Dump when displaying the properties of a favorite

[frankdarwin]

Hello,
When I look at the properties of a favorite (right-click on favorites, click on Properties...), attachment Favorites.jpg, the Configur window appears (attachment Configure.jpg).
After viewing the configuration, I closed the window by clicking on "Cancel."

After clicking on Cancel, IM closes with an error message and writes a dump.

The dump can be downloaded from the link

https://my.hidrive.com/lnk/abhwpfLSa

What is the problem?

Frank

[mopperle]

No jpg attachments?
Anyway, cant replicate your issue.

[frankdarwin]

I forgot the pictures. Sorry.
How can I attach them later?

Frank

[mopperle]

Edit you post or create a new post.

[thrinn]

How can I attach them later?

Just reply to this thread and attach.

[Mario]

This is not a DUMP file created by IMatch. Where does it come from?
I will not open this, it may contain malicious code.

The log file from that IMatch session would be helpful.
Which IMatch version are you using?
I assume that IMatch did not produce a DUMP file? See The Debug Dump File
In that case, the crash happened somewhere "outside" of IMatch.

Can you reproduce the problem? I mean, does the crash happen again when you repeat your steps?
I performed the same steps, but no crash. What kind of favorite? What did you do in the dialog while it was open (before pressing cancel). Anything I can try to reproduce this

To attach images to your post, use the"Click or drag files here to attach them" button that is visible under the post editor.
If you are using Quick Reply, you need to click on the Preview button once.

[frankdarwin]

Hello Mario,
I am using IM 2025.4.4.
When I click on "See The Debug Dump File," I find a note there stating that the report is saved under c:\temp\imatchdbg.. This is no longer correct! The current "Support Helper" message says that the report is saved under "c:\users\frank\..." (see Support Helper.jpg). This is misleading and should be updated in the help system.

The error is reproducible. It does not always occur, but every 3rd or 4th attempt.

As long as the dialog is open, I just look at it. I don't do anything else.

The favorite where the error occurs is related to the Renamer.

To answer your questions, I tried to reproduce the error. It occurred again.

You can find the new current report at the link
https://my.hidrive.com/lnk/IgKSYENSt

Have a nice weekend.
Relax and unwind!

[Mario]

I find a note there stating that the report is saved under c:\temp\imatchdbg..

Where? I don't follow. The DUMP file is created in your TEMP folder and the name of the ZIP file created is shown in the dialog with instructions. Where do you see c:\temp\...? or find the note? In the help? In a dialog IMatch displays?

I have download the DUMP file, thanks.

The crash seems to happen in the 3rd party property grid IMatch uses everywhere.
What's puzzling is that the function call is made from  uiautomationcore.dll, not IMatch itself. This DLL seems to have "hooked" itself into the IMatch process. This DLL is usually only used by software developers for doing automated testing and similar tasks. Do you use any developer tools for automated testing, or any assistive technologies? Sometimes this set of tools is used to remote control other applications. Do you do any of that?

[frankdarwin]

Where?

I searched for "dump" in the IM help system and found "https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/im_dumpfile.htm."

Do you use any developer tools

Yes. I develop Delphi 12 applications with RAD Studio 12 and Visual Studio.

Frank

[frankdarwin]

Hello Mario,
I searched the system for the file uiautomationcore.dll and found it 15 times in different directories and variations.
However, I don't see any direct connection to IM in the list.

You can find the search results in the attachment "DLL Search.jpg."
Perhaps this will help you.

Frank

[Mario]

I searched for "dump" in the IM help system and found "https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/im_dumpfile.htm."

This is just an example. The name and location of the TEMP directory varies by Windows version, user and how the IT sets up the systems. The dialog displayed by IMatch always displays the actual file name of the resulting DUMP file. Don't look at the screen shot in the help, look at the actual dialog IMatch displays.

I searched the system for the file uiautomationcore.dll and found it 15 times in different directories and variations.

Hm. Strange.

The function call that causes the crash when you open the Favorite originates in IMatch. But the uiautomationcore.dll has injected itself into the IMatch process, routing and manipulating the original IMatch function call. The call stack I see in the crash analysis tool is 10 or 15 levels deep inside the  uiautomationcore.dll before it even reaches IMatch.
I cannot reproduce this and I don't see any crash. Neither other users reported a crash in this dialog.
My guess is that the  uiautomationcore.dll ingesting into the IMatch process for monitoring and manipulating is causing the crash. Not IMatch.

This DLL is known to cause random issues when it is injected into a process (aka an application) in order to control it remotely. Try to figure out which of the applications you run injects this DLL into other processes and stop/disable it. I'm sure when the foreign DLL is no longer injected into the IMatch process, the crash is gone.

[mopperle]

The uiautomationcore.dll can be found in 2 locations: \Windows\System32 and \Windows\SysWOW64. Everything else is inside containers.
Using Sysinternals Process Explorer and search for processes using this dll, I found 39 processes including IMatch (IMatch2025x64.exe and IMatchChromiumHelper.exe.).
But never had an issue like Frank.

[Mario]

IMatch does not reference, include or link with this DLL. The DLL is usually only used by UI automation / testing tools AFAIK.

[frankdarwin]

I ran an advanced scan of my entire system using ESET HOME Security Premium (3 hours). This scan did not find any evidence of the uiautomationcore.dll file. Although other potentially unwanted applications were found, it appears that there is no connection to uiautomationcore.dll.

I will now monitor the system with Sysinternals Process Explorer. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something.
What should I do if this tool is also unsuccessful?

Frank

[Mario]

I have no idea. I've ran into crashes with the same "call stack" where the UI automation DLL was injected into the IMatch process a few times over the years. It was always the same. IMatch user interface code or, more often, code in the 3rd party user interface library accessed wrong way or with the wrong sequence, causing a crash.

In your DUMP file, a function in the property grid code was called out of sequence, causing the grid to access data that was not yet initialized. The code is solid and in place for many years. I have repeated your steps maybe a hundred times in variations, on two computers and a fresh VM, never failed.

You are also using an old Windows 10 installation, which could add to the problem.

All I can tell is that the call stack contains about 10 layers of code in the automation DLL, which then calls a function in the property grid.

I could "handle" the crash in this particular function, but there are tens of thousands of functions which could be called in the same wrong way or timing by the automation dll. Makes no sense to even think about it.

Process Explorer can show you the processes which "use" this DLL. IMatch does not ship with it and does not link to it. It is usually "injected" into processes by other processes. 

You said you have many copies of this DLL. Maybe Process Explorer tells you from where the DLL was loaded, so you can temporarily rename or move it after closing the processes using it.

[mopperle]

IMatch does not reference, include or link with this DLL. The DLL is usually only used by UI automation / testing tools AFAIK.

I can only tell, what I'mseeing, but maybe I'm misunderstanding it
You cannot view this attachment.

[Mario]

The DLL is injected into other processes in order to control them remotely, e.g. for UI testing purposes or automation. IMatch does not ship with this DLL and does not reference or link to it.

When I look at IMatch or IMatch ChromiumHelper in ProcessExplorer, neither shows the uiautomation DLL. In fact, I only get this, system-wide:

You cannot view this attachment.

[frankdarwin]

I think I'll just have to live with this behavior. Too bad. Maybe that will change with Windows 11.

I have one last question on this topic.
Is it likely or possible that this DLL will also cause problems in other work steps?
Every now and then, IM crashes with a dump error. Should I send in the error logs again?

Frank

[Mario]

IMatch should not crash. You can send the DUMP, but if it's again the uiautomation DLL, we have the same problem.
I don't know which software you run that injects this DLL into the IMatch process to monitor and remove control it. Or for which purpose. This is a behavior one sees when doing automated UI testing and similar stuff. This should be an exception, not the normal state of the system. This DLL is also used by some malware which uses it to remote control other software silently...