VO 32 Bit limitations

[Jamal]

I found some C# code that checks to see if an EXE is LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE, and if not , it will update its header. I've verified that it works by using VMMAP.

I created a C# console app which is run as a part of my installation program and updates the EXE files found in installation folder as arguments. Anyway, I do not have to rely on third party tools except the .NET framework.

Source: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/905 ... re/9056757

Credit goes to authors:

Code: Select all

static bool LargeAware(string file) {
        using (var fs = File.Open(file, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.None)) {
            bool b = LargeAware(fs);
            fs.Close();
            return b;
        }
    }

    const int IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE = 0x20;
    static bool LargeAware(Stream stream) {

        var br = new BinaryReader(stream);
        var bw = new BinaryWriter(stream);

        if (br.ReadInt16() != 0x5A4D)       //No MZ Header 
            return false;

        br.BaseStream.Position = 0x3C;
        var peloc = br.ReadInt32();         //Get the PE header location.

        br.BaseStream.Position = peloc;
        if (br.ReadInt32() != 0x4550)       //No PE header
            return false;

        br.BaseStream.Position += 0x12;
        long nFilePos = (int)br.BaseStream.Position;
        Int16 nLgaInt = br.ReadInt16();
        bool bIsLGA = (nLgaInt & IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE) == IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE;
        if (bIsLGA)
            return true;
        nLgaInt |= IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE;
        long nFilePos1 = bw.Seek((int)nFilePos, SeekOrigin.Begin);
        bw.Write(nLgaInt);
        bw.Flush();
        long nFilePos2 = br.BaseStream.Seek(nFilePos, SeekOrigin.Begin);
        nLgaInt = br.ReadInt16();
        bIsLGA = (nLgaInt & IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE) == IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE;
        return bIsLGA;
    }

[Jamal]

Here the X# translation of the C# code as a console app. Tested and works as expected

Code: Select all

USING System
USING System.Collections.Generic
USING System.Linq
USING System.Text
USING System.IO

BEGIN NAMESPACE XSharpMakeLargeAddressAware
    #DEFINE IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE 0x20
    
    FUNCTION Start() AS VOID
           MakeLargeAware("c:somefolderprogramname.exe")   // replace with your own exe path   
    return     

    function MakeLargeAware(file as string) as logic
        
            LOCAL b AS LOGIC
            
            begin using var fs := File.Open(file, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.None)
        
                b := LargeAware(fs)
                fs.Close()                
            end using
    return b    

       
        function LargeAware(stream as Stream) as logic
       

            var br := BinaryReader{stream}
            var bw := BinaryWriter{stream}

            if (br.ReadInt16() != 0x5A4D)       //No MZ Header
                return false
            ENDIF
            
            br:BaseStream:Position := 0x3C
            var peloc := br:ReadInt32()         //Get the PE header location.

            br:BaseStream:Position := peloc
            if (br.ReadInt32() != 0x4550)       //No PE header
                return false
            ENDIF
            
            br:BaseStream:Position += 0x12
            local nFilePos := (int)br:BaseStream:Position as longint
            local nLgaInt := br:ReadInt16() as SHORT
            local bIsLGA := (_And(nLgaInt, IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE) == IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE) AS LOGIC
            if (bIsLGA)
                RETURN TRUE
            ENDIF
            
            nLgaInt |= IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE
            local nFilePos1 := bw:Seek((int)nFilePos, SeekOrigin.Begin) as int64
            bw.Write(nLgaInt)
            bw.Flush()
            local nFilePos2 := br:BaseStream:Seek(nFilePos, SeekOrigin.Begin) as int64
            nLgaInt := br:ReadInt16()
            bIsLGA := (nLgaInt & IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE) == IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE
            return bIsLGA
    
END NAMESPACE

[ArneOrtlinghaus]

Very nice, something what I I was already looking for.

Daniel, the author of the tool Wolfgang had found, has confirmed that he makes the same as the Visual Studio tool.
He also said that on 32-Bit Windows computers the flags will be ignored and do not disturb.

Arne

[ArneOrtlinghaus]

We are making now some beta tests in our company. It looks good until now.

I have tested that it works also with XSharp 32-bit programs. Although the memory management of Dot.net is better I have seen that also in Dotnet we reach quickly the 2 GB limit. And the move from 32 bit to 64 bit is another big challenge after having moved from VO to XSharp.

Arne

[ArneOrtlinghaus]

The first problematic computer:
The program starts shortly with the following message:
Processor stack fault
FFF1FF6C
Ok
It seems to be the standard VO error message window.
On my computer the same EXE file works fine.
The other machine is nearly identical (same motherboard, same Windows 10 64Bit)
Does anybody has an idea where this can come from?

Arne

[rjpajaron]

Hi Arne,

this is the list:
1. firmware update on motherboard BIOS. Intel? AMD?
2. chipsets updates.

1803 updates really wreak a lot of computers with outdated firmware.

Just a thought.

BTW, thanks for starting this thread. I copied all the code Jamal have shared and all thoughts herein: Wolfgang, Robert and yours.


Now, my apps is "LAA optimized".....

Regards,

Rene

[Jamal]

Does this help?

From: https://harbour.github.io/the-oasis/cli ... html#ss5.6

5.6 What is an "Unrecoverable Error 650: Processor Stack Fault"?
It's a result of infinite recursion, which occurs when a function calls itself, which calls itself, which calls itself, and so on without stopping. Most often this occurs when your error handler has an error, which triggers the error handler

The first problematic computer:
The program starts shortly with the following message:
Processor stack fault
FFF1FF6C
Ok
It seems to be the standard VO error message window.
On my computer the same EXE file works fine.
The other machine is nearly identical (same motherboard, same Windows 10 64Bit)
Does anybody has an idea where this can come from?

Arne

[ArneOrtlinghaus]

It is strange. Until now two computers have been found, where the program does not start anymore.
- The error happens in the EXE before the first self written line of code
- It happens in Vo28run!_ConvertResult
- this calls vo28run!_StackErr and then produces the error message on the screen
- It happens exactly with a simple console application.

Arne

[Jamal]

Can you provide the code for simple console app?
How did you apply the LMA feature?

Jamal

It is strange. Until now two computers have been found, where the program does not start anymore.
- The error happens in the EXE before the first self written line of code
- It happens in Vo28run!_ConvertResult
- this calls vo28run!_StackErr and then produces the error message on the screen
- It happens exactly with a simple console application.

Arne

[ArneOrtlinghaus]

Hi Jamal,

>Can you provide the code for simple console app?

I used the wizzard in VO under Basic/Console App and created the exe.

> How did you apply the LMA feature?

I use the editbin program from VS
editbin.exe /largeaddressaware %1

Until now 2 out of about 15 tested computers show this behavior, on the other computers the program starts as desired.

Arne