After installing 1.8.5 on Windows 7, the IDE briefly displays the splash screen and then crashes. Tried installing portable version. Tried run installer as administrator. Tried restarting Windows. Tried uninstalling and reverting to 1.8.2. Tried searching the web, found only similar posts for earlier versions, with no solutions.
In all likelihood this is a side effect of something else on my system, but it's hard to say what it might be. Ideas, anyone?
Torbjorn S
Run the program arduino_debug.exe from the command line. It's located in the Arduino IDE installation folder. This will give you some output on the cause of the crash. Post that output here using code tags (</> button on the toolbar).
Thanks. Using Arduino_debug, here is what I get:
Found library 'shell32' at shell32.dll
Looking for library 'Ole32'
Adding paths from jna.library.path: null
Trying Ole32.dll
Found library 'Ole32' at Ole32.dll
Looking for library 'kernel32'
Adding paths from jna.library.path: null
Trying kernel32.dll
Found library 'kernel32' at kernel32.dll
com.sun.jna.platform.win32.Win32Exception: The system detected a possible attempt to compromise security. Please ensure that you can contact the server that authenticated you.
at com.sun.jna.platform.win32.Shell32Util.getFolderPath(Shell32Util.java:48)
at com.sun.jna.platform.win32.Shell32Util.getFolderPath(Shell32Util.java:61)
at cc.arduino.os.windows.Win32KnownFolders.getDocumentsFolder(Win32KnownFolders.java:71)
at processing.app.windows.Platform.recoverDefaultSketchbookFolder(Platform.java:76)
at processing.app.windows.Platform.init(Platform.java:55)
at processing.app.Base.(Base.java:201)
at processing.app.Base.main(Base.java:144)
This certainly looks like a good clue, but I am not sure what the implications are. Any help appreciated.
Torbjorn S
Unfortunately I don't know what the cause of that would be. I did some searching of the forum and the IDE bug tracker and found no results for "The system detected a possible attempt to compromise security."
I suppose it's possible this is caused by a false positive from your antivirus. Sometimes when there is an issue I suspect to be antivirus (but not malware) related I will recommend to temporarily disable the antivirus to eliminate that as a possible cause. The problem with that of course is that it leaves your system vulnerable. In this case the output indicates a possibility there really is a security problem and if so disabling the antivirus would be a bad idea.
Hopefully someone else here will know more about this issue.
A possible workaround is to use the Arduino Web Editor:
but it would be much better to find a real fix for your problem.
You may want to perform a security audit of your computer as a first step.
WARNING its not a fast procedure but should help in many other ways too.
I use these tools on Client computers and g=have done so for many years so can assure you they are safe to use and dont contain unwanted adverts etc.
There are quite a few steps to ensure the computer is safe to use again.
First off DONT trust your current AV at the moment.
Go HERE and run ESET online scanner until it is completely done don't stop it and let it clean up
ANYTHING it finds even if its something you wanted. Dont do the download use the online scanner
"SCAN NOW" option.
Now go HERE and run that scanner too but NOT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ONE ABOVE !! (Norton Online scanner)
If they both turned up clean (which I doubt) then go HERE and take the FREE download. Install
and RUN it then select SCAN and use the "THREAT SCAN" until the end and let it clean anything
else it finds. (Malwearbytes anti malware)
If at this point the computer becomes unusable you had a major virus and will have to do a total
fresh install of the OS from known safe media.
If you got this far you should be pretty clean but you are not out of the woods yet.
Go HERE and download CCLEANER install and run just the cleaner section nothing else "Analyse"
then when it has done that select "RUN CLEANER on the lower right and let it do its thing.
Almost there just a couple more steps. Go HERE download and install. Run it and select DEEP
SCAN and when its done that select CLEAN. Its up to you if you want to back up but in view of
what you said I would not do that at this time as you could just be backing up remnants of a nasty. (Wise Registry Cleaner)
Double check that your own AV runs and performs as expected by doing a full scan and if you
notice any issues uninstall and clean it out and install a fresh clean copy. But go to step 1. again after
you uninstall !!!
If your computer is still usable (should be) then you would want to MOVE your sketches folder
somewhere safe FIRST !!
Now UNINSTALL the IDE completely and run a FRESH installation however you should do a clean
up with both CCLEANER and WISE after the uninstall and BEFORE re-installing the IDE.
There is a folder you will want to delete and its probably one of the following locations. If you cant
find it then you need to enable "Show Hidden Folders" full clean up instructions attached below.
NOTE some scanner will report WISE as possible PUP’s It should maybe have a count of 4-7.
This can be disregarded for the most part but if you want to kill those sections of WISE I have had no
issues with functionality since nailing those suspected PUP’s. (Potentially Unwanted Programs)
Also attached an IDE clean out and re-install procedure.
CLEAN UP BEFORE INSTALLING ANOTHER COPY OF THE IDE OR ARDUINO CREATE.pdf (345 KB)
Thanks for the extensive answer. I have now found a kind of solution: The problems occurred during work at home. When I connect to the network where the computer gets the login credentials from, the IDE starts normally. Then after I disconnect again, the IDE still starts normally. Thus I am OK for now, hopefully things stay OK, and hopefully this can be of help to others: Connect to your network and start the IDE.
Torbjorn S
You can fix that in the preferences by turning off check for updates too.
Good point, thanks. In fact, it may be a point for developers to ponder: How to turn off updates in the IDE when the IDE won't launch? Manually editing a settings file, I suppose?
Torbjorn S
The Preferences file is easily accessible so its not something they need to ponder 
...but an application should start also without a connection without any problem, unless it is a weather forecast...
I found that updating Java to its most recent version caused the issue on my my Arduino IDE. so nothing worked, not restore the PC from a different restoration date. nothing...
You're a few revs behind.
To be honest, I often go back to 1.0.6 when I'm having problems getting a 1284P to start initially.
Seeing a splurge of problems with 1.8.12 today. I emailed Arduino support about this, we'll see what happens. Problem has been all over the forum today.
Please see this post
Then ensure you are or were not affected.
NOTE this topic was meant for 1.8.2 NOT 1.8.12 !
My Arduino 1.8.5 also crashed for some reason.
I fixed it by removing the ~/Library/Arduino15 folder (mac)
I'm having a similar problem, everything was working great, I hooked up the ultrasonic sensor and had it working great. At end of session, I unplugged the Arduino from my laptop ( win 7). and shut down the laptop.
When I restarted the laptop, it would not run the IDE. I have deleted every Arduino file I can fine. Reloaded several times from Arduino download. When I try to run the IDE, it gets to "Initializing Packages" then shuts down.
As posted earlier, I ran "Arduino_debug.exe", it brings up a window and starts running. It starts printing a list then shuts down. I can.t read fast enough to see what it printed.
Arduino Support posted this on 6/10/2020:
We had a problem on our package_index.json file which caused the current error and it has prevented the IDE to start. Now the package_index.json file has been fixed, but to recover a working installation you must delete once again the package_index.json and restart the IDE as usual.
You can find the package_index.json usually in the following folders:
Windows:
[color=#2b2e2f]remove file C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Arduino15\package_index.json
remove folder C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Arduino15\cache[/color]
Mac:
[color=#2b2e2f]remove file /Users/YourUsername/Library/Arduino15/package_index.json
remove folder /Users/YourUsername/Library/Arduino15/cache[/color]
Linux:
[color=#2b2e2f]remove file: /home/YourUsername/.arduino15/package_index.json
remove folder /home/YourUsername/.arduino15/cache[/color]
Please note that the problem that prevents the IDE to start has already been fixed for the next releases, that's the reason why the Nightly/Beta Builds are not affected, and also the reason why we did not detect the problem earlier,
Cannot find that file C:\user\jerry\appdata\local\Arduinp15\package_index.json
windows7
C:\user\jerry\AppData is a hidden folder. You can get to it by pasting %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Arduino15 into the location bar of a Windows explorer window. Or you can configure Windows explorer to show hidden folders.
Thanks Crossroads and Pert, finally found and removed the file and it loads now but when it finishes loading it says there is a newer version and wants me to download it. should I ???
Sure, go for it.