Cannot start server after upgrade: FFmpeg validation: The process returned no result

[mwl]

Upgrading 10.9.x to 10.10.6 on Windows using the installer to install as service. 

Windows Server 2022 Core (10.0.20348.0)
Log: https://privatebin.io/?595efad946a7c017#...h3HQK72odW
Nothing useful in the Windows Event Log.

Server won't start because of FFmpeg failure.  Downloaded the install archive and extracted the bundled ffmpeg.exe in case the installer had installed the wrong version, but it still fails.  ffmpeg.exe -version yields no output.  Content of encoding.xml: https://privatebin.io/?77ea5ec182604648#...LE4aoT3fBF - though followed an instruction I found in another thread to remove this file and the server still failed with the same error.

Wondering if I'm missing something obvious here.

TIA

[theguymadmax]

Code:

[2025-03-04 10:51:58.537 +00:00] [ERR] [1] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: FFmpeg validation: The process returned no result
[2025-03-04 10:51:58.540 +00:00] [ERR] [1] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: FFmpeg: Failed version check: "ffmpeg"
[2025-03-04 10:51:58.542 +00:00] [ERR] [1] MediaBrowser.MediaEncoding.Encoder.MediaEncoder: FFmpeg: Path set by "system $PATH" is invalid

Open your system's environment variables in Windows and remove ffmpeg from the PATH.

[mwl]

Assuming the following is correct, there is no ffmpeg.exe in any of the folders in PATH.  The only instance is in the same directory as jellyfin.exe.

Code:

PS > Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Include ffmpeg.exe -File -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Directory: C:\Program Files\Jellyfin\Server

Mode                LastWriteTime        Length Name
----                -------------        ------ ----
-a----        21/01/2025    21:42      87313408 ffmpeg.exe

PS >

[theguymadmax]

System environment variables:

In the start menu or a run box type “sysdm.cpl” and open that up.
Navigate to Advanced -> Environment Variables
In User Variables - click Path, then choose edit. Check for a ffmpeg path and delete if found.
Do the same thing for the System Variables.
Restart your computer.

[mwl]

This is Server Core, there is no Start Menu or Control Panel.  I repeat: there is no ffmpeg.exe in any of the folders in PATH.  It's not finding an alternative ffmpeg, because there isn't one there to be found.  Nothing in PATH references ffmpeg.  There is no stray FFmpeg installation on this box, it's a VM with the OS image and Jellyfin installed on it.

As the binaries are in Program Files and the server is being started with a data path of ProgramData, would encoding.xml need to have an explicit path to the location of ffmpeg.exe in order to find it?  I would expect not, because I don't recall having to set it for previous versions.

[theguymadmax]

What's the output of this command:

Code:

$env:PATH -split ';' | Where-Object { $_ -like '*ffmpeg*' }

[mwl]

There is no output.

I have rebooted the machine to get a known-clean environment, and the full contents of PATH are:

C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\;Y:\;C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;

(Y: is a network share containing some tools and utilities and definitely no FFmpeg instance)

[theguymadmax]

Ok, then try setting the path:

Code:

[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$env:Path;C:\Program Files\Jellyfin\Server", [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

[mwl]

Done, rebooted VM, still doesn't start.

Log: https://privatebin.io/?7da3910c834e083a#...dJgavk9ZZx


PATH: C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\;Y:\;C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;;C:\Program Files\Jellyfin\Server;C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;


At this rate, I might as well just rebuild the VM. Is everything saved in the ProgramData directory, and can I just restore the contents of that directory?

I should note that ffmpeg -version also returns no output. Is this intended behaviour from the custom version JF ships?

[mwl]

I have rebuilt the VM and done a clean install, and it won't start, for the same reason, so I assume this must be a bug and not a config issue on my end.

Log: https://privatebin.io/?f45e037e332a2484#...MeeumVkB8D