Minion does not start - no message (Win 7)

[Callads]

Hi,

i have minion installed on my laptop with Windows 8, and it runs without problems.
Now i wanted to use it with my desktop PC. OS is Windows 7 64 bit.

When i try to start it, it just does not launch - no error messages, nothing.
The minion.exe appears in the processes tab at the task manager.

Things i tried allready:
- Redownloaded several times
- Installed in default location and other locations
- Uninstalled all java on my PC and reinstalled the latest Java 7 Update 67
- Uninstalled Visual C++ 2010, and reinstalled it with the Minion Installation
- Run as admin and all compability modes
- Tried to run through Minion-jfx.jar

Any tips, what could cause this, or what else i could try?
Thanks in advance for any help.

Edit: i tried to post the log and xml files. But it seems there is no .minion folder under C:/users/<name>/

[Dolby]

Hi Callads,

What security/malware/virus software are you running? Sounds like something might be trying to stop it from loading possibly?

If you have the JDK installed on your system what error do you get if you open a command line and type this (assuming you have Minion installed in the default location)?

Java -jar C:\Users\<your windows username>\AppData\Local\Minion\app\Minion-jfx.jar

[Callads]

Hi Dolby,

i had Spybot -Search and Destroy as well as Malwarebytes Anti Malware installed. But i uninstalled it for now.

I installed Minion again in default location and downloaded jdk.

I get the following answer with Java -jar C:\Users\<your windows username>\AppData\Local\Minion\app\Minion-jfx.jar:

C:\>java -jar C:\Users\Doemi\AppData\Local\Minion\app\Minion-jfx.jar
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: *******************************************************************
***
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * os.name=Windows 7
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * os.version=6.1
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * os.arch=amd64
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * java.runtime.version=1.8.0_20-b26
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * java.class.path=C:\Users\Doemi\AppData\Local\Minion\app\Minion-jfx.jar
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * java.library.path=C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Windows\
Sun\Java\bin;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;
C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;%CommonProgramFiles%\Micr
osoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbe
m;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Micr
osoft Shared\Windows Live;.
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * user.language=de
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * user.home=C:\Users\Doemi
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: * Documents Directory=Documents
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion logSystemInformation
INFORMATION: *******************************************************************
***
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:49 AM com.zam.minion.Minion start
FEIN: Font: Font[name=Interstate Mono, family=Interstate Mono, style=Regular, si
ze=20.0]
Sep 01, 2014 8:43:50 AM com.zam.minion.Minion start
SCHWERWIEGEND: javafx.fxml.LoadException:
file:/C:/Users/Doemi/AppData/Local/Minion/app/Minion-jfx.jar!/com/zam/minion/fxm
l/Minion.fxml:121

Now i also have the .minion folder, so i also added the 2 files.


Thanks again.

[Callads]

I dont know if that helps, but today i also tried Minion2.0.12-alpha and Minion2.0.9a-beta.
With both these versions i get the JavaFX Launcher Error.
With version 2.0.11b-beta still the same problem as described above.

[Dolby]

Although Minion should run on its own version of Java because it runs inside a JVM there might be an issue when launching it using the java -jar with your installed version of "java.runtime.version=1.8.0_20-b26". The error it is showing is fairly strange as its pointing to some xml that is commented out so that points me to an issue with launching it with java 1.8.

What happens if you un-install all versions of java on your system (there can be more than one install) and try to launch Minion? I am wondering if some how the current installed version of java on your system is having some sort of effect? Minion is packaged with its own Java 1.7 that the Java Virtual Machine should run.

I've also seen where some systems although 64bit force java to run at 32bit. So you could try downloading and installing the 32bit version. The link should be under the big green download button for 32bit.

The alpha version will not fix your issue, that is for people that have a messed up localhost.

[Callads]

I now completely uninstalled Java from my machine and tried both (32 and 64 bit) versions of minion.
For the 32 bit version i had to install Visual C++ 2010 32 bit, because of a msvcr100.dll file missing.
Unfortunately its still the same for both: Minion doesnt start, no error message, minion.exe under processes.

[Te'Vesh]

I opened Minion with no problems yesterday and now I'm having the same issue these guys are having. I've also tried removing minion and reinstalling multiple times. I'm going to try a few more things then edit if it worked or not.

(edit)
Ah, you posted just before I restarted my computer. Will wait for an update before trying to "fix" it on my side, thank you for the update.

[Dolby]

The issue with our servers has been fixed, please try starting Minion now.

If you are on windows you may need to open your task manager, go to processes and end processes on Minion.exe. Then start Minion again.

[Didz]

Still getting this problem.

It was fine two days ago, but now it just ignores any attempt to start it.

++++
Ok! I've just made the situation even worse.

In a fit of desperation I decided to uninstall Minion and reinstall it from scratch. Bad idea.....it uninstalled but now it refuses to install claiming that it can't delete some mysterious files that it doesn't name. So, I now have no Minon at all.

[Didz]

Ok! Slight progress and perhaps a for someone tech-savvy who will know WTF is causing this problem.

Slight progress: I managed yesterday to get the 32 bit version of Minion to install. Having uninstalled the original version which had stopped working, but only by changing the default installation folder from /user/appdata (which makes no sense on a Win7 PC anyway) to the more traditional /Programme Files/Minion location.

So, Minion is back on my PC. However, it still refuses to load. You can click it till the cows come home and it just ignores you.

However, in another fit of frustration I decided to to try and re-install the programme again/ I thought perhaps the previous installation was corrupted in some way. And it began the installation normally but then complained that there were other applications running which it needed to close in order to instal Minion.

Interestingly, what it listed were about a dozen instances of a programme called 'Minion' which it claimed were already running on my PC and could not be closed down. So, it seems that my frantic button bashing was actually launching Minion and it was running multiple times on my PC, but for some reason none of these instance reached the point in the installation process where they acknowledged that they were in fact 'running'.

To me this suggests that something is blocking Minions access to the internet database that allows it to determine which addons need updating, and that's why it never finishes its load process.

+++++
P.S. Another clue for the tech-savvy. I was checking my Personal Firewall settings, just in case something there was blocking Minion from connecting to its data sources, although these have not been changed in years and Minion was working perfectly prior to its last update. What i discovered was that according to my Network Security Tool Minion has an open TCP protocol connection , which is 'Listening' for a response, and presumably not getting one from the Remote IP.

This despite there being no visible evidence on my PC that Minion is even running.

[Dolby]

Is Minion creating a minion.xml or minion.log under the .minion folder located in your windows user account folder? C:\Users\<username>\.minion\

If not, does your windows user folder contain any non-english characters? If you do have those files can you post them here?

[Didz]

The Minion folder did have a .Minion.xml file in it, but I deleted in line with the advice given in another solution thread.

++++
Managed to recover it from my recycle bin. (see Attached)

[Dolby]

Hrm ok, no log file though eh?

Now that you have it installed in the program files directory you may need to right click the Minion icon and choose to run as admin. Java applications prefer the AppData folder but should work in Program files but may need elevated privileges. Make sure you kill any minion tasks in the task manager before you try this.

[Didz]

I'm really confused now.

Your suggestion that I launch Minion with Admin privileges seemed to work and it booted up and demanded that i let it scan for ESO and WoW. Which I did.

It found ESO (I don't play WoW) but it then told me I only had three addons loaded

Firkins Mini-Map - which i don;t actually use.
Skyshards
and Undiscovered.

All of which needed updates.

It looks as though it is looking in the wrong place for the ESOLive folder.

It says it's looking at: C:\Users\David Hatch\Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\liveeu\AddOns but I store all my user files on a separate drive. So there is no ESOLive folder on my C: drive at all.

However, I managed to work out how to redirect the path to the actual location of ESOLive on my PC and that seemed to sort the problem out.

So, I think everything is working now. thanks for your help.