PRB: "error spawning empfile.exe" Building WINCE Application

• Microsoft Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++
• Microsoft Windows CE Embedded Toolkit for Visual C++ 5.0

SYMPTOMS

While building Windows CE applications, you may get one of the following six errors:

error spawning empfile.exe
error spawning pfile.exe
error spawning shcl.exe
error spawning clmips.exe
error spawning clppc.exe
error spawning cl.exe

CAUSE

The above problem may occur if the platform list box is not visible in Developer Studio or if the path to the executable files is missing (to check whether the path to the executable files is missing, on the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Directories tab).

RESOLUTION

The following are a set of troubleshooting steps. Try the following resolutions one at a time until you succeed. Note that Windows CE emulation is not supported in Windows 95 by design. Therefore, Empfile.exe error messages can not be resolved in Windows 95 for the Win32 (WCE x86em) platform.

1. When you install the Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++ 5.0, you see a list box in Developer Studio. This list box contains the items H/PC Ver 1.00, H/PC Ver 1.01, and H/PC Ver 2.00.
   
   NOTE: Before you start to build a Win32 Windows CE application, this list box must be visible. If the list box is not visible, do the following:
   
   
   1. Right-click an empty area on the Developer Studio toolbar.
   
   
   
   2. In the pop-up window, select "WCE Configuration." This action displays the list box and you can now try to build your application again.
   
   
   
   If you are building for types other than Win32 (WCE x86em), your application will build, but you may get a message box stating "Failed to verify platform or OS version" if Windows CE Services is not running on the host computer or the Windows CE device has not established a connection to the host.
   
   If the above method fails to remove the error, go to step 2; otherwise, go to step 5.



2. Make sure that the correct path to the executables is set in the Developer Studio menu. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Directories tab. In the "Show Directories for" list box, select "Executable files." The following should be visible in the Directories list box if drive C is the installation drive.
   
   For H/PC version 2.0, all platforms other than Win32 (WCE x86em):
   
   If Installed on Windows NT:

   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\WCE\Bin
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\SharedIDE\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN\WINNT

   If Installed on Windows 95:

   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\WCE\Bin
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\SharedIDE\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN\WIN95

   Note that the above also applies to H/PC versions 1.0 and 1.01, available only for platforms Win32 (WCE SH) and Win32 (WCE MIPS).
   
   For H/PC version 2.0, for platform Win32 (WCE x86em), available only on NT:

   C:\Program Files\Windows CE Platform SDK\wce\emul\HPC\windows
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\WCE\Bin
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\SharedIDE\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN
   C:\Program Files\DevStudio\VC\BIN\WIN95

   Build again. If the error persists, go to step 3; otherwise, go to step 5.



3. If you are trying to build for the first time after installing Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++ 5.0 and none of the above works, then make sure that the Windows CE Toolkit is installed under your user account with administrative privileges. Check steps 4 and 5.



4. If none of the above works, then uninstall Windows CE components followed by uninstalling Visual C++. Back up any user-created files or projects and delete the ..\DevStudio and ..\WINCE directories if the Embedded toolkit is also installed. Then delete the following registry keys if they still exist:

   
         HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\DevStudio
         HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Infoviewer\5.0
         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DevStudio
         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Infoviewer\5.0 

   Reinstall Visual C++ version 5.0. Verify that this installation works before installing any Windows CE components.
   
   WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
   
   For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).



5. Once you can build without the error, close Developer Studio. Open the Registry editor, and export (save) the following key, giving it a name on your hard drive:

   
         HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\DevStudio 

   The saved file has a .reg extension. If you see the error again in the future, close Developer Studio, open the Registry Editor and import the saved key. Start Developer Studio and you should be able to build again.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q177433 PRB: Building on Windows 95 Reports "Error spawning empfile.exe"

Q188720 PRB: Error Executing ~vcecho!Compiling

Additional query words: wce kbwince300 kbide kbvc500 wince

Keywords : kbVC500 kbWinCE200
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,2.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb