Visual Studio Debug Issue: Unable to start '...acad.exe'.

[calvindale]

Greetings,

I see the following error when I attempt to launch AutoCAD via F5 debugging from Visual Studio:

     Error while trying to run project: Unable to start program '...path...\acad.exe'.

     Input or output cannot be redirected because the specified file is invalid.

The path to the executable is correct.  I tried launching with and without the command line args: "/p <<VANILLA>>" to no avail.

I'm running AutoCAD 2011, VS2010 Ultimate, 64-bit Win 7, .NET 3.5, C#

Any ideas?  Thanks!

Both AutoCAD and Visual Studio hang if I attach the debugger after AutoCAD is launched (either before or after a NETLOAD).

I have fresh installs of AutoCAD, Visual Studio, Windows 7.  This is a new box.

Again, thanks!

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

have you set the path to AutoCAD enclosed in quotations marks?

Show us a screenshot of your project-settings/tab debug or upload the CSPROJ-file (there are also the settings for debugging saved.

- alfred -

[calvindale]

The "Start external program" text box won't accept a quote delimited path/file.  I also tried a shortened 8.3 path.

The program couldn't be simpler:

namespace AutoCadLibrary {
    public class ScratchPad {
 
        [CommandMethod("HelloWorld")]
        public void HelloWorld() {
            Editor ed = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor;
            ed.WriteMessage("\nHello World 1");
        }
 
    }
}

Thanks for your help

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

sorry, you are right, no quotes in "start ..."

Is drive D in your case a internal harddisk, an external or a network-drive?

Do you have write-access to the directory?

Do you have any AntiVirus or defender or ... running?

One idea I have is: create a batch-file, placed on C-drive (thats now your start-prog for vs) and in this place the line to start AutoCAD. (just as a test for differences between C: and D:)

- alfred -

[calvindale]

I tried launching AutoCAD indirectly via a batch file; but I got this exception:

     External Program Path:

     We can only debug an EXE file.  Please enter a valid executable.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

and the other 3 questions?

- alfred -

[calvindale]

My harddrive's are both internal.  AutoCAD is installed on one harddrive and my visual studio projects are located on another.  I do have write access the acad.exe path.  I'm an admin on this machine.

We run LANDesk antivirus here.  But I disabled it.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

what happens if you compile your project, start AutoCAD and _NETLOAD your DLL? Does this work?

Have you tried to open any of the samples from the ObjectARX-kit?

Sorry, the number of ideas I have goes to 0 ;(

- alfred -

[calvindale]

I'm able to netload a dll and run a command.  But I'm not able to launch AutoCAD from Visual Studio and attaching to a running instance of AutoCAD freezes it as well as Visual Studio.

[calvindale]

I got this fixed by changing the command line arguments from

/p <<VANILLA>>

to

/p "<<VANILLA>>"

That's all it took.