# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Windows taskkill self-termination guard on update

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items concern a Windows-specific bug where an update or Hermes-update command causes the updater to kill its own process tree via taskkill /T, preventing the update from running. The fixes add a fail-closed identity check to block taskkill from targeting ancestor or gateway processes.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #99558. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #99558 (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-99558`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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

- #98814: Windows: natural-language 'update hermes' from a chat platform makes the updater taskkill /T its own process tree - update silently never runs

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#99558: fix(windows): fail-closed process-identity guard before every unverified taskkill**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `.github/workflows/windows-venv-e2e.yml`, `gateway/run.py`, `gateway/status.py`, `hermes_cli/_subprocess_compat.py`, `hermes_cli/dashboard_procs.py`, `hermes_cli/gateway.py`, `hermes_cli/gateway_windows.py`, `hermes_cli/profiles.py`, `hermes_cli/update_cmd.py`, `plugins/platforms/whatsapp/adapter.py`, `tests/gateway/test_runner_startup_failures.py`, `tests/gateway/test_status.py`, `tests/gateway/test_whatsapp_connect.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_stale_pid_guard.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_taskkill_identity_windows_live.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_concurrent_quarantine.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_orphan_backend_reap.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_stale_dashboard.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_update_wedged_gateway.py` (+4 more)
- **#98826: fix(update): refuse gateway ancestor tree-kill on Windows**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#99558`, `#96741`, `#91297`, `#98826`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #99558 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-08-31`.