"Invalid VxD dynamic link call to device number 17, service 8."

This is the message i get upon trying to boot my computer. I have just installed SoftIce, and the computer refuses to boot past this error. The winice program loads ok with no errors, and sets the memory allocations ok.

After many days of researching, and searching, and crying, and failed suicide attempts, I ended up here.

Remedies I have tried:

1. Setting INIT="FAULTS ON;X" in the winice.dat file, to try and catch the error.

2. Adjusting the Memory size in the winice.dat to reflect my true memory size.

3. Hitting the computer with a large cricket bat.

Ok, so i didnt try the last one, but I'm getting close to it...

My system stats are: 486DX4/75 w/ 12MB ram running Win98. SoftIce 4.05.

I know the spec is a bit small, but Ive seen sice run on lower spec than that before.

Cheers if you can help,

Mercutio (acm2@ukc.ac.uk)

Try to use older version of Softice !Maybe that will take care off the problem!!


NeO

Forgot to mention the other thing i tried...

All previous versions i could get my hands on gave the same problem...

Hi,
Your ram must at least 32mb to run softice
thats a very old version of softice.
regards
stillnewbie

A) The minimum is 16MB.

B) Ive seen it run on lower spec machines than mine.

C) 4.05 isn't an old version

Merc

OK, first of all, i would like to confirm that

MERCUTION != mercutio

now that ive confirmed, maybe you came here to look for a suggestion. well..

it seems like a VXD conflict, i would advise your to bootlog on bootup, and check for which vxd if fuqing up, and remove it from the registry.

else re-install winblowz, and put si on it fresh, and it should be ok.

try running that display driver program too, cud be a display driver conflict. god knows, ive never used si for the past 2 years now.

good luck

mercutio. consider changing your nick, coz a lot of people think ur me. (if possible)

thnx.
Mercution

I'll consider it ;P

Merc.

Ok, do this and you will be fine... Temporarily load the vanilla VGA drivers, then load softice again, it should work now. Now Re-load your true video drivers.

If that does not work, tell me, so I can pull the trigger on what is left of my brains.

oh, btw, Softice HATES directX 8... absolutely hates it... which should make you wonder why.... look into it someone who isn't as lazy as me... heh.... bet it's all the "security" check coding or the ring 0 "debugging" stuff... wonder what they can "check" with that stuff.... heh...

I have only been using the vanilla display drivers.

Sorry!

Merc

SoftIce 3.24 + DX8 = No Probs 4 me brewman ;-)

***BLAM!***

well, there goes my last few cells...

sorry, it didn't help.

Appologies for coughing up an ultra-old thread, but I also had this problem. If I use the LargeFP version of softice, everything's hunky dory. If I use the VXD variant, the first time, after a cold boot, is fine. Some corruption occurs if I use it for any length of time. The second time I boot after a soft reset, get that error message and windows freaks.

Unfortunately, using this method means NOT using a number of sice tools like icedump.

Hi

What may I ask is the "LargeFP" version of softice? I don't think I've ever heard that term.

All I can offer is a likely definition of the cryptic error message "Invalid VxD dynamic link call to device number 17, service 8." (I'm assuming the numbers are decimal equivalents)

From vmm.h in the Win98DDK (or i.e. Ralf Brown's interrupt list), device number 17 defines the VMCPD (Virtual Math Coprocessor Device) vxd driver - VMCPD_DEVICE_ID equ 0x00011. And from vmcpd.h is Service number 8: VMCPD_Set_Thread_Precision. (Or possibly _VMCPD_Get_FP_Instruction_Size, depending on how the Service_Table entries are indexed)

This probably doesn't do much to solve your problem though, which sort of sounds like a memory leak? stack corruption? crappy math coprocessor? Maybe there's an updated vmcpd.vxd available? However, while the error may occur there, it doesn't mean it begins there...


I wonder if the original poster ever recovered from the self-inflicted gunshot wounds?

Kayaker

I believe it means "Large Foot Print". The LargeFP version is tucked away in subfolder of the softice installation. Instead of a small WINICE.EXE and a large WINICE.VXD, you get a single large WINICE.EXE.

Using this I get no problems whatsoever. Except, of course, for the fact that icedump doesn't want to know. :P