powerlauncher preventing powershell 7 uninstall/update

[LuanVSO]

ℹ Computer information

• PowerToys version: 0.33.1
• PowerToy Utility: powerlauncher
• Running PowerToys as Admin: yes
• Windows build number: 10.0.19043.867

📝 Provide detailed reproduction steps (if any)

1. have PowerShell 7 installed using the msi package (mine is x64)
2. have powertoys running (in my testing i didn't need to open/interact with powerlauncher to have it happen)
3. try to uninstall PowerShell 7 from control panel or try to update it with a newer msi package

✔️ Expected result

should complete uninstaling/updating without problems

❌ Actual result

it says that powerlauncher process should be terminated before proceeding.

📷 Screenshots

[enricogior]

@LuanVSO
it's a Windows installer bug, you can manually quit PowerToys and then select OK, or chose Do not close applications and then select OK.

[LuanVSO]

i just reported this because @crutkas asked for it on twitter.

[enricogior]

@LuanVSO
OK thanks, but we have been seeing these type of random warnings again and again.
You can try to uninstall and reinstall PowerShell and very likely you won't see the warning a second time.

[crutkas]

@enricogior, this is a different style issue, typically it is a warning that our installer needs something closed, why would powershell need to close Launcher?

[enricogior]

@crutkas

typically it is a warning that our installer needs something closed

I think is the same Windows installer bug, just with reverse applications.

Can reproduce it? I can't (I regularly update PowerShell using the MSI installer).

[LuanVSO]

looks like power launch has loaded(is using??) this dll from powershell 7

[enricogior]

@LuanVSO
we'll investigate it, but it doesn't make any sense.

[crutkas]

@enricogior, i can actually verify that screen. I don't 'get' why, but i see what @LuanVSO see.

I quit PT, and it doesn't come up. I restart PT and do the search like he has and PT has the a hook on that.

[enricogior]

@LuanVSO @crutkas
what happens if you try to delete Microsoft.DiaSymReader.Native.amd64.dll while Process Explorer shows that is in use by PowerLauncher.exe?

[LuanVSO]

[sba923]

@LuanVSO it's a Windows installer bug, you can manually quit PowerToys and then select OK, or chose Do not close applications and then select OK.

Can you please elaborate on what the Windows Installer precisely is? Is this a known, documented issue?

[sba923]

These days also PowerToys Awake is included in the message:

FWIW I've collected some information about the situation at the time of the message, as well as an installer log. See https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjBPRo9wXw9s9IpRI0QQXQvPCKSwWA

[dedavis6797]

This is interesting. From the conversation it doesn't appear that the PowerShell update fails, just that PowerToys is getting in the way and needs to be closed first. From that standpoint, I wouldn't mark this as a high priority item. We should continue to investigate, but this probably doesn't need to be tracked on release project board yet.

[eliannelavoie]

I have the same problem at work!

If Microsoft.DiaSymReader.Native.amd64.dll is found in the User or System PATH variables, it will use that version. It's definitely not about just Powershell: in our case, it's from another .NET Core app with dll files in the same folder.

Otherwise, it uses C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App\5.0.14\Microsoft.DiaSymReader.Native.amd64.dll, which is what I assume is the case for most users.

Shouldn't it just always use the second path?

[kevin-he-01]

Can confirm this issue using PowerToy's own File LockSmith utility:

[donlaci]

Hi,
I have tried to reproduce the issue, but could not. Haven't find any locked file, could also update PowerShell.
Please verify if it is still an issue with the latest (70.1) PT release. Thanks!
/needinfo

[sba923]

Haven't experienced the issue when I upgraded PowerShell from 7.3.3 to 7.3.4, probably on 2023-04-14.

What was the PowerToys version back then?

Do we know what has been changed on either or both sides that could explain that the problem's gone?

[crutkas]

@LuanVSO does this still happen? /needinfo

[LuanVSO]

did powershell remove the dll?

[jaimecbernardo]

Not sure about powershell removing the dll, but that name looks like "Diagnostics Symbol Reader"?
We've been unable to repro and it seems to no longer be relevant, so we're closing the issue.