IntelliSense is locking VS C++.NET Express

[Peteroid]

I was creating my application just fine for the last 3 weeks or so. Then,
starting this morning, IntelliSense seems to be having problems. It goes
into a locked 'Updating IntelliSense..." mode. When this happens its time to
close VS C++.NET, which can only be done via the Windows Task Manager.

I tried repairing C++. It did seem to help, but the problem is back a few
hours later. I will try creating a new project, copy over source files, and
see if it is somehow a corrupted project file.

By the way, the last time it had a problem was when I was adding a line to a
custom class which derives from TreeView class. The lne started with
'ImageList'. This is both the name of the innate TreeView property and also
what it is! So I'm wondering if this confused IntelliSense somehow. After
all, before I finished the line it couldn't know the context (I might have
been refering to the poroperty, or possibly creating a new instance of
ImageList). I personally try to never name things identically. It can be
confusing to humans too... : )

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the feature,
but not if it crashes...

[==P==]

 

[Peteroid]

As an update, I created a new project, copied over the source files,
compiled the application, and it runs. And it still locks up with
"IntelliSense Updating...".

So, I've re-booted, repaired, re-created, and still the problem persists.
Any ideas? This is making coding excedingly SLOOOOWWWWW since I have to
recover so often...

[==P==]

 

[Peteroid]

I seem to have fixed it. If I'm right, the culprit was a corrupted
application header (.h) file. The header file contained the definition of a
class I created. I fixed the problem by copying the contents of the header
file, deleting the header file, creating a new header file with same name,
paste old source into newly created header file.

My project has compiled and not locked up ever since. But how can a text
file be corrupted? Are header (.h) file not strictly TEXT format?

[==P==]

As an update, I created a new project, copied over the source files,
compiled the application, and it runs. And it still locks up with
"IntelliSense Updating...".

So, I've re-booted, repaired, re-created, and still the problem persists.
Any ideas? This is making coding excedingly SLOOOOWWWWW since I have to
recover so often...

[==P==]

I was creating my application just fine for the last 3 weeks or so. Then,
starting this morning, IntelliSense seems to be having problems. It goes
into a locked 'Updating IntelliSense..." mode. When this happens its time
to close VS C++.NET, which can only be done via the Windows Task Manager.

I tried repairing C++. It did seem to help, but the problem is back a few
hours later. I will try creating a new project, copy over source files,
and see if it is somehow a corrupted project file.

By the way, the last time it had a problem was when I was adding a line
to a custom class which derives from TreeView class. The lne started with
'ImageList'. This is both the name of the innate TreeView property and
also what it is! So I'm wondering if this confused IntelliSense somehow.
After all, before I finished the line it couldn't know the context (I
might have been refering to the poroperty, or possibly creating a new
instance of ImageList). I personally try to never name things
identically. It can be confusing to humans too... : )

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the
feature, but not if it crashes...

[==P==]

 

[Bo Persson]

I seem to have fixed it. If I'm right, the culprit was a corrupted
application header (.h) file. The header file contained the
definition of a class I created. I fixed the problem by copying the
contents of the header file, deleting the header file, creating a new
header file with same name, paste old source into newly created
header file.

My project has compiled and not locked up ever since. But how can a
text file be corrupted? Are header (.h) file not strictly TEXT
format?

There is of course the risk that the problem occurs at random.
Changing just about everything might "fix" it for now...

I have seen exactly the same problem, but cannot recreate the
triggering situation. Here's what I did last night

A fresh install of VC++Express. Create a new project, static library
btw, and start adding existing source files. Having tried this before,
I add them one at a time, to try to find out which one has the
problem. After adding 6 files, "Updating Intellisense" appears, and VS
hangs.

So I restart, create a new project. This time starting with file
number 6. Works fine, of course.

I add the first 5 files again. Now I have an identical project, but
this time it seems to work. Compiles well, Intellisense updates ok.
Fine?

So I add another two files, and there we go again! "Updating
Intellisense" at 98% CPU usage, going on forever.

And MS still claims that this is one of the bugs they fixed for the
2005 release.

So, I give up.


Bo Persson

[==P==]

As an update, I created a new project, copied over the source
files, compiled the application, and it runs. And it still locks up
with "IntelliSense Updating...".

So, I've re-booted, repaired, re-created, and still the problem
persists. Any ideas? This is making coding excedingly SLOOOOWWWWW
since I have to recover so often...

[==P==]

I was creating my application just fine for the last 3 weeks or so.
Then, starting this morning, IntelliSense seems to be having
problems. It goes into a locked 'Updating IntelliSense..." mode.
When this happens its time to close VS C++.NET, which can only be
done via the Windows Task Manager.

I tried repairing C++. It did seem to help, but the problem is
back a few hours later. I will try creating a new project, copy
over source files, and see if it is somehow a corrupted project
file.

By the way, the last time it had a problem was when I was adding a
line to a custom class which derives from TreeView class. The lne
started with 'ImageList'. This is both the name of the innate
TreeView property and also what it is! So I'm wondering if this
confused IntelliSense somehow. After all, before I finished the
line it couldn't know the context (I might have been refering to
the poroperty, or possibly creating a new instance of ImageList).
I personally try to never name things identically. It can be
confusing to humans too... : )

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love
the feature, but not if it crashes...

[==P==]

 

[Peteroid]

Hi Bo,

SO FAR, it has still worked for me, but you never know what's gonna happen
in the next line of code...

I feel your pain, having experienced it myself all day yesterday. I've seen
others mention this pronlem in this forum, so I'm guessing MS will
envetually have to solve it for real.

I'm using VS C++.NET 2005 Express. Does this happen in the 'full'
(non-Express) editions as well?

[==P==]

I seem to have fixed it. If I'm right, the culprit was a corrupted
application header (.h) file. The header file contained the definition of
a class I created. I fixed the problem by copying the contents of the
header file, deleting the header file, creating a new header file with
same name, paste old source into newly created header file has compiled
and not locked up ever since. But how can a text file be corrupted? Are
header (.h) file not strictly TEXT format?

There is of course the risk that the problem occurs at random. Changing
just about everything might "fix" it for now...

I have seen exactly the same problem, but cannot recreate the triggering
situation. Here's what I did last night

A fresh install of VC++Express. Create a new project, static library btw,
and start adding existing source files. Having tried this before, I add
them one at a time, to try to find out which one has the problem. After
adding 6 files, "Updating Intellisense" appears, and VS hangs.

So I restart, create a new project. This time starting with file number 6.
Works fine, of course.

I add the first 5 files again. Now I have an identical project, but this
time it seems to work. Compiles well, Intellisense updates ok. Fine?

So I add another two files, and there we go again! "Updating Intellisense"
at 98% CPU usage, going on forever.

And MS still claims that this is one of the bugs they fixed for the 2005
release.

So, I give up.


Bo Persson

[==P==]

As an update, I created a new project, copied over the source files,
compiled the application, and it runs. And it still locks up with
"IntelliSense Updating...".

So, I've re-booted, repaired, re-created, and still the problem
persists. Any ideas? This is making coding excedingly SLOOOOWWWWW since
I have to recover so often...

[==P==]

I was creating my application just fine for the last 3 weeks or so.
Then, starting this morning, IntelliSense seems to be having problems.
It goes into a locked 'Updating IntelliSense..." mode. When this happens
its time to close VS C++.NET, which can only be done via the Windows
Task Manager.

I tried repairing C++. It did seem to help, but the problem is back a
few hours later. I will try creating a new project, copy over source
files, and see if it is somehow a corrupted project file.

By the way, the last time it had a problem was when I was adding a line
to a custom class which derives from TreeView class. The lne started
with 'ImageList'. This is both the name of the innate TreeView property
and also what it is! So I'm wondering if this confused IntelliSense
somehow. After all, before I finished the line it couldn't know the
context (I might have been refering to the poroperty, or possibly
creating a new instance of ImageList). I personally try to never name
things identically. It can be confusing to humans too... : )

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the
feature, but not if it crashes...

[==P==]

 

[Peter Oliphant]

Well, its gone through patches of IntelliSense wigging out and not wigging
out. When it wiggs out there is a particular source file of mine that is
always being editted. So I edit it as little as possible, and even take it
out of the editor entirely if I'm not editing it.

The problem is usually solved by just copying the source in this source file
to the clipboard, deleting the old source file, create new blank source file
with same name, copy the source in the clipboard back to this new source
file, save, and re-build. This usually fixes the problem. If it doesn't, I
edit this file some, and repeat process. Currently it's working again.

Backup often, and keep multiple levels of backup is a good rule of thumb I
think bears mentioning right now... : )

[==P==]

Hi Bo,

SO FAR, it has still worked for me, but you never know what's gonna happen
in the next line of code...

I feel your pain, having experienced it myself all day yesterday. I've
seen others mention this pronlem in this forum, so I'm guessing MS will
envetually have to solve it for real.

I'm using VS C++.NET 2005 Express. Does this happen in the 'full'
(non-Express) editions as well?

[==P==]

I seem to have fixed it. If I'm right, the culprit was a corrupted
application header (.h) file. The header file contained the definition of
a class I created. I fixed the problem by copying the contents of the
header file, deleting the header file, creating a new header file with
same name, paste old source into newly created header file has compiled
and not locked up ever since. But how can a text file be corrupted? Are
header (.h) file not strictly TEXT format?

There is of course the risk that the problem occurs at random. Changing
just about everything might "fix" it for now...

I have seen exactly the same problem, but cannot recreate the triggering
situation. Here's what I did last night

A fresh install of VC++Express. Create a new project, static library btw,
and start adding existing source files. Having tried this before, I add
them one at a time, to try to find out which one has the problem. After
adding 6 files, "Updating Intellisense" appears, and VS hangs.

So I restart, create a new project. This time starting with file number
6. Works fine, of course.

I add the first 5 files again. Now I have an identical project, but this
time it seems to work. Compiles well, Intellisense updates ok. Fine?

So I add another two files, and there we go again! "Updating
Intellisense" at 98% CPU usage, going on forever.

And MS still claims that this is one of the bugs they fixed for the 2005
release.

So, I give up.


Bo Persson

[==P==]

As an update, I created a new project, copied over the source files,
compiled the application, and it runs. And it still locks up with
"IntelliSense Updating...".

So, I've re-booted, repaired, re-created, and still the problem
persists. Any ideas? This is making coding excedingly SLOOOOWWWWW since
I have to recover so often...

[==P==]

I was creating my application just fine for the last 3 weeks or so.
Then, starting this morning, IntelliSense seems to be having problems.
It goes into a locked 'Updating IntelliSense..." mode. When this
happens its time to close VS C++.NET, which can only be done via the
Windows Task Manager.

I tried repairing C++. It did seem to help, but the problem is back a
few hours later. I will try creating a new project, copy over source
files, and see if it is somehow a corrupted project file.

By the way, the last time it had a problem was when I was adding a
line to a custom class which derives from TreeView class. The lne
started with 'ImageList'. This is both the name of the innate TreeView
property and also what it is! So I'm wondering if this confused
IntelliSense somehow. After all, before I finished the line it
couldn't know the context (I might have been refering to the
poroperty, or possibly creating a new instance of ImageList). I
personally try to never name things identically. It can be confusing
to humans too... : )

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the
feature, but not if it crashes...

[==P==]

 

[Stefan Slapeta]

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the feature,
but not if it crashes...

I've the same behaviour in 2005 Professional. And, it seems to me that
the situation has even deteriorated from 2003 as you can't make these
problems go away for some projects.

Does anybody know a way for deactivate intellisense not totally but for
certain projects?

Otherwise I assume we will have to wait until MS fixes the problems in
VS 2006, as it's the well-known strategy...

:-[

Stefan

 

[Andras Tantos]

Hi!

When the problem occurs, have you tried deleting the <solution name>.NCB
file? Did it help? Also, if you could file a bug at
http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/ProductFeedback/ with more details (most
helpful would be a copy of your solutions with instructions of how to get to
the problem - what to edit, etc., provided you can release that information)
we would be more than happy to take a look at it.

Regards,
Andras Tantos

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Slapeta" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vc
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: IntelliSense is locking VS C++.NET Express

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the
feature, but not if it crashes...

I've the same behaviour in 2005 Professional. And, it seems to me that the
situation has even deteriorated from 2003 as you can't make these problems
go away for some projects.

Does anybody know a way for deactivate intellisense not totally but for
certain projects?

Otherwise I assume we will have to wait until MS fixes the problems in VS
2006, as it's the well-known strategy...

:-[

Stefan

 

[Peter Oliphant]

Hi Andras,

It's ok to delete the solution (NCB) file? I thought it was necessary when
you reloaded the project. If not, what's it for?

I really can't release the source code. And if I change it might not still
have the problem, and the problem is not something I can narrow down to
something specific, or occurs with any real deterministic behavio. The same
code may or may not exhibit the problem during different seesions or even
during the same session, but once it happens it doesn't go away until one at
least closes VS.NET (which then requires the Windows Task Manager).

I've had good success 'solving' the problem temporarily by closing VS.NET,
openning it up again, copying the contents of my ' culprit header file' (see
below), delete that file, create a new header file with same name, paste old
contents into new file, save. Doesn't always work the first time...

It looks like its a particular 'culprit' header file of mine that I use to
define a custom class I've created which is derived from TreeView. I say
this because if I never edit this file the problem does not occur, and when
I do it happens a lot (but not always). It is signalled in two ways. The
most common one is the words 'IntelliSense Updating..." appear at the bottom
of the IDE. Oddly, even during this it seems I can edit and save the source.
The other is when I try to compile the code and CPU usage goes to 100% and
the compile, while does continue, takes 2-3 minutes instead of 10-15
seconds. In both cases closing VS C++.NET requires the use of the Windows
task manager (which says VS.NET is not responding, but shows two entries for
it for some reason).

In any case, my workaround has restored my sanity (although others may have
a different opinion...lol), even if it is a bit annoying I have to have a
workaround in the first place...

[==P==]

Hi!

When the problem occurs, have you tried deleting the <solution name>.NCB
file? Did it help? Also, if you could file a bug at
http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/ProductFeedback/ with more details (most
helpful would be a copy of your solutions with instructions of how to get
to
the problem - what to edit, etc., provided you can release that
information)
we would be more than happy to take a look at it.

Regards,
Andras Tantos

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Slapeta" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vc
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: IntelliSense is locking VS C++.NET Express

Is there a way to possibly turn off IntelliSense? I really love the
feature, but not if it crashes...

I've the same behaviour in 2005 Professional. And, it seems to me that
the situation has even deteriorated from 2003 as you can't make these
problems go away for some projects.

Does anybody know a way for deactivate intellisense not totally but for
certain projects?

Otherwise I assume we will have to wait until MS fixes the problems in VS
2006, as it's the well-known strategy...

:-[

Stefan

 

[Andras Tantos]

Hi!

Hi Andras,

It's ok to delete the solution (NCB) file? I thought it was necessary when
you reloaded the project. If not, what's it for?

The NCB file stores the working data needed for intellisense. If it is not
found when the solution is opened, it is re-generated. It can take a while,
but there should be no adverse effects of it missing. The file is kept open
as long as the solution is open, so you will not be able to delete it while
it is being used by VS.

I really can't release the source code. And if I change it might not still
have the problem, and the problem is not something I can narrow down to
something specific, or occurs with any real deterministic behavior. The
same code may or may not exhibit the problem during different sessions or
even during the same session, but once it happens it doesn't go away until
one at least closes VS.NET (which then requires the Windows Task Manager).

I understand. This however makes it really hard for us to track down the
issue. I can assure you that we put great emphasis no intellisense not
hanging or blocking the IDE. I of course am not saying that what you're
seeing is not a problem with the product, all I'm saying that this exact
category of problems was in focus for us and will be in the future.

I've had good success 'solving' the problem temporarily by closing VS.NET,
opening it up again, copying the contents of my ' culprit header file'
(see below), delete that file, create a new header file with same name,
paste old contents into new file, save. Doesn't always work the first
time...

It looks like its a particular 'culprit' header file of mine that I use to
define a custom class I've created which is derived from TreeView. I say
this because if I never edit this file the problem does not occur, and
when I do it happens a lot (but not always). It is signaled in two ways.
The most common one is the words 'IntelliSense Updating..." appear at the
bottom of the IDE. Oddly, even during this it seems I can edit and save
the source. The other is when I try to compile the code and CPU usage goes
to 100% and the compile, while does continue, takes 2-3 minutes instead of
10-15 seconds. In both cases closing VS C++.NET requires the use of the
Windows task manager (which says VS.NET is not responding, but shows two
entries for it for some reason).

From what you're saying it seems to me that the background processing of the
changes you made in the header file got stuck and never finished. That
blocks any further processing in that thread, so many of your InteliSense
operations will stop working and you will not get any intellisense on any
further changes and BTW consumes many CPU resources - that's why compiles
start taking so long(do you have a dual-CPU or hyper-threaded box?). When
the process tries to terminate, the background thread doesn't exit and so
you have to use the task manager to kill the process. Of course this whole
explanation doesn't help you much, since I can't tell you *why* the thread
got stuck in your header-file. Is it possible to factor out portions of that
file into separate headers? Does that help? Do you use something special
(funky templates, strange macros, double-includes with different
macro-states etc.) in that file? I'm really just stabbing in the dark
here...

Regards,
Andras Tantos

 

[William DePalo [MVP VC++ ]]

It's ok to delete the solution (NCB) file? I thought it was necessary when
you reloaded the project. If not, what's it for?

It is for browsing, ncb is an acronym for no-compile browser or something.
If you delete it, it will get recreated automatically.

As for the reload, you may be thinking about the solution file or the
project file. If you delete them you'd need to recreate the project.

Regards,
Will

 

[Guest]

I understand. This however makes it really hard for us to track down the
issue. I can assure you that we put great emphasis no intellisense not
hanging or blocking the IDE. I of course am not saying that what you're
seeing is not a problem with the product, all I'm saying that this exact
category of problems was in focus for us and will be in the future.

This has been identified as a bug by Microsoft, and has apparently been fixed:

http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/produ...edbackid=5b26eac5-45d2-4357-8eb8-b84cb9ca9cf1

Is there any possibility of obtaining a hotfix? This bug affects every one
of my projects, and we simply cannot upgrade until it has been resolved. I
would rather not have to wait a year or two for SP1 before having this
problem solved.

John

 

[Marcus Kwok]

This has been identified as a bug by Microsoft, and has apparently been fixed:

http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/produ...edbackid=5b26eac5-45d2-4357-8eb8-b84cb9ca9cf1

Is there any possibility of obtaining a hotfix? This bug affects every one
of my projects, and we simply cannot upgrade until it has been resolved. I
would rather not have to wait a year or two for SP1 before having this
problem solved.

There is a workaround given at:

http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/productfeedback/ViewWorkaround.aspx?FeedbackID=FDBK41217#1

In short, you rename or delete the feacp.dll file, but this will disable
IntelliSense in all C++ projects.