Dasboard does not display correctly when node-red is started as a windows service

[SacCha]

I have a dashboard composed 10 identical ui_goups composed of 4 nodes (2-ui_text, ui_dropdown, ui_iframe). When I manually start node-red from a command window the dashboard displays correctly, but when I start node-red as a Windows Service the dashboard only displays the ui_groups but the contained nodes node do not display. Any suggestions why the node elements do not display when node-red is run as a service? I am running Node-Red v3.0.2, Node.js v16.18.0

Thanks for the help

[Steve-Mcl]

What account does the service use? Typically, unless you have set an account it will use system (or something similar).

Since the system account has its own home directory, the node-red project running may simply be a different one to the one you edited as a user.

[SacCha]

Thanks for reaching out Steve. I've tried setting the service up using various accounts, local, local admin, domain admin. The node-red startup logs for all look identical including the node-red/node.js/dashboard versions as well as the User and Flows directory being used. The strange thing to me is that it's only the node group elements that do not display. The basic construct of the dashboard such as Title and group panels with titles show just fine only the text blocks, a dropdown control and the image control are missing.

Thanks again for any thoughts.

[Colin]

Are there any errors showing in the browser developer console?

[SacCha]

I don't see any errors in the developer Event Log if that is the "console" resource you are referring too. I'm not sure if I'm looking in the right place. I currently dont have any debug nodes running. Maybe that would give some hints.

thanks again

[Colin]

The developer console is in the browser, how you get there varies from browser to browser. You should be able to find it in the browser menu, under something like More Tools maybe. Often F12 will bring it up. Once open (on the dashboard page) refresh the dashboard page and see if it shows any errors.

[SacCha]

When I check the Event log it generates some errors similar to the following.

ngTouch is not supported with AngularJS Material!
(anonymous) @ app.min.js:150
:1880/ui/loading.html:1

Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
app.min.js:539

When I start Node-Red using Task Manager it runs fine. Its only running Node-Red as a windows service that has issues. I'll go ahead and use Task Manager

Thanks,

craig

[TotallyInformation]

@SacCha

ngTouch is not supported with AngularJS Material!

That is a minor issue that has been around in Dashboard for ages. Unfortunately, Dashboard uses AngularJS v1 which is no longer under active development.

@SacCha

Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
app.min.js:539

That is wrong I think. If you open your browser's dev tools and go to the network tab then ctrl-f5 to reload the Editor page without using cache, the line that shows the 404 error, you should be able to click on and find the "initiator" of the call which might give a clue.

Otherwise, you might need to try temporarily stripping back your Dashboard until you find what is causing it. Possible a wrongly specified external resource?

[SacCha]

I have stripped the dashboard down to a single text element with no improvement. Since the dashboard operates properly with started directly from the Command Prompt and doesn't when run as a windows service it must be related to some windows service policy.

[TotallyInformation]

What about the 404's - do you have more information?

[SacCha]

I get the 404 error starting Node-Red with either the Task Scheduler or as a Windows Service. There is an additional error (400) using Windows Service that refers to the WebSocket handshake.

Dashboard loaded using Task Scheduler shows 1 error

Dashboard loaded as a Windows Service shows 2 errors

[TotallyInformation]

OK, well that explains why you aren't getting some of the Dashboard.

Done a quick check and I've seen some people having problems with localhost websockets on Windows 11.

Maybe try accessing Dashboard using the external IP address of your device to see if that works. The ipconfig command will tell you the address, usually a 192.168.x.x address but it could be something else depending on your LAN network.