Media server frequently stops

[ezryder007]

I have MM 2024.2.0.3184 installed (on Windows 11) and run the Media Sharing Library as a service which autostarts on startup. However it frequently stops, I'm not sure why.

What might cause it to stop and if this can;t be addressed is there an easier way of restarting it than killing the background processes in Windows and restarting MM?

Thanks,
dan

[Lowlander]

It sounds like you're having issue with MediaMonkey for Windows (MMW) running as a Windows Service, no MediaMonkey Server (MMS). Is that correct?

Are you launching MMW itself as well, or does it just stop even when MediaMonkey for Windows isn't launched? Also are you using the media server when it stops or does it just randomly stop when not in use by a client?

[ezryder007]

Yes that is correct. It stops while MM is launched as I usually have it open anyway. I can't be sure if it does the same when not launched. I haven't had it happen while the media server is in use, it happens randomly when not in use. I'll come to use it after not doing so for a few days and find I need to restart it.

[Lowlander]

The MediaMonkey Service is automatically closed when you launch MediaMonkey, and should restart when MediaMonkey is closed. This is expected behavior. The Media Server will run as part of MediaMonkey when it's open and as part of the Service when MediaMonkey is closed.

[ezryder007]

That suggests a consistency and continuity of the service being running which isn't my experience. I am seeing the service stopped at times and to restart it I have to kill services. When in this state merely closing and restarting MM does not restart the service.

[Lowlander]

The question is what's the trigger? Does it seem that closing MediaMonkey fails to start the Service or does it just randomly stop?

[ezryder007]

It does seem to randomly stop. But I get it must be something rather than a random stop.

It hasn't actually happened since as I have been watching it for a few days, however I just restarted the MM app on windows and checked and simply closing and opening the app did stop the Media Monkey Service. I have veriied this a couple of times. So to confirm I have MM desktop open and it tells me the MM server is running, but then when I restart the desktop the service stops.

i) Is this expected behaviour?
ii) How should I restart it without going into Task Manager and killing the MM services?

Thanks.

[Lowlander]

Yes, the Service should stop when you launch MediaMonkey, but start again when you close MediaMonkey.

[killick56]

I want to use a remote client to play music from my MM server. The server is Win11 fully patched and MM 2024.2.1.3213

Case 1 - MM server *not* installed as a service:
When MM is *not* running, Windows task manager shows no MM services, and vlc sees no MM server. Ok.
When MM is running, Windows task manager shows MM as an app and three background processes. My remote machines (RasPi and Mint) can connect and play through vlc. Under Tools/Options/Library/Media Sharing the Server is running, and under 'Options' I see successful remote connections.
All OK so far.

Case 2 - MM server *is* installed as a service:
With MM running, the same Windows app and three processes are running. Remote machines cannot see any MM server. Hmmm, really?
With MM *not* running, Windows task manager sees an MM service running, but remote machines cannot see any MM server. Options shows no connections, even Denied ones. When I start MM, it shows the MM Server as stopped. Nothing I do seems to restart it, except uninstalling the service and going back to Case 1.

All this is consistent over multiple app and machine restarts. I use NordVPN, and get exactly the same behaviour with and without it running.

I have looked at the documentation, and (among others) this: www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=109214
No help.

...killick56
Gold lifetime 20+ years...

[Lowlander]

I'm unable to reproduce. Testing:

1) The MediaMonkey Services stops when running MediaMonkey and starts when MediaMonkey is closed. Are you sure MediaMonkey is full closed (no remnants in the Task Manager)?

2) Both MediaMonkey and the MediaMonkey Service allow for browsing of the Media Server from clients. VPNs are known to cause issues with DLNA.

Try this for case 2:

Note: If you change the Port# in for the media server in MMW to 4000, then MMW’s own DLNA/UPnP client will not suppress the MMW server from the list of UPnP servers that appear in MMW itself.

Does MediaMonkey see it's own media server in that case?