Serviio 1.9: Can't write C:\Program Files\Serviio\lib\ffmpeg

When I try to install Serviio 1.9 on Windows 10 it always fails at

Can't write C:\Program Files\Serviio\lib\ffmpeg.exe

Is there something wrong with the installer?

Cheers, Eric

The problem seems to be that the file ffmpeg.exe cannot be deleted. I have tried deleting it with admin privileges, even from an elevated command prompt, but I always get

lib\ffmpeg.exe - Access is denied.

It's pretty stupid that even a Windows Administrator cannot delete some files.

- Eric

[freaknik]

How about in cmd put

Net stop serviio

Then try to delete ffmpeg.

[atc98092]

In the Windows OS, you cannot remove or replace a file in use. What freaknik suggested is one way to ensure Serviio isn't using it. Another would be to open the Task Manager and look for ffmpeg in the running processes and end the process.

What puzzles me is why this is happening during installation. Are you installing as an update over an existing Serviio install? Then I can maybe understand why ffmpeg might be in use. But if a clean install, then ffmpeg shouldn't be in use and you should have no issues installing the new version. Also, the first thing the Serviio install does is to shut down any instance of Serviio that is running, so the net stop shouldn't make any difference. But hey, always good to try it anyway.

In the end, I had to reboot my system in order to delete the file.

I now have 1.9 running.

This ffmpeg issue showed up after windows did an update. I have been using serviio now for many years. I tried to reinstall version 1.9 and them proceeded to rollback installations from version 1.9 to 1.6 each version was installed into a unique directory eg. program files/serviio19, 18, 17 etc. In each case the browser cache was cleared in advance and after install. In every case the lib folder which holds ffmpeg would not allow deletion of the folder or directories, even when you are administration. All in all the most interesting finding is this.l My program installation list now refers to Serviio as Unavailable. What that means, in windows 10, is that the product is considered incompatible with windows 10. It wiil still attempt to run the program but it does not run well. In addition to the ffmpeg issue the dlna also appears impacted. On the tv serviio either no longer appears or it takes a heck of a long time, sometimes several hours, before the listing of serviio is available on your tv.

This is a terrific product, I bought it and have used it religiously for the last several years. It is light years ahead of plex from a performance perspective, it allows for user groups to be defined so you can have secured areas that not all can see. Unfortunately this is a disaster and my hope is the problem can be trouble shot and repaired. Please help

By the way, you can skip the ffmpeg installation when you get the message that it can't write ffmpeg. It's already there and the system can't OVERWRITE the existing file.

[atc98092]

As I said, in the Windows OS files in use cannot be modified (including deleted) if they are in use. In theory, the ffmpeg file in the Serviio/Lib folder should only be in use if Serviio is transcoding a file. Remember that just stopping playback will not stop the transcoding, so the file remains in use. A computer reboot should ensure it is not in use. Now if something besides Serviio has locked the file, then Serviio status has nothing to do with it, and stopping Serviio won't unlock the file.

I often replace the default ffmpeg installed by Serviio with a 64 bit version. I've never had any issue doing that as long as Serviio isn't transcoding anything. No idea what might be locking your file.