NullReferenceException on startup

[RandomEngy]

System.AggregateException: One or more errors occurred. (System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at VidCoder.DispatchUtilities.Invoke(Action action) in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\Utilities\DispatchUtilities.cs:line 16
at VidCoder.View.Main.EnsureVisible() in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\View\Main.xaml.cs:line 310
at VidCoder.Automation.VidCoderAutomation.BringToForeground() in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\Automation\VidCoderAutomation.cs:line 79
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor, Boolean wrapExceptions)
at PipeMethodCalls.RequestHandler1.GetTypedResponseForRequest(SerializedPipeRequest request)) ---> PipeMethodCalls.PipeInvokeFailedException: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at VidCoder.DispatchUtilities.Invoke(Action action) in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\Utilities\DispatchUtilities.cs:line 16 at VidCoder.View.Main.EnsureVisible() in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\View\Main.xaml.cs:line 310 at VidCoder.Automation.VidCoderAutomation.BringToForeground() in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\Automation\VidCoderAutomation.cs:line 79 --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor, Boolean wrapExceptions) at PipeMethodCalls.RequestHandler1.GetTypedResponseForRequest(SerializedPipeRequest request)
at PipeMethodCalls.MethodInvoker1.InvokeAsync(Expression1 expression, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at VidCoderCommon.Services.AutomationClient.TryActionAsync(Expression1 action) in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoderCommon\Services\AutomationClient.cs:line 46 at VidCoderCommon.Services.AutomationClient.RunActionAsync(Expression1 action) in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoderCommon\Services\AutomationClient.cs:line 19
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Wait(Int32 millisecondsTimeout, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Wait()
at VidCoder.App.OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e) in C:\git\VidCoder\VidCoder\App.xaml.cs:line 69
at System.Windows.Application.<.ctor>b__1_0(Object unused)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

Originally posted by @Kill3rWolf in #886 (comment)

[RandomEngy]

It seems like that probably happened on startup, when it was trying to bring an already existing instance of VidCoder to the foreground. Except that Application.Current at that point was null, maybe because it wasn't started up yet or was being torn down. Do you remember if you had just started up another instance of VidCoder, or had just closed another one? When you tried to launch VidCoder again, did it work?

[Kill3rWolf]

I don't know your other question's answers, But I can answer the last question.

When you tried to launch VidCoder again, did it work?

• No, it failed with an error/warning message so many times. Then I gave up. But the same downloaded beta .exe file working again.

After my ongoing encoding video was destroyed, it was not opening.

[RandomEngy]

So was this what happened?

1. Video was encoding, but failed with an error. Either it crashed or you closed VidCoder.
2. You try to launch VidCoder and it crashes with this exception.

Trying to figure it out because it looks like there may have been a zombie VidCoder process running. If this ever happens again, check to see if there is a VidCoder.exe process running in the Task Manager. You should be able to kill it and be able to launch again.

[RandomEngy]

I've got a fix ready that will detect the zombie instance and kill it before proceeding to launch. Hopefully that will make it so you don't get into this situation again.

[RandomEngy]

Should be fixed in 6.37 Beta.