Program Hangs on Startup or Trying to Run Diagnostics

[GTnH]

When I start iMatch the program occasionally hangs.  It always hangs when I try to run the diagnostics.  I don't get the usual list of diagnostic progress, the only thing I see is an icon in the lower right corner next to the shield that seems to be doing something, but doesn't identify itself so I don't know what it is.  Nothing is responsive so I eventually, after a long time, have to shut down the program using task manager and restart.  It hasn't hung on the restart yet, but I can't seem to find any information as to what it is doing.  If I am not waiting long enough for the diagnostics to complete then the diagnostics are taking significantly longer than they did some time ago (say May 2019 which is when it tells me the last diagnostics were run even though I have tried to run them since then)

[Jingo]

The best way to help identify what is going on is to put the program into Debug Logging mode and then zip/upload the Imatch log file so Mario can review.... See the Help->Logging options for more info on how to proceed.

[Mario]

Go to Help menu > Support and enable debug logging.
After your test, ZIP and upload the IMatch log file. See The IMatch Log file for details.

The database diagnosis also produces a log file named imdiag.txt in the TEMP folder on your system. This shows us if and what the diagnosis is doing.
To open the temp folder in Windows Explorer, type %TEMP% into the address bar. ZIP and attach the diagnosis.

Are you a new IMatch user? Or did you work with IMatch for some time?
If so, what did you change before this happened?
Did you have a hard power failure, unexpected Windows shut down?

Which virus checker do you use and did you configure IMatch as an exception?
The effect you describe is typical for a virus checker interfering, blocking IMatch or constantly scanning the database.
See IMPORTANT: Virus Checkers

[GTnH]

I have tried everything I can find to stop this.  Using Kaspersky antivirus and iMatch is set as a trusted app as well as setting the data and program folders as excluded from scans.  As soon as I hit diagnostics the program hangs and can only be shut down using task manager.  I set the log files to debugging and have included all the log files from this morning. Last diagnostics was in May of last year.

[Mario]

We need the diagnosis log file that is produced when the diagnosis runs. The Match log files show no problems (except a non-existing link in one of your Favorites).
The file is named imdiag... and stored in the same folder as the other log files you have included.

[GTnH]

Ok, here is an update.  I have updated iMatch to 2020.  Same problem exists.  Database diagnostics immediately stops the program.  I get no log file with the name imdiag, just the ones I sent previously.  I did enable debug-level logging and the program warns me that it is still active every time I restart the program.  I have disabled my antivirus protection and restarted, but no change in behavior.  I can do everything so far except run the diagnostics.

[GTnH]

I have attached all of the log files in the temp folder.  I also noticed that a debug.log file appeared in my start menu after or while running the attempted diagnostics and have included that in the zip file.  It may be a coincidence but the time stamp was when I was trying to run the database diagnostics.

[Mario]

None of these log files contains any warning or error - except for one warning about an IMatch favorite to a non-existing application (VLC media player).

Some logs show a clean IMatch shut-down, some logs just end after an operation.
Which is normal when you copy a log file while IMatch is running. Or when IMatch is stopped dead in the tracks e.g. by a virus checker or something else.

None of the logs contains an entry about a diagnosis being started.
You did not include a diagnosis log file (if one is created). The file name is IMATCH6_DIAGNOSIS_LOG.txt and it is saved to the same folder as the other log files.

This would be the important info. A diagnosis logfile and the IMatch logfile from a session where you started a diagnosis.
Even if IMatch hangs, the log files should be created and you secure them before restarting IMatch again.

If IMatch crashes, it produces a Debug Dump File and displays corresponding messages. This does not seem to be the case here? No crash, just IMatch hanging or being stopped by something external?

[loweskid]

I had a similar problem when I first upgraded to IMatch 5.  I traced it to a corrupt Adobe Bridge file in one particular folder.  The file was called .bridgesort, note that it starts with a dot.  I searched my whole collection for any file with '.bridge' in the filename and deleted the lot, this fixed the problem.

Might be worth a shot if you've used Adobe Bridge.

[GTnH]

The diagnostics file was not produced.  And iMatch didn't really shut down, it just hung and I could do nothing with it, not even shut it down without using task manager.  The log files I included were the ones found after I shut it down.  And I did have debug logging active (it still is).

[Mario]

When IMatch runs a diagnos, it logs a specific entry at the very beginning. Before anything is done to the database. I did not find this entry in the log files you have attached.
The diagnosis also opens a log file and writes some basic data before it starts. If all this fails, something is really fishy either with your IMatch installation or maybe some external tool/software blocking IMatch.

Have you tried to repair the installation via the Windows control panel  > Add/Remove software?

[GTnH]

Ok, here is my latest try.  Uninstalled iMatch 5 and 2020.  Cleared all startup programs for a clean startup to see if another program was interfering. If that was the case I could start one or two programs at a time to see where the culprit was. Disabled antivirus.  Restarted and installed Imatch 2020.  Tried running database diagnostics.  Same issue - iMatch just hung.  The only activity I could see was a small white square in the lower right corner next to what appears to be a shield.  The white square had a green arrow going across and around it.  Decided that this might take some time so left it about half an hour (before this problem the database diagnostics might take five minutes or so).  Again could do nothing with the program - it was totally unresponsive.  Could not even get to the Windows task bar. I've attached the log files again, but again there is no diagnostic log file - at least not with the others.

[Mario]

Can you create a new database?
Add some folders and then run a diagnosis?

[GTnH]

I created a new database and same result.  Log files attached.  Still no diagnostic log.

[Mario]

The last entries in the log are about IMatch loading a dialog.

Did you use IMatch on a system with multiple monitors? Maybe moved the diagnosis dialog to the other monitor and that monitor is no longer connected?

Do this:

Close IMatch.
Make a backup of C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch5\config\imatch5.pts

Start it again but hold down <CTRL> until you see Advanced Startup Options (Recovery)
Choose "Reset Workspace.

[GTnH]

Wow, you got it.  The dialog was on the second monitor which I rarely use except for photo editing and financial stuff.  I don't recall even having it on when I was using iMatch.  Thank you very much.

[Mario]

Oh, well.
Another mystery solved.

Ps.: IMatch even displays a warning when it detects that it was run last time with more monitors connected than connected in the current session.
This check was added to IMatch 2020 so probably it was too late for this support case...

[GTnH]

I noticed the warning when I reopened after all the checking.  Too bad it wasn't available earlier   Thanks again for your help.

[Mario]

Too bad it wasn't available earlier  

This is a constant learning process on my part.
I usually don't know in advance how users shot themselves in the foot  sometimes users get really creative...

And I always say that I'm spoiled.
If you work on something for 2 months, everything is crystal clear to you. Even the dialog box with 200 nested options and cryptic names...

After doing software development for some time, my hard-won experience tells me that it does not pay off to sit in my little hut on a mountain for 3 months, meditating on all the things users can do wrong with a new feature I plan to add. And then add message boxes, warnings, explain topics in the help, switches, options, fuses, safety vests.

Because...

... two days later a user will inevitably come up with an inventive new method to shot into his or even my foot. This is just how things are.

So I aim at making things safe and intuitive (or learnable, for the more complex features).
And then wait for feedback, learn from users and adjust things in the following releases.

Since a couple (not many!) users fell into the trap of moving panels or dialog boxes on a monitor which is not necessarily connected the next day, I've added a check for the monitor count and the warning message.
I cannot just shuffle all panels and windows back to the main monitor. Because a) this would create a mess and b) piss off all users who just forgot to turn on the extra monitor before starting IMatch - and now find all their carefully arranged windows thrown on a heap on their tiny laptop screen.

Tip: Match offers Workspacess to deal with different monitor setups or workflow stages.