dpinst.exe runs indefinitely and consumes all RAM when restricted Windows account installs platform

[UNISTRAPHIOlivier]

Describe the problem

On the first run of a fresh installation, Arduino IDE automatically installs the "Arduino AVR Boards Platform". The platform has a Windows post-install script, which uses Driver Package Installer (dpinst.exe) to install USB drivers for the platform's boards:

https://github.com/arduino/ArduinoCore-avr/blob/master/post_install.bat

When used in a restricted Windows environment (standard user, no admin rights), dpinst.exe is repeatedly launched in the background — dozens of times — without any visible progress or error message. Each instance consumes increasing amounts of RAM until the computer becomes unresponsive or crashes.

The IDE never finishes initializing, and the only way to recover is to kill all dpinst.exe processes or reboot the machine.

This makes Arduino IDE unusable for non-admin users in managed environments such as schools or enterprises.

This issue prevents deploying Arduino IDE in educational and enterprise environments.

To reproduce

1. Use an administrator account to install Arduino IDE system-wide under C:\Program Files\Arduino IDE.
2. Log out of the administrator account and log in as a non-administrator user (standard domain account with GPO restrictions).
3. Launch Arduino IDE normally.

🐛 Multiple dpinst.exe processes appear in Task Manager and start consuming large amounts of memory. After several seconds or minutes, the system slows down or completely freezes.

Expected behavior

Problems encountered during post-install script execution are handled gracefully.

Arduino IDE version

2.3.6

Operating system

Windows

Operating system version

11 24h2

Additional context

Additional reports

• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/freeze-on-start-up-multiple-dpinst-amd64-processes/1327057/1
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/freeze-on-start-up-multiple-dpinst-amd64-processes/1327057/4

Issue checklist

• I searched for previous reports in the issue tracker
• I verified the problem still occurs when using the latest nightly build
• My report contains all necessary details

[per1234]

Thanks for your report @UNISTRAPHIOlivier. dpinst.exe is invoked by a batch file that is bundled with the installation of the "Arduino AVR Boards" platform. The batch file is located at the following path on the computer:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Arduino15\

(Where <username> is your Windows username)

AKA %LOCALAPPDATA%\Arduino15\packages\arduino\avr\1.8.6\post_install.bat

Does the fault of the many dpinst.exe processes also occur if you use the restricted account to run that batch file directly, without involving Arduino IDE in any way?

[UNISTRAPHIOlivier]

Does the fault of the many dpinst.exe processes also occur if you use the restricted account to run that batch file directly, without involving Arduino IDE in any way?

Yes, the same issue occurs, whether using a restricted account through the Arduino IDE, running the batch file from the command line, or double-clicking it directly, we observe the same multiplication of dpinst.exe processes.

For now, we’ve worked around the problem by applying a restriction that prevents dpinst.exe from running in the following folder:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\drivers\.
But by doing so, we get an error message when installing the boards, which seems to have no actual consequence.

[per1234]

Thanks for the clarification!

This result tells us that the problem is unrelated to the Arduino IDE codebase, and that it can not be solved by changes to the tools maintained by Arduino.

It seems to be a problem either with Driver Package Installer, or perhaps the Windows operating system. However, it is possible that mitigation for the problem could be implemented in the codebase of the "Arduino AVR Boards" platform:

• Adjusting the configuration of the post-install script so that it does not invoke Driver Package Installer when the user account doesn't have sufficient permissions.
• Replacing the Driver Package Installer tool used by the post-install script with either an alternative tool (example: dpinst-amd64.exe is not signed for Windows 10 ArduinoCore-samd#496 (comment)) that correctly handles these conditions.

For that reason, I have moved the issue to the repository of the "Arduino AVR Boards" platform.

we’ve worked around the problem by applying a restriction that prevents dpinst.exe from running in the following folder:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Arduino15\packages\arduino\hardware\avr\1.8.6\drivers\.
But by doing so, we get an error message when installing the boards

If you are interested in discussing potential alternative solutions, you are welcome to post over on Arduino Forum:

https://forum.arduino.cc/c/development-tools/ide-2-x/93

I monitor the forum, so will be happy to participate in any discussions on the subject.