BUG: Excessive Delay Before Build, Export Makefile, or Debug

• The development environment included with:

      - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, version 5.0
  

SYMPTOMS

After you start a build in Microsoft Developer Studio, there could be an excessive delay before the actual build begins. This typically happens when building a large project. The delay can be about 3-5 minutes and an hourglass is shown in the Developer Studio. Then the build proceeds normally. This happens even when the project is up-to-date.

This delay occurs only when you try to build the first time after opening the workspace. Subsequent builds do not experience the delay.

This delay happens only in Developer Studio running under Windows 95.

CAUSE

This delay is caused by the dependency checking preceding the build. Before the build can start, Developer Studio needs to check file dependencies to decide which files are to be built. For a large project with complex dependencies, Developer Studio can spend a long time checking file timestamp information on a Windows 95 machine.

RESOLUTION

The following are two related workarounds. You should try Workaround 1 first; if that does not work, then consider the second workaround combined with the first workaround:

Workaround 1. Use compiler switches /Yc and /Yu to create and use a precompiled header.

Workaround 2. Use a precompiled header aggressively by including most of your project's header files in the precompiled header.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this bug and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

This delay can also be experienced when you try to export the makefile or start a debug session the first time after opening the workspace.