# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Locked .previous-* entries blocking package installs

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and fixes address a scenario where locked or undeletable .previous-* files (notably on Windows) cause package manager installs to fail. The changes shift toward tolerating or deferring cleanup of such entries rather than aborting the operation.

## TL;DR

- 6 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 4 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #131779. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #131779 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-131779`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.33`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #124807: \[Bug\]: Windows hermes update fails in source preparation: WinError 5 deleting .previous-python libcrypto DLL

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#131779: Windows update no longer fails when a running process still holds the old Python runtime's DLLs (#124807, salvage #124819, supersedes #128955 marker)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `pm/cli.py`, `pm/install.py`, `tests/pm/test_held_entry_windows_live.py`, `tests/pm/test_pm_core.py`
- **#124817: fix(pm): keep locked stale previous entries instead of failing install**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
- **#124819: fix(pm): keep locked stale previous entries instead of failing install**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `e9c67540092e447b7683cfe5d0b571793712c352`, `#131779`
- **#124822: fix(pm): stop a locked .previous- entry from failing a finished install**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#124819`, `#124819`, `#124819`, `#124807`, `#124819`
- **#124858: fix(pm): best-effort cleanup of displaced .previous-* entry after verified publish**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `e9c67540092e447b7683cfe5d0b571793712c352`, `#131779`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #131779 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-10-02`.