Message "Unable to load user interface" is back

[Jurgen]

Goodmorning,

We have an old error back by some users. This message has been gone for a while.
The crazy thing is, we have about 25 3d drawers who use the space explorer, they all have the same computer, same hardware, same installation of windows 7, the same programs, and the same rights on the computer and network.

Currently 5 people have problems with the space explorer, these get the message Unable to load user interface. I have solved this problem with a clean reinstall for one these users, and this has worked two months, and now the problem is back, this is for us no longer acceptable that so many problems occur with the space explorers.

One day the mouse starts fine, the next day the system must be rebooted 5 times before it works.

I would like to get a definitive solution to this problem.

with kind regards

[ngomes]

Hi Jurgen,

We see this issue with overly agressive anti-virus software. It would seem that some AV software prevents the 3D mouse driver (3dxsrv.exe) from loading all component files. We do not know why the AV software takes this sort of action.

Try adding the 3dxsrv.exe process to the list of AV exceptions. I think you will also find other references to this issue elsewhere in the Forum.

[Jurgen]

hmm oke, I will try that, although I think its stange that only 5 users have this problem, they have the same AV, and are all in the same riskgroup.

I will let you know.

[Jurgen]

Ok we are 9 days further and by 4 of the 5 users it looks like it works. 1 user still have problems, but not every day?!?

And I got 1 user who is getting now the error message: the 3DxWare driver is already running.

So we still having some problems with the space explorers.

[ngomes]

HI Jurgen,

Ok we are 9 days further and by 4 of the 5 users it looks like it works. 1 user still have problems, but not every day?!?

I think it may depend on how the executable loads the library code to memory. It may be that the AV will only complain in particular situations (which I cannot fathom what those might be).

Pernaps the AV software vendor may be able to assist you. If you can, please follow up here with the action that you had to take to enable the driver's correct opeation with the AV software that you are using.

And I got 1 user who is getting now the error message: the 3DxWare driver is already running.

This message is shown if the driver is launched twice. For example, after the system boots, the driver will auto-start but it may take awhile before Windows display the system tray. If the end-user then double-clicks on the "start driver" shortcut, then the message will be shown. Can you say when exactly the message shows up?

[jwick]

For the user who can't get it to work, take it out of his autostart. Let the application start the driver after the system boot competition has ended. Most applications will start the driver if it isn't already running.

[Fred]

Additional reason and possible solution:

If the user has the harddrive set to go into sleep mode. When it comes out of sleep mode Windows doesnt identify the device even though the process 3dxsrv.exe is still running.

Solutions:

1. Goto Control Panel

2. Goto Power Options

3. Change Power Plan

4. Change Advanced Settings

5. USB Setting >> USB selective suspend setting>> change setting to diabled

or

– start
– type device manager on search box
– enter
– find heading USB Hub device
– Highlight USB Hub Device and right click
– Choose properties
– Go to power management tab
– Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
– Do this steps for every USB Hub Device


Other possible scenerio is the pc has multiple users. When 1 user logs off the driver is still running.
Next user logs in and even though the driver is still running the device isnt recognized.

Solutions:
1) Add start and stop driver to your desktop (This will end the 3dxsrv.exe process) and relaunch for next user).
2) install the Beta driver, (This driver installs just like a regular mouse.)
2) Have the admin install driver, make sure when its installed you set the permissions for all users to have access to the 3Dconnexion folder and sub folders, otherwise the process 3dxsrv.exe is limited to the last user logged in.

[Jurgen]

This message is shown if the driver is launched twice. For example, after the system boots, the driver will auto-start but it may take awhile before Windows display the system tray. If the end-user then double-clicks on the "start driver" shortcut, then the message will be shown. Can you say when exactly the message shows up?

Yeah the message is shown for example if I start Inventor or if I click on Properties for the Space Explorer, if this message appears, then the Space Explorer doesn't work.

This morning a new user got the problem "driver is already running" if we stop the driver, and after that we start the driver, we get the message "unable to load user interface. I have been busy for almost 2 hours with installing, uninstalling, repair, driver updates etc. But I think I got a solution.

I uninstalled the AV program in my case that is Symantec Endpoint Protection, after that I have done a clean install of the latest driver for the SpaceExplorer with the network cable unplugged. Reboot the computer, plug in the network cable, installed the AV, reboot the system again, and login under the user. Till now everything is still working.

So it looks like we have to install the driver before we're installing AV software. I installed everything under admin account.

[Jurgen]

unfortunately the solution didn't work for long.
The can't load user interface is back again, after repairing the 3dconnexion software and rebooting the system 3 times the space explorer is working again.

I can't understand why this piece of hardware is so difficult to work on our computers, every computer is installed with the same image, every piece of software is installed in the same sequence, and they have all the same hardware.
How can it be, that some of our user got no problems, and some of them day in day out problems with the space explorer, for them it is really frustrated because they lost to much time by troubleshooting this problem.

[jwick]

Have you tried removing the driver start from his autostart folder?

[Jurgen]

Have you tried removing the driver start from his autostart folder?

Yes I did, and it worked for 1 day

[jwick]

There are two problems you are seeing.

1) Unable to load a UI/MWM/etc. Probably caused by the AntiVirus software checking the DLLs as 3DxSrv loads them, causing the load to fail.

2) The driver already running. Probably caused by the driver starting one way, but getting stuck, then another one is started. When that occurs check the Task Mgr--you will probably see two 3dxsrv.exe' processes running. One of them is just displaying the message box. Also make sure each process is being run be admin, or no processes are being run be admin. I assume you already checked this.

Both of these probably have the same root cause. A race with the AV software. Why you are not seeing it on all machines is a mystery, but not unusual in the least. It could be that one machine is slightly slower, has network contention issues, or has different software loaded that causes the AV software to delay other processes on the system. Generally, once everything cools down and the AV software is not so busy, the system runs w/o interuptions.

The 3DxSrv process writes a log file: %appdat%\3dconnexion\3dxware\3dxware.log. This contains useful information when there is a problem.

Have you tried making an exception for 3DxSrv.exe in the AV software. Maybe everything in the 3Dconnexion directory.

[Jurgen]

Have you tried making an exception for 3DxSrv.exe in the AV software. Maybe everything in the 3Dconnexion directory.

Yes I tried that as well, I get a bit tired of this all, it cost so much time, and the problems comes allways back. The people that use the space explorers are getting more and more frustrated by now. I just don't get it why this is the only piece of software what is not working correctly on our workstations, is it so much different. Other software have to deal with antivirus as well I suppose. Making an exception is not a very big problem, but I think it should not be necessary, and for us it's not working either.

I'm gonna look into the log file you mention, maybe we can find something.

[ngomes]

Hi Jurgen,

Some AV programs are very strict with any executable accessing USB devices. It seems that the security software deployed in your systems is targeting the 3D mouse used-mode driver and it may be related to the fact that the driver does indeed interact over the USB with the 3D mouse hardware.

We have seen security software attempting to filter every single package of data sent on the USB (at 60Hz) causing delays to build up. Putting an exception in-place for 3dxsrv.exe was the only solution.

I believe it is not feasible for 3Dconnexion to add AV exceptions at installation. If it were, the security value of the AV software would be diminished (as a malicious piece of code could use the same mechanism).

I've tried reaching to AV vendors before but never got anywhere.

[Jurgen]

I believe it is not feasible for 3Dconnexion to add AV exceptions at installation. If it were, the security value of the AV software would be diminished (as a malicious piece of code could use the same mechanism).

That's not working either. In the best case it works for 2 days and I get the message back.

I'm getting realy tired of this all, I'm half the day busy with supporting not proper working 3d mouses.

It is now at a stage that it cost to much money for us, because people can not do their work.

So I want a solution that is working now, I have done all the usual things you suggested.