Web Player 4.5.5f1 Crash when initializing to 0x0 resolution: D3D device reset failed [E_INVALIDARG]

For years now, we’ve had a system where we launch a Unity Web Player at a 0 width to essentially be “hidden” and serve 3D imagery via JavaScript calls.

Last week, I installed the latest Web Player and it started crashing on startup with a “Couldn’t switch to requested monitor resolution.” Imgur: The magic of the Internet
(by the way, in the image, the GUI visible is not Unity; it’s a separate application on the same web page. The Unity Web Player instance is beside it on the right side but at 0 width, so you can’t see it.)

This results in a fatal crash of the web browser itself. This is reproduced on IE, Firefox, and Chrome. IE restarts itself, Firefox and Chrome report that the Unity Plugin became unresponsive and lets me stop it.

The key error in the Web Player log appears to be:

I’ve reproduced the issue on:

Windows 8.1 Update 1 64 bit (“Computer A”)

  • IE 11.0.9600.17351 (Update Versions: 11.0.13)
  • Firefox 33.1
  • Chrome 38.0.2125.11 and 38.0.2125.122

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64 bit (“Computer B”)

  • IE 11.0.9600.17126 (Update Versions: 11.0.9)
  • Firefox 29

On both computers, I had an older, working version of the Unity Web Player (I wish I had recorded the version, but I did not) which was working fine. I then uninstalled the web player, and installed the latest 4.5.5f1 which then exhibited the failure.

Two other computers here (both running Windows 7 64bit), one running 4.3.5f1 and the other running 4.5.0f6 are both functioning fine.

On the failing computers, if I launch the Web Player at a non-zero width (so 1 pixel wide or more), it works fine. After initialized, I can then collapse the player to 0 width without any errors. It only happens during initialization/loading.

I have also reproduced this error by creating a new, blank Unity3D project (in Unity 3.5.7f6) and using it in my system instead so it’s not any of the code in my normal Unity project.

On Failing Computer A running Web Player 4.5.5f1:

On Failing Computer B running Web Player 4.5.5f1:

On Passing Computer C running Web Player 4.3.5f1:

On Passing Computer D running Web Player 4.5.0.f6:

One major difference I can pick up on is that the passing computers (running Web Player versions 4.3.5f1 and 4.5.0.f6) are both using engine version 4.3.7f1. The failing computers are both using engine 4.5.5f1.

I’ve also updated the drivers on failing “Computer A” to the latest and am still producing the same fatal error.

I’d like to do tests on different engines and web players between these versions, but I can’t find links to download old versions of the web player. Does anyone know where I can get these slightly older versions to test with? Thanks.

Unity team, I appreciate your time looking into this. I hope you can provide a response that you’re investigating it soon (so I can pass that notice onto my managers). Please let me know if there is any additional information or diagnostic information you would like and I’ll be happy to get it for you. Thanks!

Please submit this information in a bug report, and then post the bug report number here. That is the fastest way to have QA investigate what’s happening. Posting an issue on a community forum isn’t the same thing.

Thanks Graham. You’re absolutely right, this should be a bug report; I just had a lovely brain fart about how to submit it.

The bug has been submitted as case number 647488. However, the version information stored there (3.5.7f6) might not be relevant as it appears to be an issue with Web Player 4.5.5f1 (or at least, higher than 4.5.0f6)

Good news is I was able to boil down a tiny reproduceable scenario with a default Unity scene; I’ve attached it to the bug report. Hope it helps!

Was this ever sorted as I am currently experiencing exactly the same issue. An existing web app worked right up till 4.5.5f1. Since then I am getting the same issue as Chris.

Given that we only heard about this problem yesterday, we’ve not really had much time to investigate.

Got to reproduce the issue from your report and passed it on to the dev team.
Thanks for submitting it.

You’re welcome! Glad to hear you were able to reproduce it. Good luck with the fix, and thanks a lot for the quick response! Keep up the great work.

This was fixed in 4.6.3p1 / 4.6.4 by the way
( Unity Issue Tracker - plugin crash on initialization at 0 width )

Fantastic news! Thanks for the work and fix! I’m looking forward to the release of 4.6.4 for the fix.

Will I have to recompile/redeploy the application or is it simply a webplayer client update?