Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

General discussion about the media server. Feature requests. Hints, tips and tricks.
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Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:33 am

I'm a new HP EX487 customer and received the WHS system this week as one of the first shipping. I've been on with HP support for hours on end. HAve done a complete server rebuild (clean WHS OS install from their recovery disks, etc). They have been useless! I've come to this forum for help because I'm desperate at this point. I can not get TwonkyMedia Server to stay up long enough to complete a content scan, let alone serve up the content over the network!

First, the basics...

TwonkyMedia version: 5.0.22 WHS
Server hardware: HP EX487
Operating System: Windows Home Server w/ PP1
If you are running as a system service (Windows only): Yes
Client(s) and their software version: None, Web Browser Client
Type(s) of media you are having problems with: ALL
How many files you have in your database: Since the last crash:
Music tracks: 27036
Photos: 155718
Videos: 758
Network type (Wired/Wireless): Wired

Here is what is in the Event Viewer:

Event ID: 1000
Application Error
Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module TwonkyMediaServer.exe, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x0005aa2a.

and

Event ID: 1000
Application Error
Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module TwonkyMediaServer.exe, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x0005b182.


I've attached the TwonkyMediaServer-log file as well. I was able to grab the log associated with each Event ID fault address. One crash occurs simply by starting the server, the log file is in the zip and is associated with 0x0005b182 fault. The other log was captured when a scan was occuring and the server dumped with the fault 0x0005aa2a.

I can reproduce these crashes at will and with exactly the same event errors each time:

Start the server, crash immediately with fault address 0x0005b182, restart the server and a scan will run approximately 5-7 minutes at which point it dumps with fault address 0x0005aa2a. The subsequent restart of the server will cause another crash immediately with fault address 0x0005b182, then starting the server again will run a scan for 5-7 minutes at which point it dumps with fault address 0x0005aa2a, the subsequent restart will crash immediately with fault address 0x0005b182, and starting the server again will run a scan for 5-7 minutes followed by a crash with fault address 0x0005aa2a. The pattern is exactly the same each and every time...

Any help is greatly appreciated. I have a feeling I'm not alone and just the first of a long list of people who will benefit from a resolution to this issue.

Thank you.
Attachments
TwonkyMediaServer-logs.zip
TwonkyMediaServer-logs
(162.94KiB)Downloaded 277 times

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mgillespie
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:49 pm

Clearly others have this hardware/software combo working. So we have to determine why YOURS is crashing.

Usually it's one of 2 things.

1/ Hardware fault. Do a memory test, however usually you would see other applications misbehaving.
2./ Media fault. One of the files you are sharing may be corrupt and causing the server to choke. Does the server stay up, if you move all the media out the shared tree?
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:41 am

I couldn't agree more, its definately media related. In my continuing efforts to debug, I've been able to conclusively point to some video content as the culprit. I have the server up and running with only Music and Pictures shared. As soon as I enable the video share, it goes down and corrupts the database. Now the trick will be to identify what file(s) are causing the issue and why. Hopefully someone with enough experience can open the log files I provided and see what gives...

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:52 am

Try IPOD Videos\Movies\Talladega Nights.mp4. or the one after it alphabetically...
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:13 pm

mgillespie wrote:Try IPOD Videos\Movies\Talladega Nights.mp4. or the one after it alphabetically...
Will do, but please advise how that determination is made so I can see if other videos might have similar impact.

Thanks

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:10 am

scuba wrote:
mgillespie wrote:Try IPOD Videos\Movies\Talladega Nights.mp4. or the one after it alphabetically...
Will do, but please advise how that determination is made so I can see if other videos might have similar impact.

Thanks
It's the last video logged during scan (at the bottom of the file).
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by sbhornby » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:03 pm

Sadly I can confirm this is not an isolated problem, although mine does not appear to be associated with video.

Twonky seems to be failing, on my HP EX487, resulting in random effects. Sometimes I’m able to see music, photos, and video for streaming. Sometimes just the folders for the above with no tracks etc., and sometimes just nothing at all.

I’ve tried disabling the video options but that results in the same effects described above.

What are the options here. Are there any simple fault finding steps which can be used (the log file is unintelligible). Can I use an earlier version and if so what version would I use. Will I have any issues with product keys given Twonky came installed with the server.

I really would appreciate some help here. Inclusion of a streaming media server was a central part of the decision making process for buying the EX487.
:(

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:53 pm

Unfortunately, if you feed ANY application with corrupted data, then you risk having the application crash or at least play up.

The worst thing that you can do to a content server is provide it random content from filesharing networks (I am not suggesting anyone in particular is doing this of course).

If you want to verify your setup, move all your shared media, rip a CD to MP3/AAC/WMA or whatever your chosen format is, repeat for a small movie excerpt, and copy a couple of known good photos to your server.

Does it still crash?

If not, then your problems are either the content, or the quantity of content.
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:11 am

sbhornby wrote:Sadly I can confirm this is not an isolated problem, although mine does not appear to be associated with video.

Twonky seems to be failing, on my HP EX487, resulting in random effects. Sometimes I’m able to see music, photos, and video for streaming. Sometimes just the folders for the above with no tracks etc., and sometimes just nothing at all.

I’ve tried disabling the video options but that results in the same effects described above.

What are the options here. Are there any simple fault finding steps which can be used (the log file is unintelligible). Can I use an earlier version and if so what version would I use. Will I have any issues with product keys given Twonky came installed with the server.

I really would appreciate some help here. Inclusion of a streaming media server was a central part of the decision making process for buying the EX487.
:(
I'm coming off an earlier version of the HP, I had a ex475 with all the same files (content) and it had no problems. The scanning engine does more than scan and register the files and locations into a database. It is doing some detailed code level reading and determination to provide the basis for streaming at a later date. Something has change in the hueristics engine Twonky is using that has made it more susceptable to error. The content I have has not changed, but the software's ability to handle it has. Is this for the better? I don't know. Is it an indicator that I have bad data, some might suggest such, but I counter with the fact that version 4 of Twonky had no issues with it, but version 5 does.

So who is right? I don't know. But I was able to narrow it down to a video file(s)...

The real question remains. Is it my content, or is it Twonky? I would suggest the former is not the culprit, it is the latter...and lets see how we can troubleshoot this to resolution.

If it is in fact the Taladega Nights file, or the one after it, which happens to be The Incredibles, then I'll give the files to Twonky engineering and let them test to verify. Appears that they don't really watch the forums and I'm not getting any reponse to tech support email requests because its really an HP OEM under a Twonky reseller agreement.

Customer, stuck in the middle...

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by gcoupe » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:06 pm

I'm getting the same problem - TwonkyMediaServer.exe is being closed because of an address violation. I've installed a trial version of the version 5 server on my Windows Home Server as a test. Yes, I know that this is not a supported scenario, but I thought I'd try it.

I note that the suggestion is that perhaps a media file is causing the server to choke. Well, if that is the case then it doesn't seem to be bothering the Windows Media Connect server that is running alongside the TwonkyMedia Server...
- Geoff Coupe

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:40 am

gcoupe wrote:I'm getting the same problem - TwonkyMediaServer.exe is being closed because of an address violation. I've installed a trial version of the version 5 server on my Windows Home Server as a test. Yes, I know that this is not a supported scenario, but I thought I'd try it.

I note that the suggestion is that perhaps a media file is causing the server to choke. Well, if that is the case then it doesn't seem to be bothering the Windows Media Connect server that is running alongside the TwonkyMedia Server...

Yep, Windows Media Connect doesn't have any problems with any of my content. I've given up becuase HP won't support it and Twonkey won't support it. I've been able to determine that ALL my mp4 files formated for iPhone playback cause Twonkey to choke, and I have over 100 music videos and movies. All i have to do is drop one of them, doesn't matter which, into a folder that is being monitored for video and WHAM! server crash. Reproducable at will...

HP says that since I've narrowed it down to content, and my other video files work, they don't care. Twonkey support just ignores my emails to the case management team...

Dead end... Done... Moving on...

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:04 am

scuba wrote:
gcoupe wrote:
HP says that since I've narrowed it down to content, and my other video files work, they don't care. Twonkey support just ignores my emails to the case management team...
You have the OEM version, and your support is though HP, they have an obligation to help you. This works in EXACTLY the same was as when you buy a PC with Windows. If you buy it via Dell (for example), Microsoft won't help you, you have to go through Dell, the reason is, because Dell bought Windows at bulk prices from Microsoft, with the agreeement to provide support on it.
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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:38 pm

mgillespie wrote:
scuba wrote:
gcoupe wrote:
HP says that since I've narrowed it down to content, and my other video files work, they don't care. Twonkey support just ignores my emails to the case management team...
You have the OEM version, and your support is though HP, they have an obligation to help you. This works in EXACTLY the same was as when you buy a PC with Windows. If you buy it via Dell (for example), Microsoft won't help you, you have to go through Dell, the reason is, because Dell bought Windows at bulk prices from Microsoft, with the agreeement to provide support on it.

Why don't you call HP and tell them they have an Obligation to help. Lets see how far you get...:grin

You're stating the obvious. I get it. Doesn't change the facts. Customer stuck in the middle. That's why I concluded with Dead End...Done...Moving on...

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by r.mcadams@mchsi.com » Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:05 am

I have the same problem... New HP EX485 Windows Home Server with factory installed TwonkyMediaServer... same error messages. I've moved all of my video files out to see it that solved the problem... so far so good. How can I identify the "bad video"? Thanks

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:28 am

r.mcadams@mchsi.com wrote:I have the same problem... New HP EX485 Windows Home Server with factory installed TwonkyMediaServer... same error messages. I've moved all of my video files out to see it that solved the problem... so far so good. How can I identify the "bad video"? Thanks

I don't know how your videos are organized but I started by adding one directory at a time instead of pointing to the highest level VIDEO folder. I changed the share to a sub folder within. For me, I found out that it was my MP4 video that had been specifically optimized for my iPhone. For example, I have Talledega Nights as I explained earlier. I have it in two formats, one a WMV and the other in MP4. My movies folder with all WMV formats is fine but my folder with MP4 is not. I can take any MP4 file and drop it into the WMV folder and cause Twonky to crash. None of my files are DRM protected either.


I would suggest you create a few test cases. Organize your video by type, AVI, WMV, MOV, MP4, etc. place a few files of each type into the folders and add each folder one at a time to the Twonkey Share. Let the scan engine pick it up and give it time to ensure the server remains stable. That's how I determined it was MP4 files causing the problem.

After I determined the cause I reverted back to my normal folder structure (Movies, Music Vids, Home Vids, etc) and pulled all my MP4 files out into a seperate folder and structure that is NOT Shared.

Now, I can cause the crash at will by dropping any one of my 150+ MP4 files into any one of the shared folders and WHAM, TwonkeyMediaServer crash.

And for the Twonkey support guys that may be reading this (doubtful). All my MP4s are; MPEG-4 320x240 AAC Stereo LR 44.100Khz and 29.97 FPS

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by Dijon » Sun May 10, 2009 10:21 pm

I am having this same issue. :(

It's annoying because this is one of the main reasons I got the home server.

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by scuba » Mon May 11, 2009 11:55 pm

Too bad, because it's still not fixed and neither HP nor Twonky will take care of it. I've been through it on both sides, found it easier to simply solve as I explained. Seperate folders!
Dijon wrote:I am having this same issue. :(

It's annoying because this is one of the main reasons I got the home server.

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by Dijon » Sat May 16, 2009 3:39 pm

OK. The above solution helped a lot - Thanks to Scuba. Basically it's caused by BAD media. I took out the video file folder and, boom, the music sharing works again.

Twonky's logging is poor. I still don't know which file is bad and there is no way to know without hours of trial and error. Neither HP nor Twonky offer any assistance with this, and this is supposed to be a consumer oriented product. Ugh.

I'm just glad I can stream my media again. I was on the brink of tears with this. And nearly went to a server re-install!!

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Re: Constant Crashing:Faulting application TwonkyMediaServer.exe

Post by mgillespie » Sat May 16, 2009 6:37 pm

If you buy a HP OEM, then your support channel is through HP..

If you switch on logging, you can usually tell which file is causing the problems. Also make sure you have the latest server version installed, as I know some MP4 parsing problems were fixed...
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