Cannot finish Update - Palemoon urges me to restart everytime

[LittleMike]

Hello guys,

I have a problem. After I updated Palemoon and did the restart, palemoon does not work anymore. I cannot uninstall or open it. It always tells me that I need to restart first to complete a previous update of palemoon and I am stuck in a loop. Also the palemoon icon is changed to a generic symbol.
Backing up my profile with the toolkit worked though and I have my bookmarks and history saved on another computer.

I think the problem occurred because in the same restart for updating palemoon a windows update (with multiple restarts) was performed and therefore the palemoon update could not be properly finished.
I am using windows 10 pro 64 bit.
Update was 28.13, 64 bit

Does someone know how to fix this?
Thanks in advance!

Kind Regards
Michael

[Moonchild]

Please check C:\Users\{{your username}}\AppData\Local\Moonchild Productions\Pale Moon\Pale Moon\updates and remove it if it exists.

[LittleMike]

Hello Moonchild,

thank you for the quick answer.
I checked it and for the non-admin User I am working on a update folder does not exist.
However, for the admin user the upload folder exist. Although, date modified is 2019 January which probably was an update when I installed palemoon for the first time.

Kind regards
Michael

[therube]

What does happen when you try to uninstall?

So you have no /updates/ directory at all?
(Is that odd?)

Have any .mar files laying around?

Other then the Admin account (can't hurt to simply to rename its' /updates/ directory to /updates.OLD/), have any other user accounts on the machine (where they may have a /updates/ directory)?

If you restart your computer into (Windows) Safe Mode, can you uninstall?
(Wonder if the uninstall routine works in Safe Mode?)

Within the Pale Moon installation directory, the subdirectory /uninstall/, if you right-click helper.exe, Run as Administrator, does that work (to uninstall)?

[LittleMike]

when I try to uninstall it says: your computer must be restarted to complete a previous update of pale moon
even by executing as admin.

no updates directory at all

no, I only have 2 users on this pc. One admin and a regular one.

I also found something odd.
If I try to update Zotero (it is a library managing program for citations), I get the same error.
Don't know. Somethings seems very broken

I'll try the save mode method and let you know.

[therube]

If it's a general Windows issue, then maybe something like, How to Download and Use Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter in Windows [10].

[THX-1139]

You may have some luck trying this or something similar, as I have used this prog in the past for similar problems with great success; https://www.revouninstaller.com/revo-uninstaller-free-download/

[LittleMike]

@therube
I tried it with this program. Unfortunately Palemoon does not appear when I want to select a program. Also the GUID or CLSID Key, which I customely have to enter is not valid.

@Kathuluforz
as far as I can see, your program just tries to start the uninstall routine and then I get the message again

[LittleMike]

Hi guys,

I think i fixed it.

I deleted "palemoon.exe.moz-upgrade" as statet here https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/757325. Then I was able to run the uninstaller.
When I am trying to reinstall a clean Palemoon I get the same message.

I'll try it and let you know.

Edit:

I tried to install it again and now it says: Your computer must be restarted to complete a previously uninstall of palemoon. Do you want to restart now.


interestingly this folder sitll exists: C:\Users\{user}\AppData\Local\Moonchild Productions\Pale Moon
also the folder C:\Program Files\Pale Moon contains many files except e.g. palemoon.exe. So the uninstallation did not complete, right?


I am out of ideas. I even checked my windows system files with CMD. All good

[Admin]

Maybe the information in this post helps. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1606&p=9358&hilit=update.xml#p9358
(there's also an xml file that might cause trouble)

[LittleMike]

Hi,
thanks for the reply.

I think I fixed it.
Since the uninstall did more or less work and I could not find a palemoon.exe or uninstall helper in the palemoon folder, I decided to just delete it out of /Programs.
I saved it before to another location.

And yes, I could install palemoon again and also the Upgrade/Installation of Zotero worked without problems.

So I guess it is fixed.
Thanks for you help!

I will just summarize my workflow for someone who might have the same error in the future:

1. backup your profile with tool from palemoon website

2. In C: -> Programs -> Palemoon
delete palemoon.exe.moz-upgrade

3. run uninstaller -> will probably be not completed but palemoon.exe and uninstaller in program folder is gone

4. delete the palemoon folder and reinstall it

5. restore profile