Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader

MattN has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

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Re: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by VinsWorldcom (Prior) on Dec 08, 2015 at 18:54 UTC
If it's Strawberry Perl, you should be able to compile the XS code since Strawberry distribution comes with gcc. Was that how this module was installed - with a local compile, or was it copied from another machine? That could cause issues just copying XS code from one machine to another (32-bit vs 64-bit, Windows patch level, etc...)	[reply]
Re^2: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by MattN (Novice) on Dec 08, 2015 at 21:16 UTC
Thank you for the response. That's a good question. I'm not 100% sure. There is only a .dll file, no .xs file. I think that the .dll is created when I install the program because there is no ifeffit.dll (or .xs) on the github site, though I suppose it could have brought it in from elsewhere. I have a working copy of the software on a WinXP and there is also only a .dll. That .dll of course does not work on the Win7 computer, but it does give a different error than the correct .dll.	[reply]
Re^3: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by VinsWorldcom (Prior) on Dec 08, 2015 at 21:36 UTC
The DLL is created during the Perl incantation (perl Makefile.PL, make, make test, make install) for XS modules. I'm guessing this was copied there and certainly from WinXP to Win7 you may experience issues and can't just copy a DLL from one system to the other. Assuming this is the GitHub site you reference, you'll find Perl notes here: https://github.com/newville/ifeffit/tree/master/wrappers/perl	[reply]
Re^4: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by MattN (Novice) on Dec 08, 2015 at 22:26 UTC
Re: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Dec 08, 2015 at 19:18 UTC
Try applying this hotfix. If no go; then also try this one. With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday' Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". I knew I was on the right track :) In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.	[reply]
Re^2: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by MattN (Novice) on Dec 08, 2015 at 21:19 UTC
I will try to get the hotfixes installed. I do not have permission to install anything myself unfortunately. Thanks	[reply]
Re: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader - path? by Discipulus (Canon) on Dec 09, 2015 at 09:20 UTC
hello MattN ..it will not run on my work computer or anyone others in the office (all Windows 7 using Strawberry Perl). The program does run in safe mode,.. You know you are walking in quicksands.. Your tests seems to me very good and even if i have not a solution i have few suggestions: Have you yet eliminated the 32bit / 64bit madness? Ive wrote some words about filesytem redirection; see this search ?node_id=3989;BIT=filesystem%20redirection;a=Discipulus It is possible that you are victim of a Security policy? see how they describe it You need to test also to run the code under a 'NoPolicy' account to be sure about this. The list of services that runs in safe mode tell you somthing evident? or probable? (why it runs in safe mode? this intrigue me enough..) most of important of all: you can have some path problem? are 2 differetent Perl installed? There is some cgwin MinGW around? see http://millenia.cars.aps.anl.gov/pipermail/ifeffit/2012-June/010580.html http://millenia.cars.aps.anl.gov/pipermail/ifeffit/2015-October/012793.html http://millenia.cars.aps.anl.gov/pipermail/ifeffit/2013-October/011443.html http://millenia.cars.aps.anl.gov/pipermail/ifeffit/2012-August/010693.html you have my simpathy.. tell us L* UPDATE!! http://cars9.uchicago.edu/ifeffit/Demeter/MingwFix is what you need?? L* There are no rules, there are no thumbs.. Reinvent the wheel, then learn The Wheel; may be one day you reinvent one of THE WHEELS.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader - path? by MattN (Novice) on Dec 09, 2015 at 21:30 UTC
Thank you for the reply. I think everything is 64 bit. I changed the system32 path to Sysnative and the results remained the same. A security issue seems likely to me. There's all sorts of security and tracking software installed, but the IT guy says that's not the issue. I looked at the event log and AppLocker doesn't have any events associated with it. He said that the tracking software is all shut off on a clean boot. He also removed it from the workgroup to check the group policy. Here's a list of configurations he tried: Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions Both patches from the Demeter website Normal mode Last known good configuration Selective startup Disabled all non-critical local services Terminated all non-critical system and user processes Uninstalled Java Uninstalled .NET framework Reinstalled Java Reinstalled .NET framework Adjusted memory settings for best performance Verified use has full control of all of their profile data (including +appdata) and installation directory Attempted as a normal user and administrative user Windows 95 compatibility mode Windows 98 compatibility mode Windows NT 4.0 compatibility mode Windows 2000 compatibility mode Windows XP (SP2) compatibility mode Windows XP (SP3) compatibility mode Windows Server 2003 (SP1) compatibility mode Windows Server 2008 (SP1) compatibility mode Windows Vista compatibility mode Windows Vista (SP1) compatibility mode Windows Vista (SP2) compatibility mode Windows 7 Disabled visual themes Disabled desktop composition Disable display scaling on high DPI settings Install to default location Install to a specific location C:\demeter (not default) Workstation was removed from domain and joined to workgroup Various reboots throughout [download] It only runs is safe mode and safe mode with networking. He also tried disabling the antivirus, but that didn't help either. I don't know what the difference is between the safemode and clean boot. that is causing the problem. As I understand it, the MinGW issue was resolved a while ago with the release of version 9.14 or so. Does any of this set off any new alarms? Unfortunately, I don't have much control of the computer, so I can't view the security settings or any of that. Thanks	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader - crosspost by Discipulus (Canon) on Dec 10, 2015 at 09:24 UTC
Hello MattN, your question is a cross-post: http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.science.physics.ifeffit/3475. while is permitted is also considered polite to inform about the other post. Infact many of the information you give here are yet present in the other page. You got also the author's support. is an important bit of information. Just for correctness. Anyway dont fool yourself with the event viewer inspection: is very rare in my expereince to find something useful in them, and they costs hours of psychoanalisys.. Better if you concentrate on some trace tool: ProcessExplorer can tell you all about the DLL Hell; it has CRTL-D CTRL-H hotkeys to switch from handle view to dll one. You can create with process explorer also dump of processes for further analisys. Have you tried to put the right dll in the current directory? Assuming you can be sure what the current directory is when the program try to load the dll... current directory is searched normally as first thing. i think i've terminated th possible suggestions. L* There are no rules, there are no thumbs.. Reinvent the wheel, then learn The Wheel; may be one day you reinvent one of THE WHEELS.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^4: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader - crosspost by MattN (Novice) on Dec 10, 2015 at 20:26 UTC
Re: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by Anonymous Monk on Dec 09, 2015 at 01:16 UTC
As a debugging step you can run depends.exe /c /f:1 /pb /ot:temp.txt ... ...\perl.exe ...\foo.pl ... As a debugging step you can run depends.exe /c /f:1 /pb /ot:temp.txt ... ...\perl.exe ...\foo.pl ... As a debugging step you can run depends.exe /c /f:1 /pb /ot:temp.txt ... ...\perl.exe ...\foo.pl ...	[reply]
Re^2: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by MattN (Novice) on Dec 09, 2015 at 21:41 UTC
Thank you for the tip. I tried running the dependency walker, but it was unable to find some of the perl dlls that are there. It is recommended here to use the Microsoft process monitor because dependency walker is nearly 10 years old. That didn't seem to work either. It kept creating new instances of itself visible only in the processes tab of task manager and I had to restart the computer. Possibly due to the network setup at work. I'll try and run it at home tonight so it can't try to scan the network drives. Thanks	[reply]
Re: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Dec 11, 2015 at 11:33 UTC
Just a random thought. Is it possible this is caused by one or other of ASLR - Address space layout randomization or DEP - Data Execution Prevention? Dunno how you disable them on Win7; but I believe it can be done on a per process basis, though you would probably need Admin privileges. Worth a mench at least. With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday' Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". I knew I was on the right track :) In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.	[reply]
Re^2: Invalid Access to Memory location using DynaLoader by MattN (Novice) on Dec 11, 2015 at 15:26 UTC
Thanks for the idea. I will ask the IT person if he can disable those when he comes by.	[reply]