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c#.netmanagedethernet

What can make a .NET app freeze the computer?

I know this is probably the canonical "It depends..." question but I'd appreciate any pointers as to where to start looking.

I have a client/server app talking over ethernet. In one computer I run the server and a client and on another just the client. One runs Vista and one runs XP. After an uptime of about 3 weeks the entire computer freezes and nothing works, not mouse, not keyboard, nothing -just power off. Every ten seconds the server sends a ping message to see if the clients are alive, other than that just a few small messages go back and forth every day.

I'm trying to find out if it's me causing it or something else. I've started a session and after a few days I thought I'd check for strange increases in memory use but beyond that I have very few ideas.

Solution

  • Some thoughts to consider:

    1. You know the computer doesn't respond, but that doesn't mean it's hung. Does it respond to a ping?
    2. Maybe the disk activity light is on all the time?
    3. You say "no keyboard" - do you mean no caps lock or num lock lights?
    4. Although the .NET application may be the only one you're running at the time, that does not imply it is the cause of the problem. Some background job could be doing it.

    For example, I notice that Retrospect backup, when it is creating a snapshot, freezes the entire system for 10-15 minutes. I mean, no caps lock, the clock in the task bar doesn't update, no CTRL-ALT-DEL, can't type into an "Answer" text box in SO, nothing. It had nothing to do with what I was doing at the time, which was answering a question on SO.

    After it came back, SO asked if I was a human. My feelings were hurt. ;-)