[TC 8.0 B21 x64] Weird error with e-banking software

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-02-24, 23:07 UTC

Since using version 8, I am unable to use my e-banking software (Migros bank). This software is a modified version of Firefox running off a special USB key with a smart card inside.

If I launch this software through TC 8 (B16, B18, B20, B21 x64, or B20 x32), the software is launched but shows the message "Unable to access the smart card".

I've been using this software for years with TC 7.x and 6.x without any issue.

Launching from Explorer works fine.

I am running on Win7 SP1 x64.

Have you modified how TC reacts to double-clicking on an EXE file ?

Regards,
JM Pirelli

Sir_SiLvA · Post by *Sir_SiLvA » 2012-02-24, 23:19 UTC

Have you tried TC8 32bit?

Post by *petermad » 2012-02-25, 12:03 UTC

2Timores
If you are running TC "As administrator" - then try not to, or if you are not running TC "As administrator" the try that in stead.

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-02-28, 07:14 UTC

@Sir_Silva: thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I also tried beta 20 of the 32-bit version.

@petermad: thanks for the suggestion. I usually run as "non admin". I tried as admin, and got the same result. I also tried as "non admin" and run the e-banking software as admin, but it did not work either.

I just tried 7.57 and it also has the issue now.

Just tried again through Explorer and it works fine.

Post by *ghisler(Author) » 2012-02-28, 10:24 UTC

Maybe Total Commander is started with compatibility settings in the link? These are inherited by programs started from Total Commander.

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-02-29, 23:44 UTC

@ghisler. Thanks for the suggestion.

The properties screen of the link and of the totalcmd64.exe file has a compatibility tab where all check boxes are NOT checked.
Is there another place to check that you had in mind ?

Post by *ghisler(Author) » 2012-03-01, 15:44 UTC

No, that was the right location. Sorry, I have no idea what else could be wrong. I recommend that you launch the software from Explorer, then right click on the icon in the task bar and pin it on.

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-03-01, 21:08 UTC

Yeah, I agree it's as weird as could be imagined.
So, you're saying you did not change the way an EXE is launched ?

I'll create a desktop shortcut or something like that (the USB key does not always have the same drive letter so I may end up launching Explorer just for that; it's not a problem to do it once per month. Compared to 8 hours per day with TC, every day since about 1991 and version 1.32 )

Post by *ghisler(Author) » 2012-03-02, 10:34 UTC

So, you're saying you did not change the way an EXE is launched ?

I'm still using the same function, ShellExecuteEx - the code is the same. However, 64-bit programs see a bit different environments than 32-bit programs. But Explorer is 64-bit too, so I don't see any reason why it should behave differently (except for the things described above with "as admin" and comptibility).

Flint · Post by *Flint » 2012-03-02, 14:33 UTC

Timores
You could try to check if the application will start from command-line prompt launched from Windows shell (by Start->Run, cmd, <Enter>) and from TC (cmd, <Enter> in TC's command line). It might help to find out whether the cause of the problem is specific TC environment or not.

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-03-04, 16:44 UTC

From a command line prompt (i.e. Start / Run / cmd), typing:
h:
start_M-identity_Win.exe

works fine.

Going to the H drive with TC (8 B22, x64) and typing
start_M-identity_Win.exe
in its command-line does not work (i.e. the software starts, but is then unable to access the smart card).

Flint · Post by *Flint » 2012-03-04, 19:14 UTC

Timores wrote:Going to the H drive with TC (8 B22, x64) and typing
start_M-identity_Win.exe
in its command-line does not work

No, what I suggested was this:
1. In TC command line type
cmd
and press Enter.
2. In the console window that appears try to launch your application exactly as you did in the console opened via Start->Run.

By this experiment I want to find out whether the problem is caused by some difference between environments (native and the one inside TC). Since cmd started from TC inherits its environment, but uses the same launch method as any other cmd instance, the result of the experiment will show the location of the problem's source: environment or API functions used for launching applications.

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-03-04, 21:55 UTC

Sorry about the misunderstanding; and thank you for the clarification.

I typed cmd from TC and then launched the e-banking software.
It worked fine (!). I tried a second time and it also worked.

Then I tried again from TC and it failed. So, I launched cmd once more (again from within TC) and launched again the e-banking software. Which failed this time...

Flint · Post by *Flint » 2012-03-04, 22:45 UTC

Timores
That's weird… I hoped reproducability would be more stable.

OK then, let's try something else. Download Process Explorer, launch it, select File -> Show details for all processes (confirm the UAC request), and do the following steps:
1) Start a faulty instance of your e-banking program (that is, run it from TC so that it failed to access the smart card).
2) Switch to Process Explorer, find the process you just launched, double-click it.
3) In the Properties dialog that opens, you need the following tabs: Image, TCP/IP, Security, Environment.
4) In each of these tabs view and write down or screenshot all the information they contain. It's a good idea to maximize this dialog beforehand, to reduce amount of scrolling. I don't know which information might be of use, so I cannot name anything specific.
5) Now close the Properties dialog, close the e-banking program, and start it again, this time from Explorer (so that the smart card was now accessible).
6) Repeat the steps 2-5 for this new instance of the program.
7) Compare the data from these two processes, and tell us what differences there are.

PS: If it so happens that your e-banking program starts child processes of its own, you should repeat these steps for all of them.

PPS: BTW, do you have any anti-virus or HIPS program installed on your computer? If yes, did you try disabling them?

Timores · Post by *Timores » 2012-03-04, 23:55 UTC

I'll do the PE manipulations this evening.

I tried disabling the anti-virus software (Avast 7) but it did not make any difference.

I had tried with Process Monitor to find a difference between a working run and a non-working one. I uploaded the log to https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=1e771dcd1c382f9c#.
The first part (up to 17:28:00.7042995, line 4573) is the non-working try. The second part is the OK one.
But it's quite hard to read and get something out of it. The E-banking software is called mbancnet.exe.