Many 32 bit apps crash instantly on Win7 E x64...

[mvbighead]

Internet Explorer, Firefox, PowerPoint, Media Center, etc. all crash at startup saying the application has stopped working. It doesn't suggest that it will search for a solution, just a close the program dialog box appears.

I've done a clean boot. I've run sfc /scannow. This system has next to nothing on it, but yet running the simplest of applications results in errors, on two separate systems.

I can run IE x64 without issue (version 9.0). This has happened with and without security software (McAfee).

It was previously loaded from scratch and then sysprepped. I have created two system from this image and both exhibit the same symptoms.

Strange thing is, PowerPoint breaks the same way, but Word, Excel, Outlook, and some other applications seem to work. Lync 2010 (x86) opens correctly, but crashes as soon as an IM is sent.

Looking for tips/suggestions of what to try. None of this is making any sense to me. System is on a domain, but I have two other systems (prepared with a different image) receiving the same policies that do not act this way in the slightest. I am wondering if I screwed something up with Sysprep, but I cannot be sure, as it seemed to work at one point or another.

Also, oddly enough, at times, with different logins, Internet Explorer x86 may work, but then for someone else it will crash the same way.

 

[winoutreach5]

From the sound of the symptoms you described, I have to wonder if it’s possible that the image you are using to deploy is corrupt. You stated that you have two other systems that were prepared with a different image and these referenced systems do not experience the same behavior of crashing 32-bit applications. With that in mind, I would attempt to recreate the image. It would also be helpful to know how you made the image. I.E. Did you use ImageX? Or some other capture utility?

You also might want to look into the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) for imaging and deployment. MDT acts as a common console for all of your images; plus, it’s free and it can be used to deploy Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2008 and Windows 2008R2. Using MDT, you can easily add both applications and drivers, manage Windows updates, create task sequences, prompt for a computer name, join a domain, add a KMS or MAK product key, create an administrator account, specify time zone, etc. You can also import all user data into the new environment using the User State Migration Tool (also free). In addition to creating standard client task sequences, you can create sysprep and capture task sequences that will do just that – sysprep and capture an image of your reference machine. To become familiar with the process of using MDT, you might want to check out these videos from the Springboard Series page on TechNet:

Deployment Day Session 1: Introduction to MDT 2012
Deployment Day Session 2: MDT 2012 Advanced

You can also create bootable media directly from MDT if you do not wish to use the PXE boot method in conjunction with Windows Deployment Services (WDS). Upon booting into the LiteTouchPE environment, you can select the image you wish to deploy, which task sequence you wish to use and then proceed to enter the necessary computer name and domain you wish to join.

To summarize: once you have the image captured and imported into MDT, you can add applications to a task sequence that also specifies your additional needs including installing updates and patches since you can integrate it with Windows Update or WSUS to make sure the deployment is fully updated. Alternatively, you can put the updates into MDT as packages to be installed during deployment.

Finally, there is also a great deal of resources for various deployment, virtualization and management scenarios available from the Springboard Series on TechNet.

Hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress!

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

 

[mvbighead]

From the sound of the symptoms you described, I have to wonder if it’s possible that the image you are using to deploy is corrupt. You stated that you have two other systems that were prepared with a different image and these referenced systems do not experience the same behavior of crashing 32-bit applications. With that in mind, I would attempt to recreate the image. It would also be helpful to know how you made the image. I.E. Did you use ImageX? Or some other capture utility?

You also might want to look into the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) for imaging and deployment. MDT acts as a common console for all of your images; plus, it’s free and it can be used to deploy Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2008 and Windows 2008R2. Using MDT, you can easily add both applications and drivers, manage Windows updates, create task sequences, prompt for a computer name, join a domain, add a KMS or MAK product key, create an administrator account, specify time zone, etc. You can also import all user data into the new environment using the User State Migration Tool (also free). In addition to creating standard client task sequences, you can create sysprep and capture task sequences that will do just that – sysprep and capture an image of your reference machine. To become familiar with the process of using MDT, you might want to check out these videos from the Springboard Series page on TechNet:

Deployment Day Session 1: Introduction to MDT 2012
Deployment Day Session 2: MDT 2012 Advanced

You can also create bootable media directly from MDT if you do not wish to use the PXE boot method in conjunction with Windows Deployment Services (WDS). Upon booting into the LiteTouchPE environment, you can select the image you wish to deploy, which task sequence you wish to use and then proceed to enter the necessary computer name and domain you wish to join.

To summarize: once you have the image captured and imported into MDT, you can add applications to a task sequence that also specifies your additional needs including installing updates and patches since you can integrate it with Windows Update or WSUS to make sure the deployment is fully updated. Alternatively, you can put the updates into MDT as packages to be installed during deployment.

Finally, there is also a great deal of resources for various deployment, virtualization and management scenarios available from the Springboard Series on TechNet.

Hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress!

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

Wow, lots of good information there.

Sadly, I have built 3 machines using WDS on the OptiPlex 760 line, and all of them, at one point or another, have instantly crashed some application or another. I finally was suspecting a driver problem from WDS (I have many of the Dell cab files added on so driver installation is automatic), but after scratch building a 790 and loading only necessary drivers, I then came upon a crash of Windows Media Center.

Long story short, I am starting to suspect a (yet another) setting in the domain is causing problems with something. Many of my old GPOs were manually created in a new domain, and I have been encountering issues since. This last one sort of came out of nowhere, but I have 2 machines I have built that have no issues whatsover.

This last 790 build exhibited problematic symptoms ONLY with Windows Media Center, but a day later, the problem disappeared. I have no idea what yet to attribute it to, I still have some looking, but it doesn't seem to be the image directly, but rather a problem with a setting in the new domain, I suspect. Given there are 100s of settings to peruse, it's going to take some time to figure out.

 

[winoutreach5]

I’m happy I could help. I strongly recommend looking into MDT when you have some time as it sounds as though it could alleviate some of the issues you are encountering—specifically as it relates to the driver storage.

Feel free to PM me when you begin if you need help!

Jessica
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro
Springboard Series on TechNet

 

[mvbighead]

Well, the 790 and all other systems for that matter crash Windows Media Center when run in a remote session after several updates. This could be a GPO thing, or an update thing. Not sure. But in any case, those systems are completely fine.

Now I can't seem to recall on my second and third tests whether I had problems with apps other than Windows Media Center. I know the first build had problems with PowerPoint, Lync, and a couple others. Oh well, I got what I needed to work, and I am moving on.

 

[R0H1T]

Spoiler

This might be a long shot but can you install/run this particular application ~
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2314980

I've seen this peculiar behavior if one of those options have been tampered with, not that its such a bad thing(since it'll make the programs run with more layers of security than at default) but it'll crash alot of these programs that can't run with say an "ASLR" enabled !

Scratch that btw is your problem solved now ?