Unsolved Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close"

Romidar

For the last several versions, Vivaldi hasn't worked well on my laptop running Win 10 Pro. Windows version is 22H2. Vivaldi version is 6.5.3206.61.

This happens with nearly every launch: The program announces "Please wait for Vivaldi to close." This happens even if Vivaldi hasn't run for several hours. I have to click Force Stop to get the program to run.

There are four extensions currently enabled:

AdBlock Plus, MalwareBytes Browser Guard v.2.6.21, Password Manager "SafeInCloud" v.24.10, Social Fixer for Facebook v.31.1.0

The problem I'm describing here occurs even with all extensions disabled. It also happens when I use a new profile.

Double-clicking the Vivaldi icon on the desktop often fails to launch the program. I can usually run it from the command line after first using a task management program to disable all existing Vivaldi processes.

There are invariably at least two Vivaldi processes that continue running after the program is closed.

One apparent consequence: Programs that launch my system's default browser (which is Vivaldi) cannot do it. For example—a program whose help menu takes you online for its documentation. When I click Help within the app, nothing happens. I have to launch Vivaldi manually, then navigate to the company's web site and get to the online help that way.

This problem began several versions ago and has not improved over several months. How can it be fixed?

DoctorG

@Romidar Try to stop running Vivaldi in background.
Open chrome://settings/system
Untick Continue running background apps when Vivaldi is closed
Restart

DoctorG

@Romidar Which Security Tools do you use on your Windows?

Romidar

@DoctorG said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar Which Security Tools do you use on your Windows?

Sorry about the delay in replying.

I'm using MalwareBytes. Its browser extension was one of the extensions I disabled to test for a possible cause. I didn't disable the main app, though (the "parent" app running outside the browser).

Romidar

@DoctorG said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar Try to stop running Vivaldi in background.
Open chrome://settings/system
Untick Continue running background apps when Vivaldi is closed
Restart

I just checked — the background apps setting was already disabled. As I recall I un-ticked it quite a few months ago, when (for the first time) I was having the problem I'm reporting here. Eventually the problem went away... but now some months later it's back. (In the interim I didn't change the background-apps setting.)

I should add: the problem I'm reporting usually doesn't occur when Vivaldi is already running—and usable by me. (Though something about it appears to continue running after I've closed it and the program is no longer visible.)

One situation when the problem never occurs (whether or not I'm running and using Vivaldi): When I click a link I've received in an email message.

Thanks for these replies.

mib2berlin

@Romidar
Hi, we had reports about this issue month ago but only if user use PWA's Progessive Web Apps
Do you use any?
If yes uninstall them and check if you still get the message.

Cheers, mib

Romidar

@mib2berlin said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar
Hi, we had reports about this issue month ago but only if user use PWA's Progessive Web Apps
Do you use any?
If yes uninstall them and check if you still get the message.

Cheers, mib

I've never installed something like that, that I know of. (Perhaps I misread—I assumed from the article that PWAs are programs that launch only on web sites rather than on the local machine.)

It's possible I've downloaded such a program without knowing it was of that type. If so, I wonder which one it would be.

I only rarely look at a site such as Google Play on the Windows machine and have never installed a separate app for it on that machine (the article mentions that It's typical for app stores use these PWAs). I do have the Google Play store app on my phone of course.

mib2berlin

@Romidar
For example on Youtube, right click on the tab to open the context menu. then install or create shortcut "installs" a PWA.
It is a browser window without any features, it looks like the Youtube app on your phone.

I guess if you don't know about you don't use it either.
But something on your system let run Vivaldi in the background even it seems closed.
Can you check the Windows Task Manager if a Vivaldi process is still running after you close it.
Please add your system specs, such things can happen on very fast or very slow systems, this is called "Race Condition".
On my systems all Vivaldi processes stop in < 1 second.

Romidar

@mib2berlin said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar
But something on your system let run Vivaldi in the background even it seems closed.
Can you check the Windows Task Manager if a Vivaldi process is still running after you close it.
Please add your system specs, such things can happen on very fast or very slow systems, this is called "Race Condition".
On my systems all Vivaldi processes stop in < 1 second.

System specs
– Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6820HQ CPU @ 2.70GHz 2.71 GHz
– 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable)
– Windows 10 Pro v.22H2

I don't recall ever installing tools from the browser menu you displayed in your screen capture.

While Vivaldi is running it shows 10 or more processes in Task Manager. Sometimes they appear within the Processes tab, but for some reason sometimes they appear only in the Details tab.

When I close the browser, two Vivaldi processes with unique process IDs continue running. I can see them when
(1) I run a task-listing program that displays processes at the command line — or
(2) I open the Windows task manager and go to the Details tab.

The two processes that continue running never appear in the main Processes tab of Task Manager.

mib2berlin

@Romidar
I don't have any Vivaldi processes running in Details after closing it.
I remeber a user with two processes running, at least for 10 minutes or so.
He run several security tools on Windows 10 but he meant they are not cause this, all other say yes they do.
Do you use any AV, firewall, whatever tools?

Romidar

@mib2berlin said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar
I don't have any Vivaldi processes running in Details after closing it.
I remeber a user with two processes running, at least for 10 minutes or so.
He run several security tools on Windows 10 but he meant they are not cause this, all other say yes they do.
Do you use any AV, firewall, whatever tools?

The two processes remain running indefinitely (and appearing in the Details tab) when I have closed Vivaldi. Of course they would disappear if the computer is rebooted. Otherwise, they remain.

Anti-virus tool: MalwareBytes (with constant monitoring). And the built-in Windows Defender.

I can't be entirely sure MalwareBytes is "guiltless," but for the most part it seems to play nicely with other programs.

mib2berlin

@Romidar
Hm, they all play nice with the big boys.
In my experience it is not a good idea running two AV tools at the same time but you only know if you disable it, at least.

Zalex108

@Romidar

Please,
Add a screenshot of those two processes.

Also about its details.
You could access to them from the Task Manager as well.

Romidar

@Zalex108 said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar

Please,
Add a screenshot of those two processes.
Also about its details.
You could access to them from the Task Manager as well.

Thanks for your reply.
The command-line tool that displays running processes at the console shows the name of the process and its ID number.

Task Manager seems to display much the same thing with a graphical user interface. I assume you are looking for more than just the name of the process and the ID number—if so, could you specify? (I'm not very savvy about how to use Task Manager.)

Romidar

@mib2berlin said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

@Romidar
Hm, they all play nice with the big boys.
In my experience it is not a good idea running two AV tools at the same time but you only know if you disable it, at least.

I could disable Windows Defender for a while and see what happens.

I'm reluctant to disable Malwarebytes unless I'm completely offline (but the laptop is online nearly all the time). I can imagine disabling it temporarily for a test but picking exactly the wrong moment...and something nasty jumps onto the machine at that moment. But of course you're right—you won't know unless you give it a try.

Zalex108

@Romidar

Try with one, Process Explorer | Process Hacker

Run and hover on top of the Vivaldi entries that remains open
Capture that

Maybe there's enough to have an overview

Coach8264

Some things that can cause the default browser to run in background:

Do you have any web apps you are set up to use offline
- office online, google docs, onedrive, google drive, google maps, etc.
Do you have any web apps that you've given permission to send notifications?
Do you have any apps that are only available from the microsoft apps store on Windows
- The MS app store if often used to distribute PWA type apps
- You should be able to see any PWAs registered to the browser by running chrome://apps from the Vivaldi address bar. You can remove and clear the data of any you find there (other than Vivaldi)

Most modern browsers seem to be able to handle multiple instances running at the same time without issue and I would be very surprised if Vivaldi is any different. I would only expect the type of behavior you are describing if a previously running instance hung on close.

If you are comfortable enough using PowerShell you can get a bit more information about the processes that are hung the next time this happens with something like—

Get-Process -Name "*Vivaldi*" | Format-List -Property @("ID", "Name", "Responding", "CommandLine")

—should tell you which Vivaldi processes are running, if they are responding (not responding means hung), and the command used to start the process. You can sometimes use this data to help narrow down what's hanging and why. Most PWAs will have CommandLine entries that include more specific variations of --app-id=(SomeValue) and --app-fallback-url=(SomeValue).

Last note: Sometimes disabling 3rd party extensions, plugins, and themes is not enough is not enough and they need to be uninstalled (or otherwise removed).

Yet another last note: Have seen things like this happen when the calling application tries to maintain some hooks in the browser after it is launched instead of fully handing over control. The culprit has often been the Outlook desktop client but other applications (often email clients, and sometimes safe browsing applications) have been known to do similar as well.

If nothing else works you can always follow Report crashes on Windows and create a bug report.

Good luck and have fun.

Coach8264

A note about Windows Defender on later Win 10+ machines: It has 2 primary functions:

Make sure AV software is installed, running, and current
Act as the AV software when nothing else is installed and registered

Windows Defender should be present and at least providing the first function on most later versions of Windows. A system running Malwarebytes for AV should also have Windows Defender running witthout any issue.

Romidar

@Coach8264 said in Launch problem: "Please wait for Vivaldi to close":

A note about Windows Defender on later Win 10+ machines

Thanks — that's good to know.

Romidar

@Coach8264

Thanks for your reply.
I don't recall installing any web apps/PWAs, but using chrome://apps does reveal one in addition to Vivaldi: Facebook. It is set to Notifications: OFF.

The Start app when you sign in option is also OFF. I don't remember ever explicitly installing a Facebook-related app for this browser, but who knows how such things can happen. It's Facebook, after all. It can do whatever it wants.

That I know of, I've never installed any software that's available only from the MS app store. One of my programs keeps insisting that I update it via the MS store. I keep refusing. I don't care to use that store. I used to work at MS and I hold grudges for a long time. :–)

Re: Get-Process -Name "*Vivaldi*" | Format-List -Property @("ID", "Name", "Responding", "CommandLine")

I don't have much experience with Powershell. I was able to run the command successfully once I'd entered the shell. Is there a way to enter the above command (at the cmd.exe or other command processor's command line) as an argument to PowerShell.exe—without first opening the shell itself? Of course the command processor sees the pipe character and interprets Format-List as an application, which of course it isn't.