Unhandled exception - Object reference not set to an instance of an object

....and of course I also updated all the clients to 1.4.2.

What is shown on the client information screen as it crashes? You can get the information screen up by pressing i

This is the information:

Schedule Status: Sleeping
LayoutId: 10. Runs from 01.01.0001 00:00:00

Required Files Status: Sleeping
layout: 10.xlf. (100%)
media: 48.jpg. (100%)

ScheduleManagerThread 25.03.2013 16:28:32 Error ScheduleManager - LoadNewSchedule Layout invalid: 10
UI Thread 25.03.2013 16:28:32 Error Main Form - ChangeToNextLayout Unable to change layout: Default layout

You're certain your layout has no empty regions?

The client is saying the layout is invalid for some reason.

Yes. I am pretty sure. And when I do not remove all content from the Xibo Library folder, I don't get those errors. Maybe this "Invalid" error is only thrown because initially it is not yet existing?

Yes, it could be, but your information shows the download as complete and if that's the last message before it crashes then I don't see what else it could be.

Have you also tried clearing the cachemanager object file?

Meanwhile I am sure that those errors come from XiboLibrary being empty in the beginning.

Cachemanager object file? What do you mean? Where can I find it? I guess you don't mean the Temporary Internet Files of IE?

c:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\Xibo\Xibo Digital Signage\2.0.0.0

in particular cacheManager.xml, but you may as well clear all the files in that folder while you're there.

Alex

The only thing I can find there is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Xibo\XiboClient.exe_Url_***\user.config - I doubt that I should delete this.

I meanwhile set the log level to Audit instead of Error - unfortunately saving the log file does not create a file.... It should be this one: C:\Program Files (x86)\Xibo Player\XiboLog.txt

This is a very simple layout I created, consisting of 2 regions, with
- 2 RSS feeds
- 1 picture, 1 RSS feed
When having the XiboLibrary empty, I get the error.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout schemaVersion="1" width="800" height="450" bgcolor="#000000" background="18.jpg">
 <region id="515074a1730ee" userId="1" width="462" height="335" top="5" left="338">
  <media id="2" type="image" duration="10" lkid="22" userId="1" schemaVersion="1">
         <options><uri>2.jpg</uri></options>
         <raw/>
  </media>
  <media id="0cad654284e3e3e230b4be1b93a7fb6b" type="ticker" duration="30" lkid="" userId="1" schemaVersion="1">
   <options>
    <direction>single</direction>
    <copyright/>
    <scrollSpeed>2</scrollSpeed>
    <updateInterval>10</updateInterval>
    <uri>http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Findex.rss</uri>
    <numItems>4</numItems>
    <takeItemsFrom>start</takeItemsFrom>
    <durationIsPerItem>0</durationIsPerItem>
    <fitText>0</fitText>
   </options>
   <raw>
    <template><![CDATA[<p>
   [Title] - [Date] - [Description]</p>
  ]]></template>
   </raw>
  </media>
 </region>
 <region id="5150770e97ffb" userId="1" width="217" height="286" top="50" left="50">
  <media id="8df13fed744a1b0eb41850948d0adb08" type="ticker" duration="30" lkid="" userId="1" schemaVersion="1">
   <options>
    <direction>single</direction>
    <copyright/>
    <scrollSpeed>2</scrollSpeed>
    <updateInterval>5</updateInterval>
    <uri>http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Findex.rss</uri>
    <numItems>3</numItems>
    <takeItemsFrom>start</takeItemsFrom>
    <durationIsPerItem>0</durationIsPerItem>
    <fitText>0</fitText>
   </options>
   <raw>
    <template><![CDATA[<p>
  [Title] - [Date] - [Description]</p>
 ]]></template>
   </raw>
  </media>
  <media id="f5a9625613cbb046f5c7fcb5a08c956a" type="ticker" duration="30" lkid="" userId="1" schemaVersion="1">
   <options>
    <direction>none</direction>
    <copyright/>
    <scrollSpeed>2</scrollSpeed>
    <updateInterval>360</updateInterval>
    <uri>http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faz.net%2Fs%2FRub%2FTpl%7EEpartner%7ESRss_.xml</uri>
    <numItems>5</numItems>
    <takeItemsFrom>start</takeItemsFrom>
    <durationIsPerItem>0</durationIsPerItem>
    <fitText>0</fitText>
   </options>
   <raw>
    <template><![CDATA[<p>
  [Title] - [Date] - [Description]</p>
 ]]></template>
   </raw>
  </media>
 </region>
</layout>

You must have a cacheManager.xml file somewhere. Search the hard drive, but it should be at the location I mentioned. If not, perhaps the client doesn't have permissions to write there? Or if you're on a domain perhaps there's a policy either redirecting that location elsewhere or preventing a write?

Alex

Good morning! I finally found the location. Removing everything in this folder also didn't help. But now I have a logfile, which I could send you if it helps.

Only if it has something that looks like an error in it.

Where was the file in the end, because it should have been where I said?

I found the log entry which is always visible when the error occurs:

Audit: <message>Starting media</message><method>Region - StartMedia</method><logdate>26.03.2013 09:09:13</logdate><thread>UI Thread</thread>
[*]ScheduleID:87,LayoutID:17,MediaID:8df13fed744a1b0eb41850948d0adb08,Message:Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'WebBrowser'.

The path was on partition D... should have checked this earlier, sorry.
D:\userdata\<username>\Application Data\Xibo\Xibo Digital Signage\2.0.0.0

So I'm wondering what's causing it to be written there? Do you have some kind of folder redirection setup on the PC?

Yes. Domain specific.

Could you test with a profile that doesn't have any folder redirection setup please?

I tried on the WinXP client, this one is not in a domain. I got the same result there. Deleting all the files including Cachemanager.xml didn't help.

Path:
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Xibo\Xibo Digital Signage\2.0.0.0

errors in the log file:
Audit: <message>Starting media</message><method>Region - StartMedia</method><logdate>26.03.2013 10:28:28</logdate><thread>UI Thread</thread>
[*]ScheduleID:0,LayoutID:10,MediaID:496f9a4c713d1200dadedd95e1608783,Message:Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'WebBrowser'.
[*]ScheduleID:0,LayoutID:10,MediaID:489d67df2db0890f2e78a66720deb576,Message:Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'WebBrowser'.
Audit: <message>Schedule Timer Ticked</message><method>ScheduleManager - Run</method><logdate>26.03.2013 10:28:30</logdate><thread>ScheduleManagerThread</thread>
[*]ScheduleID:0,LayoutID:10,MediaID:8c8518a38691c3f984aa13897bb4c75a,Message:Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'WebBrowser'.

I'm out of ideas then. There has to be something in the layout or the environment that's causing this as I've not seen that message before. Sorry.

As said in #11, the error occurs with a very simple layout. I don't think it's a problem of the layout....

Any suggestions what to do now? Contact someone else? Fallback to 1.3.1?

Needs Dan to look at it with you really.

Can you try this XiboClient.exe - replace the version you already have in Program Files:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4eus5n3y56pvuug/XiboClient.exe

Ok. But thanks a lot for your time!

On the Win7 machine I don't get this error anymore. Have to check on the WinXP later on. What did you change?

It's a pre-release version of 1.5.0 - which has a fix for a potential exception being thrown when media is disposed. I'm not sure why it should fix the error you're having though, but if it does, then that's great :)

Also working fine on the WinXP machine. Thanks a lot!

...now the next problem would be that I get the same error box with text "Out of memory" afer 1-3 hours....(I get this with both client versions, the official one and yours) Can it be that this client consumes now more memory than before?

It shouldn't. It's possible you're seeing the same issue as here:

https://answers.launchpad.net/xibo/+question/223416

It's on Dan's list to look at.

Yes, this sounds pretty much as my issue. I'll track the other question.

Thanks for your help!