# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Windows auto-update blocked by child process file locks

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and fixes address Windows update failures caused by hermes.exe being held open by child processes (serve, gateway, venv). The work involves deferral logic, process cleanup, and preflight checks to avoid dead-ends during the update flow.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 2 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #100124. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #100124 (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-99724`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.50`: 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

- #98336: Desktop auto-update fails on Windows when hermes serve / gateway child processes hold hermes.exe (os error 32)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#99724: fix(update): defer ledger-verified serve/dashboard venv holders to the updater (Windows os error 32)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `hermes_cli/_scan_venv_blockers.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_scan_venv_blockers.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_venv_holder_windows_live.py`
- **#100124: fix(desktop): Windows update-preflight family — deferral evidence, hindsight daemon reap, gateway stop/restore (salvage #98350/#75477/#76057)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/gateway-stop-before-update.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/gateway-stop-before-update.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/main.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/venv-blocker-scan.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/venv-holder-select.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/venv-holder-select.ts`, `contributors/emails/sergey0515@users.noreply.github.com`, `contributors/emails/xy952666680@users.noreply.github.com`, `hermes_cli/_scan_venv_blockers.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_scan_venv_blockers.py`
- **#98350: fix(desktop): don't dead-end the update on ledgered manual serve blockers**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#100124`, `#99724`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #100124 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-01`.