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Need Assistance - 0x8000ffff catastrophic error when debugging VB6 COM+ objects - Wallace B. McClure

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Need Assistance - 0x8000ffff catastrophic error when debugging VB6 COM+ objects

Hi all. I am trying to debug some Vb6 COM+ components under Win2k3 server. I have inherited this code from someone else. I have loaded the components into a COM+ application. I have the com+ app running as the interactive user. When I run the components through the debugger and call them through the web browser, I get an 0x8000ffff catastrphic error. When I don't run the components within the debugger, everything runs normally. I can compile the components fine. The compiled components work properly when called directly,
the problem is when running underneath the debugger.

I am running Win2k3 server, vb6 with sp5, and sql2k with sp3.

Anyone have any thoughts as to how to resolve this issue and to debug the components properly? I have searched the MS knowledgebase and google (sites and groups) with little result. I think that this is a security issue in that some user does not have appropiate access to something, but I am running as the local administrator and everything is configured to run as the Interactive User.

Wally

Posted: Nov 17 2003, 01:01 PM by Wallym | with 11 comment(s)
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Comments

Mathew Nolton said:

do you have it set to "Binary Compatability"?
If in debug mode, try turning compatibility to "No Compatibility"

-Mathew Nolton
# November 17, 2003 1:11 PM

Wallym said:

"binary Compatability" to "No Compatibility" no worky........
# November 17, 2003 1:23 PM

Mathew Nolton said:

I read that somewhere a while ago. Since you were grasping at straws, I thought I'd throw one into the pile.
-Mathew Nolton
# November 17, 2003 1:27 PM

Chris Carter said:

Just a shot, if the app is running under interactive user and you're trying to run it thru the debugger, the default web account(IUSR_MACHINE_NAME in IIS 5 and earlier, not sure what it is for IIS 6 ) needs to have permission to run the vb6.exe executable. By default it should not be allowed to run executables for obvious security reasons. Although the following describes a different error it also explains how to allow debugging a com+ app with vb6.exe: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;259725
good luck.
# November 29, 2003 1:48 AM

Blair Stephenson said:

Add all the dependent components into your solution for debugging.

We have to do this under MTS and I think COM+ is the same.

# December 2, 2003 4:22 PM

Glenn G said:

We have just encountered the exact issue since applying Vis Studio sp5... Have you found a solution yet?
# January 23, 2004 4:28 PM

Wallym said:

Glenn,

I had to breakdown and call Microsoft developer support on this one. The deal is that with Win2k3, COM+ can not find the vb6debug.dll file. It has to do with how COM+ searches for the file. If you drop a copy of vb6debug.dll into the path, the debugging should work.

Wally
# January 23, 2004 9:25 PM

Wallym said:

Here is the link to my post regarding this issue. http://weblogs.asp.net/wallym/archive/2003/12/02/40688.aspx

Wally
# January 23, 2004 9:26 PM

TrackBack said:

# February 6, 2004 12:43 PM

TrackBack said:

# February 6, 2004 12:49 PM

JIm Whitmore said:

I've had good luck with:

1) Shutting off anonymous access to the web site. Ensure that integrated or basic authentication is turned.

2) Ensure that your domain account is a member of the local system's Administrator's group.

3) On a system with ANY VS.NET 2005 (2003 seems to be more forgiving but try this anyway if it doesn't work) on it:

3.1) Stop the Machine Debug Manager service if present and running.

3.2) do an "MDM.EXE /unregserver" in your system32 directory. (This should cause the Machine Debug Manager service to go away.)

3.3) unregister pdm.dll in the system32 directory.

3.4) register all the dlls in program files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug

4) Unregister the DLL to be debugged.

5) Open the vbp for the Dll to be debugged

6) Set your breakpoints and "Run with full compile"

7) Navigate your browser to your site and respond to the challenge with your domain credentials.

This has worked for me on W2K w/ IIS 5 and W2K3 w/ IIS 6 (running in both v5 & v6 modes).

-whit

# April 4, 2008 11:08 AM
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