Rob Brooks-Bilson
Tech, Photography, Stuff
Update: ColdFusion 8 BSOD Issue - Resolution!
October 9, 2007
In a previous entry I talked about a problem I was having with my laptop blue screening every time I tried to install/run ColdFusion 8 with the default 1.6 jvm. At the time, I believed the issue might be with java 1.6 and some drivers on my machine. It turns out I was only partially right.
I though others in my group had been successful at installing CF8 on their machines, but it turns out that they all had the same BSOD problem I did. After a little more digging, Adam Crump was able to determine that the fault was taking place with a file called fslx.sys. It turns out that this file is used by the Altiris Software Virtualization System that was installed on all of our laptops. We use Altiris for lifecycle management, helpdesk, patch management, and more. The software virtualization wasn't being actively used, but something about it is causing the BSOD. Removing the Altiris virtualization program and reverting back to the 1.6 jvm solved the problem.
We're planning to submit the issue to Symantec (they recently bought Altiris) so they can hopefully issue a fix. Their virtualization software is actually pretty cool, so I'd like to be able to have it reinstalled on my machine again at some point.
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10/10/07 9:44 AM
Doh! I saw your last post and thought you were really having issues with the jvm. I ran into the issue with the Altiris Software Virtualization (or fslx.sys) a while ago but didn't think much about commenting on your previous post since you seemed to think it was the jvm. Good to have that resolved either way. I tried upgrading the virtualization solution to the latest version but it made no difference.
10/10/07 10:54 AM
Hi Boyan,
Funny thing is, it seems to be a combination of the Altiris virtualization software and the jvm. No BSOD with Java 1.4, but with 1.5 or 1.6, it blows up. As I understand it, fslx.sys is a filter that all I/O passes through, so it's something that the jvm is doing that the filter doesn't like/can't handle. I'm sure it's a Symantec problem, and we're forwarding the issue along to them, but who knows if/when it will ever be fixed.
10/10/07 12:00 PM
We recently began using Altiris for patch management; In addition, we are in the early stages of a planned upgrade to CF8.
Question is this: do you know if this conflict happens only during the install process ie could you install CF first and then Altiris?
Or will the two packages not run together at all?
10/10/07 12:11 PM
Hi Ron,
The Altiris patch management piece will function ok with ColdFusion 8. It's only their software virtualization product (a separate product/install) that causes the BSOD problem. If you have to run the virtualization software, then for now, you'll have to run CF 8 with the 1.4 jvm.
10/11/07 7:20 AM
I've also experienced BSODs on a Win2k3 instance in VMWare Workstation 6 with ColdFusion 8 when the CF files are stored on the host file system and IIS is referencing them through a share. In particular when parsing an XML file using XMLParse() that is on the share.
I wonder if it's at all related (note: the issue didn't exist with the same code and xml on ColdFusion 7)
10/11/07 5:55 PM
Hi Calvin,
It can be very hard to tell with the virtualization stuff. I know a bunch of people running vmware (myself included) that aren't having problems with older versions of CF (7.0.x in my case), but I haven't heard much on problems with CF8 outside of a few cases.
If you write out to a dump file when you BSOD, it may help you see what was running when the BSOD occurs.
11/6/08 1:53 PM
Hey Rob and Calvin,
I am also experiencing a BSOD error when calling XmlParse() in ColdFusion8.
I've produced the error on two machines so far and neither were using virtualization.
The file being parsed is on the filesystem and not a network share.
For reference, here's the code I ran:
<cffile file="c:\Coldfusion8\wwwroot\xml_transform\data\CCD.xml" action="read" variable="xmltext" >
<cfset xml_doc = XmlParse(#xmltext#)>
This is the only place I've seen anyone talking about this error, so I figured I'd post mine as well.
Let me know what you think about this. I may post something with Adobe to see what they think.
2/16/09 12:22 PM
fix: no need to change anything with the cf install
This seems to be issue with Altiris driver itself as per various Altiris forums. I followed the step given in the following kb article:
https://kb.altiris.com/display/1n/articleDirect/in...
I changed the registry entry and also renamed fslx.sys and restarted. I no longer get the BSOD
2/17/09 9:30 PM
Fix for BSOD error when calling XmlParse() in ColdFusion8 with Altiris
This seems to be issue with Altiris driver itself as per various Altiris forums. I followed the step given in the following kb article:
https://kb.altiris.com/display/1n/articleDirect/in...
I changed the registry entry and also renamed fslx.sys and restarted. I no longer get the BSOD.
11/30/11 11:26 AM
I know this is an old post, but it came up #1 when I Googled for a solution to CF BSOD xmlparse (which is what's happening to me). My laptop has Altiris Agent installed as well. The KB link in the comments no longer works, and typical of Symantic, I couldn't find anything in their support system (which is where the Altiris KB was migrated to apparently). Would love if someone who saw the article and/or knows the actual steps could put them here.