Server update fails - Could not move system directory to backup

[JustEric78 24]

I have been running Emby server for quite some time and have successfully updated multiple times in the past. I have not changed any permissions on my server since it was stood up. I tried to update the last version as well as the version just announced and both times I have received the attached message stating that access is denied to the required path. 

[Happy2Play 9781]

There are lot of topics on this, but basically something is holding the system folder at the time of  update i.e server process hanging or rogue ffmpeg.

[Luke 42080]

It can also happen if you have a windows explorer window open in the server's program data directory. i would check those things, then try again.

[JustEric78 24]

There are lot of topics on this, but basically something is holding the system folder at the time of  update i.e server process hanging or rogue ffmpeg.

 

I am sorry for not searching on this but guys, your own server service should not interrupt the install. The package could easily stop your service before attempting the install of the update because that is what I had to do in order to resolve this. . 

[Luke 42080]

Yup good idea

[Happy2Play 9781]

If you are running as a service, please see this topic.

[ebr 16185]

I am sorry for not searching on this but guys, your own server service should not interrupt the install. The package could easily stop your service before attempting the install of the update because that is what I had to do in order to resolve this. . 

 

It already does but, under some conditions, it may take too long for it to stop or it may be hung.

[terster 1]

I still don't see a solution to this.  My Emby Server has been running fine for 6 months and now it won't start.  I've rebooted several times.  I've tried downloading to reinstall the current update but i keep getting ERROR - COULD NOT MOVE SYSTEM DIRECTORY TO BACKUP, System.IO.IOException The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process

 

How am i supposed to find the process that is in use?  I've used Task Manager and ended everything that can be.  

 

I do use the app "always up" to start the emby server, but i also "stopped" it and then checked for all running processes and killed all that i can find.

 

Any thoughts on which "service" could be access Emby or which Service Emby installed that i should look for to end/stop?

 

Thanks

 

v4.0.3.26 is the current version of Emby

 

 

 

UPDATE... i not only stopped the Always Up application, i also disabled it from running.  I then rebooted 3 times it took before the Emby Server application ran.  Then it ran a partial update for something that was Microsoft like a C++ update... rebooted again and then... Emby loaded normally.  So i turned the Always Up back to Auto Run, rebooted yet again and now my Emby is back up and running.

 

It would sure be nice if Emby were to account for any open files, of any kind, prior to allowing any kind of update to run.  My lesson here is to turn OFF auto updating of Emby.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 23, 2019 by terster

[Luke 42080]

Hi, try shutting down the server, then installing the update from the website on top of your existing version.

[Thomas Erskine 0]

I installed it. It ran. I rebooted. It didn't run and appears not to be installed except for the AppData directory tree still being there. I tried re-installing it. Now it complains that it could not move system directory to backup and stops the install. "openfiles /query" shows nothing. Services shows nothing called Emby. How am I supposed to find what is misbehaving? Not a good experience as a first-time user.

[Luke 42080]

1 hour ago, Thomas Erskine said:

I installed it. It ran. I rebooted. It didn't run and appears not to be installed except for the AppData directory tree still being there. I tried re-installing it. Now it complains that it could not move system directory to backup and stops the install. "openfiles /query" shows nothing. Services shows nothing called Emby. How am I supposed to find what is misbehaving? Not a good experience as a first-time user.

Hi, what exactly are you trying to do?

[Thomas Erskine 0]

I just want to run emby. I ran an install and used it for a while. When I rebooted, I see no signs of it except for the AppData directory. There is no process running called emby; there is no such service. There is no entry in the start menu called emby. It's not in the list of applications to uninstall, so I assumed that it wasn't really installed. So I attempted to re-install it and got the "could not move system directory to backup" message. As far as I can tell, emby isn't running, and yet something is holding some files open. I tried moving the emby directory tree aside to do a re-install from scratch and it also complains about some file being open, without being helpful and telling which file or which process.

I'm out of ideas.

[terster 1]

33 minutes ago, Thomas Erskine said:

I just want to run emby. I ran an install and used it for a while. When I rebooted, I see no signs of it except for the AppData directory. There is no process running called emby; there is no such service. There is no entry in the start menu called emby. It's not in the list of applications to uninstall, so I assumed that it wasn't really installed. So I attempted to re-install it and got the "could not move system directory to backup" message. As far as I can tell, emby isn't running, and yet something is holding some files open. I tried moving the emby directory tree aside to do a re-install from scratch and it also complains about some file being open, without being helpful and telling which file or which process.

I'm out of ideas.

Hi... Not sure if you meant you ran the update for Emby or the Always Up application.  If its the Always Up application, you need to stop the Emby service within the Always Up app first, update the application and then start it back up.  Then reboot and/or update the Emby app and reboot.  If you don't stop Emby from within Always Up prior to doing the update, the update will likely fail.

If on the other hand you are not using Always up... i cant help.  I was never able to get Emby to start on it's own after reboots.  It's a bit of a fail on the Emby developers, in my opinion.  Hope this helps.

[Thomas Erskine 0]

I don't know what "Always Up" is. I just downloaded the windows server setup and ran it. and now it won't run.

[terster 1]

Always Up is a software program you buy.  You can then set it so that after a reboot, EMBY will automatically start up so you can then watch it from your Roku or whatever app you use to watch Emby.

If you upgraded or downloaded and installed Emby Server over a previous version of Emby... you'll likely need to disable your antivirus, and reinstall, reboot and retry.  If that fails, UNINSTALL Emby.  Reboot.  Then install fresh and try again.  Hope this helps.

[Thomas Erskine 0]

well I guess I'm stuck then. I can't install emby and it's not listed as a app so that I could uninstall it. I'm dubious about how the antivirus would have anything to do with it.

[Carlo 4561]

@Thomas Erskine This should be pretty easy for me to help you with remote. 

If you can install TeamViewer I can help.  Just launch TeamViewer after installing it and it will give you a userid and password.

PM me those two pieces of info with a message having trouble with install or just link to this thread.

I can likely connect very shortly and help you out.  Alternately we can schedule a time to do this.  YOU MUST BE AT THE COMPUTER or I won't do anything as we will chat while doing this.

[Luke 42080]

@Thomas Erskine ?