Java Crash Debug: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION in plcommpro.dll – JVM Flags, GC, JDK Downgrade

Error Overview

The Java service crashes with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) in native code, specifically at C [plcommpro.dll+0xc715]. The JVM is Java 8u241 (HotSpot 64-Bit Server VM 25.241-b07) on Windows. The crash report indicates minidumps are not enabled by default on client Windows versions.

Attempt 1: Enable Minidump on Crash

Added -XX:+CreateMinidumpOnCrash to idea64.exe.vmoptions to trigger Windows MiniDumpWriteDump(). After restart, the IDE crashed but no minidump appeared; however the project stopped crashing for ~10 minutes before failing again.

Attempt 2: Downgrade JDK

Suspected JDK 8u241 bug. Downloaded JDK 8u191 from Oracle official archive, updated environment and IDE project JDK. Service ran for ~30 minutes then crashed again.

Attempt 3: Exclude Problematic Hibernate Method from JIT Compilation

Mentor suggested JVM tweak. Added

-XX:CompileCommand=exclude,org/hibernate/cfg/annotations/SimpleValueBinder,setType

to VM options. Extended uptime to ~1 hour but still crashed.

Attempt 4: JVM Heap Sizing

Set -Xms512m -Xmx1024m. Service survived overnight but crashed within 30 seconds after a code change and restart.

Attempt 5: Verify Tomcat and DLL Version Consistency

Checked Tomcat version via version command in bin directory. Versions matched, so no action needed.

Attempt 6: Switch Old Generation GC to ParallelOldGC

Default GC flags showed -XX:+UseParallelGC (Parallel GC for young gen, Serial Old for old gen). Added -XX:+UseParallelOldGC to use parallel collector for old generation. Crash persisted.

Attempt 7: Code Issue Consideration

Dismissed as the project is already in production and crashes occur at random intervals, not deterministically.

Attempt 8: Investigate plcommpro.dll

The problematic frame points to plcommpro.dll. Author hesitates to modify this third-party DLL but plans to investigate later.

None of the attempts fully resolved the crash, but each extended the mean time between failures. The root cause remains unidentified, likely related to the native library plcommpro.dll interaction with the JVM.