[RESOLVED] Can't kill my process to rebuild the app

[Lindley]

I've got a Visual Studio project which builds a program in Debug mode, say Program.exe.

Apparently after one of my recent runs, Windows got it into its head that Program.exe was still running even after I closed it. Now it won't let me build the latest code changes since it won't overwrite the executable.

I tried the task manager first, of course. "End Process" did absolutely nothing----it asks its "are you sure" bit, I click yes, and the process is still there.

After some Googling I downloaded a utility called pskill which is supposed to deal with these situations, but it didn't manage to accomplish anything either.

Restarting is not an option at present because I've got a Linux terminal open with another program running there, and I don't want to interrupt it.

Any suggestions? I know I can change the built program name, but I don't really want to do that either for various reasons.

[Doron Moraz]

Hi Lindley,

Try using SystemInternal process explorer (now part of Microsoft)
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...s/bb896653.asp

With ProcessXP when you zoom in on a particular process you can see who is using it.
I believe that you should be able to 'kill' the process using this utility.


Hope it helps
Doron

[Lindley]

The link doesn't work. Also, since pskill comes from the SysInternal group, I'm not really optimistic about something else of theirs faring any better.

[Arjay]

It's probably the Linux running messing things up. :-)

It could be that one of the associated build processes are interfering. Make sure they are all closed and then retry taskmgr (using the process list tab, not the application tab).

[Arjay]

It's probably the Linux running messing things up. :-)

It could be that one of the associated build processes are interfering. Make sure they are all closed and then retry taskmgr (using the process list tab, not the application tab).

Btw, all those programs use TerminateProcess under the covers - so if task manager doesn't do it...

[christian_k1984]

i had the same issues... did u use ntqueryobjects or any similar function?
local or remote linux terminal?

[Doron Moraz]

The link doesn't work.

Ooops: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896653.aspx

Also, since pskill comes from the SysInternal group, I'm not really optimistic about something else of theirs faring any better.

Regardless to the process killing, ProcessXP will allow you to see who is using program.exe....


Reagrds
Doron

[Ajay Vijay]

If the process is attached to a debugger, task-manager may not end the process.
Have you put code that self-starts itself, using some other process?

[Lindley]

The Linux terminal is just a Putty session to a remote machine. It's not involved in the problem, it's just the reason I don't want to restart.

I tried attaching to the troublesome process with a debugger, but it said "cannot attach to crashing process" or something like that.

The given process *may* be CreateProcess'd by another program, but I don't recall if it was in this instance or not and I'm not sure what that would have to do with it.

[Ajay Vijay]

That means the process is attached with a debugger. The process has caused some exception that is causing some debugger (like Dr. Watson) to be attached with this process.

And if you are only concerned about generating new EXE, you can just rename the outfile in project settings. True, that's not optimal solution. You need to look up what's holding the process/crashing-process.

AFIAK, Process Explorer doesn't show if debugger is attached.

[Doron Moraz]

AFIAK, Process Explorer doesn't show if debugger is attached.

It actually does.
Find->Handle or DLL substring

[Lindley]

That means the process is attached with a debugger. The process has caused some exception that is causing some debugger (like Dr. Watson) to be attached with this process.

Wow, that must have been it. I closed all my instances of Visual Studio and the process finally went away! Thanks.