Unhandled exception has occurred (when running installed application)

Question

I use installshield to compile an application which works fine during debugging, or when compiled and published using VS.

When I run the installed application I get the following error message:

See the end of this message for details on invoking just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text ************** System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: path at System.IO.File.AppendAllText(String path, String contents) at SerialPortListener.MainForm.MainForm_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) in c:\\Users\\Jamie\\Documents\\SerialPortListener\\SerialPortListener\\MainForm.cs:line 291 at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl() at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl() at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

************** Loaded Assemblies ************** mscorlib Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.18444 built by: FX451RTMGDR CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll ---------------------------------------- SerialPortListener Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/P%26L%20Software/P%26L%20Hardware%20Helper/SerialPortListener/obj/x86/Debug/SerialPortListener.exe ---------------------------------------- System.Windows.Forms Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.18408 built by: FX451RTMGREL CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Drawing Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.18408 built by: FX451RTMGREL CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Draw ing.dll ---------------------------------------- System Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34238 built by: FX452RTMGDR CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Configuration Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.18408 built by: FX451RTMGREL CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll ---------------------------------------- System.Xml Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34234 built by: FX452RTMGDR CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll ---------------------------------------- Accessibility Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.18408 built by: FX451RTMGREL

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll

************** JIT Debugging ************** To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this application or computer (machine.config) must have the jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section. The application must also be compiled with debugging enabled.

For example:

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer rather than be handled by this dialog box.

I have tried doing as it said and enabling jit debugging. That didn't work though. I can't seem to figure out the cause of this problem. I added some code at key points in the form to write the line number to a text file so I could see where it fails but it seems like the error occurs much before those logged messages. If I click continue the message keeps displaying, if I keep clicking, it seems as though it does slowly progress through the code but it takes many clicks of the same error.

Below is the MainForm_Load method:

private void MainForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    backgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync(txtTerminal.Text);
    File.AppendAllText(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ErrorLog"],"Line:284" + Environment.NewLine);
}

Answer 1

You generate a path in your MainForm_Load method in MainForm .

That fails and the result becomes null . At least that's what the exception says..