#1726 After Windows update, crashes on save or open actions

[Helga Pataki]

Good day everyone,

for completely unknown reasons to me, Task Coach crashes when I simply try to save it using the typical combination of CTRL+SHIFT+S. For a brief moment, the window shows up where I can save my file and then it shuts the whole application down.

This has never happened before in all those 8 years that I am using it. It also happens when I use my desktop PC (usually I use my laptop).

What is going on there? Please help...

Thank you
Helga

[Aaron Wolf]

Incidentally, this is the first ticket where I get to say that efforts to revitalize Task Coach development are at least active. Multiple people together are starting work to get Task Coach updated to newer versions of things so development can then continue. Until that is done, things are still stagnant for updating or fixing though.

I think we might be able to solve your problem though. I'm guessing there is an issue with the .ini file that is causing a crashing. So, one way to check that is to rename it so a new one is made or to just delete it (though renaming is safer). See https://answers.launchpad.net/taskcoach/+faq/1061

The other option is to go to the preferences and turn on auto-save so that you don't have to manually save. Also, does it crash if you use the menu with the cursor instead of a keyboard shortcut?

[Helga Pataki]

Hello Aaron,

first all thank very much this quick response!

I have news already: I have just removed the recent Windows Update from June 12th 2024, in a desperate attempt, because I remembered that there was this update going on on both my laptop and my PC.

So I removed this update and lo and behold, it looks like it's working again! At least on my PC, I will try and do this procedure for my laptop as well.

To your input:

I love TaskCoach, it is by far the best piece of software for GTD in my opintion.

I will try and do the thing with the ini file in case this phenomenon occurs again.

Turning auto-save on should also work, however I have always save manually to create two different files in case one gets unusable for some reason.

I will keep you updated, Aaron.

[Helga Pataki]

Update:

So deinstalling the most recent windows security update (I use Windows 10) has re-enabled me to do the shortkey to save manually.

Apologies for notr esponding to you last question previously:

I did not even get a chance to use my cursor or keyboard, because it immediately crashed w/o me having any chance to do anything.

Why does a windows update have such an effect?

[Aaron Wolf]

I do not know what's going on, but potentially if the revitalizing works out, issues like this will get fixed. I too agree that nothing out there is quite like Task Coach. I want to see it back on track and updated. Glad you have it working for now, closing this for the time being. I can re-open the ticket if needed.

[LangtonBen]

I also started having this issue after a recent Windows update. I don't think it is keyboard-related; I believe the issue occurs when the File Explorer dialog is opened by any means.

I tried various fixes and workarounds, such as:

• sfc /scannow
• Replacing the TaskCoach.ini file
• Using the portable application
• Running as administrator
• Changing the compatibility level that the app runs under

Removing the Windows update isn't a good option for me, so a workaround would be much appreciated.

In case it helps any, the crash logs this to the Windows EventLog:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          2024-06-24 09:51:58
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Description:
Faulting application name: taskcoach.exe, version: 1.4.6.0, time stamp: 0x49180193
Faulting module name: windows.storage.dll, version: 10.0.19041.4522, time stamp: 0x829ee8e8
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x002045bb
Faulting process id: 0x18f4
Faulting application start time: 0x01dac63da516d6e8
Faulting application path: C:\Utils\TaskCoachPortable\App\TaskCoach\taskcoach.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\windows.storage.dll
Report Id: e3d04c78-0f5b-4265-b5c1-c7b0054ee473
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Error" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
    <Version>0</Version>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2024-06-24T13:51:58.1684676Z" />
    <EventRecordID>132925</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>L5440-78YNBY3.cbord.com</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>taskcoach.exe</Data>
    <Data>1.4.6.0</Data>
    <Data>49180193</Data>
    <Data>windows.storage.dll</Data>
    <Data>10.0.19041.4522</Data>
    <Data>829ee8e8</Data>
    <Data>c0000005</Data>
    <Data>002045bb</Data>
    <Data>18f4</Data>
    <Data>01dac63da516d6e8</Data>
    <Data>C:\Utils\TaskCoachPortable\App\TaskCoach\taskcoach.exe</Data>
    <Data>C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\windows.storage.dll</Data>
    <Data>e3d04c78-0f5b-4265-b5c1-c7b0054ee473</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

[Christy Bell]

Hi there! This is the same issue that I'm having over at Ticket #565. The culprit Windows Update is KB5039211. I don't know what Windows did to mess up the interface with File Explorer and Task Coach! The only way I can export data from Task Coach is by uninstalling the Windows Update.

[Aaron Wolf]

Hi all, I'm thinking the main workaround is to turn on autosave (and to quit Task Coach after that so the autosave setting is stored in the .ini). Please confirm whether that at least works.

If you do some backup routine of your files, then autosave is less risky, you can go back to a backup snapshot. That's something outside of Task Coach.

It's too bad that manual save is broken with this update. I don't think that will be fixed until Task Coach is brought up to newer standards.

[LangtonBen]

Thanks for the info!

FWIW, I must already have autosave turned on; I don't actually save - where I am running into this issue is when exporting. It opens the File Explorer dialog, which is non-responsive, for about 2 seconds, then the whole application closes.

[Ildikó Siklósi]

Bad news :( I see the last update was in 2021. Can we hope that there will be another version after 3 years now? Does anyone have information about that? Once will another windows update, and another etc... It's not optimal to use the OS without safety updates. Can we hope that someone somewhere will solve this problem? I wish someone done that...

[Aaron Wolf]

somewhere here I've already mentioned that the revival effort is at https://github.com/taskcoach and there are multiple people at least supposedly interested in working on that. I can't predict anything about success or time-frame unfortunately, but encouragement there or recruiting other help is probably worth doing if you can

[Helga Pataki]

Hi everyone, the problem with having autosave turned on is that you may at some point simply close TaskCoach (after clicking yes to a final save) but then the message "errors have occurred" (or something like that) shows up and you are left with just having saved a corrupted file. Which sucks. It's the reason I save manually. So all I can do for the time being is not installing windows' recent update and hope for the best.

[Ildikó Siklósi]

I experienced something similar, in a different process that has no contact with "save" function. Task Coach can't use any function what has to open filemanager. For example "open" or "save as". I tried it 4 different pc/laptop. The problem was the same. File manager was opened and after 2 second Task Coach application made closed. By the way I use autosave, but this issue shows up before have to do save, already at the first "open". There is a temporary solution, but it's unconvenient. The needed file have to be opened from filemanager or total commander or something like those. If I want to save it under a different name, the file must be copied under a different name in the filemanager, from which it can be opened.
I'd like to know if we can hope for a bug fix. This program is my greatest support to manage my deadlines and tasks so I don't want to throw it away. No way.

[Aaron Wolf]

So, the crazy workaround is to use Task Coach on some system that is pre-Windows-update and not crashing. Open a file. Save it. Close Task Coach. Then get the .ini which should have the info about what file-from-before to start with. https://answers.launchpad.net/taskcoach/+faq/1061 Copy/save the .ini and then with the Windows-update still, you should be having Task Coach automatically open the file, and with autosave on, both opening the file and saving will not use the filemanager interface — I think…

Oh, rereading, it looks like you have workarounds that are functioning such that this bug isn't making Task Coach unusable, right?

I agree about how valuable Task Coach is, and I'm happy that finally after many years, there's a volunteer effort to revitalize it. See https://github.com/taskcoach and you might decide to recruit others to help or go over there and start a discussion where you just express gratitude and encouragement to the volunteers to help motivate the progress.

I suspect that bugs of all sorts will really best get resolved after the revival update to Python3 and so on. And hopefully actual development will eventually continue

[Christy Bell]

With the Windows Update KB5039211 installed, I experience Task Coach crashing any time Windows' File Explorer is prompted to open, which includes the following.

Any attempt to export information
Trying to "Save as..." the Task Coach file
Opening a Task Coach file
Etc.

I am able to use Task Coach as long as it doesn't prompt Windows' File Explorer to open. For reference, I have always had autosave turned on, so autosave doesn't change the crashing behavior.

I also tried uninstalling and reinstalling a fresh copy of Task Coach with the Windows Update KB5039211 installed, and all of these problems with File Explorer still persist. These problems exist with the Task Coach Portable version as well.

I use the export function weekly, so please let me know if the best path forward is to post on the Github link you provided. There is clearly some kind of issue with how the Windows Update changed the handshake between Task Coach and File Explorer.

[Georg D]

Another workaround allowing you to have KB5039211 installed and still export: Task Coach v1.4.6 does actually run in Win XP 5.1.26 in Virtual Box, in my tries stable + smooth, export works fine, data exchange is easy via Virtual Box' shared folder feature – in virtual Win XP, it appears like a network share, in your "physical" Windows/Linux, it's a normal folder, so you do not even need to copy around but can use one single same task coach file from both installations (better not at the same time ;-)

Virtual Box is cost free. I did read a Win XP ready made VM-image was offered for free by Microsoft, there is a ready-made VM image offered by the Internet Archive, or you may have an old install medium so you can create your own VM disk. The VM image consumes around 1.8GB hard disk, the running machine between 2% and 20% of my old laptop intel 8th generation CPU and surprisingly only 48MB of RAM, so it shall be possible on mostly any hardware that powers Win 10 or 11.

[Christy Bell]

Hi Georg,

Thank you very much for this solution! I tried it and it worked like a charm! I had never thought of or had experience with creating a virtual machine, so I really appreciate your proposed solution to this problem. I finally stumbled through the process tonight, and I was able to export my Task Coach session with the latest Windows Update installed!

Thank you again!

[David Guy]

Hi All
I use taskcoach and down load the csv file monthly. I removed the latest update and managed to download the file as normal. I have tried it with windows 11 and it seems fine on that OS

Has anyone found the same with windows 11?
thanks
Dave

[Ildikó Siklósi]

Hi again,
I have a new experience. I tried the previous version, 1.4.5. This version works without problems with the latest OS update. Maybe this could be useful information for someone. I think this is the simplest solution so far. I would appreciate it if you could share your experience with this if you try it.
Thanks a lot :)

[Aaron Wolf]

That is a big deal, the 1.4.6 update was very small, this should make it much easier to fix!

[David Guy]

Thank you
..

On Thu, 11 Jul 2024, 20:55 Ildikó Siklósi, chimaera@users.sourceforge.net
wrote:

Hi again,
I have a new experience. I tried the previous version, 1.4.5. This version
works without problems with the latest OS update. Maybe this could be
useful information for someone. I think this is the simplest solution so
far. I would appreciate it if you could share your experience with this if
you try it.
Thanks a lot :)

---

[bugs:#1726] https://sourceforge.net/p/taskcoach/bugs/1726/ After
Windows update, crashes on save or open actions

Status: open
First version affected: Release_1.4.6
Created: Wed Jun 12, 2024 05:03 PM UTC by Helga Pataki
Last Updated: Mon Jul 08, 2024 02:56 AM UTC
Owner: Aaron Wolf

Good day everyone,

for completely unknown reasons to me, Task Coach crashes when I simply try
to save it using the typical combination of CTRL+SHIFT+S. For a brief
moment, the window shows up where I can save my file and then it shuts the
whole application down.

This has never happened before in all those 8 years that I am using it. It
also happens when I use my desktop PC (usually I use my laptop).

What is going on there? Please help...

Thank you
Helga

---

Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in
https://sourceforge.net/p/taskcoach/bugs/1726/

To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit
https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/

[LangtonBen]

Thank you for the report. Unfortunately, that solution did not work for me. I uninstalled TaskCoach 1.4.6, installed 1.4.5, then tried to export. I still see the same issue - the File Explorer dialog opens, hangs for about 2 seconds, then the whole application crashes.