Music Bee won't start

[TheMike]

As soon as Music Bee starts a small window appears with the following text:

MusicBee v3.2.6760.38310 (Win10.0), 24 Aug 2018 16:57:

System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path is denied.
   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.WriteCore(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)
   at System.IO.FileStream.FlushWrite(Boolean calledFromFinalizer)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Dispose(Boolean disposing)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Finalize()

I can only copy the error or press "ok", pressing "ok" closes MusicBee, it happened yesterday when i updated to the lastest version (from 3.0...) in response to another error, not even sure it is actually a problem with music bee but i honestly don't know where to look and it only happens with Music Bee.

Excuse me if this isn't the place to post this and thanks for any help.

[Steven]

The error means you dont have write access to a folder. I cant tell which from the error.
Try installing the portable installer version. You will need to recreate the library and layout settings

[TheMike]

I have 2 MusicBee folders, one in Program Files and the other in window's default Music folder, i gave full permissions to both and i also whitelisted MusicBee in window's firewall, not sure if that would do anything but well.

What do you mean by "You will need to recreate the library and layout settings"? install the protable version in the same place as the normal version? or use the same library (the one in music)?

In any case i installed the portable version but after asking for my preferred language i get the following error:

Unable to Access the MusicBee Library path:
C:\Users\"User"\Documents\Musicbee\Library\

I can only "retry" or "cancel", retrying doesn't work and after i cancel it the notepad opens but a popup tells me:

Cannot find the
C:\Users\"User"\Documents\Musicbee\AppData\ErrorLog.d
at file.

Asks me to created a new file but that just opens a blank notepad, after that i get a final error message

MusicBee Startup Error

The System cannot find the file specified.
[C:\Users\"User"\Documents\Musicbee\Library\]

I can only "ok" to close the window

Then i tried running it as administrator and so far it seems to be working (scanning my music folder), thing that having to run it as admin everytime will get tedious and also the layout is different, got mine pretty personalized (just realized this is what you probably meant) is there a file in the normal MusicBee with my layout and other preferences saved? so i can just copy and paste it?

Many thanks for the help Steven.

[TheMike]

After closing the portable version a small window told me it can't save the library, after i open MusicBee portable again it asks me to locate the library so i go to Music\MusicBee\MusicBeeLibrary.mbl (the only option) then MusicBee starts but it gives me the exact same error as with normal MusicBee:

MusicBee v3.2.6760.38310 (Win10.0), 24 Aug 2018 18:17:

System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path is denied.
   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.WriteCore(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)
   at System.IO.FileStream.FlushWrite(Boolean calledFromFinalizer)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Dispose(Boolean disposing)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Finalize()

Yeah, seems there's an issue with the permissions of that folder, but i honestly don't know what more permissions to give and to who.

[sveakul]

TheMike:  it sounds like by now that you may have such a fubar'd installation(s) of MusicBee that it might be better (and certainly easier to diagnose) if you considered completely uninstalling all instances of MusicBee and its folders, portable and otherwise (incl. the relevant ones in ..Users/"user"/..), and then starting fresh with a new PORTABLE installation outside of any "Windows-proprietary" type paths (i.e. NOT ../Program Files).  Of course, you should make sure you don't delete your actual music files!!  Then you can establish a new library during the new install and we can go from there.  If that is a feasible option, be sure you use the latest MusicBee version which is here:  https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=24754.msg149242#new  ;  then, apply the latest patch, which is here: https://getmusicbee.com/patches/MusicBee32_Patched.zip

Also be sure that you have whitelisted any MusicBee folder in every manifestation (network/file activity/etc.) of your antivirus application(s).

Your layout can be saved by doing View-->Import/Export-->Export Panel Arrangement to some safe location for importing later.  Your config settings can also be exported (Edit-->Saved Settings-->Save Settings Snapshot) but as these apparently are part of the current problem, you should avoid that IMO and just bite the bullet on re-doing your settings after the fresh install.

[TheMike]

Oddly enough today it's been working fine, if i've got any issues i'll try as you say to do a clean installation.

Thanks.

[Steven]

I that case I wont be surprised if its your security software intefering in some way. You might try whitelisting musicbee in that software

[TheMike]

I quit my Antivirus temporarly to see, but still the same.

Yesterday MusicBee did indeed start like normal, but couldn't save changes such as album art, because it doesn't have access to the library so i uninstalled and deleted that MusicBee folders and did a new installation, when i execute i get prompted with the library issue, i tell it to create a new one, but it doesn't let me neither in \Music nor \Documents because of the aforementioned access path problem. MusicBee as a program what kind of permissions does it need? and what "user" needs them? do i need to edit group policies or something?

Seems to me now the problem has little if anything to do with MusicBee itself, sorry for the trouble, but thanks anyway.

[sveakul]

Why don't you let it create the library folder in a path other than \Music or \Documents then?  It doesn't HAVE to be located there.  If you did a new portable install elsewhere as I suggested, why not just create the library folder within the MusicBee folder itself?  Or, just hang it off the c: drive like c:\library, etc.

[TheMike]

I normally have it on \Music since that didn't work i tried \Documents and it was the same thing, i may try just leaving it on c:

Right now i'm using the old library, from my old install in \Music, i didn't delete it just in case and that allows MusicBee to start normally, i can play music, change the layout, etc. except i can't make changes, like rating a song, it tells me "access to the path is denied" and so i can't rate it, after trying to change anything of the files and closing MusicBee i get:

Error

Unable to save the library database:
Access is denied.
[C:\Users\"user"\Music\MusicBee\MusicBeeLibrary.mbl]

OK

So basically, something is keeping MusicBee from changing anything.

I'll create a new library in C: and see how it goes.

[sveakul]

Unable to save the library database:
Access is denied.
[C:\Users\"user"\Music\MusicBee\MusicBeeLibrary.mbl]

This path shows that the version you are using isn't the Portable one, and so you still have a mix of versions on your PC that definitely are impeding a diagnosis and fix.

[phred]

I'll create a new library in C: and see how it goes.

As sveakul said, put the portable install somewhere else. If you have a drive or partition other than C: that would be ideal. Also set your library for that other drive or partition. And clear out the old library. You want only one instance of MB on your computer.

[TheMike]

"This path shows that the version you are using isn't the Portable one, and so you still have a mix of versions on your PC that definitely are impeding a diagnosis and fix."

Yes, that's the normal version, the portable install just didn't install, i ran it as admin and went through the install but when it finished it just didn't launch musicbee, went to the place where it was supposed to install and nothing was there, tried a couple of times more got annoyed and tried the normal version one more time, which worked more or less.

Just made the new library in C: moved the music and scanned the new library and so far no problems.

Many thanks for the help, even though the problem must still exist at least MusicBee works again.

Sorry for the trouble and thanks again.