Recent Chrome Update Possibly Affects Windchill

[BrianToussaint]

This is more of a post letting others know what I encountered today with my Chrome-Windchill connection, but if anyone knows what is going on that would be great to know.  It seems that Chrome recently updated their browser, mine is showing 83.0.4103.97, and I am now having issues with it.  I have cleared all the history out of Chrome and it still has the issue.  The issue has been seen across multiple computers, is that during the creation of a CN, when you go in and edit the task during that creation a blank window pops up with the spinning circle of death.  I am on Windchill 11.2.1.0.  The only error that is in any of the logs is:

2020-06-05 07:51:47,667 ERROR [ajp-nio-127.0.0.1-8015-exec-1] com.ptc.windchill.enterprise.change2.tags.ChangePropagationTag <USERNAME> - action oid was null

I have opened a support call and am waiting to hear back from them.

I don't know if anyone else has seen this yet or not.

[STEVEG]

I updated my version of Chrome and it went to the same as yours.

My version of Windchill is 11.0 M030 CPS18 on my test server.

I was able to complete an ECN without a problem so it might be your version of Windchill.

[BrianToussaint]

Thank you.  That is what I am afraid of.  But it was working just before the update and the last 5 months.  I have not made any changes to the system recently.  I'm still waiting to hear back from support.

[STEVEG]

Then it might be the combination of those 2 versions of software.

[aacciano3]

Brian,

I am at the same Chrome build and 11.1 M020 and I have the same issue.

I actually discovered that it affects also the global enumeration (edit or create a new global enumeration) and any popup that is embedded in the same windows.

Also, if in a CH info page, you try to set state of the resulting objects, it works the first time and if you cancel it, it won't work anymore.

Can you please confirm you also see these additional issues at your end?

I'd like to open a case with PTC, so if you can share your case number I can reference it to my case.

[JHall]

I'm beginning to see it as well.  
My version of Windchill is 11.0 M030 CPS18  
My Chrome version is Version 83.0.4103.97 (Official Build) (64-bit)

The 'breadcrumb' has vanished.  The link appears correctly in Edge, Firefox, and Brave.  Below is a screen shot showing the 'breadcrumb' missing in Chrome, but correct in other Browsers.

James

[ScottMorris]

Every time I've lost the breadcrumb links, I clear the cache in Chrome and restart the browser. Almost always takes care of this issue. Appears to have corrected the issue on WC 11.1 M020 CPS11 with Chrome Version 83.0.4103.97

[BrianToussaint]

Clearing the cache though did not take care of my original issue of creating a CN.  It doesn't matter the user logged or the computer.  My IT said that there was a major security update to Chrome that was pushed out in this release.  Since this popped up, I have switched all my users to Edge.  I remember once when Microsoft pushed out a Windows 7 update that would not allow access to Windchill at all.  It has been a while since that happened, but things like that do happen.

[JHall]

@ScottMorris 

Yes, that usually works but didn't this time.  Very odd.

James

[cying]

I wish I have seen this post before we upgraded to WC 11.0 M030 CPS18.  We are running into the same issue and clearing your cache is only a very short temporary.  I end up switching to I.E. for now till there's a solution.

[jmomber]

We are experiencing the same issue, although we are on 11.0 M030 CPS something. I was searching the knowledge base prior to opening a ticket and found your post. 😀 The most common issue for us is the spinning wheel of death when trying to view a "Resolve Conflicts" task.  We've also had to tell our users to use alternate browsers. Browsers are so fun!

[aacciano3]

@wsaad @JeffZemsky 
Are you guys able to chime in? Is it something that PTC is already aware of?

Seems all Windchill customers are having this issue with Chrome.

I am not sure if the customers using the new Edge (the one using Chromium engine) are affected as well.

We have few cases opened.

Thanks for your help.

[JeffZemsky]

@aacciano3  I've asked the team to look into it. 

[Supp]

For sure latest version of Vivaldi (chromium based) is affected

ps we have windchill 11 m030 cps 12

hope this will be fixed soon on google's side and we don't have to install any new cps, this is just not the right time with covid and everything is going on....

[jmomber]

@BrianToussaint 

I thought I'd add something that I discovered this morning. If I open a new Chrome browser window, then press F12 to open the Developer Tools window, all the problems magically go away. I can browse to Windchill and open my Resolve Conflicts task just fine. Everything works great when Developer Tools is open. If I close everything and don't have the Developer Tools window open, the task won't load.

Fun stuff!

[aacciano3]

@jmomber 

Can you please try this with developer tools open?

Go to a CN info page (details tab), scroll down to the change summary table and make sure the view is set to "Release Content".

Select all objects and click Actions>set state.

My browser is spinning  after that.

Thanks.

[BrianToussaint]

@jmomber 

So I just tried it where it is giving me the spinning circle of death, and I was not so fortunate.  It still sits there and does nothing.

[LawrenceS]

I work at the same company as @STEVEG (WC11.0) and it looks like this is now an issue with us when we update Chrome and restart the browser.  The only issue we have noticed so far is we getting hte spinning circle of death when a user starts a CN and tries to edit the Implementation Plan on the second page of the CN.

To be clear it worked on my machine with the previous version of Chrome, then I checked my chrome version while helping a user and chrome automatically updated to the latest version mentioned in this post.  It still worked fine, until I came back to it, restarted the Chrome browser, and now it fails for me.  The culprit is pretty darn clear!

I also tested in the latest version of the Chromium based Edge and it fails the same way as Chrome.  Hmm, looks like the old saying of not putting all our eggs in one basket holds true to dependent browsers too! 😀  

Thankfully my favorite ol' bessy/IE is still go'n strong! 😎

[bsullivan]

Seeing Same issue on Just Rehosted Development Server 11.0 M030 CPS17

Works fine with Edge

Works fine Cognos In Cognito Mode

Brian Sullivan

[bsullivan]

Sorry.  I meant Chrome not Cognos

[bsullivan]

Clarification:

The Spinning Wheel occurs when starting a New Change Notice and Selecting the Edit Icon to change the Implementation Task.

With F12 still hangs.

But as mentioned if I go In Cognito it opens.  Or If I user Edge it works.

Brian Sullivan

[aacciano3]

Even in incognito mode, this is not working properly.

E.g. from a standalone Incognito Chrome windows, add a WTPart and a CAD to a Workspace.

From the workspace, Edit > Edit Association.

Still getting the spinning wheel.

[LawrenceS]

Same here.  Tried in Incognito mode and developer mode (F12).  Spinning Error still occurs for me with each individually and both at once.

[bsullivan]

Brian,

I was able to solve by clearing the Chrome Browser Cache from within Chrome.  I had initially tried clearing cache from Control Panel/Internet Options which did not help.

Clearing Cache within Chrome did work for me!

1. Select "Customize and control Google Chrome" AKA the Three Dots in Upper Right Corner of Browser
2. Select Settings
3. Select Privacy and Setttings
4. Clear Browsing Data
5. Top 4 Selected  and Selected Clear Data

Then started to work

Brian Sullivan

[BrianToussaint]

@bsullivan - I did that with the original user when it first happened and it did not clear things up.

[aacciano3]

@bsullivan 

Your workaround works only right the first time after the cache is cleared.

E.g., if from a CN change summary, you do Actions > Set States, the first time works.

If I cancel that and I try to redo the same step, it goes back to the loop of spinning wheel....

[HelesicPetr]

In my case, first time I cleared a cache it worked only as you described. For first edit.

After some while, the cleaning the browser cache doesn't work at all. 

Others functions are also involved by this issue. 

Adding new attributes, global attributes, Set state in the CN DetailPage, Editing the ChangeTask in edit wizard of CN and there would be more places with the popup inside window.

The issue has been reported from more customers with different versions of Windchill.

11.1 M020 CPS12

11.1 M020 CPS08

11.0 M030 CPS11

For this moment I found just few workarounds:

1. Use older chrome version and turn off autoupdate

2. Use different browser then chrome as standalone browser.

I found that chromium in Creo works fine.

Issue has been reported to a PTC support and I'm waitting for solution :D.

Best Regards

PH

[BrianToussaint]

The only thing from my IT group though is that this Chrome update will override if auto updates are turned off.  This is a mandatory update due to security issues.

[HelesicPetr]

That could be trouble with my workaround one. 

I found the way how to disable the update.

rename an GoogleUpdate.exe file in the ProgramFiles 😄

I know it is silly workaround but it works.:D

PH

[BjoernRueegg]

Same behaviour in 11.1 M020 CPS13.