This document is opened by another project (Visual Studio 2015)

[Colin_W_1]

Apologies, this is somewhat off-topic, but I can't find any sensible information on the web or in the depths of Microsoft so in desperation I am trying here.

I am using Visual Studio 2015 (actually is says it is "Version 14.0.25431.01 Update 3") and IVF 2017 (17.0.0041.14). Opsys is Windows10 Home. When editing and compiling my source, I often get pop-up message boxes with this message. When the appear its always at least 2 in succession, sometimes more. It usually happens when I double-click on a compiler error message in the "Output Window", or the "Error List" window. Having to continually click the OK button every time is getting really really annoying.

The problem can also occur when I commence a run in the debugger, with a number of breakpoints set in different source files. Usually there is a succession of these boxes that pop up, and each one demands its OK button be pressed. Then the next one pops up, until you press that OK button. Then the next, and so on. I have seen as many as 20 of these pop-ups in succession. When they appear, there is nothing else you can do, you have no choice but to press OK, coz its a modal dialog. None of the dev studio menus will respond until you press the OK, and then usually you just get another one popping up. Eventually they stop  appearing and you can debug as usual, stepping through the code. But then you make a code change, recompile and relink, are run the debugger again, whereupon the whole series of pop-ups happens all over again.

Sometimes I can make the problem go away by closing files. This allows them to be re-opened by clicking on the error message in the  output window. But this doesn't last long, pretty soon it starts  happening again. I can close and reopen VS but it makes no difference, similarly re-booting the PC.

It started happening about 6 weeks ago. Strange thing is, it happens to my colleague as well, and started about the same time for him also. He is using a slightly different compiler version and slightly different VS version. He is on windows 7. We work in different towns and share code using a web-based Perforce server.

Any ideas, anyone?

[Steve_Lionel]

Are you using the same virus checker or continuous backup program by any chance?

[Andrew_Smith]

Ditto. Happens all the time to me when using XE2017 compiler. Double clicking a compiler error gives two pop ups. Then revert to older compiler through the compiler choice drop down the pop ups go away. It's stopping me upgrading.

[Adrian_F_1]

Same thing with me, it's been happening continuously for about 8 weeks now I guess.  I have Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2015 Version 14.0.25425.01 Update 3, Intel Parallel Studio XE 2017 Update 2 Composer Edition Version 17.0.0041.124.

As well as the symptoms above, it sometimes won't let me set a breakpoint in the file that is open.  The dreaded popup comes (always twice).  I have to close that file then reopen it.  Then it's ok until the next time.

Driving me crazy.

[jimdempseyatthecove]

>>It started happening about 6 weeks ago

Maybe you can determine what is now causing the adverse interaction by going to add/remove programs and look at what was installed near the time of start of the problem. This may be a Windows update KBnnnnn, VS update or AV update. Once you have a list of names, then use google to search for reports of adverse problems related to one or more of those installed updates.

I do not see this on Windows 7 (but I have automatic updates disabled). I do use MS VS Pro 2013, not VS 2015.

Jim Dempsey

[jimdempseyatthecove]

Also:

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/11717/this-document-is-opened-by-another-project-popup-m.html
"The problem occurs to me regular in a large CMake generated project. Disabling the "External Dependencies" folder however, fixes the problem for me"
and
"Here was my solution:
simply remove the project (it was a Shared one) and then, add it back."

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/15210/this-document-is-opened-by-another-project-error-w.html
"Reproduced quite often in different cases (VS 2015u3) even on files from the local project. Can popup 5-6 times in a row. Cleaning project and removing <solution_name>.VC.db helps for a while"

This one is interesting:
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/43959/this-document-is-opened-by-another-project.html
"I've got a C++ solution with 5 projects; all projects share the same cpp file. I made a compile -time error in this cpp and tried to build all the projects. I've got several lines of error output and opened the Error List window. Now, if I click on the error message in Error List , I see 5 consequtive message boxes "This document is opened by another project". This makes error fixing much more harder."

Do you have the same source file specified in multiple projects in your solution?

Jim Dempsey

[andrew_4619]

I use latest compiler but VS2013. I don't see this problem. I have to say I avoid upgrading VS level until I am forced to. It seems there is much pain for little gain.... Clearly there are specific causes that need to be identified as all users do not have this problem....

[dboggs]

I to get this problem sometimes, and in other operations outside of VS. For example, I copy a folder to a new folder, then immediately try to change the name of a file, and Windows tells me it is still open.

In this case the answer turned out to be simple: I use Dropbox, and the entire new folder can take some time before it finishes syncing with that. I strongly suspect this was also the cause of some VS operations.

So, do you guys us Dropbox, or some other auto-syncing service? I am now in the habit of watching the sync status on the taskbar, and wait for the completed notice before trying to do something with one of the files. No more trouble so far!

[Lorri_M_Intel]

This is a little bit of a weird question, but ... does your project use fpp?

I was helping a colleague reproduce a different problem (caused by fpp) and saw this sort of error message.

              --Lorri

[Colin_W_1]

Well Lorri, weird it may be, but it seems like fpp is the cause of the problem. I removed /fpp from the project and added it to the properties for the one file that needed it. After a few rebuilds, and cycles of closing and opening devstudio, I can now work without these darn popups appearing. I sent the .vfproj file to my colleague, but so far he has been unable to reproduce my results. So, Andrew Smith: do you use fpp? can you try XE2017 without it ???

[Andrew_Smith]

Yes my project uses /fpp. I will experiment like you did and report soon

[Lorri_M_Intel]

Colin:  Good to hear it helped!

Andrew: If you discover that yes, the newer fpp caused your problem, please let us know.

        Thanks --

                                 --Lorri

[Colin_W_1]

Just an update on this... Looks like the problem has gone away, both for me and my colleague. We are using the same .vfproj and .sln files that have had all fpp stuff removed, except for one routine that isn't compiler very often. Hence finger of suspicion points directly to fpp. 

Andrew Smith: Any advance on you possibly confirming this result?

[Andrew_Smith]

I can confirm using 64 bit debug config:

Project set to use /fpp:
   File with no directives : popup
   File with directives: popup

Project not using /fpp, file using /fpp:
   File with no directives : popup
   File with directives: popup

No way around it.

It is simplicity to reproduce. VS2015 + XE2017 any source file with a syntax error using /fpp

Strangly the error is not present using 32 bit debug.

[Colin_W_1]

Andrew, my colleague found he too had popups when he tried the new .vfproj files I sent him. BUT he then found that deleting all the VS temporary files (*.u2d, *.suo) fixed it. 

[Colin_W_1]

OK so now I am trying to use Jacob Williams's JSON library, http://jacobwilliams.github.io/json-fortran/, and I am getting this problem in spades.

I have used the visual studio solution files provided in the distro, and added a project for one of the test programs. As soon as I try to step into any of the JSON library routines, the dreaded pop-up appears. When I press OK I am confronted with a "Source Not Found" window, see attached .PNG file.

I can see from the call stack the file name and line number where the called routine resides. I can open that by a double-click on it in the Solution Explorer, and I can set the viewer to the correct line number. But I can't set breakpoints in there while the program is running.

If I stop the run, I can set a breakpoint in the library routine. But it does me no good, the same pop-up appears, and the file browser refuses to let me look at the source where the breakpoint is.

This JSON source code makes liberal use of preprocessor directives. I tried disabling fpp and got hundreds of compile errors. I looked at the cause of the first of these, and concluded it would be VERY tricky and time-consuming to remove the use of fpp.

...Since we all concluded in June that this problem is caused by the preprocessor. I am very much hoping someone in Intel can suggest a way to get around this problem by now. ...Hope, hope...

I I have attached a .zip of the entire json source and the relevant test program, plus the Visual Studio .sln and .vfproj files.

[Lorri_M_Intel]

The update with the fix will be available soon, but if you need a solution *today*, you can copy the "fpp.exe" from a previous version.

I recommend saving the original executable, for example, as fpp.exe.save.

           Again, sorry for the inconvenience --

                                  --Lorri

[Colin_W_1]

Hi Lorri

Sadly this didn't work.

My existing fpp.exe's (there are 5 of them) say they are version 17.0.1001.2 when right-clicked in windows explorer. I copied across the one from a previous version on a different PC, it is 16.0.1004.1, and made sure it was pasted to all the existing locations (having first renamed the existing ones to fpp.old.exe).

Is there an earlier one yet that I can try? I am at qolin@qomputing.com.

[Colin_W_1]

Actually I speak too soon...

Took the trouble to do a clean in VS, then closed it. Then removed all visual studio files such as .suo, .ud2, and. .vs folders. Now I can step in. YIPEE !!!

Thanks Lorri!