Getting a COM error when calling MenuItemExecute in batch mode

Question

I support an internal document management system for our corporate contracts. Among other applications, I have one that runs nightly in batch mode to store new invoices and connect them via bookmarks to their corresponding “parent” contract files. The original program was created in 2005 with Acrobat 7 (later updated to Acrobat 8) and it worked well for several years. However, a few months ago I upgraded the system to Acrobat 9 and since then the program has not run consistently.
The “program” actually consists of a VB application and two plug-ins. The VB application does as much work as it can with IAC and the JSO bridge, but because the files are (owner) password protected one plug-in automatically applies the necessary password using AVDocDidOpen when the VB application opens the AVDoc. The VB application then also calls the other plug-in using MenuItemExecute. The second plug-in is used to create the bookmarks between the two files by grabbing info off bookmark strings and creating the necessary actions. It also applies the password to the files.
Here is brief outline form is how this is all structured:
pdDocParent.Open
         pdDocInvoice.Open
                 avDocParent.Open (This triggers the first plug-in to apply the password)
                         Create bookmark strings in both files using JSO bridge
                                MenuItemExecute (To create the bookmark action in the parent)
                                pdDocParent.Save
                        avDocParent.Close
                        avDocInvoice.Open (This triggers the first plug-in to apply the password)
                                MenuItemExecute (To create the bookmark action in the invoice)
                                pdDocInvoice.Save
                        avDocInvoice.Close
                pdDocInvoice.Close
        pdDocParent.Close
Since the upgrade, I’m getting a COM error [The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT))] on a non-consistent basis when the application tries to call MenuItemExecute. When I say “non-consistent” I mean that some days the program will process several hundred files just fine. Other days it won’t process any. Then some days it will not process the first, oh, four files but will process the next 300. Usually it runs fine when started interactively, but even then the error sometimes occurs.
I recompiled both plug-ins and the VB app using the Acrobat 9 SDK (headers for the plug-in and the Acrobat type library for the VB app) but that didn’t make any difference. I added code to check if the MenuItem is available and it is in all cases.
After reviewing this more, I got to thinking that perhaps a race condition was the culprit—that a string hadn’t been completely written before the second plug-in tried to create an action for it. So I added some half-second pauses along the way, but that doesn’t seem to have helped, either.
At this point the only thing I can think of is to rewrite the application as a pure plug-in. But it’s a long and involved application and if I can get the current app to work I’d prefer to do that. I tested it with Acrobat 10.1 and encountered similar problems.
As I said, it’s been working fine up until Acrobat 9. Does anyone know of anything that might have changed with Acrobat 9 that I haven’t considered? Is there anything else I might check? Thanks.

Answer 1

Leonard,
I'd be interested in hearing why you think that because others at Adobe have told me it's OK. Acrobat is only being called by one user at a time and we've paid for a full license.
Thanks,
Dick