Understanding the Problem: First-Chance Exceptions in Visual C++ 2003

When debugging a program remotely in Visual C++ 2003, you might encounter a frustrating issue: your debugger stops unexpectedly on first-chance exceptions, specifically the Access violation (c00000005). This can significantly hamper your debugging process, as you’ll need to repeatedly hit “Continue” to proceed with your debugging session.

What is a First-Chance Exception?

In the world of debugging, a first-chance exception refers to the initial occurrence of an exception in your code before any handler has the chance to catch it. In your case, an access violation is not a standard exception that the runtime should be catching internally, making its occurrence alarming and often indicative of a bug in your code.

The Solution: Configuring Your Debugger to Ignore First-Chance Exceptions

Step 1: Understanding Exception Handling

Before diving into the solution, it’s essential to understand how exception handling works in Visual C++. Access violations are typically serious issues indicative of memory access errors in your code. Instead of simply ignoring them, it’s crucial to recognize that they often require close examination for potential bugs in your application.

Step 2: Configure Exception Settings

To prevent your debugger from breaking on every first-chance exception, follow these steps:

1. Access the Debugger Settings:

   • Open Visual C++ 2003 and navigate to the menu bar.
   • Go to Tools > Options > Debugging.

2. Adjust the Win32 Exception Settings:

   • Find the section related to Win32 Exceptions.
   • Ensure that the option is set to Continue on the Access Violation (c00000005) instead of breaking into the debugger.

3. Use Parent Settings:

   • If you previously set a specific exception to break, revert it back to Use Parent Setting to keep it aligned with your global settings.

Step 3: Handle the Access Violation Appropriately

While configuring your debugger settings can reduce interruptions, it’s crucial to fix any underlying issues in your code that might be causing the access violations. Here’s how to approach troubleshooting:

• Check for Null Pointers: Make sure you’re not dereferencing null pointers in your code.
• Review Memory Management: Examine how memory is allocated and deallocated to ensure there are no premature releases or memory leaks.
• Use Assertions: Implement assertions to catch possible issues before they result in an access violation.

Conclusion

Understanding how to configure your Visual C++ 2003 debugger to handle first-chance exceptions will lead to a smoother debugging experience. Remember, consistently encountering Access violation exceptions signals a potential bug in your code, one that you should not ignore. By adjusting your debugging settings and addressing the underlying code issues, you will significantly enhance your debugging prowess and efficiency.

By following these steps, you should be able to continue using your debugger without getting interrupted by the first-chance exceptions. Happy debugging!