Cannot open SEB

[crisifrim]

When i try to start SEB an error occurs with the following message: "An unexpected error occurred during the startup procedure! Please consult the log files for more information."

[dbuechel]

Could you please provide the log files, to be found under %LocalAppData%\SafeExamBrowser\Logs? The exact reason of failure may be found in the runtime or client log file of the affected session.

[crisifrim]

This is the latest one

/* Safe Exam Browser, Version 3.2.0 (x64), Build 3.2.0.338
/* Copyright © 2021 ETH Zürich, Educational Development and Technology (LET)
/*
/* Please visit https://www.github.com/SafeExamBrowser for more information.

Application started at 2021-07-14 18:08:42.105

Running on Windows 8.1, Microsoft Windows NT 6.3.9600.0 (x64)

Computer 'CRISTI' is a 905S3G/906S3G/915S3G manufactured by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Runtime-ID: 38959c53-ce6c-4d9e-9132-d27a1d91da9f

2021-07-14 18:09:27.673 [04] - INFO: Initiating startup procedure...
2021-07-14 18:09:28.077 [04] - INFO: Loading text data...
2021-07-14 18:09:28.105 [04] - DEBUG: [Text] System language is 'en', trying to load data...
2021-07-14 18:09:28.468 [04] - DEBUG: [Text] Data successfully loaded.
2021-07-14 18:09:28.473 [04] - INFO: Starting communication host...
2021-07-14 18:09:30.932 [09] - DEBUG: [RuntimeHost] Communication host is opening...
2021-07-14 18:09:33.883 [04] - ERROR: Caught unexpected exception while performing operation 'CommunicationHostOperation'!

Exception Message: Failed to start communication host for endpoint 'net.pipe://localhost/safeexambrowser/runtime/6a807c39-5ab7-430b-9e6b-8b782facb29d' within 5 seconds!
Exception Type: System.ServiceModel.CommunicationException

at SafeExamBrowser.Communication.Hosts.BaseHost.Start() in C:\Users\appveyor\projects\seb-win-refactoring-j210pbl5yw73ivqx\SafeExamBrowser.Communication\Hosts\BaseHost.cs:line 137
at SafeExamBrowser.Core.Operations.CommunicationHostOperation.Perform() in C:\Users\appveyor\projects\seb-win-refactoring-j210pbl5yw73ivqx\SafeExamBrowser.Core\Operations\CommunicationHostOperation.cs:line 42
at SafeExamBrowser.Core.OperationModel.OperationSequence.Perform() in C:\Users\appveyor\projects\seb-win-refactoring-j210pbl5yw73ivqx\SafeExamBrowser.Core\OperationModel\OperationSequence.cs:line 108

2021-07-14 18:09:33.911 [04] - INFO: Stopping communication host...
2021-07-14 18:09:33.985 [04] - DEBUG: [RuntimeHost] Communication host is closing...
2021-07-14 18:09:34.102 [04] - DEBUG: [RuntimeHost] Communication host has been closed.
2021-07-14 18:09:34.152 [04] - DEBUG: [RuntimeHost] Terminated communication host for endpoint 'net.pipe://localhost/safeexambrowser/runtime/6a807c39-5ab7-430b-9e6b-8b782facb29d'.
2021-07-14 18:09:34.156 [04] - INFO: Application startup aborted!

2021-07-14 18:10:42.847 [10] - INFO: Initiating shutdown procedure...
2021-07-14 18:10:42.853 [10] - INFO: Application successfully finalized.

Application terminated at 2021-07-14 18:10:43.960

[crisifrim]

I've installed the older version 2.4.1 of SEB which starts on my PC but the passwords don't work. I have an exam tomorrow please help :(

[dbuechel]

Is your system up to date? Something elementary seems to not work on your computer (there appears to be an issue with the Windows Communication Foundation or something related to it). Are you using any anti-virus or anti-malware software or other similar tools?

[pazao]

My student cannot launch Safe Exam Browser for the exam. He's not using a virtual machine; he's using one monitor only. He is using a desktop computer with an external monitor.
My exam is config using this seb file.
SebClientSettings.zip

Could you please look into it?
2021-07-23_09h46m36s_Runtime.log

[dbuechel]

Please always open a new discussion for new questions which are not directly related to the original question or issue. What you have done here is ask an unrelated question in form of a reply to the OP's question, and that's not the way discussions are intended to work. We would very much like to prevent having the same mess here on GitHub that we used to have over on SourceForge, where there would be page-long threads with all kinds of different topics posted together.

Now to your issue: Are you absolutely sure that your student isn't using a VM? Because the error appearing in their log file normally only appears within virtual machines:

2021-07-23 09:47:00.295 [07] - INFO: Validating display configuration...
2021-07-23 09:47:03.128 [07] - ERROR: [DisplayMonitor] Failed to query displays!

   Exception Message: Not supported 
   Exception Type: System.Management.ManagementException

   at System.Management.ManagementException.ThrowWithExtendedInfo(ManagementStatus errorCode)
   at System.Management.ManagementObjectCollection.ManagementObjectEnumerator.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.<CastIterator>d__97`1.MoveNext()
   at SafeExamBrowser.Monitoring.Display.DisplayMonitor.TryLoadDisplays(IList`1& displays) in C:\Users\appveyor\projects\seb-win-refactoring-tgvq4q38nexl26m0\SafeExamBrowser.Monitoring\Display\DisplayMonitor.cs:line 167

2021-07-23 09:47:03.131 [07] - WARNING: [DisplayMonitor] Failed to validate display configuration, active configuration is not allowed.
2021-07-23 09:47:03.133 [07] - ERROR: Display configuration is not allowed!

There are (unfortunately) still ways to relatively easily circumvent the VM check within SEB, and the system information appears to be more than suspicious:

# Running on Windows 10, Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19042.0 (x64)
# Computer 'DESKTOP-5D1A1H1' is a To Be Filled By O.E.M. System Product Name manufactured by System manufacturer

[pazao]

Thank you for the insight. I'll open new discussion next time.