Robohelp Appcrash upon First Generation of linked Frame Book/Files

Report · Aug 12, 2010

I have a HUGE, new problem and not getting any response from (automated) Adobe support.

Situation: Have 12-chapter book that is being converted to WinHelp (CHM) by using RoboHelp 8 and linking of files. When the book was at 10 or so chapters, the conversion worked fine (with one or two occasional crashes of RoboHelp). Now, after addition of a few chapters and edits to others, RoboHelp routinely crashes upon "generating" one of the chapters.

Steps:

1) Create New RoboHelp File (no special settings)

2) File>Link>FrameMaker Document

3) Robo scans Frame doc just fine

4) Right-click Project Files, User Manual.book (the frame book file), Update>Generate

5) Goes through first 3 Chapters (simple ones, few images), then crashes on 4th chapter (lots of images)

Crash Message:

1)

2) Problem signature:
Problem Event Name:    APPCRASH
Application Name:    RoboHTML.exe
Application Version:    8.0.0.203
Application Timestamp:    4944f3bb
Fault Module Name:    MFC80U.DLL
Fault Module Version:    8.0.50727.4053
Fault Module Timestamp:    4a595928
Exception Code:    c0000005
Exception Offset:    0002569c
OS Version:    6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.6
Locale ID:    1033
Additional Information 1:    fd00
Additional Information 2:    ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160
Additional Information 3:    fd00
Additional Information 4:    ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

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System: Vista-64, Win7-64, Win XP (all on same machine in alternate boot configs). Tried complete de-install/re-install of TCS2.5.

Versions: Frame 9.0.2, RoboHelp 8.0.2

PS: Stunning to have such poor support options for a $1900 software bundle!

Report · Aug 12, 2010

I found that same sort of thing happening with my FM9 > RH8 project too (I'm doing 1 master book consisting of about 60 sub-books). I've given up on the linking - I just import now. I get some funny warnings because RH doesn't understand what to do with a book-inside-a-book structure, but I can force it through.

Report · Aug 12, 2010

@Jeff - thanks for the pointer. I will try that next just to get a result, although it seems that the product does not live up to the claimed abilities.

@Adobe: Adobe Support has given me the total runaround, pointing the finger at Microsoft (for the MFC80U.dll), then telling me I had a volume license [when I in fact purchased the software FROM Adobe directly as an individual/company] and was not entitled to free phone support (purchased within last 45 days). I run a software company, and if we supported customers like this, they'd head for another vendor.

Report · Aug 12, 2010

@Jeff - sorry, did not fix my issue. Actually, it appears that there are two consecutive system crashes.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name:    APPCRASH
Application Name:    RoboHTML.exe
Application Version:    8.0.0.203
Application Timestamp:    4944f3bb
Fault Module Name:    MFC80U.DLL
Fault Module Version:    8.0.50727.4053
Fault Module Timestamp:    4a595928
Exception Code:    c0000005
Exception Offset:    0002569c
OS Version:    6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.6
Locale ID:    1033
Additional Information 1:    fd00
Additional Information 2:    ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160
Additional Information 3:    fd00
Additional Information 4:    ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Read our privacy statement:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50163&clcid=0x0409

THEN

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name:    APPCRASH
Application Name:    RoboHTML.exe
Application Version:    8.0.0.203
Application Timestamp:    4944f3bb
Fault Module Name:    kernel32.dll
Fault Module Version:    6.0.6002.18005
Fault Module Timestamp:    49e038c0
Exception Code:    e06d7363
Exception Offset:    0001e124
OS Version:    6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.6
Locale ID:    1033
Additional Information 1:    60ce
Additional Information 2:    f6d3dba282e54fd14c6bbe2bb754c59f
Additional Information 3:    e509
Additional Information 4:    93343f7b663cf92f383ac3c53ffd1257

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Report · Aug 13, 2010

Hmm...your first post mentions that you've got a triple-boot o/s scenario, but you don't say under which o/s you're getting these errors. I would advise staying away from the 64bit ones and just run the suite under 32bit XP. You also don't mention the amount of RAM you're running - RH seems to be sensitive to small amounts of system resources when sucking in FM books. You also didn't indicate the exact versions of FM and RH - there's been a few patches for both products since TCS2.0's release. Remember that these patches must be applied sequentially in order (they're not cumulative).

You seem to imply in this post that you're still getting errors when importing (not linking). Can you describe your process? Have you tried creating a simple 1 book, 1 doc scenario and importing that into RH? Have you tried just pulling in sections of your FM books/docs - maybe there's something in the FM files that's causing a choke to occur?

Report · Aug 13, 2010

@Jeff -

I get the errors under all three OS (even XP, although slightly different error code). Believe it or not, I have tried all permutations (FM9.0,RH8.0) and the various patch levels (9.0.3, 8.0.2, yes, applied consecutively). I run on a Core Duo 9600 with 4G or RAM, so I suspect memory is not the issue.

It is looking like the issue crash is caused by two of the 13 FM files/chapters of the book, but since RH does not give ANY indication of what page it's working on when it crashes, it's impossible to figure out the offender in the FM file. There are NO font errors or cross-reference errors when I update the book (no errors at all). If there is a FM file cleaner, please let me know.

One only peculiar thing is that the FM console window constantly generates the following messages during the linking. It did this even when the book converted properly in the past, so I am completely at a loss.

Next step will be to completely install a new machine ground up, install TCS, and try again....step by step.

Bastian

Isologica Software, Inc. – www.isologica.com

Report · Aug 16, 2010

Update:

Problem is isolated to two files. A mysterious element in the FM file is causing RH to crash during linking. To troubleshoot, I

1) create new RH file

2) link just the one FM file that is crashing RH

3) Update/Generate

4) Watch the FM Console, where I am getting (very helpful) warning messages:

MIF: "C:\Users\bschoell\AppData\Local\Temp\MIFTMP77\Mif00161.mif" (4870): Value of Separation out of range (10).

5) Wait until RH crashes

6) Check the temp directory (from warning message in 4) where the program crashed, look at image associated with the temp MIF where RH crashed

7) Delete everthing in FM file after the last successfully generated image found in 6

8) repeat steps 1-7, slowly adding text back into FM file to painstakingly find offending element in FM.

YIKES, Adobe, what a piece of work you've unloaded on us for $1699!!

Report · Aug 16, 2010

problem diagnosed and solved for practical purposes, but this is a BUG:

two consecutive tables (not separating paragraph) crash RH during the linking process.

This FM doc layout crashes RH (notice consecutive single-row tables, second one with 6pt Indents and Spacing above

This FM doc layout (all other things the same) does not crash RH during linking

Bug report sure to be logged, but really pessimistic after last support interaction about if and when there will be a fix if the bug is even acknowleged....