TV Service doesn't start automatically with XP (1 Viewer)

[CathodeRay]

You are making your life more diificult than it needs to be

Methinks it's MP not me who is making life more difficult

the stories where the copy machine support engineer is called for help

I don't think I jumped the gun - some of you have been actively encouraging me to try SQLExpress (though in fairness others have gone the opposite way) and as far as I was concerned I was only installing a separate database engine. The *only* thing I did that involved anything from MP was to *test* the connection. I take the point about there being no database at that point but MySQL for all its fault handles this - it just creates a new mptvdb. I was hoping the same would happen with SQLExpress - not an unreasonable hope. What I did not expect was that it would fry MP.

Incidentally, the current problem is TVService won't start, even from services.msc where I can see MySQL is started. It comes up with Error 1075 and some mumbo jumbo about dependencies. The test database connection works fine though and the connection string in gentle.config is as it should be, and mptvdb is still there, all reported as OK on running an auto-repair.

prime example of a heavy user with TV being the prime application who NEVER had any database problems

Well, that's quite a big carrot, maybe I will get round to doing a ground zero reinstall with SQLExpress. But first I'm going to get on with the rest of my life!

 

[mm1352000]

Of course I want to be helped, the whole point of coming to this forum is to ask for help. The problem is whether the help is forthcoming. Not the will to help - that is beyond doubt, you are all very generous, but whether the help itself is possible.

If you still want help then please post the log files that I asked for. I need to know what the current state of your system after your aborted SQL Server attempt.

 

[mm1352000]

@CathodeRay
Now that I've read your whole post I have the distinct impression you have given up. That's fine by me. Whatever works for you.

For what it's worth I agree with some of your points. However, I also agree with HTPCSourcer when he said (paraphrasing): "it is what it is". TVE 3.5 (heavily reworked new version of TV Server) is coming, and it will be easier to install and use by design. Yes, it does have a different database access layer, with the possibility to use database engines that might be more to your liking (eg. SQLite). Until that comes around we have to live with the limitations that we have in the current release. Due to the investment in TVE 3.5, it is impractical (read: a waste of time) to try to address the architectural problems in the current release.

When it comes to the wiki: please recognise that anybody (including you!!!) can add and edit content. The team is relatively small considering the size/scope of the product(s). Therefore we rely on the community to help us with... well everything, but especially the wiki, tuning details, translations etc. So, instead of noting that the wiki is less than perfect, perhaps you could consider helping us out by improving it? If you choose not to that's... well, honestly it is a little disappointing. But I respect your choice.

I also note: your opinion of MediaPortal cannot help but be coloured by the fact that you're using a version of MediaPortal which is now a few months short of four years old. I hope you realise that, and recognise that you can't get a completely full and accurate picture of the product while using such an old release. Again, I respect your choice. Just pointing it out.

Finally, if I was wrong and you do still want help then I'm still here... but I do need the log files. I literally can't help without them because your descriptions of the current state of your system are insufficient to determine what is wrong and what to do next.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

One last thing from my side: I you go with SQLExpress and encounter problems: It may be that you need to define the authentication mode of the database. I am not sure about this, since my original installation gos back so many years and has automatically updated since. Therefore, if TVServer complains that it can't set up the dtabase or similar, just get back here and I will dug out the details.

If you go for a completely new install: please, please use the latest available version 1.12.0 - or try out MP2, whose database model is significantly leaner. However, when coming from MP1 the first experience is, well, different from MP1.

 

[CathodeRay]

mm - I haven't given up, just realised I needed a break! Days can get swallowed up chasing the impossible, and sometimes a fresh mind can think of something else. (BTW, I respect the gentle language used in your post - appreciated.) I knew the wiki was community written but didn't realise anyone could easily and simply add to it/correct it etc so I will get round to adding what I can to it.

One of the reason for sticking with the devil I know (ie MP 1.2) is that I get the impression system requirements for later version are higher and my system (as you will note from the earlier watchdog uploads) is quite old and quite low spec. The other reasons I've previously mentioned.

This morning something rather bizarre happened: MP started working again after a few reboots. On reflection, there was a clue: one of the error messages was one of the dependencies was marked for deleetion or something along those lines: it was probably the old Windows thing of doing the deletion during a reboot.

Even more bizarre: one of the reboots had a quick mysql start. You can see this in the attached mysql_error.log - I've pointed to it with '<=here' (without the quotes), at 150815 11:11:54. Instead of the usual 2+ minutes mysql start, it was only a few seconds. I have no idea why this happened, no clue I can see in the mysql log. I still haven't found a way of getting more verbose output from mysql despite extensive googling.

As a possible workaround for now, I decided to see if I could use a batch file to check whether mysql was started (running) and when it is, start tvservice, and sure enough it is easy enough (google was my friend this time). Put this in batch file in the startup folder:

:notrunning
ping /n 5 0.0.0.0 >NUL
for /f "tokens=4" %%I in ('sc query mysql ^| find /i "state"') do (
if NOT #%%I==#RUNNING goto notrunning
)
net start tvservice

It lacks finesse for now and uses goto but it works: a cmd prompt window pops up and cycles through the loop and then disappears as it comes out of the loop once mysql is running, starting tvservice on the way.

HTPCSourcer - thanks for the kind offer if I get stuck, but I am probably going to stick with what I've got, at least for now (mainly for the reasons above).

 

[mm1352000]

@CathodeRay

This morning something rather bizarre happened: MP started working again after a few reboots.

I guess such is life with computers.

With regards to getting additional debug from MySQL: you're right that googling can be a pain in the backside. My understanding is that use of the "--debug" switch for mysqld.exe should give additional output. Apparently you can run "mysqld.exe --verbose --help" on the command line to get a full listing of information about the available switches.

I have a question for you. You mentioned that the PC on which TV Server is installed is not usually connected to a network. I note the following in the log files you provided on the first page:
2015-08-13 11:39:23.375000 [TVService(6)]: Controller: started at media-pc
2015-08-13 11:39:23.375000 [TVService(6)]: Controller: local ip address:192.169.1.9
2015-08-13 11:39:23.375000 [TVService(6)]: Controller: local ip address:192.168.0.4

Are you able to explain why there are 2 addresses here?
I ask because this sort of stuff can affect MySQL (because it binds to network adapters).
Just wondering if changes in network configuration while you're troubleshooting might actually be causing the very issues that you're battling.

 

[CathodeRay]

I had come across the --verbose switch as a sub switch for --help, but thought it unlikely that it would produce anything more wordy that the wordy refman pages online, just in an even less easy to read format (though I could do a "> help.txt"). I hadn't come across the --debug switch and will give it a try.

Being networked - I have covered this before but this is a long thread and things can easily get lost. Normally the HTPC is not networked, but it does have a network card and there is a (crossover?) ethernet cable connected to my desktop. The reason for this is the HTPC only has a CRT TV connected to it which is fine for watching SD TV but for any extended activity that involves reading text eg log files, even with larger screen fonts, easier to read but less on screen at any one time, it is easier to map the relevant networked partition to the desktop and work from there. Networking also makes it easier to transfer files (otherwise it is copy to USB stick to copy across) eg for uploading. So sometimes I enable networking if it makes sense to do so but most of the time it is disabled. With all the log files work going on recently I have at times had the network connection up and running. The actual change is pretty minimal - either I enable it or disable it, the configuration stays the same. The 192.xxx ip addresses are the usual assigned local/home network type addresses.

I too wondered about the network active/inactive question, all the more so when a while back a suggestion was made to add a virtual network card. However, I don't think being networked/not networked is the answer, because yesterday morning, when most of the mysql starts were slow, but one out of the blue was fast, the PCs were networked. Even when networked, you get mostly slow starts. It just may be - can't prove this - that nowadays I only get fast mysql starts when networked, but then again for the vast majority of the time I have had the HTPC I have had fast mysql starts while not networked. So although a question worth asking, I don't think the network question has given us the answer.

 

[mm1352000]

Being networked - I have covered this before but this is a long thread and things can easily get lost.

I had seen what you said before, and even with this post I still don't feel I have an answer to my question. Sorry if I've misunderstood, but I'm going to have to ask again: why are there 2 IP addresses?

I'm assuming one is the regular network card which you use to connect your PC for the previously described purposes. That's fine and understood.
...but what is the other one? That is what I'm curious about.

 

[CathodeRay]

It's a bit of ancient history I had to check to remind myself what it is. Years ago I used Firenet (ip over 1394) and so it (the 192.169.1.9 address) is a Firenet adapter that is still on the system, though I don't use it these days. Again, though perhaps a curiosity, I don't think it is the answer, because it's been there for years. However, having said that, there is a change I made a few weeks ago: I removed the FW PCI card and replaced it with a USB3 PCI card. As the Firenet adapter/connection didn't complain, I didn't even think about it. I don't suppose the mysql service was somehow entangled in the Firenet connection/FW card combo and now doesn't like it because there is a connection but no card? Seems rather unlikely?

So I have done the obvious, disabled the Firenet connection and the 1394 device (in device manager) - no change (slow mysql starts) though - again bizarrely - the boot immediately before doing that was a fast mysql start (I can tell whether it is a slow/fast start by how long the batch file window stays open).

I also tried adding --debug to the mysql service 'path to executable' (via the registry) - conks out with a not timely error. I also confirmed --verbose is only a sub switch for --help and checked the --verbose --help output. Sure is verbose, but couldn't see anything to switch on verbose logging.

 

[mm1352000]

Okay, thanks for the info.

I don't suppose the mysql service was somehow entangled in the Firenet connection/FW card combo and now doesn't like it because there is a connection but no card? Seems rather unlikely?

As far as I know, MySQL binds to all available network adaptors. I guess that would qualify as entanglement. Whether that is or has thrown MySQL seems unlikely now given your test result. Thought it was worth asking regardless because those things can be problematic.

I also tried adding --debug to the mysql service 'path to executable' (via the registry) - conks out with a not timely error.

I don't think you can do it that way... and now that I've had a chance to try a few things myself, it looks like the --debug switch is only for mysql.exe (ie. the client) anyway, so no good for us.

While searching on this problem I came across a thread describing similar symptoms to you. The solution in that case was to clean out c:\Windows\Temp. Apparently MySQL scans that folder on startup. If it contains a lot of files it can slow down startup significantly.

Continuing research...