SmartException

from Stardock Forums
Ok, for those of you who don't know what SmartException is (probably most of you), it's a program that we use here at Stardock to help diagnose crashes. I've added support for it into the GalCiv code, so I'd appreciate it if you would download the file from the link I'm going to give you and install the software.

http://www.stardock.com/temp/sx-odinst.exe

Once you have it installed, it should give you the option to send an error report to Stardock when you get a crash, and it includes the information from debug.err automatically.

I don't know why we didn't think of this earlier. :)
287 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Hey cool!
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Got it.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
This tool is _GREAT_!!! For all to see how wonderful this tool is for diagnostics, here is a clip from the
exception report file of three crashes I generated from having too many improvements tied to one tech (tech
63 - nanofrequencyelectronics):

Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows ME
Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS (IBM)
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 004CD041 01:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:78F8FEFE
EBX:00650000
ECX:00A3FB68
EDX:746C754D
ESI:8179CEB4
EDI:6E654ADF
CS:EIP:0187:004CD041
SS:ESP:018F:00A3FAFC EBP:00A3FC68
DS:018F ES:018F FS:2187 GS:0000
Flags:00010246


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
004CD041 00A3FC68 0001:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....

Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows ME
Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS (IBM)
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 004CD041 01:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:7EFEFEFC
EBX:842D73D8
ECX:00A3F988
EDX:65736552
ESI:842D7314
EDI:6853242D
CS:EIP:0187:004CD041
SS:ESP:018F:00A3F91C EBP:00A3FA88
DS:018F ES:018F FS:3447 GS:0000
Flags:00010246


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
004CD041 00A3FA88 0001:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....

Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows ME
Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS (IBM)
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 004CD041 01:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:7EFEFEFC
EBX:842D73D8
ECX:00A3F988
EDX:65736552
ESI:842D7314
EDI:02007620
CS:EIP:0187:004CD041
SS:ESP:018F:00A3F91C EBP:00A3FA88
DS:018F ES:018F FS:3467 GS:0000
Flags:00010246


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
004CD041 00A3FA88 0001:000CC041 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE
004214E4 00A3FAF0 0001:000204E4 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE
00442EEA 00A3FB54 0001:00041EEA E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE
00494682 00A3FBC4 0001:00093682 E:\DRENGIN.NET\GALCIV\GALCIV.EXE
BAABD504 00A3FBF0 0001:0001C504 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDRAW.DLL
BFF63613 00A3FC10 0001:00002613 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
BFF848F7 00A3FC24 0002:0001B8F7 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....



++++++++++++++

Great tool!!!

Jack
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I didn't see that.

la la la.

;)
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
It'll be even cooler when you have the new build and it will copy the debug.err file into the smart exception file.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Ideas like this seem to take a nights sleep to occur to me.

Cari,

You mentioned that you were able to customize "smartexception" for information specific to GalCiv (Your words were
"add support for it into the GalCiv code). Does it allow you to include specific user info such as the registration
info on a user's system? How about the compiled version of GalCiv.EXE, or the date/time from the GALCIV.EXE file? How
about the time/date of the crash? In some cases specific hardware feature information may be needed, such as what
soundcard is in use, or what the resolution is of the display. Can all of these pieces of info be put into the file
sent to Stardock? Without this information you may find it difficult knowing whether a file you receive is a new
problem or not. Knowing the product registration number may enable you to track pirated copies to some extent.

Cheers,
Jack
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Ok, my reply never got posted here...must have gotten lost in the shuffle...

The timestamp is already in the function I put in Gal Civ, the other stufc could be added.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Done, Gherardo
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Got this, it's DGM...

Stardock SmartException Logging Information
-------------------------------------------

OS Version : Windows 2000
Video Card : S3 Inc. Savage/IX Display Driver
Application Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION
Crash Addr: 0590BEA6 01:0000AEA6 C:\$user\Drengin.net\DartWeb.dll

Processor Registers (x86):
EAX:00000000
EBX:0E1400DE
ECX:00061537
EDX:00000002
ESI:0019BFFE
EDI:0E14DB28
CS:EIP:001B:0590BEA6
SS:ESP:0023:0E13FF2C EBP:0E13FF34
DS:0023 ES:0023 FS:0038 GS:0000
Flags:00010202


Current Application Call Stack:

Addr Frame Logical addr Module Name
---------------------------------------------
0590BEA6 0E13FF34 0001:0000AEA6 C:\$user\Drengin.net\DartWeb.dll
0590888D 0E13FF64 0001:0000788D C:\$user\Drengin.net\DartWeb.dll
05909B9F 0E13FFA8 0001:00008B9F C:\$user\Drengin.net\DartWeb.dll
05909A70 0E13FFEC 0001:00008A70 C:\$user\Drengin.net\DartWeb.dll


Debug information for each stardock app follows ....

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
What were you doing when that happened?
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Cari,

I was just looking at the DGM NG and saw the post where someone had a problem with DGM. I know a number of us
had trouble with DGM when it was first came to being. Can someone there add support for SmartException into
DGM? Packaging it with DGM might be advantagous in that it becomes easier to provide support for TCM, LWM,
SF, and any new stuff that comes along.

Thanks,
Jack
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
That's a good question. I'll ask Pat.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Don't remember, likely a download that timed out and when I restart, it happens. I have to close dgm and restart it.