How do we debug a program that is constantly hanging?

I've been using the Opera browser for a very long time but all of a sudden
(after an automatic Windows update), Opera hangs within a minute or two of
bringing it up.

It doesn't matter what I do with Opera, it hangs within a minute or two,
but it never hangs right away.

Certainly I've uninstalled and re-installed the latest version for Windows
10 and all the older versions that I've used in the past.
Opera_45.0.2552.881_Setup.exe
Opera_46.0.2597.39_Setup.exe
Opera_49.0.2725.64_Setup.exe
Opera_50.0.2762.67_Setup.exe

I've used CCcleaner cleaning and Revo uninstaller cleaning.
I've deleted all the app directory data many times.
C:\USERS\uname\AppData\{Local,Roaming}\Opera Software\

So I don't think it's Opera, but Windows 10 that screwed up "something".
But what?

I have to kill it with the three-fingered salute (control alt delete).

Is there a program I can run before I start Opera that will track why Opera
is hanging?

On 27/01/2018 19:54, Mad Roger wrote:

So I don't think it's Opera, but Windows 10 that screwed up "something".
But what?

Lionel Muller AKA Roy Tremblay AKA Harold Newton AKA Harry Newton AKA
Mother ****er etc etc,

Please use Linux so that you can compare Windows with Linux; If it is
any faster and reliable than Windows 10 then you should stay with it and
then use Linux NGs for support. Windows 10 is not for everybody. It
requires some intelligence from the user's part and so far you haven't
demonstrated that you have any.

Are you still trying to hide your identity on the net? How is your vpn
usage coming on? I can only say that you have screwed up Windows to
hide your ID. There is nothing on our machine like what you suggest
here in your stupid post to blame Windows 10.




--
With over 600 million devices now running Windows 10, customer
satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

On Sat, 27 Jan 2018 20:49:00 +0000,
Good Guy wrote:

Windows 10 is not for everybody.

I tried the javara program, which found a few javas.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/javara/

And then the Microsoft uninstaller & installer debugging cleaner too.
https://www.java.com/en/download/hel...al_regedit.xml

Which is located here.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...led-or-removed

Follow these steps to automatically repair issues including corrupted
registry keys that block you from installing or removing program

Mad Roger wrote:
I've been using the Opera browser for a very long time but all of a sudden
(after an automatic Windows update), Opera hangs within a minute or two of
bringing it up.

It doesn't matter what I do with Opera, it hangs within a minute or two,
but it never hangs right away.

Certainly I've uninstalled and re-installed the latest version for Windows
10 and all the older versions that I've used in the past.
Opera_45.0.2552.881_Setup.exe
Opera_46.0.2597.39_Setup.exe
Opera_49.0.2725.64_Setup.exe
Opera_50.0.2762.67_Setup.exe

I've used CCcleaner cleaning and Revo uninstaller cleaning.
I've deleted all the app directory data many times.
C:\USERS\uname\AppData\{Local,Roaming}\Opera Software\

So I don't think it's Opera, but Windows 10 that screwed up "something".
But what?

I have to kill it with the three-fingered salute (control alt delete).

Is there a program I can run before I start Opera that will track why Opera
is hanging?

See if Opera has a "hardware acceleration" setting, which
uses the GPU. Try disabling it, then retest Opera.

Adobe Flash plugin also has a hardware acceleration setting,
if you see problems in Flash video on websites. That causes
visual disturbances and isn't a browser stability issue as such.

*******

If you open Task Manager, proof of how modern your video card
is, is the presence of a "GPU" display in Task Manager. Like this
under the latest Windows 10 install (16299).

https://winaero.com/blog/track-gpu-u...ce-windows-10/

I don't have that, because my video card is too old, and doesn't
have the latest revision of WDDM driver for the hardware. Support
has stopped for my video card.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window...y_Driver_Model

"Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) includes WDDM 2.3"

The latest video driver should have a working OpenGL "memory remaining"
call for the GPU. On some older drivers, it's broken, and that
call also causes LibreOffice to crash when displaying a chart
in Calc.

Paul

On Sat, 27 Jan 2018 23:04:50 -0500,
Paul wrote:

See if Opera has a "hardware acceleration" setting, which
uses the GPU. Try disabling it, then retest Opera.

Thank you Paul for that helpful idea as you're on to something because it
takes a minute or two for Opera to lock up.

1. I set the start page to opera://settings
2. Then selected "Show advanced settings"
3. Then "Browser" settings & then "System" and unchecked
"Use hardware acceleration when available"

But it still locked up - but differently.
This time, the "not responding" didn't happen, and a new tab page could be
created (which couldn't happen before) but it's still locked up after about
a minute or two.

So I turned *everything* off (java, flash, microphone, etc.).

Interestingly, the "lockup" still happens, leaving the opera auto updater
running and opera processes running, but now it doesn't say "not
responding", where I can open tabs, but they do nothing.

So it *changed* the response a bit.

Mad Roger wrote:
On Sat, 27 Jan 2018 23:04:50 -0500,
Paul wrote:

See if Opera has a "hardware acceleration" setting, which
uses the GPU. Try disabling it, then retest Opera.

Thank you Paul for that helpful idea as you're on to something because it
takes a minute or two for Opera to lock up.

1. I set the start page to opera://settings
2. Then selected "Show advanced settings"
3. Then "Browser" settings & then "System" and unchecked
"Use hardware acceleration when available"

But it still locked up - but differently.
This time, the "not responding" didn't happen, and a new tab page could be
created (which couldn't happen before) but it's still locked up after about
a minute or two.

So I turned *everything* off (java, flash, microphone, etc.).

Interestingly, the "lockup" still happens, leaving the opera auto updater
running and opera processes running, but now it doesn't say "not
responding", where I can open tabs, but they do nothing.

So it *changed* the response a bit.

Have you tried looking in their forum for a
match on the symptoms ?

https://forums.opera.com/topic/24496...nu-bookmarks/4

Because it's got such a weird feature set, I don't
really know where to start with such a thing. Blow
away the data storage it uses, and get it to repopulate
its profile ?

Paul

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:17:06 -0500,
Paul wrote:

Have you tried looking in their forum for a
match on the symptoms ?

https://forums.opera.com/topic/24496...nu-bookmarks/4

Because it's got such a weird feature set, I don't
really know where to start with such a thing. Blow
away the data storage it uses, and get it to repopulate
its profile ?

Hi Paul,

This is really a *Windows* question ... and not an Opera question at all.

To be clear, I went to the Opera forums first (via a simple search) which
is where they suggested that the profiles and Java are the issue. It seems,
like is often the case, that *nobody* knows why Opera hangs so much.

I know exactly what Opera installs so I know I deleted it all by hand, with
CCleaner, with Revo, etc.

It's really a *Windows* debugging problem - and not an Opera problem.

I *really* would rather have *Windows debugging* hints, than Opera hints,
because, as you said, there's so much going on behind the scenes (such as
their autoupdate, the VPN, etc.) that I'd prefer to *see* what Opera is
doing than to try to *fix* Opera for the developers.

So my question is really what is in the Subject line.
It's a Windows question, as it applies to *any* tool that hangs.
Not just Opera.

How, in Windows, can we see what a program is doing when that program
starts off nicely, but hangs within a minute or two?

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 18:03:19 -0000 (UTC), Mad Roger
wrote:

How, in Windows, can we see what a program is doing when that program
starts off nicely, but hangs within a minute or two?

Maybe this Nirsoft tool will help.


"Sometimes, Windows or a running application hangs, the user interface
abruptly stops responding, and you cannot determine what has caused the
problem or how to troubleshoot the issue. This utility tries to detect
the software or process that is currently hung, and displays some
information that may allow you to sort out and understand what exactly
is at the root of such unexpected behavior."

http://nirsoft.net/utils/what_is_hang.html

Mad Roger wrote:
On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:17:06 -0500,
Paul wrote:

Have you tried looking in their forum for a
match on the symptoms ?

https://forums.opera.com/topic/24496...nu-bookmarks/4

Because it's got such a weird feature set, I don't
really know where to start with such a thing. Blow
away the data storage it uses, and get it to repopulate
its profile ?

Hi Paul,

This is really a *Windows* question ... and not an Opera question at all.

To be clear, I went to the Opera forums first (via a simple search) which
is where they suggested that the profiles and Java are the issue. It seems,
like is often the case, that *nobody* knows why Opera hangs so much.

I know exactly what Opera installs so I know I deleted it all by hand, with
CCleaner, with Revo, etc.

It's really a *Windows* debugging problem - and not an Opera problem.

I *really* would rather have *Windows debugging* hints, than Opera hints,
because, as you said, there's so much going on behind the scenes (such as
their autoupdate, the VPN, etc.) that I'd prefer to *see* what Opera is
doing than to try to *fix* Opera for the developers.

So my question is really what is in the Subject line.
It's a Windows question, as it applies to *any* tool that hangs.
Not just Opera.

How, in Windows, can we see what a program is doing when that program
starts off nicely, but hangs within a minute or two?

When a program is running, you can use Process Monitor (ProcMon)
to log activity, see what file and registry settings it is accessing.

However, that's no good for frozen or looping programs.
In cases like that you want WinDbg for Visual Studio compiled
programs, or gdb for gcc compiled programs. In the case of
WinDbg, you'd want the .pdb files that go with the executable,
as those contain the symbol table, and they give the display
of activity some names to work with. In addition, it helps
to have *source*, so you can single-step and see exactly
which lines of source are looping. That's more than just a
subroutine name, it shows you exactly what is going on.

I have compiled Firefox and single-stepped it. I did that
once while trying to debug a printing problem. I will probably
never do that again (pointless exercise, but... I had to try it).

*******

If you register a program as if it was a debugger, set a
breakpoint or otherwise "bomb" the program, you may get
a stack trace that can aid in identifying the general
area where the thing is frozen. Perhaps the thing Char
found, uses such a technique.

Paul

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 13:07:00 -0600,
Char Jackson wrote:

http://nirsoft.net/utils/what_is_hang.html

Looks interesting. It's the *right idea* - but it failed to work for some
reason.

You have to get _both_ the 32-bit and 64-bit version of whatishang because
it will clearly tell you, if you don't (which I at first didn't) that you
need the 32-bit version to debug 32-bit tools (which Opera apparently is)
and the 64-bit version to debug 64-bit tools.

But that you need both is not a big deal at all.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=1724555whatishang2.jpg

When Opera hangs (which is after about a minute of use), the WhatIsHang
will show "Welcome to Opera - Opera (Not Responding)"

Clicking on it, WhatIsHang will show "Press F9 to get hang information
about the selected process".
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4507465whatishang1.jpg

Pressing "F9" I get
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4646749whatishang3.jpg

"Error 5: Access is denied.
WhatIsHang failed to extract thread information from the process. Try to
right-click on WhatIsHang.exe and choose 'Run As Administrator' and then
generate the report again."

Re-Running WhatIsHang as 32 bit, and Admin, nothing changes.

So, the *idea* of a Windows "what is hanging and why" program is
*fantastic*.

We just need to find one that works (where Nirsoft is usually good stuff,
but Opera must be defeating it somehow).

Mad Roger wrote:
On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 13:07:00 -0600,
Char Jackson wrote:

http://nirsoft.net/utils/what_is_hang.html

Looks interesting. It's the *right idea* - but it failed to work for some
reason.

You have to get _both_ the 32-bit and 64-bit version of whatishang because
it will clearly tell you, if you don't (which I at first didn't) that you
need the 32-bit version to debug 32-bit tools (which Opera apparently is)
and the 64-bit version to debug 64-bit tools.

But that you need both is not a big deal at all.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=1724555whatishang2.jpg

When Opera hangs (which is after about a minute of use), the WhatIsHang
will show "Welcome to Opera - Opera (Not Responding)"

Clicking on it, WhatIsHang will show "Press F9 to get hang information
about the selected process".
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4507465whatishang1.jpg

Pressing "F9" I get
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4646749whatishang3.jpg

"Error 5: Access is denied.
WhatIsHang failed to extract thread information from the process. Try to
right-click on WhatIsHang.exe and choose 'Run As Administrator' and then
generate the report again."

Re-Running WhatIsHang as 32 bit, and Admin, nothing changes.

So, the *idea* of a Windows "what is hanging and why" program is
*fantastic*.

We just need to find one that works (where Nirsoft is usually good stuff,
but Opera must be defeating it somehow).

I tried writing a program that hangs, and Nirsoft
wouldn't show the program in the list.

Here's another reference to hanging. This time, it's
Vivaldi browser. Some of the mods here, are blaming Chrome/Chromium
for having freezing problems, and then browsers derived
from Chrome, see the same problems. Now, if this was true,
wouldn't there be a big lineup from all the Chrome users
suffering with this ? Where are those people hiding ?

https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/5246...stant-freezing

And in that thread, vivaldi has some command line options.
Maybe Opera has these too ?

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vivaldi-beta\Application\vivaldi.exe" –disable-gpu --disable-software-rasterizer

Paul

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 16:16:52 -0500,
Paul wrote:

I tried writing a program that hangs, and Nirsoft
wouldn't show the program in the list.

Thanks for running that test. I think the "idea" behind the NirSoft tool is
great, and I have nothing but respect for the NirSoft tool suites, but,
like you saw, it just didn't report anything useful.

So all Windows users, IMHO, need a "hanging debugger", that simply works.

Here's another reference to hanging. This time, it's
Vivaldi browser.

Some of the mods here, are blaming Chrome/Chromium
for having freezing problems, and then browsers derived
from Chrome, see the same problems.

I have Chromium based browsers, including Chrome and Iron, all working
fine.

The only thing about Opera, which I've been using for about a year or so,
is that the hanging only started within the last few days (after a Windows
attempt at updating).
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4543100update1.jpg

So I suspect it's really Windows that screwed up, and not Opera, but until
I debug this, I can't say whether the Windows attempt at updating had any
effect or not on the Opera operation.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=5092912update2.jpg

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 16:16:52 -0500,
Paul wrote:

https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/5246...stant-freezing

It's only Opera which is hanging, and even then, only after a recent
Windows 10 attempt at updating.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=9976681update2.jpg

Nonetheless, as a test, I installed the latest version of Ch romium-based
Vivaldi on Windows 10:
https://downloads.vivaldi.com/stable...13.1008.44.exe

The Vivaldi browser did not hang in use like Opera does (and neither does
Chrome, and SRWare Iron, both of which are Chromium-based browsers).

There are only two things that I can tell you:
1. Opera is the only browser recently hanging (I've had it a long time)
2. A recent windows update is what "seems" to have started the hanging
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4002673update1.jpg

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 15:02:32 -0500,
Paul wrote:

If you register a program as if it was a debugger, set a
breakpoint or otherwise "bomb" the program, you may get
a stack trace that can aid in identifying the general
area where the thing is frozen. Perhaps the thing Char
found, uses such a technique.

I reinstalled Opera and didn't customize it (by removing the "speed dial"
for example), where I noticed something interesting which implicates the
Nvidia graphics driver...
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4393325whatishang4.jpg

Hang report for C:\apps\browser\ch-based\opera2\50.0.2762.67\opera.exe
Generated by using WhatIsHang on 28-Jan-18 2:59:21 PM
Web site: http://www.nirsoft.net

Remarks:
* The program hangs in a single system call. You can look in the call stack
and stack data to find out which API function cause this hang.

Strings found in the stack:
NVIDIA
GWQZK0n+IBk-k+AWE-*w+AMc-*+AVI-h+IBg-L+ALAAow-Lh+IBg-L/

Modules found in the stack:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\KERNELBASE.dll , Microsoft Corporation , Microsoft+AK4-
Windows+AK4- Operating System, Windows NT BASE API Client DLL
C:\apps\browser\ch-based\opera2\50.0.2762.67\opera_browser.dll

ThreadID: 4676

Execute Address:
771D6C1C ntdll.dll!NtWaitForSingleObject+-0xc

Call Stack:
04EFF17C 74E8E262 KERNELBASE.dll!WaitForSingleObject+-0x12
04EFF190 68004FE9 opera_browser.dll+-0x314fe9
04EFF1D0 6848BDFF opera_browser.dll+-0x79bdff
04EFF254 684897DD opera_browser.dll+-0x7997dd

On Sun, 28 Jan 2018 23:05:21 -0000 (UTC),
Mad Roger wrote:

Strings found in the stack:
NVIDIA

More results.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=3093204whatishang5.jpg

Now I'm getting the hang of it, where I think the reason NirSoft didn't
work before might have been the sequence to run it as Administrator.
(It should let you know what mode it's in, more graphically.)

Notice two things:
a. Nvidis is somehow involved, and,
b. autoupdate.geo.opera.com is somehow involved.

Hang report for C:\apps\browser\ch-based\opera2\50.0.2762.67\opera.exe
Generated by using WhatIsHang on 28-Jan-18 3:43:16 PM
Web site: http://www.nirsoft.net

Remarks:
* The program hangs in a single system call. You can look in the call stack
and stack data to find out which API function cause this hang.

Strings found in the stack:
NVIDIA
autoupdate.geo.opera.com
ssl.version_max

Modules found in the stack:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\KERNELBASE.dll , Microsoft Corporation , Microsoft+AK4-
Windows Operating System, Windows NT BASE API Client DLL
C:\apps\browser\ch-based\opera2\50.0.2762.67\opera_browser.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\uxtheme.dll , Microsoft Corporation , Microsoft+AK4-
Windows Operating System, Microsoft UxTheme Library

ThreadID: 2560

Execute Address:
771D6C1C ntdll.dll!NtWaitForSingleObject+-0xc