Installer can't update MMHelper.dll

Romanski · Post by **Romanski** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:57 am

Hi

Every time I install the debug build of MM3 the installer complains that it can't update MMHelper.dll because it's in use.

I do close MM3 before running the update. By using ProcessExplorer I can find which program MMHelper still has hooks in and kill it, but having to do this is certainly not nice

Just now I tried to check how often the 3.0.3 beta leaves dangling hooks and found that the MM3 process often just won't die at all (I've used the Exit menu to close it). But even when it does die, MMHelper hooks stick around afterwards...

cali · Post by **cali** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:08 am

I had the same problem. Wait a couple of minutes and click Retry, that worked for me.

Romanski · Post by **Romanski** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:12 am

True, waiting 2mins worked for me a couple of times too.

What made me post though is that today waiting a couple of mins didn't help, and in any case, having to wait like that is still something that would be best fixed.

(it's not the fact that I don't know of a work-around, but the fact that this bug seems to be unreported at this time. Unreported bugs are the worst

since the devs might actually not be aware of them)

MarineBrat · Post by **MarineBrat** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:38 pm

The reason this happens is that your antivirus program is monitoring MMHelper.dll because it has hooks into your keyboard, so the virus program flags it as suspicious. (This is for the purpose of MM hotkeys) Any program that hooks keyboard strokes is flagged as a suspicious program. (Possible keylogger, etc)

I get this every time I try to update MM, and I'm using AVG Antivirus. When it happens I have AVG update its signature files and then no problem on the MMHelper.dll. Occasionally I've run into an issue where AVG already has the latest signatures, and then I can't get it to let go of MMHelper.dll, in which case I restart the computer.

Michel37 · Post by **Michel37** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:38 pm

I just delete the old mmhelper.dll before updating.

----------------
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Romanski · Post by **Romanski** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:52 am

MarineBrat wrote:The reason this happens is that your antivirus program is monitoring MMHelper.dll because it has hooks into your keyboard, so the virus program flags it as suspicious. (This is for the purpose of MM hotkeys) Any program that hooks keyboard strokes is flagged as a suspicious program. (Possible keylogger, etc)

I think you're talking about something altogether different - I didn't say the antivirus flags it, I don't even have any antivirus software installed

drjboulder · Post by **drjboulder** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:06 am

Romanski wrote:I don't even have any antivirus software installed

Romanski · Post by **Romanski** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:10 am

drjboulder wrote:
Romanski wrote:I don't even have any antivirus software installed

That's right, I don't, and I have good reasons not to... But let's not turn this thread into a discussion of the merits of anti-virus software

Post by **Peke** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:50 am

Re On Topic: Windows sometimes need some time to clear all hooks and let free some DLLs from Memory. I never knew why that happen with some apps but it happen often.

Re Off Topic: Romanski i could imagine your reasons. I had one situation where AV wasn't needed at all 100% Safe

MarineBrat · Post by **MarineBrat** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:02 am

Romanski wrote:[I think you're talking about something altogether different - I didn't say the antivirus flags it, I don't even have any antivirus software installed

Interesting. I guess it must be like Peke said... Windows is using that DLL. I can just report what I've discovered for my own situation.

I run AVG antivirus, I have installed nearly every single MediaMonkey alpha and beta that has come out over the last two years, and I have had it get stuck on MMHelper.dll in every single instance where I had been running MM just before running the MM update file. When the MM install file gets stuck on MMHelper.dll I let it sit at that screen while I go to AVG antivirus and ask it to check for updated signatures. If there are new signatures available, and I allow AVG to update itself, then 100% of the time when I go back to the MM install screen (I've left it sitting at the dialog where it can't update MMHelper.dll) and tell it to retry, it proceeds normally. This exact pattern of steps has occured at least 15 or 20 times.

In those instances where AVG has said that there wasn't a new signature file available then then AVG doesn't run through its update process and MMHelper.dll doesn't get released. That has also had a 100% occurence rate.

Additionally, I posted this same information to someone in the forum a while back who was having the same issue. It turned out he was running AVG and he responded to me with a string of thank you's for fixing his problem. As soon as he updated his AVG the MMHelper.dll file was released.

In your case, with no AV installed, it must be Windows itself that is locking the file, so it will be interesting to see if you can come up with a series of steps that cut it loose.

@MODS - Perhaps this information should go into a FAQ, or put into a help button on the install screen when MMHelper is locked?

Teknojnky · Post by **Teknojnky** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:15 am

sometimes, you simply have an old/crashed instance of MM still running...

check task manager process list.

Romanski · Post by **Romanski** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:57 am

Happened again just now when upgrading from the official v3.0.2 to the latest beta. Unfortunately this time the hook was not in one of the apps I had running - it was in conime.exe, which is an OS process and not one that I can close/restart. In short, I had to reboot _before_ installing MediaMonkey. Not a good thing.

I really think this bug deserves some investigation. This never used to happen with WinAMP, which supported global hotkeys with none of the issues.

rovingcowboy · Post by **rovingcowboy** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:45 am

Romanski wrote:Happened again just now when upgrading from the official v3.0.2 to the latest beta. Unfortunately this time the hook was not in one of the apps I had running - it was in conime.exe, which is an OS process and not one that I can close/restart. In short, I had to reboot _before_ installing MediaMonkey. Not a good thing.

I really think this bug deserves some investigation. This never used to happen with WinAMP, which supported global hotkeys with none of the issues.

until you get your system cleaned out i would not worry about it.
just wait when you get hit by that new worm that totaled my sisters hp computer, you will then wish you had not been on line without the av program, of any maker. all it takes is to click on the wrong web page or have the wrong banner add pop up or have the worm load with an email when you preview the email messages.

but the only way to get it to stop this lock up when installing monkey is to delete the old helper file as already told to do.

yes the other programs did not cause this. but the other programs are not as good as media monkey. and might not have the options for keyboard use that monkey has.

Nonreality · Post by **Nonreality** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:27 am

I've had a huge problem with certain programs not releasing from memory on both my laptop and desktop. I've suspected that it must be my AV program but can't prove it. So I just live with it and do a lot of end processes.

Owyn · Post by **Owyn** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:47 am

I have had this problem (MMhelper.dll not stopping) off and on. I guess something around 60% of the time I just have to reboot to install an update. I could have killed the dll, but just felt safer with the reboot procedure.

I posted a report about it at one point, but, stopped updating that thread.

FYI: Did NOT see the problem updating from 1159debug to 1162debug.