Error in RunTime but not in IDE?

Question

with the following code snippet from ReadFromOra
Dim ConOra As OracleConnection = New OracleConnection()
ConOra.ConnectionString = "User Id=USER;Password=PASSWORD;Data
Source=orcl9i;"
Dim Sql As String = "select * from CCO_MOTD order by ID "
Dim cmd As OracleCommand = New OracleCommand(Sql)
cmd.Connection = ConOra
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
' Execute command, create OracleDataReader object
Dim reader As OracleDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
While (reader.Read())
Message(reader.GetDecimal(12)) = reader.GetString(0)
MaxMessage = reader.GetDecimal(12)
Console.WriteLine("MSG: " + Message(MaxMessage))
End While
cmd.Dispose()
and the exception text:
************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an
object.
at MOTD.Module1.ReadFromOra() in C:\Documents and Settings\wellss\My
Documents\Visual Studio Projects\WindowsApplication2\Module1.vb:line 33
at MOTD.FrmMOTD.FrmMOTD_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Documents
and Settings\wellss\My Documents\Visual Studio
Projects\WindowsApplication2\FORMMOTD.vb:line 143
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg,
IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
Everyone runs happy and fine in the IDE. When I create the install files, or run the .exe, it throws a 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object' error at the While(reader.Read()). This happens on other systems as well as my own. I've checked to make sure that reader isn't 'Nothing' before the read.
An interesting note, when running the exe file on a coworkers machine, who's setup is the same as mine (same version of .NET framework, same version of VS.NET and same version of Oracle's ODP.NET) - things run just fine when running the .exe file.
Where do I go from here, is this a known issue, help ?
Thanks much in advance...
Stu
(posted this in the microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb newsgroup, posting here as well per one of the suggestions).

Answer 1

Arnold,
I checked the security settings and confirmed that they are not turned off. Are there other settings that would cause this?
thanks!
Stu