Anyone else get this? PT8.0.1 crash w/ Firefox

[Herkimer]

This has now happened too many times to go without discussion:

I have a ProTools 8.0.1 session open (any session). Everything is working fantastically. Zippy worky work work and I'm productive. Clickety click everything's fine.

I need to access the 'net' (as in "the internets"). OK. I removed IE 8.0 to be kosher with ProDrools. I'm now using Mozilla Firephaux.

Whenever I use Firefox to access the "internets," my ProTools session crashes with a frozen screen and then after 2-3 minutes, an offer to "report the error to Microsaupht."

Huh?

And after experiencing this several times, I can tell you it's real.

Open a session in PT8.0.1.
Minimize it to the taskbar.
Open Firefox and peruse the net
Try to maximize the ProTools session and I get a frozen white screen.

hmmmmmmm....

Otherwise a fairly solid system.

Of course, here's the obligatory Sandra report:
SiSoftware Sandra

Computer
Model : Gigabyte EX58-UD3R
Workgroup : BEEZER
Host Name : music_hog
User : Michael

Processor
Model : Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz
Speed : 2.8GHz
Cores per Processor : 4 Unit(s)
Threads per Core : 2 Unit(s)
Type : Quad-Core
Integrated Data Cache : 4x 32kB, Synchronous, Write-Thru, 8-way, 64 byte line size, 2 threads sharing
L2 On-board Cache : 4x 256kB, ECC, Synchronous, ATC, 8-way, 64 byte line size, 2 threads sharing
L3 On-board Cache : 8MB, ECC, Synchronous, ATC, 16-way, Exclusive, 64 byte line size, 8 threads sharing

Computer
Mainboard : Gigabyte EX58-UD3R
BIOS : Award (Phoenix) F4 02/26/2009
Bus(es) : X-Bus PCI PCIe IMB USB FireWire/1394 i2c/SMBus
Multi-Processor (MP) Support : No
Multi-Processor Advanced PIC (APIC) : Yes
Total Memory : 3.38GB DIMM DDR3

Chipset
Model : Giga-Byte X58 I/O Hub
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 2.4GHz (4.79GHz)

Chipset
Model : Giga-Byte Core Desktop (Bloomfield) UnCore
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 2.4GHz (4.79GHz)
Total Memory : 6GB DIMM DDR3
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 532MHz (1GHz)

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module : OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G 2GB DIMM DDR3 PC3-8500U DDR3-1066 (7-7-7-16 4-26-8-4)
Memory Module : OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G 2GB DIMM DDR3 PC3-8500U DDR3-1066 (7-7-7-16 4-26-8-4)
Memory Module : OCZ OCZ3G1600LV2G 2GB DIMM DDR3 PC3-8500U DDR3-1066 (7-7-7-16 4-26-8-4)

Video System
Video Adapter : ASUS Extreme AX300SE/T (4 PS2.0, 2 VS2.0 324MHz, 128MB 195MHz, PCIe 1.00 x16)

Storage Devices
WDC WD3200AAKS-00L9A0 (320GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, NCQ, 16MB Cache) : 298GB (C:) (F:)
WDC WD1600AAJS-00L7A0 (160GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, NCQ, 8MB Cache) : 149GB (E:)
WDC WD2500KS-00MJB0 (250GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 16MB Cache) : 233GB (G:) (I:)
LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1693S (RAID, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) : N/A (D:)
LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-5236V (RAID, DVD+-R, CD-RW) : N/A (H:)

Logical Storage Devices
Hard Disk (C:) : 195GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD3200AAKS-00L9A0 (320GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, NCQ, 16MB Cache)
System Imag (F:) : 103GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD3200AAKS-00L9A0 (320GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, NCQ, 16MB Cache)
BFD data (E:) : 149GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD1600AAJS-00L7A0 (160GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, NCQ, 8MB Cache)
250Gb Aux1 (G:) : 155GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD2500KS-00MJB0 (250GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 16MB Cache)
SSD Backup (I:) : 78GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD2500KS-00MJB0 (250GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 16MB Cache)
Optical Drive (D:) : N/A @ LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1693S (RAID, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Optical Drive (H:) : N/A @ LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-5236V (RAID, DVD+-R, CD-RW)
3.5" 1.44MB (A:) : N/A

Peripherals
LPC Hub Controller 1 : Giga-Byte LPC Interface Controller
LPC Legacy Controller 1 : ITE IT8720F
Audio Device : Giga-Byte HD Audio Controller
Serial Port(s) : 1
Disk Controller : Giga-Byte 4 port SATA IDE Controller
Disk Controller : Giga-Byte 2 port SATA IDE Controller
Disk Controller : Giga-Byte JMB36X PCIE-to-SATAII/IDE RAID Controller
USB Controller 1 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #4
USB Controller 2 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #5
USB Controller 3 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #6
USB Controller 4 : Giga-Byte USB EHCI Controller #2
USB Controller 5 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #1
USB Controller 6 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #2
USB Controller 7 : Giga-Byte USB UHCI Controller #3
USB Controller 8 : Giga-Byte USB EHCI Controller #1
FireWire/1394 Controller 1 : Giga-Byte TSB43AB23 1394a-2000 OHCI PHY/link-layer Controller
SMBus/i2c Controller 1 : Intel 801xx/63xx SMBus

Printers and Faxes
Printer : Microsoft XPS Document Writer (600x600, Colour)
Printer : Microsoft Office Document Image Writer Driver (300x300, Colour)
Printer : Lexmark 2600 Series (4800x4800, USB, Colour)

Network Services
Network Adapter : Linksys WMP110 RangePlus Wireless PCI Adapter - Packet Scheduler Miniport (Ethernet, 54Mbps)
Network Adapter : Realtek RTL8168D(P)/8111D(P) PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC - Packet Scheduler Miniport

Power Management
Mains (AC) Line Status : On-Line

Operating System
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 3)
Platform Compliance : x86


______________________________________________

I'll see if I can get a screen crapture video. Give me a few minutes to find something like that on "the internets."

[Herkimer]

Oh the irony...

I install Debut Video Capture and run a screen capture test only to have the bas+erd work just fine...

Maybe the magic is in posting a problem and then have the gremlins make it go away to have me look the fool.

If I post about ADC and try to screen capture that, will it suddenly go away too?

[sw rec]

Hmmm....my best advice is not to open Firefox while Pro Tools is open. PT doesn't seem to like to share the computer with anything else.

[audiogeekzine]

Most of the time this is how my bug reports go... I rant and it fixes itself.

FWIW I've had unresponsive PT with firefox before, but not too often and I have firefox running all the time.

hmm how long till someone chimes in with a comment about internet connections on PT computers....in 2010 this is the reality of the project studio and any modern computer should be able to handle an idle internet connection in the background.

[sw rec]

My MAIN rig has an idle 'net connection at all times without a hitch, but I RARELY go online with it, other than FTP uploads. BUT my BACKUP rig in my office has an M-box, and I go on the 'net all the time with it...I can even record internet audio off my PC soundcard into the Mbox with it. So it's advised against, but I do it all the time.

[Herkimer]

The session I've been using lately has some pretty intense plug-ins on it. BFD2, Ozone 4, Steven Slate Drums via Kontakt 3, Nomad trackbox, Recitfi, and Smack (amongst a lot of others).

Maybe it's one of those plug-ins having its "special monthly lady-time."

[audiogeekzine]

Try Kontakt Player 4 instead of 3?

[Herkimer]

Maybe Kontakt 4. Is it free? I got Kontakt 3 as part of the Steven Slate Ex package on Audiomidi.com. I followed the install directions and that's what I got. Never had Kontakt before and completely unfamiliar with it (other than it works well with that Steven Slate Thingamajiggy which I like a lot: http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=268813).

[audiogeekzine]

so you actually have 3.5. the newest version is Kontakt Player 4. I don't know what's going on in the coding as far as stability but I find it a little nicer to look at and use.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/...ontakt-player/

[Markjay]

I don't imagine that it is an inherent Pro Tools / Firefox compatability issue. I use my 002 rack and PT8 to record audio from the internet (using Firefox) via the computer's sound card all the time and have never had a any kind of problem with the two programs. If your problem resurfaces, it must lie somewhere else.