs to refresh its memory. Continuing to work without restarting the computer may compound the problem.

1. Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements for Contribute CS4.

Contribute may not run correctly on a system that doesn't meet the following requirements:

Intel or equivalent processor, 1Ghz or faster
Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended)
512 MB of RAM
1GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (no install on flash-based storage devices)
1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
Internet Explorer 6 or 7 or Firefox 2 required for the Contribute web browser plug-in
Office 2003 or 2007 required for the Microsoft Office plug-in
Broadband Internet connection required for online services
DVD-ROM drive

Note: To check how much RAM is installed, choose Start > Control Panel > System. The amount of RAM appears on the lower half of the General tab in the System Properties dialog box.

2. Install the latest version of Contribute CS4.

The latest version of Contribute may be more compatible with the operating system and drivers. Before you install an update, make sure that the system meets the requirements.

Free updates are available from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/updates.

3. Install current Windows service packs and other updates.

See "Install current Windows service packs and other updates (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404859) for details.

4. Re-create the Contribute preferences.

Re-create the Contribute preferences to eliminate problems that damaged preferences might cause.

Note: When you use this solution, Contribute will create new preferences and you will lose custom settings associated with your current preferences. However, the file you save in step 5 contains your original preferences. If you determine that the preferences are not causing the problem, then you can restore your custom settings by following the instructions below.

Disclaimer: This procedure involves editing the Windows registry. Adobe doesn't provide support for editing the registry, which contains critical system and application information. Make sure to back up the registry before editing it. For more information about the registry, see the Windows documentation or contact Microsoft.

To re-create the Contribute preferences:

Quit Contribute.
Choose Start > Run, type "regedit", and click OK.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe
Select the Contribute 5.0 folder
Choose File > Export, and save the registry key

Note: Make sure the Export Range in the Export Registry Key dialog box is set to "Selected branch" and contains HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Contribute 5.0
Choose Edit > Delete
Choose Yes in the Confirm Key Delete confirmation dialog box.
Close Registry Editor
Start Contribute. Contribute creates new preferences.

If the problem continues, the preferences aren't the cause. To restore custom settings, re-import the registry key you saved in step 5.

To re-import custom settings:

Double-click the file you saved in step 5 above.
Choose Yes when asked if you are sure you want to add the information to the registry
Choose OK.

5. Re-create the Contribute configuration folder.

Re-create the Contribute configuration folder to eliminate problems that damaged configuration files might cause. You will need to change Windows settings to show hidden files and folders to complete the steps below. See "Show hidden files, hidden folders, and all file name extensions in Windows Explorer (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404856) for details.

To re-create the Contribute configuration folder:

Quit Contribute.
In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Contribute CS4\en_US and move the confiruation folder to another location (for example, C:\Temp).
Start Contribute. Contribute creates a new configuration folder.

6. Run Contribute in a simplified mode.

Some applications or services may cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Contribute. Services are specialized programs that perform functions to support other programs. Before starting Contribute, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows), and services.

To disable startup items and services, see "Disable startup items and services (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404984).

To identify which startup item is causing the issue:

Determining which startup item is generating the problem can be a tedious process. After determining that startup items are the problem's cause, break the list of items into halves. Test each half of the list to determine if a problem startup item is present. Continue to break the list in half until you determine what startup items are generating the issue. Do not leave any half untested. Multiple startup items may exhbit the same behavior.

Attempt to replicate the issue with all items disabled. If the issue does not occur, then proceed to the next section. Reenable startup items after all steps have been completed.
Restore half of the items that were disabled.
Attempt to replicate the issue.
- If the issue occurs, then divide the startup items in half and determine which half the issue occurs within.
- If the issue is not reproducible, then enable half of the remaining startup items. Continue dividing the items in halves until you have determined what startup item(s) are generating the issue.
Once the problem startup item has been isolated. Contact the startup item's manufacturer for updates or configuration information.

To reenable startup items and services:

Choose Start > Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
Choose Normal Startup on the General tab, click OK, and restart the computer.

Note: If unselected items were present on the Services or Startup tab, then you will need to unselect them again

7. Install Contribute from the desktop.

Some system components--for example, device drivers and virus protection utilities--can conflict with the Contribute installer and result in an incomplete or failed installation. To prevent these conflicts, install Contribute from the desktop.

Copy the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder from the Contribute disc to the desktop.
Open the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder on the desktop.
Double-click the Setup.exe file, and follow the on-screen instructions.

If the tasks in the previous section don't solve the problem, then try the following intermediate troubleshooting tasks.

Intermediate troubleshooting

8. Reinstall Contribute in a simplified mode.

Software and services that load automatically with Windows (for example, virus protection utilities) can conflict with the Contribute installer and cause problems in Contribute. To prevent conflict, reinstall Contribute while Windows is in a simplified mode.
[Note that instructions may vary somewhat, depending on the BIOS.]

To start Windows XP in a simplified mode:

Insert the Contribute disc into the disc drive.
Copy the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder on the Contribute disc to the desktop.
Choose Start > Control Panel > Add Or Remove Programs.
Select Adobe Contribute, and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove Contribute.
Choose Start > Run.
Type msconfig in the Open text box, and then press Enter.
On the Startup tab, click Disable All.
On the Services tab, select Hide All Microsoft Services, click Disable All, and then click OK.
In the System Configuration dialog box, click Restart.

Note: Upon reboot, you'll be notified that the System Configuration Utility has made changes to the way
that Windows starts up. Click OK, and when the System Configuration Utility appears click Cancel.
Start the Contribute installer in the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder, and then follow the on-screen
instructions.

To reenable startup items and services:

Choose Start > Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
Choose Normal Startup on the General tab, click OK, and restart the computer.

9. Reinstall Contribute in diagnostic mode.

Device drivers and software that loads automatically with Windows (for example, screen savers and virus protection utilities) can conflict with the Contribute installer and cause problems in Contribute. To prevent conflict, reinstall Contribute while Windows is in a diagnostic mode. In a diagnostic mode, nonstandard device drivers and startup software are disabled.

To install Contribute in diagnostic mode:

Log on to the system with an Administrator account and insert the Contribute disc into the disc drive.
Copy the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder on the Contribute disc to the desktop.
Disable startup items, and restart Windows:
1. Choose Start > Run.
2. Type msconfig in the Open box, and then press Enter.
3. On the General tab, click Diagnostic Startup.
4. On the Services tab, select Windows Installer and System Restore Service [and any other services that your product may require].
5. Click OK and choose Restart in the System Configuration dialog box.
Start the Contribute installer in the Adobe Contribute CS4 folder, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Restart the system after you install Contribute.
When the System Configuration Utility Window appears select Normal Startup.

To restart in Normal mode:

Choose Start > Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
Choose Normal Startup on the General tab, click OK, and restart the computer.

10. Run Contribute in a new user account.

Create a new user account that has the same permissions as the account that you use when the problem occurs. If the problem doesn't recur, then the original user account may be damaged. For instructions on creating a new user account, see "To add a new user to the computer" in Windows Help or contact your system adminstrator.

11. Update the video card driver.

Many video card manufacturers frequently update their software drivers. If you haven't recently updated the video card driver, then contact the video card manufacturer for an updated driver, or download one from the manufacturer's website. (To determine the manufacturer of a video card, view the card's properties in Device Manager.) You can often determine if the video driver is outdated by changing the color depth and resolution of the video card or by disabling graphics hardware acceleration.

To change the color depth and resolution, see "Change color depth and resolution (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404862).

To disable graphics hardware acceleration, see "Disable graphics hardware acceleration (Windows XP) (TechNote kb404863).

12. Verify that other device drivers are compatible with Windows XP.

See "Verify that device drivers are compatible with Windows XP" (TechNote kb404864) for details.

14. Check for font problems.

See "Reduce the number of active fonts (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404867) for details.

15. Optimize handling of temporary files by Windows XP.

Windows and applications store working data in temporary (.tmp) files that they create on the hard disk. Excessive or outdated temporary files can interfere with performance of Windows or applications.

See "Delete temporary files using the Disk Cleanup utility (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404871) for details.

16. Set the virtual memory paging file to the default size.

See "Set the virtual memory paging file to the default size (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404877) for details.

18. Repair and defragment hard disks.

See "Repair and defragment hard disks (Windows XP)"(TechNote kb404981)for details.

19. Scan the system for viruses.

Use current anti-virus software (for example, Symantec Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan) to check the system for viruses. Virus infections can damage software and cause system errors. For more information, see the documentation for the anti-virus software.

20. Identify the file that causes the problem.

If an error indicates which file causes the problem, then reinstall the application to which that file belongs. If that file is damaged and causes problems in Contribute, then reinstalling the associated application can correct the problem.

If an error indicates a Windows file, then contact Microsoft for help replacing that file.

Advanced troubleshooting

If the tasks in the previous section don't resolve the problem, then you may be able to resolve the problem by reinstalling Windows XP and Contribute, reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling Windows XP and Contribute, or by determining if hardware is conflicting with Contribute.

Disclaimer: Adobe doesn't support hardware and provides these procedures as a courtesy only. For further assistance, contact the hardware manufacturer or an authorized reseller. If you troubleshoot hardware problems yourself, then you may void the warranty for your computer.

Note: Before you remove or rearrange hardware, turn off and disconnect the power to the computer and any peripheral devices.