WPF Crash not in our code

Question

Does anyone know how to solve a crash in WPF where the call stack is completely in windows code.

Following is the call stack...

6/26/2014 3:29:05 PM: [FATAL] System.InvalidOperationException: Specified element is already the logical child of another element. Disconnect it first. at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.ChangeLogicalParent(DependencyObject newParent) at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.AddLogicalChild(Object child) at System.Windows.Controls.ContentControl.OnContentChanged(Object oldContent, Object newContent) at System.Windows.Controls.TabItem.OnContentChanged(Object oldContent, Object newContent) at System.Windows.Controls.ContentControl.OnContentChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.NotifyPropertyChange(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.UpdateEffectiveValue(EntryIndex entryIndex, DependencyProperty dp, PropertyMetadata metadata, EffectiveValueEntry oldEntry, EffectiveValueEntry& newEntry, Boolean coerceWithDeferredReference, Boolean coerceWithCurrentValue, OperationType operationType) at System.Windows.StyleHelper.ApplyStyleOrTemplateValue(FrameworkObject fo, DependencyProperty dp) at System.Windows.StyleHelper.InvalidateContainerDependents(DependencyObject container, FrugalStructList1& exclusionContainerDependents, FrugalStructList1& oldContainerDependents, FrugalStructList`1& newContainerDependents) at System.Windows.StyleHelper.DoStyleInvalidations(FrameworkElement fe, FrameworkContentElement fce, Style oldStyle, Style newStyle) at System.Windows.StyleHelper.UpdateStyleCache(FrameworkElement fe, FrameworkContentElement fce, Style oldStyle, Style newStyle, Style& styleCache) at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.OnStyleChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.NotifyPropertyChange(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.UpdateEffectiveValue(EntryIndex entryIndex, DependencyProperty dp, PropertyMetadata metadata, EffectiveValueEntry oldEntry, EffectiveValueEntry& newEntry, Boolean coerceWithDeferredReference, Boolean coerceWithCurrentValue, OperationType operationType) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.SetValueCommon(DependencyProperty dp, Object value, PropertyMetadata metadata, Boolean coerceWithDeferredReference, Boolean coerceWithCurrentValue, OperationType operationType, Boolean isInternal) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemsControl.ApplyItemContainerStyle(DependencyObject container, Object item) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemsControl.MS.Internal.Controls.IGeneratorHost.PrepareItemContainer(DependencyObject container, Object item) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemContainerGenerator.System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.IItemContainerGenerator.PrepareItemContainer(DependencyObject container) at System.Windows.Controls.Panel.GenerateChildren() at System.Windows.Controls.Panel.OnItemsChangedInternal(Object sender, ItemsChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.Controls.Panel.OnItemsChanged(Object sender, ItemsChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemContainerGenerator.OnRefresh() at System.Windows.Controls.ItemContainerGenerator.OnCollectionChanged(Object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemContainerGenerator.System.Windows.IWeakEventListener.ReceiveWeakEvent(Type managerType, Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.WeakEventManager.DeliverEventToList(Object sender, EventArgs args, ListenerList list) at System.Windows.WeakEventManager.DeliverEvent(Object sender, EventArgs args) at System.Collections.Specialized.CollectionChangedEventManager.OnCollectionChanged(Object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs args) at System.Collections.Specialized.NotifyCollectionChangedEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Data.CollectionView.OnCollectionChanged(NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemCollection.SetCollectionView(CollectionView view) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemCollection.SetItemsSource(IEnumerable value) at System.Windows.Controls.ItemsControl.OnItemsSourceChanged(DependencyObject d, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.OnPropertyChanged(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.NotifyPropertyChange(DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.UpdateEffectiveValue(EntryIndex entryIndex, DependencyProperty dp, PropertyMetadata metadata, EffectiveValueEntry oldEntry, EffectiveValueEntry& newEntry, Boolean coerceWithDeferredReference, Boolean coerceWithCurrentValue, OperationType operationType) at System.Windows.DependencyObject.InvalidateProperty(DependencyProperty dp) at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpressionBase.Invalidate(Boolean isASubPropertyChange) at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.TransferValue(Object newValue, Boolean isASubPropertyChange) at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.Activate(Object item) at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.AttachToContext(AttachAttempt attempt) at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.MS.Internal.Data.IDataBindEngineClient.AttachToContext(Boolean lastChance) at MS.Internal.Data.DataBindEngine.Task.Run(Boolean lastChance) at MS.Internal.Data.DataBindEngine.Run(Object arg) at MS.Internal.Data.DataBindEngine.OnLayoutUpdated(Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.fireLayoutUpdateEvent() at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayout() at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayoutCallback(Object arg) at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.InvokeOnRenderCallback.DoWork() at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireInvokeOnRenderCallbacks() at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandlerCore(Object resizedCompositionTarget) at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandler(Object resizedCompositionTarget) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs) at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

Answer 1

You're getting this error because you are trying to set a control (Visual) as the child of another Visual without first removing it from the visual tree. A Visual can never be in the visual tree in two places.

The difficult part is going to be tracking down what Visual is being inserted into the tree twice. You're going to have a really hard time catching it in the debugger (think nearly impossible), so you'll have to try some more creative debugging methods. If you can reproduce the problem consistently, maybe try stripping Visuals out one at a time and see which Visual is causing the problem that way. If you have some custom controls that are working with some lower level visual tree functionality, these are going to be highly suspect. Take a look at them first.