Topic: Is MC18 stable? (Read 4779 times)

Grenache · « **on:** November 26, 2012, 06:29:35 pm »

I've been running MC since version 12 or 11 and find MC18 to be the least stable release until now. The audio part seems as solid as ever, but when watching TV or Video it crashes or freezes several times a day. I also have problems with wrong aspect ratios, losing connection to my server and other minor issues. All in all, former versions of MC just seemed more stable at same point in the development cycle.

I know this is not a very specific description of my problems, and anyway it's not meant as a complaint. I just like to know if you all (especially users of more than just audio) find it to be stable?

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2012, 06:41:09 pm »

Please provide some details.

What version of MC are you using?

What version of Windows?

You're using MC with a server. Please describe in detail. Are you using the same version of MC on both sides?

JimH · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2012, 06:44:37 pm »

Your corrupt library may have been part of your problems.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75819.msg514557#msg514557

Grenache · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2012, 06:58:58 pm »

Quote from: JimH on November 26, 2012, 06:41:09 pm

What version of MC are you using?

As noted in the other thread you're referring to, I usually install the latest version shortly after release. So for now this means 18.0.78.

Quote from: JimH on November 26, 2012, 06:41:09 pm

What version of Windows?

Windows 8, but my problems haven't got worse after the switch.

Quote from: JimH on November 26, 2012, 06:41:09 pm

Are you using the same version of MC on both sides?

Yes.

Grenache · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2012, 07:07:50 pm »

Quote from: JimH on November 26, 2012, 06:44:37 pm

Your corrupt library may have been part of your problems.

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75819.msg514557#msg514557

Maybe. But could you tell me if MC is able to load a corrupt library? If this is the case I haven't had any problems with corruption, only dissapearing data.

As I told Yaobing in the other thread, I've restored a working library from a few days ago (before it got corrupt, if it did), but my problems are much older than that.

Anyway, as I said, this is not a complaint or a request for support. I just need to know if I'm the only one having stability issues. If that's the case it's obvious I have to investigate other reasons for the frequent crashes, which is my main problem.

JimH · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:16:13 pm »

There are several other threads on this subject. You could read them.

Grenache · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2012, 04:32:46 am »

Quote from: JimH on November 26, 2012, 08:16:13 pm

There are several other threads on this subject. You could read them.

Thank you for your answer.

I know there's been several threads where people still running MC17 are asking if MC18 is out of beta. But that's not my case. I've been running MC18 since the first release, and I just want to know if frequent crashing and freezing still should be expected at this time of the development cycle (version .78).

I read the forum daily, but maybe I've overlooked something. Could you please point me in the direction of the threads you ask me to read?

Grenache · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2012, 06:57:53 pm »

More than 200 have viewed this thread in just 24 hours. This is way more than for most new threads. So a subject line about MC18 stability seems to catch some interest among my fellow users. On the other hand, none of those viewers have replied to my question: "I just like to know if you all (especially users of more than just audio) find it to be stable?". Except for Jim's remarks.

I'll take that as either: I'm the only one with MC18 stability problems, or: it's not "comme il faut" to discuss this in the forum.

In both cases I apologise for starting this thread...

JimH · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2012, 07:01:27 pm »

No apology needed. Please start a thread on any current problems you have. If you can provide details, someone may be able to help.

Windows 8 is still new enough that we may find problems we don't know about.

fitbrit · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2012, 09:04:16 pm »

I was quite reluctant to install MC18 at first. However, I did so about 20 builds ago and it's become more and more stable with every build for me. Currently, I am removing MC17 from each of my computers.

MM_switcher · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:12:07 am »

For me it's still not stable and usable enough compared to MC17; downgraded again.

Grenache · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2012, 05:47:59 am »

Yeah, I've been thinking seriously about downgrading too. But now that MC17 has been officially retired and MC18 is the new "flagship", this shouldn't be the way to go.

JimH · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2012, 06:42:09 am »

Quote from: MM_switcher on November 28, 2012, 04:12:07 am

For me it's still not stable and usable enough compared to MC17; downgraded again.

Please report any problems in the build thread that announces each build.

The problem you reported in the 18.0.74 thread was fixed in 18.0.78.

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2012, 07:50:12 am »

As a beta user, I've been using MC18 for some time. In all that time I've not noticed any issues or any less stability than with MC17.

I use MC for watching DVD's, avi's, and listening to music.

MM_switcher · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:07:14 pm »

Quote from: JimH on November 28, 2012, 06:42:09 am

Please report any problems in the build thread that announces each build.

The problem you reported in the 18.0.74 thread was fixed in 18.0.78.

Correct; but what about this: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75706.msg513710#msg513710

These simple things, that have been working great in MC17 are now broken.

KoolADE · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:38:30 pm »

I'd agree with you, Grenache, that MC is not as stable as it used to be.
The problem for me (and the reason I can't post specific problems) is that crashes happen "randomly". I will be browsing the TV Guide, and Boom! it crashes; or I will be tagging some music and Boom! it does it again; or I will put on a Netflix show, and off it goes again.

None of these crashes are reproducible. They just happen as random one-offs.
I have 3 computers. Looking at the Reliability Monitor in Windows, I can see MC has crashed at least twice in last 14 days on all of them.

Taken together, the MC18 one-off crashes are more frequent than in previous versions, leaving MC18 "feeling" more unstable.

However, I can't oblige JimH in posting specific problems, because I don't know where to even start describing what could have led to the crash!

But maybe that's a good benchmark for stability. How often does it crash for everyone else (according to the Reliability Monitor)?

glynor · « **Reply #16 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:40:02 pm »

Quote from: Mr ChriZ on November 28, 2012, 07:50:12 am

As a beta user, I've been using MC18 for some time. In all that time I've not noticed any issues or any less stability than with MC17.

I use MC for watching DVD's, avi's, and listening to music.

+1

There are a few issues here and there, just as there are with MC17, but they're all reasonably minor, for me at least. YMMV, of course.

JimH · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:40:43 pm »

On our wiki, there is a topic called "Stability". You can read about logging there.

glynor · « **Reply #18 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:42:54 pm »

Quote from: KoolADE on November 28, 2012, 04:38:30 pm

But maybe that's a good benchmark for stability. How often does it crash for everyone else (according to the Reliability Monitor)?

On my HTPC right now, I have one crash in the past 30 days.

I think it was my Anti-Virus application being obnoxious, if I remember right. Or maybe video card drivers.

I use it every night, essentially, for all of my TV watching and Music playback.

glynor · « **Reply #19 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:46:41 pm »

Quote from: JimH on November 28, 2012, 04:40:43 pm

On our wiki, there is a topic called "Stability". You can read about logging there.

This would be the best way to figure it out.

When you get a crash of MC (to be clear NOT A BLUESCREEN, but a crash of MC where it stops responding and has to be quit), reopen it and immediately generate a log zip file. Post it to this forum, in a new thread, and describe what happened at the time, and what you were doing. This is the best way to get help with crashes.

If you are getting Bluescreen STOP errors, where the whole computer crashes, this is NOT because of a bug in MC. It can be "triggered" by something MC does, but it is caused by:

1. Hardware Drivers
2. Hardware Failure
3. Corrupted Windows Install

Period. Client software, with very few exceptions (games and benchmarks, mostly) cannot make Windows 7 BSOD. Only low-level stuff can do that.

KoolADE · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2012, 04:50:22 pm »

Quote from: JimH on November 28, 2012, 04:40:43 pm

On our wiki, there is a topic called "Stability". You can read about logging there.

Excellent. I read through that.
Would you recommend emailing a log every time we experience a crash? Is that useful to you (the devs)?

rjm · « **Reply #21 on:** November 28, 2012, 05:01:09 pm »

I have a large library and push MC pretty hard. I have not seen any difference in stability between 17 and 18. Both are pretty good.

There do seem to be more small problems in 18 than usual due probably to the significant infrastructure changes in 18. Fortunately these small problems have not negatively affected me.

I also have to say that for me there has been no compelling improvement in 18 over 17. Again understandable since the energy right now is going into areas that I do not use.

Matt · « **Reply #22 on:** November 28, 2012, 05:19:03 pm »

Quote from: KoolADE on November 28, 2012, 04:50:22 pm

Would you recommend emailing a log every time we experience a crash? Is that useful to you (the devs)?

If you have a crash, start a thread. Describe what you were doing.

If you send a log, include a link to the thread.

fitbrit · « **Reply #23 on:** November 28, 2012, 10:15:56 pm »

When I started using MC back in version 12, I would see frequent crashes - To the point where I didn't use it for audio, and even used MPC-HC as an external program for videos. Nothing improved until MC15. That was when I needed to reformat my HTPC for other reasons. As soon as I did that and was running a lean system, with minimal junk installed, only the codecs I needed, the very same version of MC suddenly become very reliable.
For those of you who feel MC is getting less stable with time, have you considered that it might be your PC that is becoming less stable with time; MC might just be the messenger!

Arcturus · « **Reply #24 on:** November 28, 2012, 11:27:27 pm »

Well for my part of running it pretty much all day/night for the last 10 days it has not once crashed or exhibited any bugs.

Grenache · « **Reply #25 on:** November 29, 2012, 06:23:37 am »

Thank you all. Really nice getting some feedback.

Quote from: fitbrit on November 28, 2012, 10:15:56 pm

For those of you who feel MC is getting less stable with time, have you considered that it might be your PC that is becoming less stable with time; MC might just be the messenger!

Exactly. I started this thread for the same reason: to find out if I'm the only one with frequent chrashes. If that's the case it must be my system.

However it seems that I'm not the only one. What puzzles me most is that "heavy users" like Glynor only have "reasonably minor" issues. I'm much more in line with KoolADE, who's comment:

Quote from: KoolADE on November 28, 2012, 04:38:30 pm

The problem for me (and the reason I can't post specific problems) is that crashes happen "randomly". I will be browsing the TV Guide, and Boom! it crashes; or I will be tagging some music and Boom! it does it again; or I will put on a Netflix show, and off it goes again.

really nails it for me. I also agree with him, that:

Quote from: KoolADE on November 28, 2012, 04:38:30 pm

However, I can't oblige JimH in posting specific problems, because I don't know where to even start describing what could have led to the crash!

I'd be more than happy to provide Jim, Matt or Yaobing with detailed descriptions of the reasons for my problems, but usually I just can't. However, l'll try following your log-directions when MC crashes or freezes (I haven't had any BSOD).

I've posted a Crash Report. Please tell me if I'm doing it correctly.

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Author Topic: Is MC18 stable? (Read 4779 times)