[Bug]: since v5.9.0 - MainWindow failed to load renderer/index.html

[iva-5-middleware]

Checks before filing an issue

• This issue doesn't reproduce on web browsers (such as in Chrome). If it does, issue reports go to the Mattermost Server repository.
• I have checked the issue tracker and have not found an issue that matches the one I'm filing.
• This issue is not a troubleshooting question. Troubleshooting questions go here: https://forum.mattermost.com/c/trouble-shoot/16.
• This issue is not a feature request. You can request features and make product suggestions here: https://mattermost.com/suggestions/.
• This issue reproduces on the most recent stable version, or the most recent prerelease version of the Mattermost Desktop App.
• I have read the contribution guidelines.

Mattermost Desktop Version

5.9.0

Operating System

Windows 10 x64

Mattermost Server Version

9.11.4

Steps to reproduce

• update client from v5.8.0 to v5.9.0 with msi installer via SCCM
• after the client opens, some people are able to type in text, but after they click anywhere, the client freezes
  • after restarting the client, they are able to type again, but aren't able to click anywhere with the mouse

Expected behavior

• client update should not cause problems afterwards

Observed behavior

• see "Steps ro reproduce"

Log Output

# Currently, we have about 5-10 people who experience this problem
# The following log entry occurs in every logfile:

[2024-11-19 10:01:36.737] [error] [MainWindow] failed to load Error: ERR_FAILED (-2) loading 'mattermost-desktop://renderer/index.html'
    at rejectAndCleanup (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:78713)
    at finishListener (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:78875)
    at WebContents.stopLoadingListener (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:79262)
    at WebContents.emit (node:events:519:28)
[2024-11-19 10:01:36.964] [error] [MainWindow] failed to load Error: ERR_FAILED (-2) loading 'mattermost-desktop://renderer/index.html'
    at rejectAndCleanup (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:78713)
    at finishListener (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:78875)
    at WebContents.stopLoadingListener (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:2:79262)
    at WebContents.emit (node:events:519:28)



# I found the mentioned URL in this file only: https://github.com/mattermost/desktop/blob/fad05fd774b7195e006477634516e0d664598ca8/src/main/windows/mainWindow.ts#L141
# The catch statement in L143 would fit to the error message above. But why does it fail to load the index.html?
# git blame shows that the localURL line was last changed on 2024-07-18. We directly updated from 5.8.0 (start of rollout 2024-07-05) to 5.9.0 (start of rollout 2024-11-19, because of some troubles). We had to skip 5.8.1, because we had many problems with this version and in the meantime, 5.9.0 had been released, which also caused many problems at first, but together with the software distribution team we were able to fix them. The mentioned problem here didn't occur in our tests right before the rollout, so I don't understand what is happening here.

Additional Information

No response

[devinbinnie]

@iva-5-middleware Does the app work if you install it manually from the GitHub release? Sounds like there are missing files from the deployment. FWIW we are investigating issues with the MSI and SCCM right now.

[iva-5-middleware]

@devinbinnie Thanks for your fast reply!
Unfortunately, we are not allowed to install .msi or .exe files ourself, sorry.
I read a few jira tickets and community entries regarding the problems with sccm/distribution systems, but I'm wondering why the most of our users don't have this problem after the update.

I checked the install log for v5.9.0 on my computer and can confirm the error messages mentioned in https://mattermost.atlassian.net/browse/MM-60416 :

Action start 09:11:06: InstallInitialize.
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:235]: Doing action: removeExeInstaller
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:235]: Note: 1: 2205 2:  3: ActionText 
Action ended 09:11:06: InstallInitialize. Return value 1.
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:237]: Note: 1: 1721 2: removeExeInstaller 3: C:\Program Files\mattermost-desktop\ 4: C:\Program Files\mattermost-desktop\Uninstall Mattermost.exe /S 
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:237]: Note: 1: 2205 2:  3: Error 
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:237]: Note: 1: 2228 2:  3: Error 4: SELECT `Message` FROM `Error` WHERE `Error` = 1721 
Action start 09:11:06: removeExeInstaller.
Info 1721.There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program required for this install to complete could not be run. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action: removeExeInstaller, location: C:\Program Files\mattermost-desktop\, command: C:\Program Files\mattermost-desktop\Uninstall Mattermost.exe /S 
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:237]: Doing action: WixCloseApplicationsDeferred
MSI (s) (D8:5C) [09:11:06:237]: Note: 1: 2205 2:  3: ActionText 
Action ended 09:11:06: removeExeInstaller. Return value 1.

But I didn't have the mentioned problems after the update while others did.

Sometimes, it's sufficient to just close and restart the app. Sometimes, a windows reboot is required. But sometimes, even that doesn't fix the problem.
Next, I will try to move the %appdata%\Mattermost folder away. And if that doesn't help, maybe a complete reinstall of the app via SCCM will? We will see.

Cheers.

[devinbinnie]

So the problem is happening intermittently? Sounds like you might have an issue with disk access then. If the app is able to load probably sometimes but not other times, there's likely a hardware fault at play. There could be some issue with configuration as well, I'd work with your system admin to see if either of those two issues could be causing this.

[iva-5-middleware]

"Intermittently" is probably the wrong wording, sorry for the confusion. I meant that some users have this problem once after the update to v5.9.0, while others don't have this problem at all. But the solutions to fix this (permanently) differ as mentioned above (restart app, restart computer, rename/delete Mattermost folder in %appdata% and so on..).
I didn't mean that the problem occurs randomly again and again on the same computers while using the app, that's not the case. It's related to the current update rollout only, it's not a general issue.

Of course, I can't rule out issues with disk access or hardware fault, but imho this is relatively unlikely.

[devinbinnie]

"Intermittently" is probably the wrong wording, sorry for the confusion. I meant that some users have this problem once after the update to v5.9.0, while others don't have this problem at all. But the solutions to fix this (permanently) differ as mentioned above (restart app, restart computer, rename/delete Mattermost folder in %appdata% and so on..). I didn't mean that the problem occurs randomly again and again on the same computers while using the app, that's not the case. It's related to the current update rollout only, it's not a general issue.

Of course, I can't rule out issues with disk access or hardware fault, but imho this is relatively unlikely.

Gotcha, so sounds more like a problem on installation is occurring. This might fall under the issues others have been seeing with SCCM, so I'll have to get back to you once I've done some more research into what causes those issues.