Struggling - yet another memory corruption problem, bad alloc (C++, VS 2008)

I've read a lot of posts on memory corruption and it seems like it can be a considerably difficult problem to solve. When I run my code on my linux machine it executes fine and valgrind doesn't report any leaks or errors. However when I run the code on my lab's windows machine with VS2008, I get a bad alloc error, stopping with _RAISE(nomem). This seems strange to me because I would have expected valgrind to catch it.

void *__CRTDECL operator new(size_t size) _THROW1(_STD bad_alloc)
    {       // try to allocate size bytes
    void *p;
    while ((p = malloc(size)) == 0)
            if (_callnewh(size) == 0)
            {       // report no memory
            static const std::bad_alloc nomem;
            _RAISE(nomem);
            }

    return (p);
    }

From what I've read it seems like this problem often comes from writing past the end of an allocated block of memory or after it has been freed but I haven't had any luck identifying where that might be happening. Here's my call stack from after trying to run a Release build.

KernelBase.dll!_RaiseException@16()  + 0x58 bytes   
msvcr90.dll!_CxxThrowException(void * pExceptionObject=0x0040f6d4, const _s__ThrowInfo * pThrowInfo=0x6f63d604)  Line 161   C++
msvcr90.dll!operator new(unsigned int size=4)  Line 63 + 0x17 bytes C++
tempMem.exe!std::vector<unsigned char,std::allocator<unsigned char> >::vector<unsigned char,std::allocator<unsigned char> >(const std::vector<unsigned char,std::allocator<unsigned char> > & _Right=[...]())  Line 500 + 0x31 bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!DendriteSegment::DendriteSegment(const DendriteSegment & __that={...})  + 0x4a bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!std::list<DendriteSegment,std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Buynode(std::_List_nod<DendriteSegment,std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Node * _Next=0x005d84d0, std::_List_nod<DendriteSegment,std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Node * _Prev=0x0093af50, const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 1208    C++
tempMem.exe!TP::adaptSegments(Cell * & cellToAdapt=0x005d8450, std::list<segUpdate,std::allocator<segUpdate> > & segUpdateList=[1]({segToUpdate=0x00000000 synapseChanges=[0]() newSynapsesToAdd=[2](0x005bc8f8 {DSlist=[19]({sequenceSegment=true synapse=[3](0x005d79a0 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d7af8 currentState=0x005d79c0 ...},0x005d7ef8 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d8050 currentState=0x005d7f18 ...},0x005d8450 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d85a8 currentState=0x005d8470 ...}) permanence=[3](80 'P',80 'P',80 'P') ...},.  ), bool posReinforce=true)  Line 701 + 0x1b bytes C++
tempMem.exe!Level::TPlearning()  Line 236 + 0x26 bytes  C++
tempMem.exe!main(int argc=, char * * argv=)  Line 96    C++
msvcr90.dll!_encode_pointer(void * ptr=0x6f5d3607)  Line 114 + 0x5 bytes    C
0069ee20()  
msvcr90.dll!_initterm(void (void)* * pfbegin=0x00000001, void (void)* * pfend=0x000a1ef8)  Line 903 C
tempMem.exe!__tmainCRTStartup()  Line 582 + 0x17 bytes  C
kernel32.dll!@BaseThreadInitThunk@12()  + 0x12 bytes    
ntdll.dll!___RtlUserThreadStart@8()  + 0x27 bytes   
ntdll.dll!__RtlUserThreadStart@8()  + 0x1b bytes

When running a debugging session I get a different error (it doesn't seem to happen all the time though...)

return HeapAlloc(_crtheap, 0, size ? size : 1);

from here

#ifdef _WIN64
return HeapAlloc(_crtheap, 0, size ? size : 1);
#else  /* _WIN64 */
if (__active_heap == __SYSTEM_HEAP) {
    return HeapAlloc(_crtheap, 0, size ? size : 1);
} else
if ( __active_heap == __V6_HEAP ) {
    if (pvReturn = V6_HeapAlloc(size)) {
        return pvReturn;
    }
}

In this case the call stack is

 ntdll.dll!_RtlpBreakPointHeap@4()  + 0x23 bytes    
ntdll.dll!@RtlpAllocateHeap@24()  + 0x57dbc bytes   
ntdll.dll!_RtlAllocateHeap@12()  + 0x502a bytes 
ntdll.dll!_RtlDebugAllocateHeap@12()  + 0xb5 bytes  
ntdll.dll!@RtlpAllocateHeap@24()  + 0x57c17 bytes   
ntdll.dll!_RtlAllocateHeap@12()  + 0x502a bytes 
msvcr90d.dll!_heap_alloc_base(unsigned int size=38)  Line 105 + 0x28 bytes  C
msvcr90d.dll!_heap_alloc_dbg_impl(unsigned int nSize=2, int nBlockUse=1, const char * szFileName=0x00000000, int nLine=0, int * errno_tmp=0x0052f284)  Line 427 + 0x9 bytes C++
msvcr90d.dll!_nh_malloc_dbg_impl开发者_开发知识库(unsigned int nSize=2, int nhFlag=0, int nBlockUse=1, const char * szFileName=0x00000000, int nLine=0, int * errno_tmp=0x0052f284)  Line 239 + 0x19 bytes   C++
msvcr90d.dll!_nh_malloc_dbg(unsigned int nSize=2, int nhFlag=0, int nBlockUse=1, const char * szFileName=0x00000000, int nLine=0)  Line 296 + 0x1d bytes    C++
msvcr90d.dll!malloc(unsigned int nSize=2)  Line 56 + 0x15 bytes C++
msvcr90d.dll!operator new(unsigned int size=2)  Line 59 + 0x9 bytes C++
tempMem.exe!std::_Allocate(unsigned int _Count=2)  Line 43 + 0xc bytes  C++
tempMem.exe!std::allocator<uint8_t>::allocate(unsigned int _Count=2)  Line 145 + 0x13 bytes C++
tempMem.exe!std::::_Buy(unsigned int _Capacity=2)  Line 1115 + 0x14 bytes   C++
tempMem.exe!std::::vector(const std::vector<uint8_t, std::allocator<uint8_t> > & _Right=[2](80 'P',80 'P'))  Line 501 + 0x2b bytes  C++
tempMem.exe!DendriteSegment::DendriteSegment()  + 0x8b bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!std::_Construct(DendriteSegment * _Ptr=0x007e7490, const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 52 + 0x97 bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!std::allocator<DendriteSegment>::construct(DendriteSegment * _Ptr=0x007e7490, const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 155 + 0x15 bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!std::::_Buynode(std::_List_nod<DendriteSegment, std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Node * _Next=0x00637f60, std::_List_nod<DendriteSegment, std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Node * _Prev=0x00bfcb50, const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 1199 + 0x47 bytes   C++
tempMem.exe!std::::_Insert(std::list<DendriteSegment, std::allocator<DendriteSegment> >::_Const_iterator<1> _Where={sequenceSegment=true synapse=[0]() permanence=[0]() ...}, const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 718 + 0x65 bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!std::::push_back(const DendriteSegment & _Val={...})  Line 670 + 0x6f bytes C++
tempMem.exe!TP::adaptSegments(Cell * & cellToAdapt=0x00637ee8, std::list<segUpdate, std::allocator<segUpdate> > & segUpdateList=[1](...), bool posReinforce=true)  Line 701 + 0x16 bytes    C++
tempMem.exe!TP::phase3()  Line 949 + 0x3e bytes C++
tempMem.exe!Col::TPphase3()  Line 398 + 0xd bytes   C++
tempMem.exe!Level::TPlearning()  Line 236 + 0x4a bytes  C++
tempMem.exe!Network::runTPlearning()  Line 93 + 0xd bytes   C++
tempMem.exe!main(int argc=1, char * * argv=0x006f62a0)  Line 93 + 0xd bytes C++
tempMem.exe!__tmainCRTStartup()  Line 582 + 0x19 bytes  C
tempMem.exe!mainCRTStartup()  Line 399  C
kernel32.dll!@BaseThreadInitThunk@12()  + 0x12 bytes    
ntdll.dll!___RtlUserThreadStart@8()  + 0x27 bytes   
ntdll.dll!__RtlUserThreadStart@8()  + 0x1b bytes    

This is my first time debugging this type of problem and I hope I'm just overlooking/misunderstanding something obvious...

Here's the code for the adaptSegments function that corresponds to this line from the call stack (Release)

tempMem.exe!TP::adaptSegments(Cell * & cellToAdapt=0x005d8450, std::list<segUpdate,std::allocator<segUpdate> > & segUpdateList=[1]({segToUpdate=0x00000000 synapseChanges=[0]() newSynapsesToAdd=[2](0x005bc8f8 {DSlist=[19]({sequenceSegment=true synapse=[3](0x005d79a0 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d7af8 currentState=0x005d79c0 ...},0x005d7ef8 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d8050 currentState=0x005d7f18 ...},0x005d8450 {DSlist={...} connected=0x005d85a8 currentState=0x005d8470 ...}) permanence=[3](80 'P',80 'P',80 'P') ...},.  ), bool posReinforce=true)  Line 701 + 0x1b bytes

bool TP::adaptSegments(Cell *& cellToAdapt,
std::list<segUpdate> & segUpdateList, bool posReinforce)
{
std::list<segUpdate>::iterator curSegUpdate;
std::list<activeSynapsePair>::iterator curSyn;
std::list<Cell *>::iterator synToAdd;
int size = 0;

//for each segUpdate element in the cell's segUpdateList
for (curSegUpdate = segUpdateList.begin(); 
        curSegUpdate != segUpdateList.end(); ++curSegUpdate)
{
    //if the segment already exists
    if (curSegUpdate->segToUpdate != NULL)
    {
        //if sequence segment flag is true, set it on DS
        if(curSegUpdate->sequenceSegment == true)
        {curSegUpdate->segToUpdate->sequenceSegment = true;} 
        if (posReinforce == true)
        {
            //for each synapses permanence pair in segUpdate
            for (curSyn = (curSegUpdate->
            synapseChanges.begin());
            curSyn !=(curSegUpdate->synapseChanges.end());
            ++curSyn)
            {
                //decrement inactive synapses
                if (curSyn->second == false)
                {
                    if (*(curSyn->first)-
                        permanenceDec < 0)
                        {*(curSyn->first) = 0;}
                    else
                    {*(curSyn->first)-=
                            permanenceDec;}
                }
                //increment active synapses
                else if (curSyn->second == true)
                {
                    if (*(curSyn->first)+
                        permanenceInc > 100)
                        {*(curSyn->first) =100;}
                    else
                    {*(curSyn->first)+=
                            permanenceInc;}
                }
            }
        }
        else if (posReinforce == false)
        {
            //for each synapses permanence pair in segUpdate
            for (curSyn = (curSegUpdate->
                synapseChanges.begin());
            curSyn !=(curSegUpdate->synapseChanges.end());
            ++curSyn)
            {
                //decrement active synapses
                if (curSyn->second == true)
                {
                    if (*(curSyn->first)-
                        permanenceDec < 0)
                        {*(curSyn->first) = 0;}
                    else
                    {*(curSyn->first)-=
                            permanenceDec;}
                }
            }
        }
        //if adding synapses to an existing segment
        if (curSegUpdate->newSynapsesToAdd.empty()==false)
        {
            if (curSegUpdate->segToUpdate->synapse.size()
                                <MAX_NUM_SYN)
            {
            //for each synapses in newSynapses
            for (synToAdd = 
                curSegUpdate->newSynapsesToAdd.begin();
                synToAdd != curSegUpdate->
                newSynapsesToAdd.end(); ++synToAdd)
            {
                //add new synapse to list
                curSegUpdate->segToUpdate->
                    synapse.push_back(*synToAdd);
                //and permenance with initialPerm
                curSegUpdate->segToUpdate->
                permanence.push_back(initialPerm);
            }
            }//if less than MAX_NUM_SYN
        }
    }//end if segment already exists

//if segment doesn't exist, create a new segment & add synapses
    else if (curSegUpdate->segToUpdate == NULL)
    {
        size = curSegUpdate->newSynapsesToAdd.size();
        if (size != 0)
        {
        DendriteSegment myNewSeg; //create a new DS
        //set sequenceSegment flag if it is true
        if (curSegUpdate->sequenceSegment == true)
        {myNewSeg.sequenceSegment = true;} 

        std::copy(curSegUpdate->newSynapsesToAdd.begin(),
            curSegUpdate->newSynapsesToAdd.end(), 
            std::back_inserter(myNewSeg.synapse));

        myNewSeg.permanence.resize(size, initialPerm);      

        //then add it to the cells list of DS
        cellToAdapt->DSlist.push_back(myNewSeg);
        }//if size not 0
    }
}
return true;}

My next step is to try Application Verifier. I tried Intel Inspector XE 2011 but it doesn't seem to detect any relevant memory problems.

Update: Using gflags I found that the cause of my woes was due to having pointers to elements in a std::vector. myVector.push_back(newElem) was used to add elements to the vectors causing pointers to elements in the vector to become bad. I replaced the vectors with std::list which does not have the same problem (see here)

---

Try gflags in the Microsoft Debugging Tools for Windows (http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=debugging+tools+for+windows) toolkit. It allows you to run with a debug heap that catches problems as they occur rather than random problems that occur long after the site where the crash occurred.