WPF - Width and Height must be non-negative - wpf

Question

I'm experiencing a strange exception from my application. It has been working well until I upgraded my development machine (same OS + VS2010) and tried to debug the software again. This is the exception I get:
Width and Height must be non-negative.
Stack trace here:
at System.Windows.Size..ctor(Double width, Double height)
at System.Windows.Window.SourceWindowHelper.GetHwndNonClientAreaSizeInMeasureUnits()
at System.Windows.Window.GetHwndNonClientAreaSizeInMeasureUnits()
at System.Windows.Window.MeasureOverrideHelper(Size constraint)
at System.Windows.Window.MeasureOverride(Size availableSize)
at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayout()
at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayoutCallback(Object arg)
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.InvokeOnRenderCallback.DoWork()
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.FireInvokeOnRenderCallbacks()
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandlerCore(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
at System.Windows.Media.MediaContext.RenderMessageHandler(Object resizedCompositionTarget)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)
at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeInSecurityContext(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.InvokeImpl(DispatcherPriority priority, TimeSpan timeout, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(DispatcherFrame frame)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrame(DispatcherFrame frame)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.Run()
at System.Windows.Application.RunDispatcher(Object ignore)
at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(Window window)
at System.Windows.Application.Run(Window window)
at System.Windows.Application.Run()
at AdvancedConsole2._0.App.Main() in F:\Projects\hitech\AdvancedConsole2.0\trunk\AdvancedConsole2.0\AdvancedConsole2.0\obj\x86\Debug\App.g.cs:line 0
at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args)
at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args)
at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly()
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

Answer 1

You need to check your width and height. It's a fairly safe bet than one or both of them is negative. I won't say it's a certainty but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money on it :-)
For what it's worth, this may be a problem with a changed monitor resolution. Some people will do a simplistic calculation subtracting your window size from your screen size and dividing by two to center it.
If it turns out your window is larger than your screen, you'll probably get negative values, for either position or size.
Without seeing the code that calculates width and height, this is all conjecture of course. I suggest posting that and/or temporarily adding code to output it somehow so you can see what's going on.

Answer 2

I don't want to take credit for this, but paxdiablo is absolutely right when he suggested a display issue. If I could have commented to support his, I would have, but 50 rep needed.
Here was my issue:
I just recently started using 3 monitors; my laptop and two 22-inch monitors.
To get it to work I had to move the monitors around in the screen resolution page until I had the right order. In doing so, I accidentally moved one monitor to be higher than the others. Visual Studio crashes on the monitor that is not aligned with the other two.
* FIX *
Right-Click on desktop
Select Screen Resolution
Make sure to move the monitor screens so all of them are aligned at
the top.
Apply and Click OK.

Answer 3

And 11 years later, Microsoft released this patch which might possibly fix this issue:
"WPF - Addresses an exception "Height must be non-negative" that can occur when adding items or groups to the collection displayed by an ItemsControl."
See Patch: January 25, 2022-KB5009467 Cumulative Update Preview for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 20H2, Windows Server, version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 21H1, and Windows 10 Version 21H2. Release Date: January 25, 2022, Version: .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.