Problems with MDM not re-starting

[Rovalo]

I have problems running MDM. I do not understand what I do wrong, please help.

I've been struggling with this issue since I received my MD kit from Dmitri. I tried so many things and I feel I'm out of options. I thought that using the 'Administrator' account would solve the issue but it didn't. Once MDM runs the MD kit works fine. To make a long history short, this is what happens mostly with the last things that I tried:

1. PC with WinXP SP3, logged in under account 'Administrator' (see attachment);
2. Installed MDM, it runs, set the options (select MD usb driver), everyting runs;
3. Run MDM several times by starting with double click on desktop icon, having fun with figuring out MD, saving to and loading from files in My documents\MegaDrum (see attachment), no problems;
4. No use of the PC, no changes made;
5. Problem: MDM does not start when I double click the desktop item, really nothing happens;
6. Right click desktop icon, select 'Run as ...' and use the same 'Administrator' account, then I get a MDM error message shown in attachment;
7. Click OK, have to run the Options menu (select MD usb driver) and then MDM runs but...;
8. I no longer see the MDM files in My documents\ ;
9. I can work with MD but things do not run as well;
10. Everytime I start MDM according 6. I have to do 7.

I have this exact same issue on another PC running Win7 with 'Administrator'account.

Meantime this drives me crazy, what is the problem?

https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/mdm-account-error.jpg

[dmitri]

1. MDM doesn't need Administrator rights to run - it is a Java program without direct access to any hardware resources.
2. When the problem happens, start the Task Manager and check if MDM (MegaDrum Manager process) is running without showing a window. It may indicate that it doesn't close properly when you exit it.

[Rovalo]

Thanks for your reply.

1. Initially I missed the requirement to run MDM under admin account (for Java). Then MDM also ran and I became the same issue.
2. I will check that and let you know!

[dmitri]

Thanks for your reply.

1. Initially I missed the requirement to run MDM under admin account (for Java). Then MDM also ran and I became the same issue.

Quite opposite, MDM does NOT need admin rights!

[Rovalo]

I thought I read this on the forum, maybe I'm confused with the installation of MDM as 'Administrator'. But anyway, the problem I encounter behaves the same when running MDM without admin rights.

2. I did what you asked for (I hope), see below screenshots.
- MDM desktop icon double click https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... ations.jpg
- MDM desktop icon double click https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... cesses.jpg
- Open by right click icon https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... ations.jpg
- Open by right click icon file https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... cesses.jpg
In the taskmanager MDM appears when the actual interface is shown.
- Trying to save config file https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... ty_dir.jpg
- Close from menu with main\exit https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... essage.jpg

I have Java 8 (update 101) installed.

Does this help to find out what goes wrong?

[dmitri]

Why do you start it by right clicking?
Why when you start it as non-admin user, it still tries to use Administrator's directory?

[Rovalo]

I only start it by right clicking because with normal double left click nothing happens. MDM does not appear in task manager as you see in the screenshot. Only with right click MDM does start but it cannot find its config file etc.

When I start MDM as admin user (only possible with right click) then it uses admin dir but doesn't see all files actually in it.
When I start MDM as non-admin user (only possible with right click) then it uses the corresponding user dir but doesn't see all files actually in it.
So it behaves the same.

I know that the behaviour is very strange. Initially MDM starts normally with double left click. After a few times, without making changes to the PC, it stops working. I did probably 20 re-installs but the problem comes back, and also on a completely different PC. I never have problems detecting MD USB driver and MD programming, except that with right click starting everything seems to take much longer. I assume that MDM command 'get all' taking approx. 30 sec. is normal.

I can remove MDM again and install it according your instructions. What should I do?
- Non-admin user (on my PC's I have to approve that with admin password confirmation)?
- Is it better if that non-admin user has no admin rights?
- Standard proposed dir 'C:\Program Files (x86)\MegaDrum Manager'?
- Anything else?

While typing this message I did a new install under non-admin account (I had to allow this with admin password confirmation). I always select to 'start up MDM after setup', but with all installs it never does. Now, after doing the same I get this message.
https://rovalo152.files.wordpress.com/2 ... ode740.jpg

Please help, thank you.

[dmitri]

I really don't know what is wrong with your installation. I just created a test (Standard user) account and started (by double clicking)/exited MDM a few dozen times without any problems. I can only suggest you to try the .jar version - Linux (just a .jar file) - from http://www.megadrum.info/content/megadrum-manager
Download the .jar file and try to run it by double clicking.

[Rovalo]

Thanks for your trouble!

I think now it has to do with security/rights (I found out that XP does not have UAC). That is what both PC's might have in common.

I tried the same as you did, created a new standard user account (limited rights) and installed MDM with right click as admin (double click results in a pop-up with the message 'You must be logged in as an admin to install this program').

The installation runs (however MDM does not start up by itself after installation when ticking that option at the installation). Then I start MDM and I get the normal screens. Set the USB driver, connect to MD, click 'Get all' and save the config file, everything fine. Then I close MDM by file/exit and MDM closes normally.

Next I restart MDM and I get the normal warning about config files explanation. Clicking yes (or no) closes that window and then nothing happens. I did that several times with same result. In taskmnger under applications MDM does not appear, but now I noticed that under processes many instances of javaw.exe (49.408 kB) are shown with CPU 00 (%), they originate from starting MDM, I checked that.

Starting the .jar file behaves exactly the same as above.

Does this give you any new idea, what could I do to kill all security/rights etc. to see if that is related to my problems with MDM? Thanks in advance!

[dmitri]

It all tells me that there is something wrong with the Java installation or Windows/Java security settings. What happens if you kill all javaw.exe process before starting MDM again?