Tracing a Vista error compiling message

Projects Programming
1

Hi,

This is my first post so I hope I put enough information in it.

I have two laptops, one Win7 and one Vista.

I have a sketch which compiles and loads to my Uno successfully under Win7. It does not compile though in Vista. It always stops with the following error (no groans please, I checked for solutions and none works)

Arduino: 1.6.5 (Windows Vista), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

Using library Time in folder: C:\Users\Rob\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Time (legacy)

Using library LiquidCrystal in folder: C:\Program Files\Arduino\libraries\LiquidCrystal

C:\Program Files\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avr-g++ -c -g -Os -w -fno-exceptions -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-threadsafe-statics -MMD -mmcu=atmega328p -DF_CPU=16000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_AVR_UNO -DARDUINO_ARCH_AVR -IC:\Program Files\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr\cores\arduino -IC:\Program Files\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr\variants\standard -IC:\Users\Rob\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Time -IC:\Program Files\Arduino\libraries\LiquidCrystal\src C:\Users\Rob\AppData\Local\Temp\build1164899155682382507.tmp\sketch_lcd_robs_clock.cpp -o C:\Users\Rob\AppData\Local\Temp\build1164899155682382507.tmp\sketch_lcd_robs_clock.cpp.o

avr-g++: error: CreateProcess: No such file or directory
Error compiling.

Now I decided to do some investigation into the differences in messages between the two systems.

I get the same as above on the Win 7 laptop up to the .cpp.o point. However here things get strange.
On the Win7 laptop the next message is :-

C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avr-g++ -c -g -Os -w -fno-exceptions -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-threadsafe-statics -MMD -mmcu=atmega328p -DF_CPU=16000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_AVR_UNO -DARDUINO_ARCH_AVR -IC:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr\cores\arduino -IC:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr\variants\standard -IC:\Users\Rob\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Time -IC:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\LiquidCrystal\src -IC:\Users\Rob\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Time\utility C:\Users\Rob\Documents\Arduino\libraries\Time\DateStrings.cpp -o C:\Users\Rob\AppData\Local\Temp\build375262595523365369.tmp\Time\DateStrings.cpp.o

Note the folder reference in the Time to "\utility". This however doesn't exist on either machine so just to be certain, I created it and placed copies of the cpp etc files in it on the Vista machine in 'libraries'. No joy though it still stops. (This may all be a red herring).

I did a lot of searches for the error message and have checked the environment variables all to no avail.

As a final resort I dug out a very old XP laptop and installed the IDE onto that. It worked on that!

I'm stumped now as Win 7 ignores the path whereas Vista halts. Assuming that's the problem.

I did check the avr paths and they are valid.

The error message seems to be very common on Vista machines but non of the solutions I found did anything to help. I have deleted everything once and re-installed the IDE but no joy.

What makes me think it may not be the Time library reference, is it will not compile the 'Blink' program either. It stopped with the same error message.

I then looked into the IDE folders deeper and found the Platforms.txt with the compiler options. It would appear that the next 'Create' step would be the Archive file creation. As the Blink program is simple this would be the next step in compiling it.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received as I program on the Vista laptop, the other is a family one.

Rob

2

Note the folder reference in the Time to "\utility". This however doesn't exist on either machine so just to be certain, I created it and placed copies of the cpp etc files in it on the Vista machine in 'libraries'. No joy though it still stops. (This may all be a red herring).

Placed what files in it? The utility directory does not have to exist, and it does not have to have aything in it.

I would start with uninstalling and reinstalling the IDE on the Vista system. Something is missing.

Does the problem occur with the bare minimum sketch?

3

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I've decided the above is a red herring, the Time report it has nothing to do with the problem of the compiler halting.

Just using the example Blink I still get the error after the .cpp creations. I suspect maybe it's something to do with "paths" in Vista that is causing the problem.

I compared the Win 7 messages for a succesful compile of Blink against the messages from Vista non compile. It does seem to halt at the "Archive" stage of compiling.

I have re-installed the IDE after deleting everything except my sketch folder which I renamed. I then opened regedit and deleted the few references in the registry. (nothing much)

Rob

4

Have you had 1.5.x installed on that system? If so, remove the temp files associated with it (search these forums, it's been posted a few times in the last week or two); these can be left behind and cause problems with 1.6.x

If it's really Vista-dependent, try using the portable (ie, .zip) install, and extracting it into like, C:/Arduino. Vista has bugs in UAC file virtualization (used to "protect" program files against changes) which can cause really strange behavior w/regards to files under Program Files.

5

Hi,

No I've only ever had 1.6.5 installed.

I tried the zip version installed just to C: but the error message is still there.

Unfortunately now the XP laptop is undergoing a OS re-install after a hard drive error, so I now have only the family Win 7 to use.

Has no-one any idea on this one? It's a regular question from what I can see from the Google search results.

Rob