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[muzicman0]

So this is the 2nd time this has happened.  I have a MC21.0.48 server that only serves to clients (2 of them).  I log in via remote control software (google remote desktop or team viewer) to manage it.

2 times now, I have noticed that recordings aren't happening.  when I restart a client, it will connect to the server, so it hasn't completely crashed, but if I try to launch MC21 on the server it says that there may be another copy running, and it can't load.

I do not have another copy running (of MC21, or any earlier version).  at least not that I know of, and I know of no reason why a 2nd copy would start without me knowing it, since the rest of my family would have no clue how to even access the server.

Interestingly enough, I just realized it was exactly 1 week ago that this happened last time (Tuesday night).

[RoderickGI]

when I restart a client, it will connect to the server, so it hasn't completely crashed, but if I try to launch MC21 on the server it says that there may be another copy running, and it can't load.

Then I would think that MC is still running on your server. Next time it happens, check Task Manager to see if it is running, before trying to restart a Client, or the MC Server. Make sure you click the button labelled "Show processes from all users".

Also, when you remote into the server, do you log in with the same User ID as you use to run MC Server? If not, MC is running under User Account 1, and you are trying to start it in User Account 2, so there is already a copy of MC running.

Note that when you close MC it can take some time for the process to actually close, even though the User Interface closes immediately. I have seen it take 30 seconds or more, and if I have tried to start a second copy before the process closed, it can take even longer.

I assume you have completely uninstalled all earlier versions of MC?

Interestingly enough, I just realized it was exactly 1 week ago that this happened last time (Tuesday night).

Got any scheduled tasks in Windows that run on a Tuesday night? Including all automatically created tasks, including Hidden tasks?

[muzicman0]

Also, when you remote into the server, do you log in with the same User ID as you use to run MC Server? If not, MC is running under User Account 1, and you are trying to start it in User Account 2, so there is already a copy of MC running.

...

I assume you have completely uninstalled all earlier versions of MC?


Got any scheduled tasks in Windows that run on a Tuesday night? Including all automatically created tasks, including Hidden tasks?

Team Viewer and Chrome Remote Desktop is more like VNC, where it doesn't log in as a separate user.  There is only one user acct on the server, and it auto logs in upon boot.

No previous versions of MC have ever been installed on this Server.

No scheduled tasks that run Tuesday night.

[mwillems]

Team Viewer and Chrome Remote Desktop is more like VNC, where it doesn't log in as a separate user.  There is only one user acct on the server, and it auto logs in upon boot.

The "show processes from all users" shows system processes too that are hidden, it's not just for processes initiated by other users (i.e. it will you extra activity even on single user systems).

No previous versions of MC have ever been installed on this Server.

No scheduled tasks that run Tuesday night.

I administer my server via remote solutions as well, and I see this issue with some regularity and it seems to be linked to some kind of negative interaction between auto-import and TV recording.  Specifically, if I do something that would trigger an auto-import during a TV recording (or manually start an import on the server during a recording), it will often hang MC in a way that requires a restart.  About half of the time the hang will "resolve" after recording finishes, but about half of the time it will not resolve and requires a restart.  

I haven't had the time to run it down with logs for the devs, but I'm able to reproduce it pretty reliably by triggering or manually starting an import during recording, so it's possible that might be your issue.

Alternatively, do you have your server set to auto install windows updates?  If so you may be a victim of patch Tuesday.

[muzicman0]

hmmm....maybe, but in this case, I hadn't touched the server all day, and the previous nights recordings all recorded fine.

I can't think of any new files that would have been added during any recording. 

[mwillems]

hmmm....maybe, but in this case, I hadn't touched the server all day, and the previous nights recordings all recorded fine.

I can't think of any new files that would have been added during any recording.  

Just to be clear, I don't have to interact with the server directly to trigger this behavior: adding a file to any directory "watched" by the server's auto-import function will do the trick too.  Do you have other users who add files to the library?

The recently imported playlist should be able to answer the question for you.

[muzicman0]

no...they are blissfully ignorant of all that goes on to make this work! 

I doubt they would even have a clue how to add a file.  I used to have mapped network drives that they might have stumbled upon, but I don't even have that anymore.

[RoderickGI]

I administer my server via remote solutions as well, and I see this issue with some regularity and it seems to be linked to some kind of negative interaction between auto-import and TV recording.  

You could be on to something there, and with a little bit of guesswork, and at least one other condition, this may make sense.

My understanding is that when a MC Server goes to sleep it creates temporary Windows Tasks to wake the PC to record future programs. Maybe it only creates one Task, to start the next recording. Maybe it creates more, I don't know. When the Server wakes again, those temporary Tasks are deleted. If those tasks are created to run using the Windows System Account, then the MC TV recording process will run under the System Account. Hence, one copy of MC is running under the System Account.

Then if Auto-Import is triggered on the Server while it is recording, since the server is now awake and running under the User Account it was originally started in, that is a second copy of MC trying to run at the same time. Hence, a lock until the recording finishes. Or in Muzicman0's case, MC can't be launched, and reports that another copy is running.

So if the Server is allowed to sleep, and an automatically generated Windows Task wakes the Server to make a recording, then you could see the problems reported. Do you guys allow your Server to sleep? Remote managing the Server may also be a contributor to this, in the way it connects to the Server.

Also Muzicman0, would there be a regular recording on Tuesday that is started when the Server is asleep? That could explain why you have seen it on two Tuesdays.

So when you see the problem, open Task Manager and "Show processes from all users", and see if there is a MC process running under the System or other internal Account. Any Account other than the User Account the PC is logged on with...

But, I'm just guessing here. 

PS: You may be able to test if the above is the problem by ticking the "Allow multiple instances to run at one time" flag in Options>General>Advanced. But that isn't a solution, as that flag doesn't persist through a restart of MC, for deliberately design reasons.