Technical support memos

ADDSUM TECHNICAL SUPPORT MEMO

Date:
 May 17, 1997
Subject:
 Troubleshooting General Protection Faults
Product:
 Advanced Accounting 5.1 and TAS 5.1
Author:
 Anthony J. Frates (Copyright 1997 Addsum Business Software, Inc.)

There are perhaps few error messages that cause a user more concern than:

General protection fault in module TP5WIN.EXE at 0006:1587.

Most commonly users receive this message immediately after clicking on their Advanced Accounting or TAS 5.1 for Windows icon and often after installing or upgrading their software and running in the Windows mode for the first time (although it can certainly happen at a later date subsequent to initial installation).

This error can always be overcome. Here are the most common reasons why this occurs and what to do to overcome them:

  1. The default dictionary path in the TAS50.OVL file is pointing to an invalid path or the field has become corrupt. The easiest way to resolve this problem is to start Advanced Accounting or TAS in DOS mode. In Advanced Accounting, do this by going to a DOS prompt (under WIN95 this does not mean you need to do a Shut Down and go into MS-DOS mode but rather simply click on Start then click on Programs and then MS-DOS prompt) and then change to the ADV51 subdirectory and type ADV to invoke the ADV.BAT file. For example (press ENTER at the end of each line):

    2. c:
    cd\adv51
    adv

    Select U-Utilities then D-Set Configuration. Continue to press ENTER until you are in the Default Dictionary Path and then press CTRL-U to clear the field or simply press and hold your space bar to space through it. Press F10 and answer ‘Y’es to the next two questions.

    If you are an Advanced Accounting user and are not licensed to run in DOS mode, you will not be able to follow the above procedure. Your options would include restoring the TAS50.OVL file from a back-up, re-installing the full system into a \DUMMY\ subdirectory and COPYing the TAS50.OVL file that results into your ADV51 subdirectory, copying the TAS50.OVL file the exists in either TAS 5.0 or TAS 5.1 if you happen to have purchased TAS or from a prior installation of Advanced Accounting 5.0 (but make sure that the default dictionary path is set to nothing before copying it into ADV51), getting the DOS license, or clicking here and downloading a fresh copy of TAS50.OVL.

    On a network, a GPF could result on a workstation if on the server the default dictionary path is set to C:\ADV51\ (and so the software runs fine when running from the server) but that workstation would typically not be mapped to drive C:. To avoid having to map or SUBSTitute the server’s drive, the recommended approach is to either blank out this field entirely or simply reference is as \ADV51\.

    Sometimes the default dictionary path field in TAS50.OVL has been know to become truncated. The byte size of the file remains at 253 but when bringing the file up for editing in Set Configuration (in either Advanced Accounting or TAS Professional), the displayed field if it contains information will be truncated. This will cause the Windows mode to generate a GPF error. To resolve, follow the steps above. It is unknown what might cause this "truncation" to occur.

    If a user inadvertently types a stray character in the default dictionary path field, the error "An error has occurred while attempting to open FILELOC" will result. This could happen because the default dictionary path entered was incorrect (a typo for example) or because some additional character was entered into the field (the Set Configuration program does not check to make sure that a valid directory path was entered). In this case, the TAS50.OVL would have to be replaced with a new copy as described above.

  2. Btrieve option parameters are missing, duplicated or have not been set-up correctly. A normal SETUP style installation will update the local WIN.INI automatically. If a DOS INSTALL however was run, WIN.INI will not have been updated. Further, the CONFIGWS program (contained on install disk A: ) must be run on each and every workstation or a GPF will result. CONFIGWS does three basic things: it installs the WBTRTAS5.DLL (this is Btrieve 5 for Windows WBTRCALL.DLL renamed to avoid being overwritten by some other software installation) in to the \WINDOWS\ subdirectory (although the software will run with this DLL just installed in the ADV51 subdirectory), it updates the WIN.INI as outlined below and it adds Advanced Accounting to the Programs menu and puts icons on the desktop.

    3. The WIN.INI of every PC that will be accessing the software must have the following section:

    [btrieve]
    Options=/m:64 /p:4096 /b:16 /l:40 /n:12 /f:150

    Other packages may also use Btrieve. If the settings conflict (for example /f: is only set to 20) then problems will occur. There should be only one Btrieve section in WIN.INI. Remove any duplicate occurrences from multiple CONFIGWS or re-installs (if a SETUP has been run once, in subsequent installation, do instead an INSTALL to avoid this from happening). Retrieve the WIN.INI file in the DOS EDIT or Windows NOTEPAD editors or a line editor of your choice to check for this.

  3. If you are running TAS 5.1 or TAS 5.0 on your system, make sure that the TAS50 variable is set to nothing when running Advanced Accounting, for example, SET TAS50=. If you are modifying Advanced Accounting programs and your default dictionary path has been to to a project (for example \MYPROJECT\) then it is CRITICAL that you copy the file ERRMSG.B from \ADV51\ to \MYPROJECT\ or you get will a GPF when loading Advanced Accounting. Do not SET TAS50=\TAS51\ in your autoexec.bat or elsewhere. Instead set-up batch files that point to it when you are getting ready to run TAS 5.1 and make sure that it is cleared out when running Advanced.

  4. Your ERRMSG.B file may be corrupt. Restore from a back-up or from the original installation diskettes.

  5. Check the maintain location file and check the path of those files. If there is a drive letter that the workstation PC is trying to access and the files aren’t there (for example if the files are being referenced as C:\ADV51 yet they are really on F:\ADV51) this would cause a GPF at the workstation. Eliminate this problem by eliminating any drive letter references. To check the maintain location file in Advanced Accounting, choose F-File Utilities then J-Maintain Location file. Press F2 and choose the first file. Look at the location. If there is a C: drive, you will need to change locations. Before doing so, make a back-up copy of FILELOC.B or you will risk locking yourself out of the system if an invalid path is entered (the software does not check for a valid path). Press HOME and enter the location without a drive letter (e.g. \ADV51\), press ENTER and under Comp Code press CTRL-U to clear and then type a B for your main company files. Repeat for other companies making sure that each company is in a separate directory (e.g. \ADV51\B02\ for company two). This should have already been done.

  6. Advanced Accounting users should check the field "Where are the programs?" under system maintenance (sub-options A and then A again). If there is a drive letter or any path there, remove or fix as appropriate. Usually this path should be blank. Again, beware because if an invalid path is entered, you will be locked out of the system and will need to restore file BKSYMSTR.B from back-up or use maintain database to blank out the BKSY.PRGS.WHR field.

  7. The DLL file could be missing or damaged. The WBTRTAS5.DLL is dated 4/2/93 and has 51,936 bytes. It is normally located on every PC under C:\WINDOWS. The CONFIGWS program could be run to re-install (duplicate Btrieve sections might result however) or simply having the replace it by copying it from another PC or from install disk #1.

  8. If you have an unlimited runtime license and the ULRT files are installed on the same system as TAS 5.1, make sure that SET TAS50= is not being setting to \TAS51\ when running off of the unlimited runtime license subdirectory, i.e. set it either to nothing or to the \MYPROJECT\ subdirectory. Also, make sure that TP5WIN.EXE is in the project subdirectory.

The foregoing should solve your GPF related problems.

Copyright ã 1997 ADDSUM BUSINESS SOFTWARE, INC. Salt Lake City, Utah
ADDSUM is a registered service mark of Addsum Business Software, Inc.
Advanced Accounting and TAS are trademarks of Business Tools, Inc.
Technical support phone number: 801-277-9240

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