Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ‘Form1’ accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on

Nishant .net 1.1, .Net 2.0, VB.Net

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The Problem :

  1. You are writing a windows application
  2. You make an asynchronous webservice call (or you launch a background worker thread to get some data)
  3. m_WebService1.FuncAsync() ‘If you are using VB.Net you probably have a member variable declared for the webservice and you are calling the MethodXXXAsync() function generated by Visual Studio when you added the WebReference.
  4. In your m_WebService1_MethodXXCompleted() event handler, you try to update the User Interface (eg. txtBox.text = value)
  5. At this point the screen blows up and you get the dreaded error :

Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ‘Form1’ accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on

The Reason:

  1. If you are from the old COM/COM+ Days, you must remember that an STA (Single Threaded Apartment) can only be accessed by the thread that originally created it. All the controls on the form are created by the main thread of the application, so only the main thread can update it. When your asynch webservice call returns it is calling the MethodXXCompleted() event handler in the context of a different thread. This thread is not allowed to touch any controls on the form

The Solution :

  1. From the Asynch event handler, you need to invoke the function which will update the UI from the context of the original thread.
  2. code1.jpg
  3. Say, the function which will update the UI is called Private Sub UpdateApps(), you need to declare a delegate for this function. Later we invoke this delegate (see step2 to do the actual work). You cannot call this function directly because it will still happen in the context of the second thread and you will get the same error.
  4. code2.jpg
 


 That should take care of the problem. J

38 thoughts on “Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ‘Form1’ accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on”

  5. Hi Nishant,

    I am getting same error “Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ‘Form1′ accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on” first time i open an application.

    I have created thread which opens splash screen form, then i open login form from splash screen form

    Following is my code snippet:

    Form form;
    delegate void ShowFormDelegate();
    void ShowDialog(Form f)
    {

    form = f;
    //clsLogger.log(f.Handle.ToString());
    //clsLogger.log(f.IsHandleCreated.ToString());
    Form splash = CampaignRoleEditor.Program.objfrmSplash;
    //clsLogger.log(“Invoke Required” + splash.InvokeRequired.ToString());
    clsLogger.log(“Invoke Required f” + f.InvokeRequired.ToString());
    ShowFormDelegate d = new ShowFormDelegate(ShowDialogDelegate);
    //if (f.InvokeRequired == true)
    splash.Invoke(d);
    }
    void ShowDialogDelegate()
    {
    form.ShowDialog();
    }

    I m calling function from following

    Form objfrmLogin = new frmLogin();
    ShowDialog(objfrmLogin);

    Pl let me know , if u find any solution.

    Thanks,
    Gaurav

    Reply

  6. I’d like to add my code to this article. It took me a while to figure out so I thought it was worth sharing. This sample allows you to update the text on a control, and returns the previous text, so it gives you an example where the delegate function accepts and returns a parameter. Hope it helps!

    A Sample to write text to a Status Bar Panel, and return the original text.

    Old Code:
    public string SetStatusPanel( string strStatus, bool bError )
    {
    try
    {
    strOldStatus = statusBarPanelStatus.Text;
    statusBarPanelStatus.Text = strStatus;
    }
    catch (Exception Ex)
    {
    Debug.WriteLine(Ex.Message);
    }
    return strOldStatus;
    }

    New Code:
    public delegate string StatusPanelDelegate(string strStatus);
    public string SetStatusPanel( string strStatus, bool bError )
    {
    if (this.statusBar.InvokeRequired)
    {
    try
    {
    strOldStatus = Convert.ToString(this.statusBar.Invoke(new StatusPanelDelegate(StatusPanelDelegateSetText), strStatus));
    }
    catch (System.Exception e)
    {
    Debug.WriteLine(e.Message);
    }
    }
    else
    {
    try
    {
    strOldStatus = statusBarPanelStatus.Text;
    statusBarPanelStatus.Text = strStatus;
    }
    catch (Exception Ex)
    {
    Debug.WriteLine(Ex.Message);
    }
    }
    return strOldStatus;
    }
    private string StatusPanelDelegateSetText(string strStatus)
    {
    string strOldStatus = statusBarPanelStatus.Text;
    statusBarPanelStatus.Text = strStatus;
    return strOldStatus;
    }

    Reply

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    Reply

  12. Hi, i’m doing an asynchronous webservice call and I get the Cross-thread operation not valid: “Control ‘Form1′ accessed …” error. I’ve spend all day looking for solution but… hey, it’s your same problem…
    Trying your solution…
    WORKS!!!!!!!
    I own u a beer!

    Reply

  13. I have tried the same, it has solved the cross thread exception,, but the memory foot print is increased very much.. Any help on why memory utilisation is increased and how to decrease it ??

    Reply

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    Reply

  15. Hi,

    I’ve used this and getting the “Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ” accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on” exception still

    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
    delegate Control ControlCreateDelegate();
    private delegate void SetNewControlCallback();
    Control c;

    public Form1()
    {
    InitializeComponent();

    ControlCreateDelegate cdr = new ControlCreateDelegate(CreateMyControl);
    cdr.BeginInvoke(new AsyncCallback(ControlCreationFinished), null);

    }
    Control CreateMyControl()
    {
    return new ClassLibrary1.MyUserControl().CreateMyControl();
    }
    void ControlCreationFinished(IAsyncResult ar)
    {
    int id = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId;
    c = cdr.EndInvoke(ar);
    c.Text = String.Format(“Textbox created by thread {0}”, Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId);
    c.Width = TextRenderer.MeasureText(c.Text, c.Font).Width;
    c.Location = new Point(0, 100);
    this.Invoke( new MethodInvoker(SetNewControl));
    this.EnableButton();
    }
    void SetNewControl()
    {
    int id = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId;
    if (InvokeRequired)
    {
    SetNewControlCallback callBack = new SetNewControlCallback(SetNewControl);
    this.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(callBack));
    //return;
    }
    else
    this.panel1.Controls.Add(c); //// <<< Getting error at this line
    }
    }

    Thanks for help.

    -Kathir

    Reply

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  23. I am getting an exception like below:
    Cross-thread operation not valid: Control ‘Form1’ accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on.

    Can U solve my problem….

    namespace WindowsFormsApplication2
    {
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
    public int WM_SYSCOMMAND = 0x0112;
    public int SC_MONITORPOWER = 0xF170;

    [DllImport(“user32.dll”)]
    private static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);

    public void TrunOFFMonitor(object state)
    {
    SendMessage(this.Handle.ToInt32(), WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, 2);
    }

    public Form1()
    {
    InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
    {

    TimerCallback timCB = new TimerCallback(TrunOFFMonitor);
    SendMessage(this.Handle.ToInt32(), WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, 2);
    System.Threading.Timer t = new System.Threading.Timer(timCB, null, 0, 1500);

    }

    Reply

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