[R] Error with 1.9.0 - Invalid HOMEDRIVE

[Uwe Ligges]

Brett Melbourne wrote:
> Some more diagnostic information on this problem related to Windows
> critical updates.
> 
> I am running R 1.8.1 and 1.9.0 under Windows XP Pro, on a laptop, which is
> networked at work but frequently used off the network. R starts properly
> sometimes, when attached to the network, but never when disconnected and
> logged on to the same (networked) user profile. R does however, always start
> properly on a non-network profile local to my machine.
> 
> I have all the critical Windows XP updates installed, so later updates did
> not fix the problem.
> 
> On failing to start 1.8.1, entering debug gives the message "Unhandled
> exception in Rgui.exe (MSVCRT.DLL):0xC0000005:Access Violation"
> 
> The following observations apply to both 1.8.1 and 1.9.0:
> 
> Setting HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH does not fix the problem (see SET dump
> appended to end of message).
> Rebooting in safe mode (with networking) does not fix the problem.
> Rebooting in safe mode (without networking) does fix the problem but in that
> case I am running on a non-network profile local to the machine, which
> always works anyway. So the problem appears to be related to networking.
> 
> I can confirm that the offending update is KB835732. Incidentally, this
> uninstalls with the message "Setup detected programs on your computer: R for
> Windows 1.8.1. If KB835732 is removed, these programs might not run
> properly". So, the update appears to be aware of an interaction with R
> 1.8.1.
> 
> Both R 1.9.0 and R 1.8.1 run properly after uninstalling the offending
> update.
> 
> I will install r-patched tomorrow at work and let you know what happens.
> 
> cheers
> Brett
> 
> Brett Melbourne, Postdoctoral Fellow
> Center for Population Biology
> University of California Davis CA 95616
> 
> 
> SET dump: environment when R fails: HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH set explicitly.
> 
> C:\WINDOWS\system32>SET
> ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
> APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\melbourne\Application Data
> CommonProgramFiles=C:\Program Files\Common Files
> COMPUTERNAME=CAVIAR
> ComSpec=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
> HOMEDRIVE=C:
> HOMEPATH = C:


That's wrong. Please set it to a sensible HOMEPATH, e.g. simply
SET HOMEPATH=\
or
SET HOMEPATH=\Documents and Settings\melbourne

More interesting: What does the log say when you have not set HOMEPATH 
before???

Uwe Ligges




> HOMESHARE=\\desnet\melbourne
> include=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98\atl\include;C:\Program
> Fil
> es\Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98\mfc\include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft
> Visual St
> udio\VC98\include
> lib=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98\mfc\lib;C:\Program
> Files\Micro
> soft Visual Studio\VC98\lib
> LOGONSERVER=\\CAYENNE
> MSDevDir=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\MSDev98
> NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=1
> OS=Windows_NT
> Path=C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\PROGRAM
> FILES\TH
> INKPAD\UTILITIES;C:\Program
> Files\Hummingbird\Connectivity\7.10\Accessories\;C:\
> Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel;C:\Program Files\Microsoft
> Visu
> al Studio\Common\Tools\WinNT;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual
> Studio\Common\MSD
> ev98\Bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\Tools;C:\Program
> Files\
> Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98\bin;C:\PROGRA~1\INSIGH~1\splus61\cmd
> PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH
> PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
> PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 4, GenuineIntel
> PROCESSOR_LEVEL=15
> PROCESSOR_REVISION=0204
> ProgramFiles=C:\Program Files
> PROMPT=$P$G
> SESSIONNAME=Console
> SystemDrive=C:
> SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS
> TEMP=C:\DOCUME~1\MELBOU~1\LOCALS~1\Temp
> TMP=C:\DOCUME~1\MELBOU~1\LOCALS~1\Temp
> USERDNSDOMAIN=DES.UCDAVIS.EDU
> USERDOMAIN=DES
> USERNAME=melbourne
> USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\melbourne
> windir=C:\WINDOWS
> 
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