PRB: Causes of Error CK1024 (109269)

SYMPTOMS

The LINK or CVPACK utilities shipped with Visual C++ for Windows and Visual C++ 32-bit Edition may terminate and display this message:

fatal error CK1024: 'modulename' cannot use program database
'pdbfile' : signatures do not match

-or-

LINK : error LNK1202: "<path>\<filename>.pdb" is missing debugging
information for referencing module

CAUSE

When source code is compiled using the /Zi option to generate debugging information, the C/C++ compiler creates a .PDB file. The utilities check to make sure that the .PDB file found is the one that was used when the object module(s) was compiled. The error occurs when this version-check fails.

Both LINK and CVPACK search for the .PDB file in the following locations in this order:

The absolute path written in the .OBJ file by the C/C++ compiler
The current directory that LINK or CVPACK is running from
Any directories specified in the LIB environment variable

This error is more likely to occur when using the default .PDB name because of the increased probability that if the .PDB file specified in the object module is not found, the default PDB will be found in either location 2 or 3 above. If the .PDB file cannot be found, the error "CK1022 cannot open program database" is reported.

RESOLUTION

One way to avoid the problem is to specify a unique name for the .PDB file using the /Fd compiler option. This avoids possible confusion any default PDB files the utilities might locate on the search path.

It is also possible that the version of the .PDB file found is out-of-date with respect to the object modules. You can resolve this problem by following the suggestions from the error description in the Visual C++ documentation:

The .OBJ file modulename uses the .PDB file pdbfile, but the internal signature in pdbfile does not match the internal signature in modulename. Delete modulename, recompile, and relink. If a makefile is used, check the makefile dependencies.

Another solution is to re-build using the /Z7 compiler option. This places all debugging information into the modules themselves. A .PDB file will not be referenced.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on .PDB files, please see the Visual C++ documentation for the /Zi option of CL, and either /CO or /DEBUG for LINK.

If the CK1024 error occurs when linking to a library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base that explains this problem in further detail:

109270 PRB: CK1024 Error May Be Caused by Modules in Library