OSK.exe and the worst bug ever...
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I think Ive just found the most weird bug ever in my whole career. We are currently developing an app for a facility that recycle electronics. this involves some industry scales which are used to weigh the recycled parts. In our test environment the communication with the scales worked just fine. when we brought a testmachine to them and tried it worked all fine. However, in production mode they got a message "Access to port COM1 is denied" So after some 6h of debugging we found the problem.. The production machines use OSK.exe , the onscreen keyboard in windows. and for some reason , the onscreen keyboard blocks the access to COM1. you can however , close the keyboard , open the connection to the scales , and then reopen the keyboard. how odd is that? and why in the world do OSK allocate the com1 port?
I think it might be related to the SerialKeys accessibility feature, but changing the port in the Accessibility Options control panel had no effect on which port was in use. It isn't actually osk.exe which opens the serial port, it's a process called msswchx.exe which does it (at least that's what I can tell from Process Explorer[^] - it appears as \Device\Serial0 rather than COM1). Best bet is to contact Microsoft support.
Stability. What an interesting concept. -- Chris Maunder
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I think Ive just found the most weird bug ever in my whole career. We are currently developing an app for a facility that recycle electronics. this involves some industry scales which are used to weigh the recycled parts. In our test environment the communication with the scales worked just fine. when we brought a testmachine to them and tried it worked all fine. However, in production mode they got a message "Access to port COM1 is denied" So after some 6h of debugging we found the problem.. The production machines use OSK.exe , the onscreen keyboard in windows. and for some reason , the onscreen keyboard blocks the access to COM1. you can however , close the keyboard , open the connection to the scales , and then reopen the keyboard. how odd is that? and why in the world do OSK allocate the com1 port?
Roger J wrote:
and why in the world do OSK allocate the com1 port?
Probably because older keyboards (before PS2) used to be connected to COM1? And they didn't want an actual keyboard interfering with their virtual keyboard.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New) -
I think Ive just found the most weird bug ever in my whole career. We are currently developing an app for a facility that recycle electronics. this involves some industry scales which are used to weigh the recycled parts. In our test environment the communication with the scales worked just fine. when we brought a testmachine to them and tried it worked all fine. However, in production mode they got a message "Access to port COM1 is denied" So after some 6h of debugging we found the problem.. The production machines use OSK.exe , the onscreen keyboard in windows. and for some reason , the onscreen keyboard blocks the access to COM1. you can however , close the keyboard , open the connection to the scales , and then reopen the keyboard. how odd is that? and why in the world do OSK allocate the com1 port?
I'm surprised you can even find computers with serial ports on them nowadays (at least built in, there's a variety of vendors that make all sorts of interesting serial port stuff). I treasure my laptop with a serial port. Marc
Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer -
Roger J wrote:
and why in the world do OSK allocate the com1 port?
Probably because older keyboards (before PS2) used to be connected to COM1? And they didn't want an actual keyboard interfering with their virtual keyboard.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New)No, before PS2 keyboards were connected to what's called "DIN plug" over here directly on the MoBo. (Mouse was connected to serial port, though) (Of ocurse, it's called "DIN Buchse" here, but.. you know..)
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
Tree in C# || Fold With Us! || sighist -
I'm surprised you can even find computers with serial ports on them nowadays (at least built in, there's a variety of vendors that make all sorts of interesting serial port stuff). I treasure my laptop with a serial port. Marc
Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer -
"Thyme In The Country" nice advertisement ;P
We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them. Steve Jobs
norm .net wrote:
nice advertisement
Something different. It's my neighbor's B&B, and I occasionally cook breakfast there and candlelight dinners. :) Marc
Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer -
No, before PS2 keyboards were connected to what's called "DIN plug" over here directly on the MoBo. (Mouse was connected to serial port, though) (Of ocurse, it's called "DIN Buchse" here, but.. you know..)
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
Tree in C# || Fold With Us! || sighistpeterchen wrote:
No, before PS2 keyboards were connected to what's called "DIN plug" over here directly on the MoBo. (Mouse was connected to serial port, though) (Of ocurse, it's called "DIN Buchse" here, but.. you know..)
Ah yes - I remember now :doh:
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New) -
norm .net wrote:
nice advertisement
Something different. It's my neighbor's B&B, and I occasionally cook breakfast there and candlelight dinners. :) Marc
Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer -
peterchen wrote:
No, before PS2 keyboards were connected to what's called "DIN plug" over here directly on the MoBo. (Mouse was connected to serial port, though) (Of ocurse, it's called "DIN Buchse" here, but.. you know..)
Ah yes - I remember now :doh:
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New)How do you call the plug?
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
Tree in C# || Fold With Us! || sighist -
How do you call the plug?
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
Tree in C# || Fold With Us! || sighistpeterchen wrote:
How do you call the plug?
In school, we used to call it the keyboard port (since none of us knew the right word) :-O
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New)