TechNote

Troubleshoot system errors and freezes in Director 11.5 (Windows Vista)

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 Director 11.5 on Windows Vista. 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."
"Director caused a General Protection Fault in module "filename"
"Director caused an Invalid Page Fault in module "filename"
"Application Error."
"Unhandled exception detected. Application will be terminated."
"Illegal Instruction."
"Director has encountered a problem and needs to close."
"Fatal System Error."
A STOP error

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 Adobe Director, Director itself 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.

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform some of the procedures in this document.

Important: Some of the procedures in this document may initiate a User Access Control dialog that asks for your permission to continue. Read the details in the dialog to determine if you want to continue. If you choose to cancel the dialog, then you will not be able to continue with that troubleshooting step.

Note: The procedures in this document are based on the default interface of Windows, with the exception of the Control Panel. The steps in this document that refer to the Control Panel are in reference to the Classic view. The Control Panel can be switched to the Classic view using the appropriate option located on the left side of the Control Panel.The steps in this document that refer to the Control Panel are in reference to the Classic view. For information on switching the Control Panel to the Classic view and many other common OS procedures, see âœCommon Microsoft Windows Vista proceduresâ (Technote kb401275).

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. For information on showing hidden files and folders in Windows, see "Show hidden files, hidden folders, and all file name extensions in Windows Explorer (Windows Vista)" (Technote kb404880).

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 (for example, Director files you created). 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 Adobe Director 11.5

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

Intel Pentium IV 600MHz or higher
MicrosoftÂ® WindowsÂ® XP Service Pack 2 or later
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
512 MB of RAM
500 MB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
DVD-ROM drive
MicrosoftÂ® Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI) 4.0 or later
Internet or phone connection required for product activation

To check basic system information, such as processor speed and how much RAM is installed, choose Start > Control Panel > System.

2. Install the latest version of Director

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

Users of Director 11.0 who have not updated to 11.5 should be certain to run all hotfixes available on http://www.adobe.com/support/director/downloads.html. Update is available from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads. An upgrade, however, may solve a wider range of problems. (You may prefer to try the tasks in the rest of this document before upgrading.) You can purchase upgrades from Adobe Authorized Resellers and from Adobe directly:

To locate an Authorized Reseller, visit the Adobe website at http://partners.adobe.com/resellerfinder/na/findreseller.jsp and choose your country or region from the menu at the top of the page.
To purchase an upgrade from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store at http://store.adobe.com/store and choose your country or region from the menu at the top of the page.
To contact Adobe Customer Service in your region for assistance, visit the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com/, select your region from the menu at the top of the page, and then click Contact Us.

3. Install current Windows service packs and other updates.

See "Install current Windows service packs and other updates (Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb405107) for details.

4. Re-create the Director preferences file.

Re-create the Adobe Director preferences file to eliminate problems that a damaged preferences file might cause.

Note: When you use this solution, Adobe Director will create a new preferences file and you will lose custom settings associated with your current preferences file. However, the file you rename in step 2 is your original preferences file. If you determine that the preferences file is not causing the problem, then you can restore your custom settings by following the instructions below.

To re-create the Adobe Director preferences file:

Quit Adobe Director.
Rename the Director 11 preferences folder (for example, to Director 11-old).
For Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Adobe\Director 11
For Windows Vista: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Director 11
Start Adobe Director. Adobe Director creates a new preferences folder.

5. Run Director while no other applications are running.

Some applications or services may cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Director. Before starting Director, disable other applications, including startup items and services (items that start automatically with Windows).

Start Windows in diagnostic mode.

To start in diagnostic mode:

Quit all applications.
Choose Start, type msconfig in the Search text box, and press Enter.
Write down all unselected items under the Startup and Services tabs.
Click the General tab, and choose Diagnostic Startup.

OPTIONAL STEP: On the Services tab, re-select any services that are essential for testing the problem (for example, [provide example, such as services installed by a 3rd party capture card]). If you are unsure whether an item is essential, then leave it deselected (disabled).
Click Apply, and restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

Note: Upon restart, you'll be notified that the System Configuration utility has made changes to the way that Windows starts up. Click OK. When the System Configuration utility appears click Cancel.

If you want to troubleshoot video issues, then continue with steps 6-7:
Press the F8 key before Windows starts, when you see a message such as "For Advanced Startup Options.â
Select Enable low-resolution video (640x480) from the list of startup options and press Enter.

Then, try to re-create the problem:

If the problem no longer occurs, one of the startup items is the cause of the problem.
If the problem recurs, startup items are not the cause of the problem and you can re-enable them:
1. Choose Start, type msconfig in the Search text box, and press Enter.
2. Click the General tab, and choose Normal Startup.
3. Deselect any items that you wrote down in Step 3 of the previous section.
4. Click Apply, and restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

6. Install Director from the desktop.

If you are unable to install Director from your CD/DVD drive, you should copy the installation files to the desktop and re-run the installer.

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

7. Set a PostScript printer as the default.

Note: This step is seldom required for Director.
To determine if the printer driver for the current default printer conflicts with Director, install a printer that uses a PostScript printer driver, and then set that printer as the default. (In Windows, you can install a printer that isn't a physical piece of hardware.) If the problem doesn't recur, then the printer driver that you were using previously conflicts with Director; contact the printer manufacturer for an updated driver.

To install a printer that uses a PostScript printer driver, see "Install a printer that uses a PostScript printer driver (Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb404883).

To set a printer as the default:

Choose Start > Control Panel.
Double-click Printers.
Right-click the printer, and then choose Set As Default Printer from the menu.

8a. Troubleshoot third-party Xtras.

Remove third-party Xtras from the Director Xtras folder, and then restart Director. If the problem recurs, move the Xtras back to their original location and proceed to the next section of this document, "Intermediate troubleshooting." If the problem doesn't recur, then identify and address conflicting Xtra.

To identify and address conflicting Xtras:

Move one third-party Xtra back to the Adobe Director Xtras folder.
Restart Adobe Director, and try to re-create the problem.
If the problem doesn't recur, then begin again at step 1. If the problem does recur, then contact the developer of the plug-in that you last moved, and inquire about an update.

Note: If you suspect your problem is caused by a third-party Xtra and disabling it does not resolve the issue, then you may need to remove the Xtra from your system. Intermediate troubleshooting

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

9. Reinstall Director in simplified mode.

Software and services that load automatically with Windows (for example, virus protection utilities) can conflict with the Adobe Director installer and cause problems in Adobe Director. To prevent conflict, reinstall Adobe Director while Windows is in simplified mode doesn't resolve the issue, try installing and running Adobe Director on a different computer, or on a different hard drive.

To start Windows in a simplified mode:

Insert the Adobe Director disc into the disc drive.
Copy the Adobe Director 11.5 folder on the Adobe Director disc to the desktop.
Move any personal files out of the Adobe Director folder and its subfolders.
Choose Start > Control Panel > Add Or Remove Programs (XP) or Uninstall a program (Vista).
Select Adobe Adobe Director 11, and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove Adobe Director.
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, re-enable FLEXnet Licensing Service, 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.
Press F8 before Windows starts, when you see a message such as "For Advanced Startup Optionsâ¦â
Select VGA Mode from the list of startup options.
In the Desktop dialog box, click OK to start Windows.
Start the Adobe Director installer in the Adobe Director 11.5 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.

10. Run Director 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 administrator.

11. Disable UAC (User Access Control).

See "Disable User Account Control (Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb404888) for details.

12. Update the video card driver.

Many video card manufacturers frequently update their software drivers. If you haven't recently updated the video card driver, thencontact 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.)

13. Disable Windows Aero

See "Disable Windows Aero(Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb404886) for details.

14. Verify that device drivers are compatible with Windows Vista.

See "Verify that device drivers are compatible with Windows Vista" (TechNote kb404887) for details.

15. Reduce the number of active fonts.

See "Reduce the number of active fonts (Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb404915) for details.

16. Optimize handling of temporary files by Windows Vista.

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 Vista)" (TechNote kb404917) for details.

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

See "Set the virtual memory paging file to the default size (Windows Vista)" (TechNote kb404939) for details.

18. Repair and defragment hard disks.

System errors can occur if hard disks contain damaged sectors or fragmented files. Repair and defragment hard disks, either by using the Error-checking tool and Disk Defragmenter utility included with Windows or by using a third-party disk utility (for example, Symantec Norton Utilities). You should run such utilities on each hard disk or partition. More information about the Error-checking tool and Disk Defragmenter appears below; for more information about a third-party disk utility, refer to the documentation for the utility.

The Error-checking tool repairs bad sectors, lost allocation units and file fragments, cross-linked files, and invalid file names. To access the Error-checking tool, choose Start > Computer, right-click the desired hard disk, and choose Properties from the menu. In the Local Disk Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab, and then click Check Now in the Error-checking area.

Note: To prevent Disk Defragmenter from moving files to bad sectors of a disk, run the Error-checking tool before running Disk Defragmenter.

Disk Defragmenter rearranges the files and free space on your computer so that files are stored in contiguous units and free space is consolidated in one contiguous block. To access the Disk Defragmenter utility, choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.

19. Scan the system for viruses.

Use current anti-virus software (for example, Symantec Norton Antivirus or McAfee Virus Scan) 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 Director, 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 Vista and Director, reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling Windows Vista and Director, or by determining if hardware is conflicting with Director.

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 power to the computer and any peripheral devices.

23. Log in using the built-in Administrator account.

The built-in Administrator account has a higher access level to the system than a normal local administrator account. By default the built-in Administrator account is disabled. For information about enabling and logging in to the built-in Administrator account, contact your system administrator. You can also refer to this support document on the Microsoft support website: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926183/en-us?spid=11737&sid=73.

25. Check for problems with RAM DIMMs.

See "Check for problems with RAM DIMMs" (TechNote kb404980) for details.

26. Contact Adobe Technical Support.

If none of the above steps has resolved the error or freeze that you are experiencing with Director, then you need to contact Adobe Technical Support. You can find the support options at the Support Center.