KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q175644: Dr. Watson Fails to Appear Because of Long File Names in Path

Article: Q175644
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): WinNT:3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry.
Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it
if a problem occurs. For information on how to do this, view the "Restoring
the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry
Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS
========

Applications that are running on a computer running Windows NT Server or Windows
NT Workstation may fail, but there is no error message or any other indication
of failure, and no log is ever created.

CAUSE
=====

During the installation of certain applications such as Visual C++ 5.0, the
setup program changes the default debugger to the application itself. If that
application is installed in a location that contains a long file name, or spaces
in the path, the previously described symptom occurs.

RESOLUTION
==========

Use one of the following methods to resolve this problem. The first two methods
change the default debugger back to Dr. Watson.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use
Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And
Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete
Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in
Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

Method 1
--------

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

2. Type the following command to start Dr. Watson and change Dr. Watson to the
  default debugger:

  " Drwtsn32 -i" (without the quotation marks)

Method 2
--------

1. Run Registry Editor (regedt32.exe).

2. Go to the following key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion
  \AeDebug

  NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

3. To change the default debugger back to Dr. Watson, modify the debugger value
  to the following:

  Value Name: Debugger
  Data Type : REG_SZ
  Data      : Drwtsn32 -p %ld -e %ld -g

Method 3
--------

The following method will allow Visual C++ 5.0 to run as the default debugger:

1. Run Registry Editor (regedt32.exe).

2. Go to the following key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion
  \AeDebug

  NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

3. Modify the current debugger path to use the short file name, or place
  quotation marks around the data path to allow the spaces to be correctly
  interpreted.

  For example, if Visual C++ 5.0 is installed and the path is C:\Program
  Files\<application>, change the data value to the following:

  Value Name: Debugger
  Data Type : REG_SZ
  Data      : C:\Progra~1\DevStudio\SharedIDE\Bin\Msdev.exe %ld -e %ld

  -or-

  Data      : "C:\Program Files\DevStudio\SharedIDE\Bin\Msdev.exe %ld
  -e %ld"

  NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are
researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When an application fails on a computer running Windows NT, that application
tries to load a specified debugger, to log information about the failure.
Windows NT attaches the specified debugger to the application, and generates a
log will that contains information about the cause of the application failure.
By default, Windows NT launches Dr. Watson. However, certain applications may
change this default and include the path to the new debugger.

If the path includes a long file name such as:

  C:\Program Files\...

Windows NT will not read the path correctly, and the debugger for an application
that is failing will not load unless the full path is specified in the user's
environment.

Additional query words: load fails crash crashes disappears

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : WinNT:3.51,4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA PPC x86
Issue type        : kbbug

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.