Silent crash for non-admin user

[afx114]

Winamp crashes when attempting to play a file by a non-administrator user.

OS: Windows2k Professional, fully patched.

Steps to Reproduce:
1) Install Winamp 5.01 as administrator.
2) Log off.
3) Log on as a non-admin user.
4) Open Winamp, load an audio file, press play.
5) Winamp Silently crashes.

Expected behavior: Winamp should play files for ALL system users, not just the user who installed the program. Note that Winamp OPENS fine, it only crashes when you attempt to play a file.

Workaround: I fixed this by setting permissions on C:\Program Files\Winamp to Full Control for the Everyone group. Winamp now plays files fine for all users.

[iskunk]

Administrator vs. restricted users

I have encountered the same problem. When a restricted user makes WinAmp play a music file (okay, the "llama's ass" clip), the sound and spectrum display work fine, but the position slider and time display stay frozen at 0:00, and the program crashes shortly thereafter.

Enabling write permissions on the program folder makes the crashes go away; afx114, thank you kindly for sharing this tip.

I think that WinAmp 5 needs a little more work to make it a well-behaved multi-user application. Writing to the program folder is a definite no-no, and desktop/menu shortcuts should optionally go into the All Users tree (and not only that of the installing user).

[DJ Egg]

Multi-user support is not currently implemented.
It's planned for a future 5.x release. The sooner the better hopefully.

Please refer to the official wishlist.

Winamp 5 requires read/write permissions to the Winamp dir in order to function properly.
As well as using your workaround (afx114), some users have found moving the Winamp dir to the Shared Documents folder to be the best solution, and maybe also using the Winamp Profiler plugin (latest version available here)

Personally, if it was me, I'd just install it multiple times to the users' personal Documents folders, eg. "C:\Documents and Settings\(Username)\Winamp"

[afx114]

Originally posted by DJ Egg
Multi-user support is not currently implemented.
It's planned for a future 5.x release. The sooner the better hopefully.

Even if multi-user support is planned for the future, it should at least be fixed now to not silently CRASH on us. Maybe a warning could pop-up: "WARNING: You don't have access to play this file"

That can be implemented pretty easily before having to implement full multi-user support at least.

[Welovewinamp]

Continuing problems

I posted here http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....hreadid=163827 and quickly received an answer (thank you, DJ Egg!) Unfortunately, I continue to have problems, and they relate to what is being discussed in this thread.

I changed the registry to include the other users, but it didn't work. I installed the Winamp Profiler and updated the registry to allow all users full control, but Winamp still didn't work on the other users' desktops. I changed permissions for Winamp and Profiler in Hkey Local Machine Software & in Hkey Current User Software using both regedit and regedt32. I tried adding permissions for individual users by name and by just putting in "users". I finally caved and moved Winamp to the shared folder even thought that's not what I wanted to do. Nothing worked. I can not remember all the changes I made in an attempt to get the thing to work, but none of the changes made a difference.

Errors encountered included Profiler errors saying the HKLM for the various users couldn't be found (details showing the Profiler DLL) as well as the typical 0:00 on the player and the spontaneous crash of the program. Also, it took an inordinantly long time for Winamp to open on the other desktops.

I moved Winamp back to its original location in Program Files, uninstalled the Profiler plugin, changed all the registry entries back to their original configurations, and deleted the X-fix (Winamp Profiler) filer from the registry (it did not delete itself when I uninstalled).

Finally, after returning everything to its original state, I once again moved Winamp to Shared. Same problems.

To sum everything up briefly: HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Welovewinamp]

Hallelujah & Amen! I finally got it to work! I'm on XP Pro, and I changed the permissions directly from the folder again (right clicking on folder, selecting properties, etc.) that than thru regedit.

I'm going to reinstall Winamp Profiler and see if I meet with success there now, too.

[trunksy]

OK, for all you really anal people out there who don't like to give blind directory permissions (carpet-bomb approach). Here's my best guess on the files that need user level permissions based on my current usage so far for WinAmp 5.01 :

C:\Program Files\Winamp\studio.xnf
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Winamp.ini
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.m3u
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\gen_ml.ini
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\main.dat
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\main.idx
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\radio.dat
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\radio.idx
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\radio.vmd
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\recent.dat
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\recent.idx
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\tv.dat
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\tv.idx
C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\tv.vmd

If you're still getting the access error message, you might try opening up the directory of:

C:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins\ml\

If not, go with the "carpet-bomb" approach of giving everything in the winamp directory permissions.

[DJ Egg]

List of files which need write permissions, if features are to be used:

Winamp dir
winamp.bm = bookmark list
winamp.q2 = saved auto load eq presets
winamp.lks = Media Library -> Now Playing -> More (links / update links)

(from list above)
studio.xnf = modern skin settings (default + any 3rd-party)
winamp.ini = main config file (Winamp Prefs)
winamp.m3u = playlist contents

Plugin dir:
in_cdda.cdb = Gracenote CDDB2 CD Data Base
milkdrop_config.ini = Milkdrop Vis plugin config settings
plugin.ini = stored settings used by some 3rd-party plugins
vis_avs.dat = AVS vis plugin data

Ideally, the "Plugins\ml" dir needs full permissions
if users wish to use the media library.

__________________________________________________________

Originally posted by afx114
Even if multi-user support is planned for the future, it should at least be fixed now to not silently CRASH on us. Maybe a warning could pop-up: "WARNING: You don't have access to play this file"

That can be implemented pretty easily before having to implement full multi-user support at least.

Agreed. Though Windows OS itself is also partially responsible.

Maybe a warning on the download page and in the installer would be a start?
eg. if installing in a multi-user environment, please install to the Shared Documents folder or to the user's personal documents folder....

[boomchip]

Originally posted by DJ Egg


Agreed. Though Windows OS itself is also partially responsible.

Maybe a warning on the download page and in the installer would be a start?

I agree, that would be a nice start. I also agree, the sooner = the better!

[kd6aaj]

same with version 5.0.0.3

I posted a simmilar problem in the winamp bug reports area for 5.0.0.3

I have XP Home Edition, and can't figure out if I can change anything manually.

I did a check with System Information, and it shows (partial list):

[Program Groups]

Group Name Name User Name
Accessories Default User:Accessories Default User
Adobe All Users:Adobe All Users
Adobe\Acrobat All Users:Adobe\Acrobat All Users
MusicMatch All Users:MusicMatch All Users
Winamp Default User:Winamp Default User

I noticed MusicMatch installed as All Users.

Anyway, how can you change these without using 3rd party software?

(note: I used to run WIndows 98 and was able to change just about anything with the registry editor)

[trunksy]

Re: same with version 5.0.0.3

This is not related to the Windows registry. This is a file permissions issue. Beginning with Windows NT, Microsoft started using a more secure file system called NTFS. This allows for files to have restricted access by certain users or groups of users on multi-user systems. In this case, the increased file restriction causes an access violation in winamp when it attempts to change files on your computer but does not have permissions to do so during normal operation.

What you'll need to do is log out of your current windows logon account and log back in with an account that has "Administrators" priveledges and navigate to your computer and right-click on the folder located at C:/Program Files/Winamp/ or whatever folder you installed WinAmp application into, and select properties. There will be a security tab that will allow you to add "limited users" modify access priveledges to the folder or files depending on how much granularity you want in security.

Originally posted by kd6aaj
I posted a simmilar problem in the winamp bug reports area for 5.0.0.3

I have XP Home Edition, and can't figure out if I can change anything manually.

I did a check with System Information, and it shows (partial list):

[Program Groups]

Group Name Name User Name
Accessories Default User:Accessories Default User
Adobe All Users:Adobe All Users
Adobe\Acrobat All Users:Adobe\Acrobat All Users
MusicMatch All Users:MusicMatch All Users
Winamp Default User:Winamp Default User

I noticed MusicMatch installed as All Users.

Anyway, how can you change these without using 3rd party software?

(note: I used to run WIndows 98 and was able to change just about anything with the registry editor)

[cpdsaorg]

Thanks for the info guys. This problem really needs to be addressed.

Any app that is not normal user friendly is no longer acceptable software.


[Edit --> DJ Egg]
Please read the thread and try the known workarounds before posting. Thank you.

[KoolBreeze]

After assigning the appropriate permissions to the directory I was able to access Winamp from User accounts in Win 2000 Pro as was previously discussed. I also wanted to use WinAmp Profiler plug in to enable the users to have their own, but the users get the error msg: "WinAmp Profiler Can not create registry key!" at this point they are able to use winamp, but can not access the ability to configure the selected plugin etc.

nor will it work when a "Power User" but of course will work fine when changed to Administrator group. upon returning to the User or Power User group after creating a profile this problem remains. basically the only account type that can use the Profiler plug in is Administrator. :/

Usually this type of thing is not necessary, but in this case it's a "family" computer and the whole point is to keep things from getting screwed up by having seperate accounts with minimal permissions and the admin account to install software etc.

[DJ Egg]

Aah, bad! Very bad.
I didn't know that the Profiler plugin stores settings in the registry.
There might be a workaround, with the permissions...
so if anyone knows, hopefully they can oblige.

I haven't seen x-fixer for quite some time now.
He used to be a regular here, but his last post was in Dec 2003
(he's the guy who made the profiler plugin).

Alas, there's not much we can do about it here. Let's all just hope and pray that multi-user support is natively implemented at some point.
afaik, it's planned, maybe for 5.1x

Another possibility is to install Winamp to the Shared Documents folder instead of Program Files, but again, I don't know whether the Profiler plugin will also work with limited user accounts.


[EDIT]

Out of curiosity, I just installed the Profiler plugin,
and noticed this pop-up message at the end of installation:

"..After installer has finished, you should run regedit32 and change access rights to registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\X-Fixer\WinAmp Profiler, so that every user can write there"


So there is your solution

[Kasey]

I've tried all the solutions suggested in these threads - as much as possible, since I still don't have a clue how I'm supposed to change read/write permissions on a folder in XP Pro, since right-click menus don't give my Admin account that option for some godforsaken reason - and have had zero success. I tried a clean install - nothing. Tried installing the plugin that was linked to in this thread - nothing. Tried uninstalling, then installing winamp and the plugin to the Shared directory - nothing. All gave me the same error I started out with.

I'm incredibly frustrated, because Winamp is the only audio player I would consider using under normal curcumstances, and yet now there's no way I can use it. What *really* frustrates me is that Winamp was working fine in the same enviromnent (WinXP Pro limited account) up until I got a new hard drive last week. There has to be some setting that's different so as to suddenly render the program unusable, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is!

I know this will sound mean, and I don't intend it to be, but how in the world did none of the developers run into this problem and say, "gee, perhaps we should fix this?" Unless you're running Win98 or lower, you're using a multi-user OS, and unless you're not too keen on security, you don't operate out of the Admin account on a normal basis.

All of which just goes toward my begging: pleeeease guys, fix this ! Until a patched/fixed/updated version of Winamp comes out, I'll be stuck using *gulp* Windows Media Player!