Crash on backup in Windows 8

[AussieColin]

I've just bought a new computer and (of course!) immediately re-installed MyPhoneExplorer again. I successfully connected with the phone (on wi-fi) and sync'd, both with the phone and with Outlook 2010. However when I try to do a backup the program crashes every time at the point when I click on OK when specifying the filename of the backup. See image here.

I have been able to successfully perform backups before on my old computer. The most obvious difference (apart from new hardware) seems to be that I am now running Windows 8 Pro rather than Windows 7 Home Premium. Is this a bug that has been reported? I did a search in the English section of the forum but was unable to find a mention of it. The phone is an HTC Sensation XE running Android 4.0.3

I looked at the debug.txt file. Most of it was (of course) not understandable to me, but there didn't seem to be an obvious cause appearing in the final entries.
The last entry before the crash was simply:
14:18:14.96 Settimeout: RT=15000 WT=1000
14:18:14.96 [TX]: AT*ESMA?
I assume that this is simply reporting routine communications with the phone.

If I can supply any more information please let me know and thank you in advance for any help you can give.

ETD: I don't know if this is relevant at all, but when I look at the Files view the icons at the top of the window are oddly squashed together. See here

[AussieColin]

Any chance of someone replying to this? It's great that it's working for most of the functions that I need, but I really would like to be able to back up my phone again!

[AussieColin]

Hi

What's the point of having a support forum if there's no support supplied?? I would really appreciate a reply to this!

[Koelner]

What's the point of having a support forum if there's no support supplied?

First of all: patience!
As you might have noticed, you didn´t pay for this programm. Support in this forum is done by users and the developer but they have to have time for it.

However when I try to do a backup the program crashes every time at the point when I click on OK when specifying the filename of the backup.

Are you trying to do a backup of all parts at the same time (contacts, calendar, etc.)?
If so, try to do each part separately and save it with a special filename.
What is the result?

ETD: I don't know if this is relevant at all, but when I look at the Files view the icons at the top of the window are oddly squashed together. See here

This looks like a problem with your screen settings to me.

[AussieColin]

First of all: patience! As you might have noticed, you didn´t pay for this programm. Support in this forum is done by users and the developer but they have to have time for it.

Firstly, thank you for responding!
Secondly, point taken. It was just that I'd posted quite a long time ago and had no response at all. And, in fairness, I have paid for it in a way in that I've donated via Paypal twice. I do believe in supporting great software.

...the program crashes every time at the point when I click on OK when specifying the filename of the backup.

Are you trying to do a backup of all parts at the same time (contacts, calendar, etc.)?
If so, try to do each part separately and save it with a special filename.
What is the result?

I'm not even getting to that point. I'm selecting Extras->Create Backup. It responds by asking me for a filename and suggesting one with today's date. If I click on OK then it tries to display the screen where you get to specify what you want to back up but it immediately crashes instead. See the linked image in my original post and you'll see what I mean.

ETD: I don't know if this is relevant at all, but when I look at the Files view the icons at the top of the window are oddly squashed together. See here

This looks like a problem with your screen settings to me.

I'm certainly not going to argue with you, since I'm working with a new computer (the drive on my old one crashed) and I'm now using Windows 8.1 Pro where the old one ran Win 7 Home Premium. There are always software problems that go with upgrading the hardware and software. However...
1. My monitor is a bog standard Chimei 22cm that's about five years old (I didn't bother to update that). There's no video card in the PC since I use it almost entirely for office work. The display is simply controlled via the motherboard (Intel i5) video processor. ie a 'no frills' system.
2. The icons on the other screens appear to be normal and are not squashed in that way. Only that one view appears to be squashed.


Update: How strange! In wanting to verify the 'squashed icon' issue, I just tried it again. This time it worked and backed up all the contacts, calendar etc when it had crashed the last dozen times I'd tried it. Sigh. It always works when you have the IT guy looking over your shoulder! However, it then crashed again when I tried to backup the apps and it's now crashing every time I try to do it again. One success in 20(?).

I'm wondering if it's somehow something to do with how long it's been connected, since the successful attempt was where it had been sitting idle for 10 minutes while I typed this reply..... trying again after waiting 15 min.... nope. Same result: crash.

Is there anything I can try that might give better diagnostic results?

[Koelner]

Sigh. It always works when you have the IT guy looking over your shoulder!

*lol*

I'm not even getting to that point.

That´s strange. I recommend you send the logfile right after the crash to FJ to have him look over it.

What about your MPE version? Did you install an old one or did you download the newest?
How do you connect you phone, Wifi or USB?

[AussieColin]

I'm not even getting to that point.

That´s strange. I recommend you send the logfile right after the crash to FJ to have him look over it.

I'm happy to but I'm not sure how; there's no email address on the "About" page of the program - I assumed that this forum was the only place I could get help.

Links are: Debug.txt file and General.ini file (just in case that's important).

What about your MPE version? Did you install an old one or did you download the newest?

It's the latest one, downloaded from the site fresh.

How do you connect you phone, Wifi or USB?

I used to connect via USB on the old computer but this on this one MPE says that it can't detect the phone when I try to force a USB connection in Settings. The phone's reporting that it IS connected when I plug it in and nothing's changed on the phone settings since my old computer so again that seems to be a bug. I'm now connecting via wifi.

[Koelner]

Did you install the drivers for the USB connection?
Try that and do the sync via USB again. For now it looks like you´re loosing Wifi connection.

[AussieColin]

Did you install the drivers for the USB connection?
Try that and do the sync via USB again.

I did a bit of google'ing and found that apparently the HTC usb drivers don't install properly in Win 8. See here. To be honest I hadn't realised that I needed to install drivers manually; I'm used to Win 8 just automatically fetching any drivers that it needs! Plus the phone *seemed* to be behaving normally and I was able to access it as a disk drive when I needed to.
Anyway, the instructions on that page I linked to weren't for my phone but they worked anyway and it's now showing correctly in Device Manager as an HTC device rather than with a yellow exclamation mark.

I can now connect using USB instead of only with wifi. \o/
Thank you for the tip!

Unfortunately, even being connected via (forced) usb, it still crashes as soon as I try to do a backup in exactly the same way as before.

[dvhttn]

Thought I'd pipe in with a couple of thoughts.

1) I only use wifi now and wouldn't have a clue without testing whether my adb drivers were up to date. I find wifi much more convenient. Before I upgraded to Android 4+ I just left MPE running on the phone all the time and could sync no matter where I my phone was in the house. (But with Android 4+ the battery gets hammered doing this for some reason ... ho hum).

2) I see from the first post that you sync with Outlook 2010? I'm wondering why you also use MPE to backup in this case as it essentially backs up your phone. I use 2010 as well and ensure that I have it as my 'master' database so if the phone gets lost/reset I have lost nothing. If you're taking the time to backup with MPE surely you could just sync with OL anyway? Or have I missed something?

Oh, you still obviously need to backup OL of course ....

[AussieColin]

Thought I'd pipe in with a couple of thoughts.

1) I only use wifi now...

2) I see from the first post that you sync with Outlook 2010? I'm wondering why you also use MPE to backup in this case as it essentially backs up your phone.

Thanks for weighing in.

1) Ditto, but it was one possible reason that the program was crashing. Unfortunately not the solution but it's one less consideration.

2) I use MPE to backup because there are a great many other things on the phone than just the things that Outlook syncs with! Quite apart from any data such as music, books etc, there is also the system settings.

[Koelner]

I use MPE to backup because there are a great many other things on the phone than just the things that Outlook syncs with! Quite apart from any data such as music, books etc, there is also the system settings.

Have you thought about using sync jobs to save you music, books, etc.?
And I´m not so sure that system settings are saved by this procedure.

The MPE still crashing, you should catch the logfile and post it here. FJ should have a look at it.

[AussieColin]

Have you thought about using sync jobs to save you music, books, etc.?
And I´m not so sure that system settings are saved by this procedure.

The MPE still crashing, you should catch the logfile and post it here. FJ should have a look at it.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'sync jobs'. If need be I can back up these files manually by changing the usb settings to have the phone appear as an external disk drive and just using Windows to copy them. Doing it via backup is simply easier and doesn't require me to be careful not to miss things. I can work around it if I have to but I assumed that FJ would want to know if the program was crashing.

The log file was posted a couple of messages back (as a link to the txt file in Dropbox). Hope it's of some use. I can do a new version with the phone linked via usb instead of wifi if you think it will help.

[Koelner]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'sync jobs'.

Go to the settings for Multi-sync.
There you can create sync jobs.
Just check it out, should makes things easier.

But the Backup-function should work anyway. Here we have to wait for FJ.

[AussieColin]

Go to the settings for Multi-sync.
There you can create sync jobs.

Ah. I see what you mean. Quite a lot of setting up the first time to get the folders and filters right but once done it would be very quick and the filters for file types/names make it very effective. I'll look into it.

Thanks.

[AussieColin]

I don't know if it helps, but the the Windows Event Viewer reports:

Faulting application name: MyPhoneExplorer.exe, version: 1.8.0.5, time stamp: 0x5224f76d
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.3.9600.16408, time stamp: 0x523d4548
Exception code: 0xc000008f
Fault offset: 0x00012eec
Faulting process ID: 0x29c4
Faulting application start time: 0x01cf0e10305c5c1c
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPhoneExplorer\MyPhoneExplorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report ID: 778902f9-7a03-11e3-826b-bc5ff4ca8798
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

[AussieColin]

Here we have to wait for FJ.

Do I need to do anything to draw it to his attention?

[FJ]

Please install the current beta: http://www.fjsoft.at/files/MyPhoneExplo ... Update.exe

If the problem still exists then please send me the whole logfile via email directly after the crash (Start-Run-%appdata%\MyPhoneExplorer\Debug.txt). Don't forget to attach a link to this thread in your email.

[AussieColin]

Please install the current beta: http://www.fjsoft.at/files/MyPhoneExplo ... Update.exe

If the problem still exists then please send me the whole logfile via email

Installed and debug file sent.

ETD: In case it wasn't clear, the beta version still had the same bug.