Eraser won't open or run

[RayArt]

I have installed Eraser on my Windows 10 machine but it won't run. The icon is showing on the desktop but when I click on it to open the program nothing happens. In the Recycle Bin I can right click and see the Eraser option, when I click it I get the warning box "are you sure you want to delete" but when I click OK nothing happens and the Recycle Bin does not empty. I have tried to reinstall a couple of times but still the same problem. Can anyone help please?

 

[marioross]

Hi, I can confirm, I have several computers with Windows 10, updates all done. It is a .NET issue, Windows event manager report the following:

Application: Eraser.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.InvalidCastException
at System.Convert.ChangeType(System.Object, System.Type, System.IFormatProvider)
at Eraser.Settings+RegistrySettings.GetValue[[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=xxxxxxxxxxxxx]](System.String, System.__Canon)
at Eraser.Program.Main(System.String[])

I think it is some .NET update compatibility issue. I think that the developer should dig into it.

 

[duke_meister]

Just signed

Hi, I can confirm, I have several computers with Windows 10, updates all done. It is a .NET issue, Windows event manager report the following:

Application: Eraser.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.InvalidCastException
at System.Convert.ChangeType(System.Object, System.Type, System.IFormatProvider)
at Eraser.Settings+RegistrySettings.GetValue[[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=xxxxxxxxxxxxx]](System.String, System.__Canon)
at Eraser.Program.Main(System.String[])

I think it is some .NET update compatibility issue. I think that the developer should dig into it.

Just signed up to say, I get exactly the same issue. Checked EventViewer and it's identical.

Eraser please fix!

 

[garrett01]

Have released a new version here - this version targets Win10 and the newer .Net framework. Have tested it on different Win10 machines.
Let me know if you still have the issue.

 

[duke_meister]

Have released a new version here - this version targets Win10 and the newer .Net framework. Have tested it on different Win10 machines.
Let me know if you still have the issue.

Thanks for the response, will check it out tonight and report back.

edit: no, still doesn't run. The icon appears in the tray but if you hover over it, it disappears as it's already shut down. See event log below.
Also, I had installed an older version because 6.x wasn't working, and it worked ok, but now I can't uninstall it. It says that it's running and I need to close it before it can uninstall. I even disabled it in the Windows Startup Apps settings and rebooted, but same result.

Faulting application name: Eraser.exe, version: 6.2.0.2987, time stamp: 0x5ed7ec2a
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.18362.815, time stamp: 0xb89efff3
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000000000003a799
Faulting process ID: 0x4234
Faulting application start time: 0x01d63b07d52c25b3
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Eraser\Eraser.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report ID: 75121f03-3177-4b87-9089-6674f1091232
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

[garrett01]

ok another release

Again tested on Win10.

Your error:
Eraser.Settings+RegistrySettings.GetValue[
Seems like corrupt registry entries.

Make sure you have administrator access to the PC.
Uninstall eraser from the windows programs and features section. if it fails try install/uninstall
Reboot
Run regedit and search for eraser entries if any and delete these -> be very careful here - backups are a good idea
Run the windows update
reboot
reinstall eraser

 

[duke_meister]

Thanks but still no luck. I seem to remember resolving a similar issue a while back. I think it had one or more files in it's scheduled tasks, and I somehow found where it was storing them and erased them, then it was able to start. It seems from the stack trace below that it's trying to do a secure move on startup, and failing? Complete guess of course. Where does it store the scheduled list?

Current status:
the v5.8.8 I had previously installed (and seemed to work) no longer installs or uninstalls.

I'm not sure how it can be running because there is no eraser.exe on my computer (I use Everything to search voidtools)
The latest version crashes on startup.

OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Version 10.0.18362 Build 18362


Faulting application name: Eraser.exe, version: 6.2.0.2988, time stamp: 0x5eda526a
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.18362.815, time stamp: 0xb89efff3
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000000000003a799
Faulting process ID: 0x3d20
Faulting application start time: 0x01d63c08bfc713f6
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Eraser\Eraser.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report ID: 79616b10-544c-4cc7-a429-5f45dffcb423
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Application: Eraser.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ArgumentNullException
at System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(System.String)
at Eraser.DefaultPlugins.SecureMoveErasureTarget.CopyFile(System.IO.FileInfo)
at Eraser.DefaultPlugins.SecureMoveErasureTarget.Execute()
at Eraser.Manager.Task.Execute()
at Eraser.Manager.DirectExecutor.Main()
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

 

[duke_meister]

OK I solved it, as I suggested in a previous post. Just deleted the schedule files in appdata and now it runs.

I still don't know why v5 thinks it's already running when installing/uninstalling. I'd like to know there isn't some hidden process running.

Edit: ok so.. I downloaded the code and got it running to a point where I could debug the issue.

Summary:
Create a manual task, exit Eraser, start Eraser, run the Task now->crash

Detail:
1. On a test file, right-click and drop somewhere->choose Eraser Secure Move
2. Say yes to UAC, then click Options
3. Change the Task Type to Run manually
4. Click OK, then Yes on the Erase Items dialog
5. Right-click the Eraser tray icon, and choose Exit Eraser
6. Start Eraser again and yes to UAC
7. Right-click the task in the Erase Schedule and choose Run Now
8. After a second or two the dialog disappears
9. See the tray icon has also gone

The Tasks List file is not being deserialized properly from file. After debugging I could see that the call to base.ReadXML() in SecureMoveErasureTarget is moving the reader to the end of the element, so the next call to get the 'destination' attribute fails. Then later when it's used it's null and throws an exception. If you swap the first 2 lines in SecureMoveErasureTarget.ReadXML() it works, but probably not the best fix.

Note if I run the same job immediately, it works fine.

 

[garrett01]

I'v implemented your suggested changes in development, will run some tests and do a release in a few days

 

[RPL]

I recently rebuilt my W10 1909 machine (took it home from work; the machine itself was fine).
Since the rebuild, when I log in as User, Eraser does not work when I right click the recycle bin icon.
However, even though the file remains in the recycle bin, I get a message in the tray saying that Eraser completed successfully.
It does erase the file when I log in as Administrator and do the same. However, the recycle bin image still shows something in the trash even though the actual bin is empty.
I'd appreciate suggestions. Version number etc are pasted below.
Thanks
Ron

 

[RPL]

Oh, meant to add:
If I right click the file in File Explorer, then Eraser runs properly
If a create another folder and put files there, I can create a task in Eraser to erase contents of the folder and that works fine.
So it is a problem with recycle bin.
Ron

 

[RPL]

Simon
What was the solution your person found?
Thanks