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Q236092: FIX: "Error Spawning ‘vcspawn.exe’. The build could not be perfo

Article: Q236092
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbVC600bug kbDSupport kbNoUpdate
Last Modified: 11-FEB-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Building applications from the integrated development environment (IDE) may
fail, with the following message subsequently displayed in the output window:

  Error spawning 'vcspawn.exe'. The build could not be performed.

The message does not identify why the build could not be performed.

CAUSE
=====

There are several known causes for this message:

- The environment used by the IDE does not have the correct directories to
  search for such tools as Vcspawn.exe.

- The ComSpec environment variable may be incorrectly defined.

- The system's NULL device may be disabled or missing (Microsoft Windows NT
  only).

Although all of these are valid reasons for a build to fail, Visual C++ does not
provide enough information to identify the specific cause of the failure or how
to resolve it.

RESOLUTION
==========

The following are four suggested resolutions:

Resolution 1: Install or Re-Enable NULL Device (Windows NT Only):

There are slight variations on the displayed error text. These variations can
sometimes help to identify what is causing the problem. If the error text
resembles the following, you may have problems opening the NULL device:

  Cannot start tool. The system cannot find the file specified. The system
  cannot find the file specified. Error spawning 'vcspawn.exe'. The build could
  not be performed.

Use the following steps to check on the NULL device:

1. From Control Panel, open the Devices manager.

2. Look for the Null device in the list of devices. If you do not have a Null
  device, you must reinstall Null.sys.

3. The Null device should show Status=Started and Startup=System.

4. To correct the Status setting, select the Null device and click Start.

5. To correct the Startup setting, select the Null device, click Startup, and
  then select System.

Resolution 2: Correct the IDE Environment:

If you have the following error text variation, you probably have errors in the
ComSpec definition or the IDE environment, which specifies where to find the
tools:

  Cannot start tool. The operation completed successfully. Cannot start tool.
  Error spawning 'vcspawn.exe'. The build could not be performed.

See Resolution 4 below for information about correcting the ComSpec definition.
To correct the IDE environment:

1. From the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the Directories tab, and under Show Directories for, select Executable
  Files.

3. The following five directories should be listed in this order: Correct the
  directory list to point to valid directories:

  a. (Your VC install location)\Common\MSDev98\Bin;

  b. (Your VC install location)\VC98\BIN;

  c. (Your VC install location)\Common\TOOLS;

  d. Your Windows system directory (often this is C:\WINNT\system32)

  e. Your Windows directory (often this is C:\WINNT)

4. Test these directories by double-clicking them, and then click the ellipses
  [...]. Alternatively, copy the directory to the clipboard. Then, on the Start
  menu, click Run, and paste the directory into the Open text box. This method
  should bring up Windows Explorer with that directory.

5. To add a new directory, double-click an empty box and then click the ellipses
  [...].

  NOTE: The "...\MSDev98\Bin" directory contains Vcspawn.exe and should be first
  in the list.

Resolution 3: Use the System Environment:

An alternative way of specifying the executable paths is to use the /USEENV
argument when starting MSDEV (Visual C++). The command line resembles the
following:

Msdev /USEENV

This action forces Visual C to use the system environment settings rather than
the directories specified in Options under the Tools menu. This will help if the
system environment variables are all correct; for example, if you can build
successfully from a command prompt.

NOTE: Resolution 2 is usually recommended over using the /USEENV switch. For
additional information about a bug that was fixed in Service Pack 3, please
click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:

  Q216854 FIX: Running msdev /useenv Once Causes Environment To Be Used
  Permanently

Resolution 4: Correct the ComSpec Environment Variable Definition:

If the paths look correct (see Resolution 2), the problem may be with the ComSpec
environment variable. The ComSpec environment variable identifies the command
prompt executable. On Windows NT, this usually resembles the following:

ComSpec=C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.exe

On Windows 95 or Windows 98, it typically resembles the following:

ComSpec=C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM

To check, set, or change the value of the ComSpec environment variable:

- On Windows NT:

  1. From the Start menu, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.

  2. Double-click the System icon (this action displays all existing
     environment variables and their values).

  3. Add or modify the ComSpec variable, as necessary.

- On Windows 9x:

  1. From the MS-DOS prompt, enter "set ComSpec" (without the quotation marks).
     This action either displays the current value of the ComSpec environment
     variable, or "Environment Variable ComSpec not defined."

  2. Edit the Autoexec.bat file to modify or add ComSpec to the system as
     necessary.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

This problem was corrected in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information about this subject, please click the article numbers
below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q189138 PRB: "error spawning empfile.exe" Building WINCE Application

  Q188720 PRB: Error Executing ~vcecho!Compiling

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbVC600bug kbDSupport kbNoUpdate 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVC600 kbVC32bitSearch
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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