Access Violation

[brianpatrick]

After getting an Access violation message, PT would not save my session. It let me work inside of it, but not save it.

When I rebooted, the session I was working on was completely gone. I was expecting the last work I did before saving to be lost, but not the entire session. The session folder was there but when I opened it up only the audio file folder and fade file folders where present. The PT session icon was gone.

Due to a bad 6 weeks of reinstalling XP, I got religion and am continually making backups on a separate HD, so it wasn't a catastrophe. But I'd like to know what is going on. Does anyone know what causes an access violation? And why would it erase the session folder?

For the record, when I merely restarted Windows I would get the same message, usually within 5 minutes, losing the session in the process. But when I shutdown the system and brought it back, the message did not present itself again...not yet, at least.

001/pt5.3.1
p4 2.4 ghz
Abit mobo
512m RAM
geforce 64bit

Thanks, in advance.

[brianpatrick]

Just searched the DUC and found some things from Allan and Railout that make alot of sense. Since I have nothing competing with PT on my system and I defrag almost daily, I'm thinking that Allan's theory of it being a PT bug is correct. Actually, I'm HOPING he is right, since the fix is so easy: delete the DAE pref folder.

One other thing. In the thread I found in the answer base, Access Violation was tied to invalid key commands, telling PT to perform functions that were not possible in the window, etc. Well, I got mine when I went to save the session. How complex is that? Another time I got the message doing nothing, just sitting there contemplating why the guitar part wasn't working.

Maybe digi is actually ahead of the curve on AI, and my 001 was making a value judgement on my arrangements.

[The Weed]

Brian,

Was it a session brought back from CD? If so, then all the files are marked "Read Only" and you cannot change them, meaning you can work on them, but not save them. (Close the session if it's open) Right click on the session folder > call up Properties > change the attributes to Archive (or none at all) > tell it to change all the files and subfolders too when you get the dialogue > and you should be good to go.

Cheers,

[brianpatrick]

Thanks for the reply, Weed, but the files were not imported from CD. I deleted the DAE prefs folder and so far...no problems. What I'd like to know is how Allan figured that out? PT tells him an access violation has occurred and then naturally he thinks, "Oh, right, I'll just go into the digi program folder and get rid of the DAE prefs folder; and I'll sh**can the I/O folder just for good measure."

But the real question I have is why, when the event occurred, did it erase the entire session from my HD? I didn't merely lose the unsaved data - I lost everything residing with the PT icon inside the session folder. The audio files are still intact.

[Jack Dawson]

You weren't by chance running any GRM Tools plug-ins, were you? I get an Access violation message with similar consequences (other than losing the session) from time to time when using them.
May only be coincidence, but thought I'd ask.

Jack

[brianpatrick]

Jack, No I wasn't. No plug-ins at all. Just tracking. Lots and lots of screen changes, opening and closing windows, some pencil edits, punch-in recording, that stuff. And then when I went to save it threw me the access violation message. And it did it again after re-starting; but not after shutind down and deleting the DAE pres folder. And why did it erase my session?

I am continually amazed at how much ancillary information there is working with a DAW. Access Violation in an of itself is a complex topic complete with subtopics.

[freakofnature]

don't save after any error! it overwrites the good session file in a bad way, so it is corrupt afterwards. save the session after an important edit or recording, and keep a backup of ALL your sessions on another disc. (on a partition part of the C-disc or so...)
and don't change sp/dif settings in 5.3.1 on WinXP, it's a known dangerous bug that causes the mess you describe...
greettzz.

[freakofnature]

**** , i'm beginning to sound like my grandma... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[funkgypsy]

wow, freak.

thanks for your advice. i am obsessive about saving after every edit, change, or whatever. and i have auto save enabled, which has saved my butt a few times and has saved me a litte bit of time.

i did not know about about the bug. thank you. i really want to get version 6 asap. i assume the bug is gone in the new version.

[funkgypsy]

... and i save a full version of a session on cd's AND on a separate partion. that as well as a ghost image of my system drive for quick restore ability, on cd's and a separate partition. and every night i save my work to a cd with just protools sessions.

it is more blessed to have one too many backup thank one too few.