Home/ Questions/Q 172793
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-05-11T13:13:43+00:00

I am creating a shell extension in C++ (ATL 9) using Visual Studio 2008.

  • 0

I am creating a shell extension in C++ (ATL 9) using Visual Studio 2008. The Shell Extension creates a global MSXML2::IXMLDOMDocumentPtr object m_XmlDoc in the module class. This m_XmlDoc is then used in the extension by all classes to read xml document.

The problem that I am facing is with Internet explorer. When the Shell Extension is active and I open/close internet explorer, I get a debug dialog and IE crashes. The error message says ‘Unhandled exception at 0x6aac30f1 in iexplore.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x03050970.’ When I click ‘break’ on the message window, It takes me to the ‘Release’ method of COM Smart Pointer and the error seems to be on m_pInterface->Release();

This call was made from Module’s destructor and also the value of m_pInterface is not NULL. I think maybe internet explorer is using the XML DOM and the call to Release creates some problem in it.

MSXML2::IXMLDOMDocumentPtr m_XmlDoc;  In _AtlModule.Init() method     ::CoInitialize(NULL);     m_XmlDoc.CreateInstance(MSXML2::CLSID_DOMDocument40);

dllMain code:

extern 'C' BOOL WINAPI DllMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, DWORD dwReason, LPVOID lpReserved) {     ::CoInitialize(NULL);     if (dwReason == DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH)     {         _AtlModule.Init();           CreateImageLists();         ::DisableThreadLibraryCalls(hInstance);     }      hInstance;     return _AtlModule.DllMain(dwReason, lpReserved);  }
Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. The problem was because of the COM Smart Pointer used for XmlDomDocument. I changed it to a normal pointer and it is working fine even in Vista.

    This problem has a different behaviour in XP and Vista. In XP, I was getting an unhandled exception when I closed Internet Explorer. In Vista, I was not able to browse the virtual drive.

    • 0