Arduino PLUG-IN not working

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1

Hello,

My Arduino PLUG-In was working perfectly fine and I was able to upload sketches to my Arduino UNO, from the Online IDE version and from the desktop version with no problems. Suddenly, today without changing anything, when i open the Online IDE, a yellow banner appears at the top saying something like "No pluggin connection" and in help there is if you have problems please reinstall this plugin. Tried to reinstall the plugin but still the same problem. When i connect my arduino with my laptop, the IDE recognizes tha arduino, even in device management I can see the arduino at com 6. The plugin at the bottom of my screen is green and not gray. Everything was working like 2 minutes ago >:( ... Please help

2

Same problem.

3

A few steps for you to try

Clear your browser Cache.
Restart your computer.
Turn off your antivirus or other security software.
Ensure the Arduino is seen by device manager as a COM port using a USB 2.0 port.
Open CREATE in an INCOGNITO windows and ONLY in the browser you used to install the add on.or similar without any browser add ins.

See if that helps and report back anything that changes, use copy paste and code tags please ( </> ) for error messages etc.

4

Thanks for advice so far. I am having the same problem. Your suggested steps have identified the problem as Firewall. When I disconnect my AVG firewall temporarily, my Duinotech Leonardo clone board is successfully identified. But I cant work out how to keep it working with the firewall turned on. I did try putting the firewall in Interactive mode, hoping it would ask me when the Plug-in tried to do something but I didn't receive any prompts. BTW it does appear that once the Web IDE is open and working, I can turn the firewall back on without losing communication. But I dont know how to fix the problem so it works with the Firewall.

5

@JGilding

You need to find the ACTUAL firewall settings. and not just the ones in AVG.

In windows its in the control panel settings.

Open Control Panel.
Select "Allow a program or Feature through Windows Firewall"
Scroll down the list that will appear and ensure Arduino items are all ticked in all the boxes.
Click OK when done and X back out.
Do a computer restart.

With any luck that should fix the permissions for the firewall.

However it may not fix everything.
For anything else you need to open the AV's WHITE LIST / EXCLUSIONS and deal with it from there by manually adding the program paths.

Add the Arduino directories to your antivirus / anti malware / other security exclusions.
You may have to turn on "show hidden / system folders" to add them all.

So that would be at least two of the following.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino
C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Local\Arduino15 depends on IDE
C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\Arduino15 depends on IDE

If you have your sketches set up in a different location it's also worth adding that directory to the
exclusions also.

Additionally if you also use the online IDE "CREATE" the following directories.

C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\ArduinoCreateAgent
C:\Users\yourname\AppData.arduino-create

If you have installed to a different drive swap the drive letter as needed.
If you also have an unzipped IDE installed that path should also be added to exclusions.

6

Thanks ballscrewbob (whoever and wherever you are) for the fast and detailed response. Not sure what you mean by the "ACTUAL firewall settings. and not just the ones in AVG" as a I believe my Windows firewall is turned off and the AVG firewall is turned on. Anyway I will try out all your suggestions later on today (Australian time) and try to do the settings in both Windows Firewall and AVG firewall and report what happens.

7

Just a Guy named Bob living in Canada but from the UK.

You got almost a STOCK answer as its something that crops up quite regular.

At the top of the forum is a "How to use this section of the forum" post.
Right at the end of that post are some useful PDF's for CREATE issues.

8

I have a similar problem. The web editor plugin appears on my taskbar and works when I first download it, but if I restart my computer the icon disappears from my taskbar and of course then the web editor fails.

(I have 3 Arduino certificates in Firefox security settings now from reinstalling so much I guess).

The local IDE works fine.

(As a side note... I'm using a refurbished Windows 10 computer that I purchased from a computer store. It appears to work fine except the device manager starts up each time I start the computer which would seem to indicate a problem of some kind, but there are no error indicators next to any of the devices). (I wonder if the refurbish guys made this an automatic startup thing while they were re-working the computer? There is nothing in the startup folder or a scheduled task, so I don't know why it's happening...)

I have tried the suggestions mentioned above...

Clear your browser Cache.
Restart your computer.
Turn off your antivirus or other security software.
Ensure the Arduino is seen by device manager as a COM port using a USB 2.0 port.
Open CREATE in an INCOGNITO windows and ONLY in the browser you used to install the add on.or similar without any browser add ins.

I have even tried using system restore to go back a week but I think it has always failed, so that was just grasping at straws.

Anybody have any ideas on this one?

9

@callmebob

The fact that it works once and then stops would to me be an indicator of something either OS or security related.

As it is a refurb box you might want to confirm the validity of the OS licence.
Also make sure you are using USB 2.0 ports (but I doubt it is that in your case)

List the security that is on your computer please.
Can I presume you tried to install as ADMINISTRATOR or that you have at least basic admin rights.

10

Thanks for your response!

Yes I was thinking security issues too, so I had tried some switching as users. I just spent another hour with seeming random results.

I normally run as a standard user but I also tried it as administrator. It seems to be very random, sometimes working as a std user and sometimes working as admin.

Logged in as std user is most troublesome:

The plugin installs (I have to give admin password to install it) and I get an icon on the taskbar, but the web editor never sees it. When I log off the icon disappears and I have to reinstall it to get the icon back, but have the same problem over again.

I discovered that even though I'm installing as a std user, it gives this path when installing:
C:\Users[admin]\AppData\Roaming\ArduinoCreateAgent-1.1
(Must pick that up from when it makes me use the admin password to install when logged in as std user)

That seems wrong to me, so I changed the path to:
C:\Users[std user]\AppData\Roaming\ArduinoCreateAgent-1.1

When doing that, it's in the path you suggested earlier
C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\ArduinoCreateAgent

But there is no file or folder you suggested:
C:\Users\yourname\AppData.arduino-create

Windows defender firewall is giving it permission on local networks.

Logged in as admin:

It all worked fine when first installed and upon one restart, but on a second restart, it failed.
Even when it worked there was no folder in the path:
C:\Users\yourname\AppData.arduino-create

I licensed Windows 10 online after getting the computer. It licensed fine.

Sorry - I don't know what you mean by listing the security on the computer.

Man, do I have a headache!

P.S. all other apps installed work fine.

11

What do you use as security / antivirus / anti malware etc. ?

Also just because it passed the initial licence test does dot always mean it is legit.
Win 10 was hacked a long time ago to get around things and even MS has utilities to help you do that from a tech standpoint.
Not saying yours is not legit just a heads up.

It really sounds like it is rolling things back and that is NOT a default behaviour of the OS.

I have played with create in a few environments and not seen what you describe unless it was in a sandbox (your is not)
The only other time I have seen that is also in a network scenario where it was a loan computer or similar.
The very last time I could have seen that is with either a malicious false certification / key or malicious software of another quite nasty nature.

BTW if you even suspect you could have something nasty do NOT trust any security software you currently have or use.

12

Thanks I'll check with the vendor.

13

Another question... if I install this as admin should it be available to std users?

14

Yes..

An ADMIN install normally makes a program available for ALL users and also raises certain privileges for those users in regards to the programs ability.

That's the simple explanation and the reason I tend to suggest it for such as drivers and certain special programs of known origin.

15

I installed it as admin on another computer (Windows 10 Pro) and it works when logged in as admin but fails when when I switch over to a standard user. There is no icon on the task bar and it fails when I go there manually through a browser. Of course I don't want to run as admin, so the web editor seems like a total failure to me.

Are many users having these same problems and just giving up?? That's what I'm about to do. The web version is lightning fast when it works, so it's much better than the local version in that regard, but I'm thinking, after a day and a half of fighting it, that the web version is not ready for prime time :frowning:

16

It has been a while since the web editor went "prime time".

The downfall of these forums is that we only tend to see the minority that have problems and not the majority who don't have any issues.

Rather than concentrate too much in this thread I wonder if you could also peruse the other threads in this section and try steps that seem feasible. List those steps you took and the results back here and then go once by one down the list of questions I have for you please.

Most odd that you are still seeing some type of issues on two computers.

  1. Out of curiosity what is your network ? (full details please)

  2. Repeated for clarity but supply a full list of your security software ? (details please)

  3. When was the last time you ran a FULL EXTERNAL security sweep ? (details please)

  4. List any backup / image software installed (other than windows own) ? (details)

  5. List any system cleaners / registry tools (other than windows own) installed please ? (details)

Usually at this point something has "clicked" and the problem has gone which is why I would like the information above. Two seperate lists please as I now know two systems are affected and want to see if there is another common thread.

17

Thanks for your ongoing efforts!

I'm about to give up on the web interface and just stick with the local IDE. But I'm getting another refurbished computer today that may offer some insight before connecting it to my network.

All -- I repeat, All! -- software installs and runs fine with the exception of the Create software. And I have a lot of programs installed. I suspect a registry conflict more than virus problems, but of course, I could be wrong.

(I'm curious -- is there evidence of anybody actually doing the install as Admin and using it as a standard user? I really wonder if that actually works with the Create software.)

  1. I work out of my home and the network is just one desktop Win10 Pro and one laptop Win10 Pro on a wireless Comcast router.

Add the desktop one I purchased as a third, which I returned. Although I'm picking up a replacement refurbished one today (Win10 Home). -- Any advice on how to try it before connecting it to my network?

  1. I only use Windows Defender for constant security. I run Malware bytes occasionally.

I just did a full Windows and Malware bytes sweep on both computers which turned up nothing.

  1. I haven't done any external sweeps.

  2. No backup software - I just backup data files manually to usb drives (each drive being two to four terabytes). I sometimes just use copy and paste, but mostly use a program called Beyond Compare 3.

I don't use image software (which cost me a month ago -- I had to reinstall Windows) Although it had been years and was time to do that anyway.

  1. None.
18

Have tested for CREATE and done multiple installs at all levels of user under WIN from XP upward (btw no go on XP)

An YES have had it work at all those levels.
Most don't need to go to ADMIN level but on occasion it has helped others get going so that's why I often recommend it in sticky situations.

From what you have said above I don't see anything that should be of concern apart from a slight lack of security (at least from my POV)

Adding some basic clean up instructions that have also proved useful in the past along with an external scan step through. the external scan is up to you but if you go there do not waiver from the step through...its laid out the way it is for a reason.

If you know what Hirens is or similar and have a CLEAN copy and also know how to use it then thats my real preferred method of doing things on most computers.

CLEAN UP BEFORE INSTALLING ANOTHER COPY OF THE IDE OR ARDUINO CREATE.pdf (345 KB)

There are quite a few steps to ensure the computer is safe to use again.pdf (154 KB)

19

I finally got a different computer and time to mess with all this but the web interface fails on four computers now, including the one I just got.

Those were some great links - thanks!

I did most of them but not all because it's a lot and I'm not having trouble with anything else.

I have just given up on the web interface and will stick with the local IDE, but thanks for your help.