Normal drives suddenly not visible in service mode?

[ripple]

I have been using SageTV in service mode for the past few years using local drives e:\ and f:\ as my video directories. I have had occasional freezes during playback that require me to restart the SageTV process and by running in service mode I could do that without impacting anything currently recording.

Last month, around the time I upgraded my McAfee software, Sage suddenly would show no video directories available. When I go to the Detailed Setup screen and modify my video directories, it showed no directories listed and when I tried to add them there are no drives listed in the browser to choose from. Very odd. Fearing I had somehow lost all my videos somehow I tried switching back to non-service mode and to my surprise everything was back to normal. I waited a few weeks while running in non-service mode hoping things would stabilize, but still when I try to run in service mode my video directories disappear and are not visible somehow.

I'm running 5.04(?) and my service config runs sage as the local/default user and these are not unc paths so I'm baffled as to what could be going on. I had to restart Sage this week and it lost one of the shows that was in progress so I'd really like to go back to service mode. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Kevin

[Goodspike]

Just a guess--it's a firewall setting.

[ripple]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Just a guess--it's a firewall setting.

I'm not sure how any firewall setting would prevent sage from seeing local disks like c:, e:, or f: ?

[Opus4]

If it is a firewall setting, it could be preventing the UI from talking to the service -- if they can't communicate, the UI won't show much of anything. The service might not have any problem seeing the dirs & making recordings.

- Andy

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by ripple

I'm not sure how any firewall setting would prevent sage from seeing local disks like c:, e:, or f: ?

Back when I used a remote on my HTPC (for MyHD), the firewall would prevent the program from seeing the IR reciever if the program wasn't given server rights.

[ripple]

Well, it sounded like the firewall stuff could be a factor so I went ahead and turned off all the McAfee firewall, internet security, etc. The service stuff still doesn't run right.

Here's some symptoms: On the detailed setup->general screen the "Intelligent Recording" button is flat, almost like a narrow button with no text (see attached screenshot). The Sage Recordings screen seems normal, even the yellow border marking the current recording in progress. I can even see the program guide. Doesn't that imply that the ui is talking to the background service? Plus I can see that there are TCP sockets connected to 42024 which seems to show successful connections. The View Recording Schedule screen, however, shows a message indicating no recordings to display and video directories still don't show any drives to choose from...


Unless anyone has any more ideas, I think my next step is to completely wipe mcafee off the computer and see if it will work again.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Opus4]

You aren't running Vista, are you? If so, SageTV has to be run as administrator.

You could try turning on debug logging for both the sage & sageclient properties files to see if the logs have any info.

- Andy

[Goodspike]

I don't know if you're using HDHR or not, but I did just find this over in their forums regarding McAfee:

http://www.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2894

Note that disabling it didn't solve whatever issues they were having. It had to be uninstalled (although I'd guess you could as a test disable any McAfee services that were running, assuming you could locate them all).

[ripple]

Well, good news...I was able to isolate the culprit. As it turns out, I had to uninstall McAfee Privacy Service before things would begin talking again. Even disabling that feature didn't work - it had to be removed. It must have been "watching" the connections and interfering with them somehow.

I'm back running Sage in service mode with just McAfee virus and firewall services installed and everything is working great now. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Kevin

[Goodspike]

I guess I was real close, but not quite the right software component! Oh well.

I don't even use a privacy type product on my real PCs, so I think you'll probably do fine without one on your HTPC.

[scandx]

I am having same problem

No recording dirs are available even though I can see them in the seeker/video_storage key in properties file.

Also via sage client ui - it shows no recording dirs and will not let me add any.

I have disabled all firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spyware.
Installed latest Java 1.6.0_05, reinstalled latest sage 6.3.10

Still no recording dirs.

The strange thing is my sage has been fine for months. This morning it was fine. Then later in the day after reboot, this problem started. The only system change I remember was a windows update (windows defender definition update).

I can see in the sage client logs the error, but cannot find out cause (sage service log is fine)

Sageclient.properties:


Thu 3/13 23:24:01.965 MsgSend thread spawned for /127.0.0.1:42024
Thu 3/13 23:24:01.965 VF thread is now running...
Thu 3/13 23:24:01.966 SetFullScreen(true)
Thu 3/13 23:24:01.967 FullScreen set to true
Thu 3/13 23:24:01.967 VF thread is now waiting for 0:00:00.000
Thu 3/13 23:24:01.970 UIMgr loading UI from: C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageMC_169-3.xml
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.158 MsgRecv thread has spawned for /127.0.0.1:42024
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.191 Error communicating with server:java.net.SocketException: Software caused connection abort: recv failed
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.191 Cleaning up c/s connection
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.193 NetworkManager CommunicationFailure : /127.0.0.1:42024 type=1
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.193 MsgRecv thread is terminating for /127.0.0.1:42024

Thu 3/13 23:24:02.821 Error communicating with server:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.821 Error with c/s comm:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.821 Cleaning up c/s connection
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.824 nowplayinglist=Playlist[Now Playing ]
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.824 NetworkManager CommunicationFailure : /127.0.0.1:42024 type=1
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.824 MsgSend thread terminating for /127.0.0.1:42024
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.827 reading IMDB cache ...
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.827 cache directory = C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageMCE\IMDBCache
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.827 cache size = 1000
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.829 66 images in cache
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.830 Error with c/s comm:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.831 Error with c/s comm:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.834 Error with c/s comm:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.835 BackupPath = C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageMCE\Backups isDir=null
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.836 Error with c/s comm:java.lang.NullPointerException
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.838 LayoutPath = C:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageMCE\MenuLayouts isDir=null
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.852 Increased hash Map pool to size=1
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.853 Increased vector pool to size=2
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.854 Increased hash Map pool to size=2
Thu 3/13 23:24:02.854 Increased hash Map pool to size=3
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Thu 3/13 23:24:02.855 Increased vector pool to size=3
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any suggestions appreciated.

[gplasky]

Your windows defender update probably reset your firewall settings. Or windows defender is the culprit. Stop that service and see if it fixes it.


Gerry

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by ripple

Well, good news...I was able to isolate the culprit. As it turns out, I had to uninstall McAfee Privacy Service before things would begin talking again. Even disabling that feature didn't work - it had to be removed. It must have been "watching" the connections and interfering with them somehow.

I'm back running Sage in service mode with just McAfee virus and firewall services installed and everything is working great now. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Kevin

I had to ask,

Are you using that computer for other daily uses than just HTPC? Just wondering because I am wondering why would one want a firewall or anti virus installed on a HTPC.

Thanks
Bill

[scandx]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Your windows defender update probably reset your firewall settings. Or windows defender is the culprit. Stop that service and see if it fixes it.


Gerry

I turned off windows defender service, windows firewall, and all related protection services.

Still sageclient cannot see or add any recording dirs.

If I disable using sage service and run client, it can see the recording dirs.

I tried enabling "use sage as service" again and made it use local administrator account instead of default LocalSystem account. Client still cannot see or add recording dirs.

I verified there is not a connectivity problem by:
telnet 127.0.0.1 42024

It connect successfully and sage server log reports connection recieved.

Appears something else mysteriously causing the problem

Client log has:
MsgRecv thread has spawned for /127.0.0.1:42024
Error communicating with server:java.io.EOFException
Cleaning up c/s connection
NetworkManager CommunicationFailure : /127.0.0.1:42024 type=1
MsgRecv thread is terminating for /127.0.0.1:42024

Maybe whatever "data" it is trying to stream over network is bad - hence EOFException. However this doesn't explain why it works running as client in non-service mode (I assume same data files, just not streamed).

--Todd

[gplasky]

The administrator account must have a password to be able to run a service.

Gerry

[scandx]

Originally Posted by gplasky

The administrator account must have a password to be able to run a service.

Gerry

I am using Administrator account for the SageTV Service (Administrator account has password and service starts successfully)

Still not able to add any recording directories. In the "Select the import directory to add Current: My Computer"

The only item is "Network"
If I choose specify and type path, it won't accept anything.
Inside Network item is, workgroups visible. If I drill into the computer so Current says: smb://TODD/
It says Invalid Directory

[gplasky]

Choose to specify the directory. Put it in the format \\Server\share\directory. On mine it is \\MAIN\Videos\SageTV.


Gerry

[scandx]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Choose to specify the directory. Put it in the format \\Server\share\directory. On mine it is \\MAIN\Videos\SageTV.


Gerry

Tried this.
Sage "Select the Import Directory to Add" reports for
\\TODD\SageRecordingsC
that it does not exist, would i like to create it.
Hitting "Yes" does nothing. Cannot dismiss the dialog except to hit no

The problem is at a deeper level

The clientlogs with EOF and null pointer exceptions definitely indicate some lower level problem. I have completely uninstalled and reinstalled sage from scratch, same problem.

[gplasky]

Make sure if you updated the Sage install you actually went into the SageTVService Control app and reset it to use the Administrator account. Anytime you upgrade Sage it resets back to local account. (It's a Microsoft thing.) Also make sure all of your PCs are in the saem workgroup.

Gerry

[scandx]

Turns out my problem was eset security suite.

Even though I had disabled its firewall, the web access protection was scanning the data for sage. I excluded sage and now is working normally.