topic Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition in Graphics

WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:43:53 GMT

I'm experiencing a GUI freeze problem, related to hard vs. software UI rendering.

The context : 2 WPF apps (.NET 3.5 SP1) running on a dual-display XP Embedded machine (DirectX 9.0c).

At some point, one of these app freezes. But only the rendering : the GUI stays active (message pump is active, the application is responsive), but the rendering is not done. The freeze can last seconds or forever. The 2nd app keeps running normally. The bug occurs only in a dual-display configuration, the 2nd app being a kind of catalyst (more video memory usage...)

Using http://windowsclient.net/wpf/perf/wpf-perf-tool.aspx# perforator Perforator, I see that, during a freeze, Video Memory Usage is continuously going up & down in spikes (cf : http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=628634WPFperforatorfreezeunfreeze5.jpg screenshot). During that time, one native thread is consuming 100% of a CPU (the stack-trace involves WPFgfx, DirectX, GDI, and video driver)

Usually, when the app unfreeze, it's fully software rendered (purple tint with Perforator). Also, disabling hardware rendering immediately unfreeze the app.

I cannot reproduce the bug when hardware rendering is disabled.

I'm suspecting the video driver, as I cannot reproduce it on another hardware. It's said to be up-to-date (v. 6.14.10.4926 on a Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset). See driver information report below.

Can anyone help ?

Thanks

Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile Report

Report Date: 04/05/2011

Report Time[hr:mm:ss]: 14:35:06

Driver Version: 6.14.10.4926

Operating System: Windows XP* Professional, Service Pack 3 (5.1.2600)

Default Language: French

DirectX* Version: 9.0

Physical Memory: 2039 MB

Minimum Graphics Memory: 8 MB

Maximum Graphics Memory: 64 MB

Graphics Memory in Use: 38 MB

Processor: x86 family 6 Model 14 Stepping 12

Processor Speed: 1666 MHZ

Vendor ID: 8086

Device ID: 27AE

Device Revision: 03

* Accelerator Information *

Accelerator in Use: Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family

Video BIOS: 1585.0

Current Graphics Mode: 1024 x 768 True Color (60 Hz)

* Devices Connected to the Graphics Accelerator *

Active Notebook Displays: 1

* Notebook *

Monitor Name: Digital Flat Panel (1024x768)

Display Type: Digital

Gamma Value: 3,54

DDC2 Protocol: Supported

Maximum Image Size: Horizontal: Not Available

Vertical: Not Available

Monitor Supported Modes:

1024 x 768 (60 Hz)

Display Power Management Support:

Standby Mode: Not Supported

Suspend Mode: Not Supported

Active Off Mode: Supported

Raw EDID:

00 ff ff ff ff ff ff 00 36 7f 03 00 03 00 00 00

00 0c 01 03 80 ff ff ff 2f 00 00 a0 57 49 9b 26

10 48 4f 00 00 00 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01

01 01 01 01 01 01 64 19 00 40 41 00 26 30 18 88

36 00 00 00 00 00 00 18 00 00 00 fd 00 00 3c 00

eb 07 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 6a

* Other names and brands are the property of their respective owners.

Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:00:41 GMT

Are there some tools I can use to diagnose driver problems ? or to investigate around the fall-back to software rendering ?

Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Tue, 31 May 2011 08:21:25 GMT

Hi mde

have you find a solution for your problem.

I have the same problem on a dual Display

The graphic card is an intel graphics media accelerator hd.

best regards

Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:11:19 GMT

Did you find a solution to this? I am facing the same problem. I know the reasons; do not know how to fix it. The Intel driver is wrongly picking the monitor driver as "Digital Flat Panel" instead of PnP driver. Do not know where to change it?

Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:15:25 GMT

I have the exact same problem with my WPF application which uses BitmapCache on visuals.

The GPU memory consumption remains steady for a while, but then after a number of hours it starts to creep and doesn't stop.

The symptom I have is: the UI stops updating but the UI thread is still running as per normal.

Eventually the Operating System will become completely unresponsive.

I've had a senior developer in Microsoft be kind enough to profile my application and they confirmed this was not a problem with the application (i.e. no memory leaks or scary code).

If I turn on BitmapCache on 6 or more visuals (thumnail images which I scroll left-right with code), the GPU memory consumption won't let the application run for more than 3 hours. If I turn BitmapCache on only 1 visual (main grid), the application will run for about 24 - 36 hours.

These embedded graphics chipsets / drivers are a bit nasty.

Re: WPF GUI freeze in hardware rendering condition

idata — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:20:46 GMT

I might point out, when I reported this problem 4 months ago (/message/145805# 145805 http://communities.intel.com/message/145805# 145805) Intel washed their hands because I was using Windows XP Embedded also (any excuse will do on a tough problem).

I've since migrated to Windows XP Professional (because I had to eliminate this as a potential factor) and as suspected, the problem remains.