Servers are closed when logging off PC

[robbob4]

Originally Posted by botmeister

The "switch" between users is only available for Windows XP (and up).

XP or not, I'd like to figure out why the sick freak's processes are shutting down because they should not do that.

each time you log off, even in XP all your processes are terminated, its just how it is. each time you log back it it starts the processes agian, even most system ones...

the only way to continue running these process is switchuser in xp...

[botmeister]

I can log out from Windows 2000 and keep all my processes running that are started by the server loader.

However I just noticed that the HLDS process shuts down! Nuts.

Everything else stays running, but not HLDS. It never used to do this when I first tested the serverloader. I wonder if its something I did to the serverloader, or if it's something that was done to HLDS?

[robbob4]

really? hmm... I could of sworn that XP shuts down its processes because each time I log off, if theres a program not responding it wont log off until I terminate it... Ive even watched the Windows task manager terminate almost all of my processes b4 logging off...

But also, botmeiser, check my post in Configuration topic...

[SiCk FrEAk]

Originally Posted by botmeister

Everything else stays running, but not HLDS. It never used to do this when I first tested the serverloader. I wonder if its something I did to the serverloader, or if it's something that was done to HLDS?

I think it's prob a change to HLDS. IMHO- Steam changed alot of things (mostly for the bad). I think I still have an older version of HLDS, so if I get sometime in the near future, I'll test it out and let you know what I find.

Originally Posted by robbob4

really? hmm... I could of sworn that XP shuts down its processes because each time I log off

I know that XP doesn't shutdown it's processes because you can still use a remote desktop util (like Remote Desktop Connection or pcAnywhere) to connect to a PC while it's logged off. I also run IIS on my server (an app that's used for hosting webpages also available in XP) and that service (process) stays active so people can continue to view your site while the computer is logged off. The same holds true for automatic Windows Updates and Anti-Virus software.

I know (mean) ServerLoader stays active because the servers are restarted while I'm logged off.

[robbob4]

Ok so your saying that when you log off the servers simply restart, I thought you were saying that they just stopped... then whats the problem really?

[SiCk FrEAk]

The problem is they shut down.

Seriously though, I have two problems. The first problem is that the "_readme1st.txt" file states with this program...

You can log in/out without affecting the loaded programs and they will continue to function no matter if you are logging in as a user or not.

The second and biggest problem is that the people playing on the server, when I logoff, essentially get kicked off. They don't get a message like 'you've been disconnected because server is shutting down,' the game just stops. As I stated in an earlier post, they only get a message saying "WARNING: Connection Problem" in the upper right. I know most people have no idea that means.

As someone who is trying to get people who don't play CS that often (or have never played) to play on my server, I need to have a flawless server. It's like advertising; I'm trying to draw people to my product, not fend them off. If there is one little thing they don't like or are annoyed with, they're not coming back often (if at all).

I'm getting people to play that probably won't play on many other servers except mine. They don't want to play with people they don't know (at least a first). Not to mention if they kept getting a cryptic message every time I logoff my own server, wouldn't that be a pain in the a** for you and discourage you form playing on my server???

[botmeister]

The server loader always stays running because it is designed to be loaded and installed as a service (just like IIS, MS SQL, Terminal Services, etc). You can view the installed services (and control them) from the control panel, under "administrative tools", "services" (Win 2000/XP).

The apps that the loader is designed to run are NOT loaded as services because they are not designed to function as services. Instead they are designed to run inside of a logged in user session with an interface. The server loader tries to get around the limitation by running the apps as if run by the system user account, which by default is always logged in (but without a user interface). The INI setting Userinterface = Yes allows the process to be interactive with other logged in sessions.

note: you can try setting UserInterface = No to see if this resolves the shutdown on logoff problem - I have not tried this yet myself with HLDS.

Now, I have some other options to try out which may resolve the problem of certain apps terminating when a user logs out.

The best way to see what you apps are doing when you log out, is to look at the meanloader.log file. It will record attempts to restart a terminated application, so you can tell which of your apps terminiate when you log out, and which continue to run.

[SiCk FrEAk]

Sorry. That didn't work either.

mEAnLoader.ini:

[Settings]
ServiceName = (mEAn) Server Loader
RestartInterval = 30000
UserInterface = No

[Process_0]
AppName = D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
StartDir =
CommandLine = -game czero -console
StartPause = 15000
StopPause = 5000
Window = show
Paused = No
AutoRestart = Yes
Priority = high

mEAnLoader.log:

Sat Feb 12 18:16:53 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: ServiceName = (mEAn) Server Loader
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: UserInterface = Yes
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: RestartInterval = 30000
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Loading process values from ini file ...
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 ::
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: [Process_0]
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: AppName = D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: CommandLine = -game czero -console
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: StartDir =
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Priority = high
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Window = show
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: AutoRestart = Yes
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Paused = No
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: StartPause = 15000
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: StopPause = 5000
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 ::
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Load completed.
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: The service is now running the main thread.
Sat Feb 12 18:18:13 2005 :: Attempting to start processes ...
Sat Feb 12 18:18:45 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 18:19:46 2005 :: Attempting to restart program: D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 18:20:03 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:38:33 2005 :: Attempting to restart program: D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:38:50 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:40:50 2005 :: Attempting to restart program: D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:41:14 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:44:44 2005 :: Attempting to restart program: D:\HLServer\hlds.exe
Sat Feb 12 19:45:10 2005 :: Started program D:\HLServer\hlds.exe

When it says "Attempting to restart..." is when I logged off.

[robbob4]

server is shutting down msg is when the program is when the server cloeses without an error. (IE you want it to turn off)

but since it says connection problem, that means the server either disconnected or froze. Couldnt it be possible that when you log off it resets the internet or maybe theres something that causes an error when you shut down, ie maybe a process needed or something

[SiCk FrEAk]

I believe this was addressed in an earlier post. Most notably, post #10 of this thread. http://forums.bots-united.com/showpo...8&postcount=10. Please reread.

Originally Posted by me

Then I click Start -> Log Off -> Log Off, the HLDS servers are also closed as Win Server is returned to the Log on screen.

At this point, the XP computer with the Steam app then says 'There are no servers running on your local network.' If I wait a minute or so, the HLDS servers reappear (restarted).

Also, if I am playing on the XP computer, when I log off of Win Server, in the upper right it says "WARNING: Connection Problem."

If I login to Win Server right after I logged off, the HLDS console is going through the startup routine and it's usually at the point where it says 'Downloading security module...' Download of the security module only happens once while the server is running and that is when it's first started.

I also addressed, the test versions of Windows I'm using are base, clean installs. So, if there's the possibility of another process causing HLDS to shutdown, it's something that's in the default installs of Win 2000, XP Pro, and Server 2003.