Avisynth_c.dll revisited

[Katie Boundary]

A terrible fate has befallen Defiant, my desktop of the past several years, and I've had to build a new one. this means I've had to reinstall everything, which means that I'm running into problems that I figured out how to solve several years ago and then forgot how I solved. In this case, Avisynth_c.dll is giving me headaches. Thanks to my previous two threads on the subject, I know that I shouldn't put it in the plugin autoload directory unless I need to load some Avisynth 2.0 C plugins and use STDcall for all the 2.5 C plugins. However, when it's NOT in the plugin autoload directory, vdub and Tsunami give me 3 error messages saying "The program can't start because avisynth-c.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program". But then after clicking through all of those, everything works fine.

So how do I get rid of these errors without ruining my ability to actually use the loadcplugin command?

[Groucho2004]

Did you try this (https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1776277#post1776277)?

[StainlessS]

You can auto install C plugins, eg

InitExternalPlugins.avsi (my current init script)

fn1 ="C:\NON-INSTALL\DGMpgDec\DGDecode.DLL"
Exist(fn1) ? LoadPlugin(fn1) : NOP

fn2= "C:\NON-INSTALL\DGAVCDec\DGAVCDecode.dll"
Exist(fn2) ? LoadPlugin(fn2) : NOP

#fn3= "C:\Program Files\AviSynth\plugins\FFMS_C\ffms2.dll" # FFMpegSource C Plugin
#Exist(fn3) ? LoadCPlugin(fn3) : NOP

fn4= "C:\Program Files\AviSynth\plugins\FFMS2000_CPP\ffms2.dll" # FFMpegSource CPP Plugin
#Exist(fn4) ? LoadPlugin(fn4) : NOP
Exist(fn4) ? LoadPlugin(fn4) : RT_DebugF("FFMS2000_CPP: NOT FOUND") # added in BLUE

#fn5= "C:\Program Files\AviSynth\plugins\FFMS_CPP\ffms2_26.dll" # FFMpegSource CPP Plugin
#Exist(fn5) ? LoadPlugin(fn5) : NOP

fn6= "C:\Program Files\AviSynth\plugins\LSMASH_CPP\LSMASHSource.dll" # L-Smash CPP
Exist(fn6) ? LoadPlugin(fn6) : NOP

[Katie Boundary]

Did you try this (https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1776277#post1776277)?

No, I did not try a solution to a completely different and only tangentially related problem.

You can auto install C plugins

Okay but will that work with C 2.5 plugins if avisynth_c.dll (which is for C 2.0 plugins) is in the autoload directory? And how would i modify it for my needs? I've never seen "avsi" files before so I can't make heads or tails of your code.

[FredThompson]

put avisynth_c.dll in a different directory in your path.

[Katie Boundary]

Okay, I found the answer. The secret is to install the x86 version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime, 2010. This will also eliminate the error messages relating to vcruntime140.dll, msvcr100.dll, etc., which is what I was actually trying to solve when I figured this out.

put avisynth_c.dll in a different directory in your path.

And how, exactly, is that supposed to make the "I can't find avisynth_c.dll" error messages go away?

[Groucho2004]

No, I did not try a solution to a completely different and only tangentially related problem.


Your question was:
So how do I get rid of these errors without ruining my ability to actually use the loadcplugin command?
The link I gave you showed you the solution to that problem.

I don't know why I even bother...

[Katie Boundary]

Your question was:

The link I gave you showed you the solution to that problem.

I don't know why I even bother...

Your proposal said "move avisynth_c.dll out of the auto-load directory"

Not having that file in the autoload directory was part of what was causing the problem to begin with.

[Groucho2004]

Your proposal said "move avisynth_c.dll out of the auto-load directory"

Not having that file in the autoload directory was part of what was causing the problem to begin with.
So, you're getting an error from VDub even when you explicitly load avisynth_c.dll before your C2.0 plugin(s)?

How about posting the script that gives you trouble?

[Groucho2004]

Also, run AVSMeter with the switches "-avsinfo -log" and post the avsinfo_x86.log file.

[Katie Boundary]

So, you're getting an error from VDub even when you explicitly load avisynth_c.dll before your C2.0 plugin(s)?

I'm not using any "C2.0" plugins.

[Groucho2004]

I'm not using any "C2.0" plugins.In that case no program should complain about a missing avisynth_c.dll.
You could most likely locate your Avisynth problem by following my advice in my last post (#10).

[Katie Boundary]

I just reinstalled windows and avisynth on a newly acquired laptop and I'm seeing a lot of these old problems again. This time, however, the avisynth_c.dll error persists even after installing all the MS VC++ runtimes.

In that case no program should complain about a missing avisynth_c.dll.

And yet they do.

[Groucho2004]

I just reinstalled windows and avisynth on a newly acquired laptop and I'm seeing a lot of these old problems again. This time, however, the avisynth_c.dll error persists even after installing all the MS VC++ runtimes.Installing these runtimes will not help with anything related to avisynth_c.dll.


I'm not using any "C2.0" plugins.
In that case no program should complain about a missing avisynth_c.dll.
And yet they do.
Only C2.0 plugins complain about a missing avisynth_c.dll.



Anyway, run the Avisynth Info Tool (https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=176079) and post the log (Save Info...).

[StainlessS]

Run the Avisynth Info Tool (https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=176079) and post the log (Save Info...).

You know with 100% surety, that she aint gonna do it. :devil: EDIT: It aint Ghetto enough, bitchin' is though, apparently. [still, nice to see she finally saw sense and installed all runtimes]

[Groucho2004]

nice to see she finally saw sense and installed all runtimes]Not that it matters much but how do you know she installed all of them?

[StainlessS]

I just reinstalled windows and avisynth on a newly acquired laptop and I'm seeing a lot of these old problems again. This time, however, the avisynth_c.dll error persists even after installing all the MS VC++ runtimes.

You guessin' that she's tellin' porkies ?

[Groucho2004]

You guessin' that she's tellin' porkies ?This (https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1876861#post1876861) post makes me think that she installs things randomly. I doubt very much that she knows the whole list of MS C++ runtimes.

[StainlessS]

Arh well, as they say, arrogance is bliss.

[Katie Boundary]

Are there any MS Visual C++ runtimes other than 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015/7 (2017 is just a slightly updated 2015), all in both x86 and x64 flavors? Those are the ones that I have.

[manolito]

Yes, here:
https://github.com/abbodi1406/vcredist/releases

[StainlessS]

Cheers for that Mani, keeping permanent link to it [maybe should be sticky to it somewhere].

Katie, VS runtimes are a bloody mess, but you cannot avoid them, and usually need all of them [although 2013 to 2017 (or is it 2019) can be replaced by a single set, Groucho will jump in if I'm wrong again].
There are occasionally updates to the specific year runtimes, and later year version do not usually replace earlier ones, dll's compiled to use vs 2008 runtimes, still need those runtimes even if later year runtimes installed.
Its way easiest all around to just use the AIO (All-in-one) installers made available by good guys un-related to M$, where a lot of crud is often dispensed with making total downloads smaller etc.

[Groucho2004]

Yes, here:
https://github.com/abbodi1406/vcredist/releasesYes, this is a very good installer, even uninstalling old versions as needed. However, the neat uninstalling does not work on XP so in that case all old redists should/must be manually uninstalled.

[manolito]

Yes, but in my experience you only have to do this once. All following updates will be only for the VC++2019 redistributables and do not affect older redists.

[Katie Boundary]

Katie, VS runtimes are a bloody mess, but you cannot avoid them, and usually need all of them [although 2013 to 2017 (or is it 2019) can be replaced by a single set, Groucho will jump in if I'm wrong again].
There are occasionally updates to the specific year runtimes, and later year version do not usually replace earlier ones, dll's compiled to use vs 2008 runtimes, still need those runtimes even if later year runtimes installed.

Yes, I've noticed all of that. I format my hard drives, reinstall operating systems, and build new computers often enough that I've just taken to archiving the installers from Microsoft on my external hard drives so that I don't have to download them over and over again, along with Java runtimes, the .NET framework, old versions of browsers, and whatever fell into my lap over the past 15 years that I've forgotten the purpose of but can't bring myself to delete because it might be important some day....

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67492235_498698210886952_8538388709500780544_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_eui2=AeFP8c4Qc1YmZN2kQPQSq94HDhvYzwzvHuJYCciG-VcYgnYVy97E6LIJU-G2IEIa9IXs0dGZIQy06Uw1-83m7bLqoZM5NE-tk6msLA0esRjbEQ&_nc_oc=AQkN9_3_OV39ztuoQ2PcJKwi78L3KFuyNsiFSCh_WnRwnWFbtPvswoCW2J-oDvjh6b0&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=306c90716c2847edd2f8f24b6fabc0ad&oe=5DD34EBD

[StainlessS]

Katie,
OpenOffice was supposed to be quite good, but is no longer developed [I think], maybe give Libre Office a try [both started from same-ish code methinks].

Its a pain archiving loads of stuff, but saves pain and suffering in the long run, when something become 'no longer available', also avoids search & re-download .
My general Prog/Utility archive is currently running at 119GB,
M$ OS-Developer & Upgrades, 34GB (excludes Windows Updates archives), Includes eg VS 2008 Express and SDK's.
MotherBoard, BIOS, Flash, Drivers, 34GB
HandHeld Machines, Includes OS ISO Installers, Macrium Reflect OS Images [os recovery from virus crash whatever] [some Andoid images, windows 10, and 8 inch linux laptop] 108GB.
Machine, Graphics card drivers, USB PCI cards drivers Netgear/Linksys stuff Mobile Wifi, WebCam etc 4GB.
XP_MACHINE_SETUP [base setup stuff explicity for XP, also now W7 - update/save current Comodo Anti-virus signatures prior to OS wipe/install, saves 420+MB re-download] 3.5GB.
BOOT_ISO Disks [eg SuperRescueCD, Hiren Boot CD[cd & usb versions] with live Mini Windows XP+tools + DOS tools eg Seatools], 6GB
OPERATING SYSTEMS_SOLE [no backups, Andoid x86, Linux distros, ReactOs] 34GB.
Android APK Archive 19GB [was much bigger ~= 60 GB at one time, pared down a bit[kept 1st and last of each major-ish version (for each supported os version), delete most of rest]]
NON-INSTALL utilites [copy directory, copy Programs shortcuts, setup 100+ utilites an 5 minutes, easy for multiple machine setup] 2.3GB.
VideoTools, Grouch02004 Universal Avisynth Installer thingy, with currently using avs dll's, 660MB [mostly only avs+ x86 & x64 populated with dll's]
C:\BIN\, 187MB, command line utilities eg AvsMeter, FFMPEG etc, available via system env path. [same for W7+ x64 versions of same]

Takes a helluva-lot-a space but in the long run saves time. [you also gotta remember to back eg current VideoTools with dll's every now and then]

You probably at some point want to categorise your archive a bit so you at least have some idea what something is (or where it is).

EDIT: I keep backups of some of the above directories.

EDIT: Last LibreOffice for XP [x86 or x64 versions], LibreOffice_5.4.7.2_Win_x64.msi [not too bad, they seem to have taken the time to make sure that is stable for last XP version]
[You will also want the help installers x86/x64, ~=6MB each].
https://www.libreoffice.org/

[ChaosKing]

You could also delete 80% of the files and use a package management system like chocolatey. I keep Java (yes without the updater!!!), git, virtualbox, qbittorent and some other things up to date with it. Also I don't see the point in keeping dropbox/discord setup.exe or 10 versions of palemoon... if dropbox disapears it won't work anyway.

[Katie Boundary]

Libreoffice? Did I miss something?

You could also delete 80% of the files and use a package management system like chocolatey.

That would be great if I knew what a package management system was in a non-Linux context.

I keep Java (yes without the updater!!!), git, virtualbox, qbittorent and some other things up to date with it. Also I don't see the point in keeping dropbox/discord setup.exe or 10 versions of palemoon

"Up to date" is not the same as "good". Firefox broke a LOT of addons when it moved from version 39 to 40, and a lot of people had to revert to 39 and stay there for a while until alternatives to those addons were developed. Then in the switch from 43 to 44, Firefox lost its "ask me every time" cookie-blocking feature, which forced a lot of people to switch to Pale Moon. Eventually, Pale Moon also removed the feature, and blah blah... sometimes new versions drop support for older operating systems, which is why people are now switching from Pale Moon to Mypal... During Minecraft's early development, it was common for Mojang to recommend older versions of Java because the new versions had bugs that would make Minecraft crash... VMware 12 can run Windows 98 SE virtual machines, but VMware 15 can't... there are COUNTLESS reasons to keep older versions of software. Automatic updates are a PLAGUE on computing in general.

[StainlessS]

Libreoffice? Did I miss something?

First line of my prev post.
OpenOffice was supposed to be quite good, but is no longer developed [I think], maybe give Libre Office a try [both started from same-ish code methinks].

[manolito]

I do not know if Open Office is no longer developed, but since the Apache Foundation took over, the update frequency has dropped considerably. The latest version is from November 2018:
Sunday November 18, 2018
Announcing Apache OpenOffice 4.1.6

This does not mean that it is unstable in any way. I personally like software which is not updated every week...

[StainlessS]

Thanks Mani, I was under the impression that development stalled some years back [I used to use OpenOffice].

EDIT: Old .org version stalled
Wikipedia OpenOffice.org:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org
Final release 3.3 / 25 January 2011; 8 years ago

But, Apache Open Office still going strong, inital release after .org version ended.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_OpenOffice

Think I used the stalled .org version.

EDIT: I do have this on android, AndrOpen Office:- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andropenoffice&hl=en_GB
AndrOpen Office is a forked project from the Apache OpenOffice project.

[Katie Boundary]

okay but what does openoffice have to do with anything?

[Groucho2004]

okay but what does openoffice have to do with anything?I was wondering about that too...

[Katie Boundary]

Okay I found the problem.

On my external hard drive, I have a folder for all of my video-editing stuff. Smartripper, Virtualdub, DGIndex, they all go in the folder. This includes AVIsynth plugins in raw DLL form because I can't be arsed with extracting them from their zip files every time I nuke my hard drive and reinstall Windows. In this archive, all the plugins get mixed together without regard to what's a normal plugin and what's a C 2.0 plugin, because they're not actually being used in that location so it doesn't matter. Then, after reinstalling AVIsynth, I have a bad habit of selecting the entire mass of DLL files and copy-pasting into the AVIsynth autoload directory, forgetting that C-plugins are a thing.

Derp.

And of course, I didn't think that C-plugins would be the problem, because I haven't been USING any in my scripts. If my script doesn't include ibob or yadif, then AVIsynth won't try to load them, right? :rolleyes:

So, lesson learned, put the c-plugins in their own folder in the archive so they don't get blindly copy-pasted all the time.

[Groucho2004]

So, lesson learned, put the c-plugins in their own folder in the archive so they don't get blindly copy-pasted all the time.Good choice.

[StainlessS]

I was wondering about that too...
It was just a comment as I saw it in Katie's junk-pile folder image.

[StainlessS]

Yes, but in my experience you only have to do this once. All following updates will be only for the VC++2019 redistributables and do not affect older redists.

JFYI,
Here is list of current CPP runtimes together with release dates.
As you will see, last release date for some older runtimes is as recent as 2018.
(These gotten yesterday from M$ servers via WSUS Offline update, dates are correct [as on M$ server, Automatic Updates uses these dates]).


Name Date modified Size
vcredist2005_x64.exe 16/10/2018 00:06 3,102 KB
vcredist2005_x86.exe 16/10/2018 00:06 2,644 KB
vcredist2008_x64.exe 13/10/2018 19:02 5,086 KB
vcredist2008_x86.exe 13/10/2018 19:02 4,375 KB
vcredist2010_x64.exe 16/10/2018 22:12 10,035 KB
vcredist2010_x86.exe 16/10/2018 22:12 8,783 KB
vcredist2012_x64.exe 13/10/2018 03:16 7,019 KB
vcredist2012_x86.exe 13/10/2018 03:16 6,401 KB
vcredist2013_x64.exe 12/10/2018 23:11 7,033 KB
vcredist2013_x86.exe 12/10/2018 23:12 6,358 KB
vcredist2019_x64.exe 02/07/2019 03:49 14,728 KB
vcredist2019_x86.exe 02/07/2019 03:47 14,044 KB

[manolito]

However, the neat uninstalling does not work on XP so in that case all old redists should/must be manually uninstalled.

Not so sure about this, the Readme says it a little different:
Windows XP support is partial, the pack will install and detect latest runtimes versions, but it will not check and remove non-compliant versions.

So it will install and detect latest runtime versions. And this is my experience, too. Some older runtimes used a different naming convention, and those were not automatically removed. But after removing these manually once they never came back, and all following installations of the AIO package were clean.


@StainlessS

Hard to be sure about my latest runtime installations because the "Date Modified" does not appear in the properties. I do see the version numbers though, and this is the info I trust. IMO the "Date Modified" property is not reliable, M$ may just have modified the installer but not the actual system files.

Here is the controlpanel/software info about my installed VC++ redistributables:

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnGFqtXD/VCRedist.png (https://postimages.org/)

Maybe you can compare the version numbers to the ones you got from M$ through the WSUS offline update...

[StainlessS]

Maybe you can compare the version numbers to the ones you got from M$ through the WSUS offline update...

No can do, am currently havin' a helluva time trying to apply updates, something is broken.
I've went back to image from (I think offhand 2013 OEM install), only thing done to that image was to generalize it.

Generalize:-
Normally, W7 creates a system drive (initial boot drive), that redirects to the boot drive (where the system lives [ie OS]), yep I know, seems back to front but there you have it.
My sys is MBR (Master Boot Record drive), I dont like havin' a partition occupied just to redirect to another one, so I generalize so that W7 OS is independent, and does not
require additional system partition. I have Linux Cinnamon Mint on original system partition [although enlarged a bit].

Anyway, going all of the way back to inital generalized partition, I cannot now install current updates[3 separate WSUS complete/security_only, downloads sets fail], I think that the
problem is related to the generalized drive, every update seems to produce a "Failture Coniguring Updates, rolling back", (or something like that). I see error messages in various
logs relating to the failure, and many of them seem related to Japanese (JP) files, I have no extra languages installed, other than English, and after many attempts to update,
can only assume that there has been some change in M$ updates that dont like the generalized partition (was Generalized via EasyBCD, which created some EFI boot stuff,
including some language files).


anyway, I is havin' a whale of a time, Peace Bro. :)

EDIT: I think the broken updates thing may have be born since about April/May, but not sure (I only update every now and then), I initially thought that there
was a problem in one of my recent OS images[maybe down to some change I made], but having taken it all the way back to generalized image, am sure pretty
sure that problem resides in recent MS update changes stuff. [am guessin' not many generalize their OS, so not many people will be affected]

EDIT: Next step might be to take it back prior to generalized partition (ie as received from OEM supplier, that should [I expect] install updates OK, maybe I'll try from there to generalize
without using EasyBCD, I dont think that the EFI files should have been installed at all, I'll try with system BcdEdit [think thats what its called].

EDIT: Oops, what the hell am I talking about, I'm currently NOT on generalized image, that is my next step after again clean downloading WSUS offline update files which I've just done in pub,
and again failed. [several days ago generalized image update failed, but I went back to more recent image which I'm now on and just failed again on fresh updates d/l.
I guess explaining what generalized image is, made me forget which image I am currently on :( I've swapped images quite a few times over the last few days, & I is easily confused :eek: ]

[manolito]

OMG, what a mess, I feel with you... :scared:

Just a shot from the hip, but could it be that you are affected by the recent SHA-2 problem with Win7 updates? M$ now signs all updates only with SHA-2, not with both SHA-1 and SHA-2. And Win7 rejects these updates unless a Servicing Stack update is installed first. The Servicing Stack update is KB4490628, the update for SHA-2 support is KB4474419. For me it was enough to install the Servicing Stack update.

Also if you have any Symantec/Norton security products installed M$ blocks SHA-2 updates for now.

Good luck...
manolito

[StainlessS]

Woah, thanks Mani, that might well be the problem, I'll try that next in the morn.

No Symantec/Norton here, just disabled Comodo Internet Security.

EDIT: I noted that the files that fail all seem to be .cab files.

EDIT: OK, I got those two updates (x64 and x86), I'll try in the morn :)

EDIT: I have files in my WSUS downloads,

Name Date modified Type Size
windows6.1-kb4474419-v2-x64_04a31294877b1ec1f4774c3d5e7a48f2221ecb2c.cab 10/08/2019 03:23 Cabinet File 54,042 KB
windows6.1-kb4474419-v2-x86_259ed703ef37b12893a94d38c7b77ddb59a0216e.cab 10/08/2019 03:13 Cabinet File 34,771 KB
windows6.1-kb4474419-x64_43650d1d26f2febfa73f54b18555bc4988c7c926.cab 04/03/2019 20:21 Cabinet File 53,224 KB
windows6.1-kb4474419-x86_dc2e27edd13e1c7c1bf1a3895d86d5c7ff7d02bd.cab 04/03/2019 20:21 Cabinet File 34,337 KB
windows6.1-kb4490628-x64_6d7e7f728029598fc4b9b4ddd86c8bf1d43289a2.cab 06/03/2019 03:29 Cabinet File 9,150 KB
windows6.1-kb4490628-x86_b0fe7cc5d339d71dfb996f4aceb2818274196117.cab 06/03/2019 12:37 Cabinet File 3,947 KB

so maybe not the issue, I'll try install the MSU files you linked.
EDIT: Nope, the service stack thing already installed.

EDIT: Could still be related to the SHA stuff, as I note that the v1.0 CAB's above are M$ server dated 4th March 2019, and probably that was
about the time of last successful update for me. [The M$ server dates are mainly used in WSUS Offline update (rather than installed update version),
as the download system is not necessarily the system that the updates will be installed on, I download via W10 machine for W7 installs].

[StainlessS]

Update on above problems, not being able to apply W7 updates gotten via WSUS Offiline Update.

Well Mani, me gots it all sorted out now (Had same problem before but forgot all about cause.)

Where updates are finalized on next boot, did not like having Linux GRUB as boot controller.
So I made W7 partition active partition (via Disk Management), and then used Wsus Offline Updater, completed fine, then after reboot, set Linuix Partition Active Partition again.

Me gots to flag it in big red letters somewheres so that I dont waste days/weeks doing the same damn thing yet again.