Solved WLM 2012 Started Crashing when Sending Emails

[Slartybart]

Thanks Gary,

Yep ... grab some popcorn - I'm on the edge on my seat waiting to see how this ends

I checked a few things re: the Lenovo msvcrt install. I'm not sure I like what I found ... nothing to be alarmed about, just a possible Windows Update anomaly. I need to do some more research and it might turn out that there are a few more c++ redist updates to install manually (the SP1 updates). I would have expected WU to do that for you, but.... msvcrt is a different beast.

Try this to provide me with a list of all installs that I can compare to a table of c++ redists.

I had some trouble running the PowerShell script on my machine by calling the file (group policy set to not allow scripts to run). The command worked fine if I executed the string in a standard PowerShell though.

Save the file to your downloads folder.

View attachment InstalledApps.ps1​

Open a PowerShell (PS) window
Change directory (cd) to your downloads folder (cd Downloads should do it if you open a std PS)

Using your text editor open the InstalledApps.ps1 file, select all, then copy.

Change the window focus to the open PowerShell (click the PowerShell window)
Paste the string you copied from the PS1 file (right click performs the paste - not sure if Ctrl-V works in PS on Win7)
The script produces a file named InstalledApps.csv in the current directory (should be your Downloads folder if you did the change directory (cd) and I didn't make any typos).​

Attach the InstalledApps.csv file and I'll see if more c++redists (SP1 updates) need to be applied. Maybe you were right and you should have started with the PS1 files, but I think of Service Packs as something that gets installed on top of an existing base, not as a base replacement. If you do need the SP1 updates ... maybe, just maybe they will clean up all of the incremental updates.

I think I'll stay away from anything 2005 and x64 - but I might change my mind

Bill
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[Slartybart]

Hey, I have a question for you.

What's this (from the ListRedist.txt output).

07/19/2014 12:39 PM <DIR> Original Program Files​

It's never a good idea to have copies of Windows special folders (basically any under C:\ that Windows installs). There are a lot of things that Windows does under the covers or in 'special' ways that might confuse Windows if two of something are found (symbolic links, directory junctions, even desktop.ini plays a special role in some cases).

Leave it alone for now, because it's been there and Windows might think something important is located in the folder. This is outside the scope of the WLM issue (or maybe not). There are a few things in motion and I'd rather let things simmer down before investigating an extraneous Program Files folder ... Ok?

Just thought I'd ask about it.

Bill
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[nikki605]

Hey, I have a question for you.

What's this (from the ListRedist.txt output).

07/19/2014 12:39 PM <DIR> Original Program Files
​

It's never a good idea to have copies of Windows special folders (basically any under C:\ that Windows installs). There are a lot of things that Windows does under the covers or in 'special' ways that might confuse Windows if two of something are found (symbolic links, directory junctions, even desktop.ini plays a special role in some cases).

Leave it alone for now, because it's been there and Windows might think something important is located in the folder. This is outside the scope of the WLM issue (or maybe not). There are a few things in motion and I'd rather let things simmer down before investigating an extraneous Program Files folder ... Ok?

Just thought I'd ask about it.

Bill
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I've had that folder on every PC I've ever owned. I use it to store programs (installers) that I've downloaded over the years.

Going back to your previous post, I'm going to need some time and maybe help with PowerShell. I've never even seen it before and know nothing about it. What you wrote in your post is like a foreign language to me, so give me some time to take the PowerShell 101 class.

 

[nikki605]

When I say I know nothing about PowerShell, I really mean nothing. For example, when I searched the desktop, it displayed these choices. Which one do I select?

 

[Slartybart]

The name Original Program Files threw me. I do the same thing but since HP unpacks their SoftPaqs into a folder SwSetup, I adopted that name. Thanks for the explanantion.

PowerShell (PS) is a grown up Command Shell (Cmd). There are things you can do in PS that you can't do in Cmd. I only use it occasionally (and even then I have to look up the script) because the learning curve is a bit steep.

You want the plain vanilla PowerShell (2nd from the top in the search results you posted). Don't worry too much about PS, just grab the script from the file I posted and paste it into the PS Window. You don't need to Run PS as Administrator. There won't be any output in the Window, but the csv file should be created in the folder you start the script. The PS prompt (PS C:\Users\Dad> for example) tells you where you are, just as in Cmd.

Once I have the output file, I can compare versions. If it becomes too much trouble, I think the wise move is to just install the SP1 c++ redists. I like to check first though - it can't hurt, just extra work. Not that any of these tasks I'm asking you to do aren't

Bill
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[nikki605]

Thanks for walking me through that. Your instructions were spot on. The output file was created just like you said. The only problem was that the website won't let me upload a .csv file. So all I did was change the filename extension to .txt so you'll have to change it back to .csv.

 

[Slartybart]

Glad to hear I didn't mess up again Boss

You are a smart man, figuring out a workaround for the upload.

I'll compare the versions in the InstalledApps.txt file to the SP1 versions. If they're more recent, and I suspect they will be based on Lenovo installing an updated version, then I'll ask you to update to SP1 ... but not yet ... I need to gather some information.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[nikki605]

Standing by......

(not literally)

 

[Slartybart]

Well, that was fruitless ... it appears as though your system is up-to-date as far as msvcrt goes.

The msvcrt 8.0.59193 (x86) and 8.0.59192 (x64) installed by Lenovo is what makes me say appears to be ...
Since it is difficult to find msvcrt version information on MS (I found what I could), I cross checked your installs against my machine and everything but that extra version matched.

Even the SP1 pages for msvcrt 2008 & 2010 don't list the version numbers - sheesh!

I'm tempted to suggest installing SP1 for 2008 & 2010, but your system seems to be stable for the moment. It wouldn't hurt and it might do some housekeeping but let's see how your system behaves for a week or two. If during that time period there is another WLM or IE crash, then install the SP1 versions.

Same procedure - install both the x86 and x64 versions for a 'year' (2008 then 2010), then run Windows Update to see if it thinks there is anything to add.

Here are the links so I don't forget:

2008
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) from Official Microsoft Download Center
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) from Official Microsoft Download Center

2010
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) from Official Microsoft Download Center
Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) from Official Microsoft Download Center

Again, the links are only provided as a reference
- I'm not suggesting that you install them at this time.

So we wait ..... might as well take a seat

Bill
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[nikki605]

I don't think it was fruitless, you verified the redists were up to date, which is a good thing. It would appear that Lenovo likes to create utility programs that require unique versions of c++.

For right now, I'll stand pat on any more c++ updates and just use the system. If I get another IE or WLM crash, you'll be the 2nd person to know.

Thanks for all the time you have put into this. I really appreciate it.

Have a great weekend!

 

[Slartybart]

I was probably just taking this opportunity to once again vent about how difficult some things MS are when I said fruitless. I mean, c'mon ... how hard would it be for them to put the version number on the page (date and size sure ... but version number ??)

There, I got one more chance to vent - I feel better now .. sort of

Ok, sounds like a plan man - keeping my fingers crossed.

You're welcome.

This is an issue that wasn't easy to find and wasn't easy to fix until the root problem was identified (notice my optimism in the use of past tense?).

Normal re-installs (either the OS or WLM) would have masked the issue until some still unidentified program install put up a flaky msvcrt (I'm hoping this was the case anyway). By pre-empting the issue with clean msvcrt installs no program should try to install their own msvcrt lib (except Lenovo). I started looking at that 'special' msvct, but my internet is not behaving today - a few one off programs do carry that lib with them, not just Lenovo. Since that version seems specific to Lenovo on your machine, I'm not considering it as contributing to the issue.

I reserve the right to change my mind

Enjoy your weekend as well, hopefully you won't have to babysit that machine and can do something nice with your spouse (who also gets kudos from me for putting up with all of the technical stuff)

Bill
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[nikki605]

It's been a couple weeks since the last crash (either WLM or IE) and we have been using the computer normally during this time. I'm very hopeful that we've resolved my original problem.

If there are no problems by this Sunday, I'm going to start putting back the changes & options we made during troublshooting. I am going to leave Ad Block uninstalled since it caused a crash on my laptop and I've also uninstalled it there.

Changes:

Norton Internet Security - Email scanning turned off (but I'm pretty sure I had a WLM crash after I turned that off.
WLM Options-->Send-->Mail Sending Format-->Plain Text Settings set to Quoted Printable
WLM - checked 2 options to create troubleshooting logs: General & Email

Other changes made to investigate file & protocol association problem:

Uninstalled Ad Block
Restored default MS HOSTS file

Gary

 

[Slartybart]

Great!

I know I suspected Norton and you turned off eMail scanning. I think it's a redundant feature, but some people want it on. If it doesn't cause a WLM crash and you feel more comfortable with it on - that's all good.

Take your time reverting to those changes - the last two in your list are the most suspect. Since the problem was intermittent revert one and wait ... then another and wait ...

You could do both WLM configuration changes at one time to save a step.

Please post a final update in a week or two when you close the thread - thanks.

It looks as though the remedy was to tear down (uninstall all versions) and rebuild the C++ run time libraries from Microsoft.

Good work Gary,

Bill
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[nikki605]

You're the one who figured out it was the C++ redists.

I'll post back as I reverse those changes, one at a time, not all at once.

Good work Bill,

Gary

 

[nikki605]

I did the following this morning (Sun Nov 16) in this order:

1. Ran my weekly disk image (Macrium Reflect)
2. Installed 13 MS critical updates (rebooted)
3. Changed back WLM options (unchecked maint troubleshooting logs and put back plain text mail sending option)

I'll let it run this way another week.

 

[nikki605]

Another week has passed with no crashes of any kind. So this morning, after doing my weekly disk image backup, I enabled email scanning in Norton Internet Security (NIS).

I'll continue to monitor for another week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Slartybart]

Great news again!

I will give thanks this Thursday - for the resolution to the issue

Our youngest daughter is hosting this year ... the only problem with that is ... NO leftovers for turkey sandwiches

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

Bill
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[nikki605]

Oh, no! Leftovers are sometimes the best part. lol

Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family!

Gary & Linda (who also thanks you for stopping her desktop from crashing)

 

[nikki605]

Another crash-free week! So after doing my weekly disk image backup this morning, I installed the latest MVPS Hosts file.

As best I can remember this is the last of the changes I needed to put back. I'm not going to re-install Ad Block since it caused an IE crash on my laptop system several weeks ago.

Fingers crossed that my original WLM crashing problem has been resolved.

Gary

 

[Slartybart]

Gary,

It was my pleasure working with you on the issue. I agree about leaving AdBlock off your system - MVPS hosts should be enough.

There is a little housekeeping with regards to msvcrt 2005 x64 - the files mistakenly placed on C:\ by one of the installs. I think I made a batch file to move them, but asked you to hold off (I had fat fingers at the time and wanted to dbl check the file). Let me look through the thread and revisit what I wrote in the file.

Bill
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