Bug in Windows Calculator



  • To make Calc.exe crash, press the following buttons in sequence (using the mouse or keyboard):
    2 * ( 4 / 7 = )

    It is necessary to have the program in "Scientific" mode (choose "Scientific" from the "View" menu if you're currently unscientific).

    So far as I can tell, the "MapleCalc" pop-up in SSDS is not affected.


  • Garbage Person

     Nor is the improved calculator in Win7.

     Get a real OS.





  • Just putting (=) has the same effect.



  •  Works on my XP



  • Mine doesn't crash per se, but it does return "Result of function is undefined" and then stops responding to all input even though the GUI is still works.  (E.g., the menus work, but it won't switch from scientific to standard mode, etc.)  That state gets cleared by pressing "CE" or "C".  This is the same behavior you get when you ask it to divide zero by zero.

    Not the best way to program a calculator, but consider the source.



  • @bridget99 said:

    To make Calc.exe crash, press the following buttons in sequence (using the mouse or keyboard):
    2 * ( 4 / 7 = )

    Not in XP SP3, it doesn't.

    What's that, Bridget?

    Oh …

    … you're still on Windows [i]95[/i]? Right …



  • Totally crashes in Vista.

     

    But who cares?



  • @dhromed said:

    Totally crashes in Vista.
    People still use that? I was under the impression it was a stepping stone between XP and Windows 7



  •  Works fine in WinVista. I suspect Operator Error.


  • 🚽 Regular

     Are you sure you're using Windows calc and not one of the calc programs from our OMGWTF contest a while ago?



  • @bridget99 said:

    To make Calc.exe crash, press the following buttons in sequence (using the mouse or keyboard):
    2 * ( 4 / 7 = )

    It is necessary to have the program in "Scientific" mode (choose "Scientific" from the "View" menu if you're currently unscientific a girl ).

    So far as I can tell, the "MapleCalc" pop-up in SSDS is not affected.




    FTFY



  • It might then be due to system configuration. The second time I tried it, I got a VC++ Runtime Error alertbox, and when I OK'd that, I got the standard Windows message of This Program Must Close etc...

     It may have something to do with Visual Studio 8 installed and various other modules and drivers and whatnot.



  • The MacOS X Calculator.app (not the dashboard widget, but the app) used to think that -pi was -3. If you hit the pi button, then the negative button, you'd just get "-3". But they have since fixed it, as of 10.4 or something like that.



  • @Lingerance said:

    @dhromed said:
    Vista.
    People still use that? I was under the impression it was a stepping stone between XP and Windows 7
     

    Work PC got bought some months before 7 became available.

    I really don't care. Vista's just fine. At home I still have XP, which is just fine, and am holding out for a proper reason to upgrade to 7, such as a game that only works under DX10, or something else that forces me to do so.

    I expect the former, because games have been the sole driving force behind replacing my computer twice now:
    Shit, I can't play GTA:SA => buy a new computer
    Shit, I can't play Fallout 3 => buy a new computer



  •  I am actually pleasantly surprised by W7, especially after being less than impressed by Vista. Me likey. I had it forced upon me by a new employer/laptop (old one had win XP) but it's convinced conservative old me.

     Of course, it doesn't hurt that the laptop has 6 times the RAM, 3 times the harddisk and probably a gazillion more hz.

    @dhromed said:

    You tap the Winkey and type some shit and you'll probably get what you want as the first or second result.

    F$%^ me. That rocks.



  • Crash confirmed on 32-bit Vista. Doesn't happen on x64 version though.

    calc crash



  •  @ender said:

    Zapri program

    I like that.



  • @dhromed said:

    I really don't care. Vista's just fine. At home I still have XP, which is just fine, and am holding out for a proper reason to upgrade to 7, such as a game that only works under DX10, or something else that forces me to do so.

    Try Age of Conan, in DX9 mode side-by-side with DX10 mode. You'll crap your pants, then rush to buy a new computer.



  • Works fine in Windows XP SP3 Pro 32 bit.  Will test Windows 7 when I get home.

    Also, as the equation typed in is non-sensical I don't consider this a bug.  Merely an ID10T or PEBKAC error that was not properly handled.



  • It worked on XP SP3 Pro 32-bit for me, although not with the same input as the one in the original post. In my case, I typed 25 (which is the maximum allowed by my version of calc.exe; just about 20 of them are necessary) times the opening bracket followed by equals sign and finishing with some number of closing brackets. The error occurred at some point while typing the closing brackets. If it was running without a debugger attached, it produced "An unknown error has occured", while using a debugger showed access to invalid memory location.




  • @blakeyrat said:

    Try Age of Conan, in DX9 mode side-by-side with DX10 mode. You'll crap your pants, then rush to buy a new computer.
     

    Hmmm. Perhaps I am missing out.

    I don't play MMO's though, so the example is wasted on me.



  • goose's one worked for me (the other two didn't). I'm also on XP SP3 Pro 32-bit.

    Fortunately it's very rare that I actually have any reason to use 20+ levels of nested parentheses. In fact, if it happens I'll let you know.



  • @RHuckster said:

     Are you sure you're using Windows calc and not one of the calc programs from our OMGWTF contest a while ago?

    We need another one of these contests.  perhaps in the form of a text editor or some sort of virtual pet program.


  • @galgorah said:

    @RHuckster said:
    Are you sure you're using Windows calc and not one of the calc programs from our OMGWTF contest a while ago?
    We need another one of these contests.  perhaps in the form of a text editor or some sort of virtual pet program.
    Desktop search!



  • FWIW, my calculator handles this. You're just not using a stack based calculator:

    @  (  7 ^ 2 ^ + = ^ ) ^ 4 ^ * ~ 
    ! Assuming that ()'s are order of operation...
    1
    @
    

    Get a real calculator ;)



  • Just wondering here, but how is that a crash? It gives the correct answer, which is 'bugger off and get back to work instead of messing with things that no sane person would enter into a calculator'.



  • @davedavenotdavemaybedave said:

    Just wondering here, but how is that a crash?
    Because Windows says it's a crash.



  • @ender said:

    Because Windows says it's a crash.
     

    Psh,  you believe everything that Windows says?



  • To make me not give a shit, post threads about bugs in Windows Calculator.



  • @Lingerance said:

    @dhromed said:
    Totally crashes in Vista.
    People still use that? I was under the impression it was a stepping stone between XP and Windows 7

    I installed Vista after 7 came out to see what's so bad about it, and found it just fine, so I'm still using it (then again, I also found Millennium fine and used it for several years, so YMMV). I'll probably upgrade to 7 an indeterminate amount of time after the release of SP1.

    For what it's worth, Calc didn't crash.



  • @DescentJS said:

    You know, it's a sad day when reporting a bug constitutes trolling. And I would also mention that everyone here but you is having fun, DescentJS. We've shared our Calc.exe operating experiences; we've mused about the role of infix vs. postfix notation in ensuring calculator reliability; we've even seen a scintillating movie of the new "Aero" user interface in its Serbo-Croatian mode. Good times were had by all but you, mon ami.

    You can call me an anti-Microsoft troll, but I'm the one omega-testing their calculator app.


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    @bridget99 said:

    You know, it's a sad day when reporting a bug constitutes trolling.
    I do believe the troll observation is coloured by your previous contributions on here, rather than this paticular contibution.



    Whether this is right or wrong is clearly left to the reader. You obviously think it's wrong.



    Assuming you're being called a troll because, and only because of your first post on this thread, however, is clearly wrong. Hence emphasising the correctness (or otherwise) of the initial observation.



    HTH. HAND.



  • @PJH said:

    I do believe the troll observation is coloured by your previous contributions on here, rather than this paticular contibution.

    Why not allow the reasonableness of this particular post color one's perception of my other, seemingly irrational posts, then? And incidentally, I'd like an example of what I've posted here that's so irrational. I have been negative at times but hey, it's not "The Daily Reasonably Conceived and Executed Software Project" (a.k.a. JoelOnSoftware.com) that were browsing.

    I do remember that once someone asked what PC OS I preferred (or something like that...) and I said Windows 98 wrapped in Cygwin. If you really think that's what I'm running then your sarcasm detector's broken and you should probably investigate a career installing service packs / killing ROFLcats on the corporate network.

    I get that there are certain things that are just assumed on this site: communism is scary, UNIX is scary, girls are scary, Bridget99 is a troll, etc. Sorry if I rattled your comfortable little cage at the Houston zoo.



  • @bridget99 said:

    @PJH said:
    I do believe the troll observation is coloured by your previous contributions on here, rather than this paticular contibution.

    Why not allow the reasonableness of this particular post color one's perception of my other, seemingly irrational posts, then? And incidentally, I'd like an example of what I've posted here that's so irrational. I have been negative at times but hey, it's not "The Daily Reasonably Conceived and Executed Software Project" (a.k.a. JoelOnSoftware.com) that were browsing.

    I do remember that once someone asked what PC OS I preferred (or something like that...) and I said Windows 98 wrapped in Cygwin. If you really think that's what I'm running then your sarcasm detector's broken and you should probably investigate a career installing service packs / killing ROFLcats on the corporate network.

    I get that there are certain things that are just assumed on this site: communism is scary, UNIX is scary/the best thing since sliced beer, girls are scary, Bridget99 is a troll, etc. Sorry if I rattled your comfortable little cage at the Houston zoo.

     

    FTFY.


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