BUG: VB Crashes After Ending Application While in Break Mode

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View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q183162

SYMPTOMS

While debugging your application in Break mode, Visual Basic may terminate, hang, or cause one or both of the following errors when you end the application:

Run-time error '28': Out of stack space

-or-

VB5 caused a stack fault in module KERNEL32.DLL at 0137:bff725c5.

NOTE: The memory address at which the error occurs may vary.

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CAUSE

This problem can occur when multiple forms are shown modally. The problem only occurs at design-time when you use the Immediate Window while in Break mode and then end the application.

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One workaround for this problem is to avoid using the Immediate Window while your forms are shown modal or to show your forms modeless instead of modal. You can show a form modeless yet simulate most of the functionality of showing a form modal by setting the form's ShowInTaskbar property to False and by setting the Enabled property of the other visible forms to False, which prevents users from setting focus to the other forms. When the user dismisses the form, reset the Enabled property of the other visible forms as appropriate.

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this bug and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

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MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Create a new Standard EXE project. Form1 is created by default.
Put a CommandButton on Form1.

Add the following code to Form1:

      Private Sub Command1_Click()
         Dim frm as Form1
         Set frm = New Form1
         frm.Show vbModal 'problem does not occur when showing
                          'forms modeless: frm.Show vbModeless
      End Sub

Run the project. Press enter 29 times to load 30 forms. (Each time you press Enter, the Command1_Click code shows a modal copy of Form1.)
Press the CTRL+BREAK keys to enter Break mode.
Press the CTRL+G keys to view the Immediate Window, and then type:

? "Hello"
End the project by clicking the END button on the toolbar. Note Visual Basic hangs or terminates as described previously.

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Learning Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Professional Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Enterprise Edition

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kbbug kbpending KB183162

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Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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