Hytale-F2P/docs/GHOST_PROCESS_FIX_SUMMARY.md

# Quick Fix Summary: Ghost Process Issue

## Problem
Task Manager freezed after launcher runs due to accumulating ghost PowerShell processes.

## Root Cause
**File:** `backend/utils/platformUtils.js`

Two functions used `execSync()` to run PowerShell commands:
- `detectGpuWindows()` (GPU detection at startup & game launch)
- `getSystemTypeWindows()` (system type detection)

`execSync()` on Windows spawns PowerShell processes that don't properly terminate → accumulate over time → freeze Task Manager.

## Solution Applied

### Changed From (❌ Wrong):
```javascript
output = execSync(
  'powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Get-CimInstance..."',
  { encoding: 'utf8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'] }
);
```

### Changed To (✅ Correct):
```javascript
const result = spawnSync('powershell.exe', [
  '-NoProfile',
  '-ExecutionPolicy', 'Bypass',
  '-Command',
  'Get-CimInstance...'
], {
  encoding: 'utf8',
  timeout: 5000,  // 5 second timeout - processes killed if hung
  stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'],
  windowsHide: true
});
```

## What Changed

| Aspect | Before | After |
|--------|--------|-------|
| **Method** | `execSync()` → shell string | `spawnSync()` → argument array |
| **Process spawn** | Via cmd.exe → powershell.exe | Direct powershell.exe |
| **Timeout** | None (can hang indefinitely) | 5 seconds (processes auto-killed) |
| **Process cleanup** | Hit or miss | Guaranteed |
| **Ghost processes** | ❌ Accumulate over time | ✅ Always terminate |
| **Performance** | Slower (shell parsing) | Faster (direct spawn) |

## Why This Works

1. **spawnSync directly spawns PowerShell** without intermediate cmd.exe
2. **timeout: 5000** forcibly kills any hung process after 5 seconds
3. **windowsHide: true** prevents window flashing and improves cleanup
4. **Node.js has better control** over process lifecycle with spawnSync

## Impact

- ✅ No more ghost PowerShell processes
- ✅ Task Manager stays responsive  
- ✅ Launcher performance improved
- ✅ Game launch unaffected (still works the same)
- ✅ All fallback methods preserved (Get-WmiObject, wmic)

## Files Changed

Only one file modified: **`backend/utils/platformUtils.js`**
- Import added for `spawnSync`
- Two functions refactored with new approach
- All error handling preserved

## Testing

After applying fix, verify no ghost processes appear in Task Manager:

```
Before launch: PowerShell processes = 0 or 1
During launch: PowerShell processes = 0 or 1
After game closes: PowerShell processes = 0 or 1
```

If processes keep accumulating, check Task Manager → Details tab → look for powershell.exe entries.