Learning Forum

[nokdu19]

When I perform a structural analysis and click the Step 4 Model button, an error pops up, and the program suddenly crashes.

 

Below are the steps I took to solve this problem:

1. Deleted the .dmp file:
   After encountering an error with AnsysWBU.exe, I noticed that a diagnostic .dmp file was generated. Some suggested that deleting this file might resolve the issue, so I tried this approach. However, the file regenerated every time I opened the Workbench DM module, and the error persisted. This indicated that deleting the .dmp file was ineffective, as it is a system error log that reappears with each launch.

2. Reinstalled the system and ANSYS software:
   Based on online suggestions, I performed a full reinstallation of both the operating system and the ANSYS software. While a few users reported success with this method, most noted it was time-consuming and did not guarantee a fix. After completing the reinstallation, the issue remained unresolved, confirming that this method was ineffective in my case.

3. Registered missing DLL files:
   I opened Command Prompt with administrator privileges and registered scrrun.dll using the command regsvr32 scrrun.dll. This step was based on the assumption that a missing or inactive DLL might be causing the error. Despite successful registration, the problem persisted.

4. Added system environment variable ANS_OLD_ATTACH = 1:
   To address a potential geometry attachment issue, I added a new system environment variable:

   • Navigated to Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables.
   • Under System Variables, I created a new variable named ANS_OLD_ATTACH with the value 1.
     This method reportedly worked for some users, particularly for errors like ‘Unable to attach the geometry file… An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host’, often caused by network issues during mesh creation. Unfortunately, this did not resolve my problem.

5. Renamed ANSYS-related folders in AppData and Temp directories:
   I suspected that corrupted profile settings, possibly caused by a Windows update, were triggering the error. To address this:

   • I navigated to %TEMP% and renamed the .ansys folder to ansys_old.
   • I also navigated to %APPDATA% and renamed the v251 folders to v251_old.
     After making these changes, I restarted ANSYS Workbench. And it didn't work for me at all

6. Registered additional system DLL files:
   To ensure all necessary components were properly registered, I ran additional commands in Command Prompt (as administrator):

   • regsvr32.exe ole32.dll
   • regsvr32.exe atl.dll
   • regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll
   • regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll
   • regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
   • regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll
     After registering these files, I restarted the system, but this step alone did not resolve the issue.

7. Renamed version-specific folders and cleared temporary files:

   • In %APPDATA%\ansys\, I renamed the v251 folder to v251.old (adjusting the version based on my ANSYS installation).
   • In %TEMP%, I renamed the .ansys folder to old.ansys.
     These changes helped reset user-specific settings. Combined with the folder renaming in Step 5, this didn't resolve the problem.

8. Reconfigured ANSYS using ProductConfig.exe:

   • I navigated to C:\Program Files\ANSYSInc\v150\commonfiles\tools\winx64\ and ran ProductConfig.exe as an administrator.
   • First, I selected “Add .NET security exception for ANSYS, Inc products” to ensure no security restrictions were interfering with the software.
   • Next, I clicked “Configure Products” and selected all available products for a full reconfiguration.
     After completing this process, I restarted ANSYS Workbench and confirmed that the issue wasn't resolved.

I could not run the CLIENT ANSLIC_ADMIN Utility, because I can not find it. 

 

[nokdu19]

I found that AnsysWBU.exe encountered a heap corruption error in ntdll.dll during execution.

[Gary_S]

 

Is this a laptop computer?
Can you tell us the type of Display adapters / video cards are present? 
Tip: Run Windows System Information to obtain this information –  msinfo32.exe

Another common issue is a Endpoint Protection Program that prevents AnsysWBU.exe from running or communicating. 

 

[nokdu19]

 

 

No, this is not a laptop; I am using a desktop computer. I ran msinfo32.exe to obtain system information,

and here are the details for my display adapter(s):

 

 

• Display Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home
• System Model: B660MX-E PRO
• Processor: Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700F, 2100Mhz, 12 Core, 20 logical processors

 

 

Regarding endpoint protection, I have verified that there is no endpoint protection program preventing AnsysWBU.exe from running or communicating.

I even temporarily disabled my antivirus and firewall to rule out any interference, but the issue still persists.

Error Details:

 

 

• Error Code: 0xc0000374 (Heap Corruption)

   

• Event Log Summary:  Faulting application name: AnsysWBU.exe
  Version: 25.2024.318.1
  Timestamp: 0x6745546f

  Faulting module name: ntdll.dll
  Version: 10.0.22621.4541
  Timestamp: 0xe7035eba

  Exception code: 0xc0000374
  Fault offset: 0x000000000010cb69

  Faulting process ID: 0x3764
  Faulting application start time: 0x1DB7BCAA3B98B68

  Faulting application path:
  C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\ANSYS Student\v251\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe

  Faulting module path:
  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

  Report ID: 6eeb845a-2678-47dd-91f3-be46f25b636a

  Faulting package full name: 
  Application ID relative to the faulting package: 

[Gary_S]

Try installing the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia website. 
Is Windows Update OK ? 

[nokdu19]

I tried installing the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia website and confirmed that Windows Update is fully up-to-date, but the issue still persists.

[nokdu19]

• In addition, I've run comprehensive hardware diagnostics—including SSD and RAM checks—and executed system file integrity scans (using SFC and DISM), all of which returned no errors. I've also tested running ANSYS Workbench in Safe Mode and under a Clean Boot, and even tried running ANSYSWBU.exe in Windows 8 compatibility mode with administrator privileges.

  Despite these efforts, the error (0xc0000374, indicating heap corruption in ntdll.dll) continues to occur when performing any analysis or modeling operations. This leads me to believe that the root cause is likely related to the software itself or a compatibility issue with my current Windows environment, rather than a hardware fault.

  Any further insights or suggestions on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

   

[Gary_S]

Maybe try this:

At a Command Prompt As Administrator: 

1. sfc /scannow
2. Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

[nokdu19]

Thanks for the suggestion, but this method doesn't help solve this problem at all.

[nokdu19]

After updating the BIOS, I started encountering a kernelbase.dll error. When I rebooted and tried running ANSYS again to address that issue, I began consistently getting an ntdll.dll error instead.

 

[Gary_S]

 

One thought is the Ansys download became corrupted. 
Maybe try a fresh download and extract to a New folder?

 

 

[nokdu19]

Thank you for the suggestion. However, I've already re-downloaded the installer and extracted it into a new folder, yet the error still persists.

[Gary_S]

Maybe a problem with your user account?
Can you create a new user like User1, login as such and see if any difference?

[tmdrl3452]

I created a new user account (named "tmdrl3452") and logged in with it, then tried running ANSYS Student, but unfortunately, the error still persists.

[Gary_S]

Errors relating to 0xc0000374, Heap Corruption and ntdll.dll indcate very low level Windows Operating system issues.

[tmdrl3452]

I have already performed a clean installation of Windows, formatted my drive, and reinstalled ANSYS, yet the issue persists. This suggests that the problem is not with the operating system itself but rather with ANSYS' interaction with the Windows environment.

I have also tried various troubleshooting steps, including updating all drivers (especially graphics drivers), running SFC and DISM, testing RAM with MemTest86, reinstalling Visual C++ Redistributables, and even running ANSYS under compatibility mode with different configurations.

Despite all these efforts, the heap corruption error (0xc0000374) in ntdll.dll still occurs. Given that multiple users have encountered similar issues, could this be a compatibility issue between ANSYS and the latest Windows updates or system configurations? Are there any additional debugging tools or logs within ANSYS that could provide further insight into the root cause?

[Gary_S]

Perhaps try downloading / installing an older Ansys Student version just to see if any difference.