Pro Tools Helper Tool - "...caught in a trap, I can't break free, because I..."

[thumos]

Hi,

Hopefully, someone has resolved this already, as I can't get Pro Tools (2022.12) to load. The first message says 'Pro Tools is trying to install a new helper tool' and asks me for a password. Then a second message says 'Please launch Pro Tools again', only when I do that Pro Tools doesn't load, it goes back to the first message. What gives, I'm going round in a circle. I've deleted the com.avid.bsd.DigiShoeTool and the com.avid.bsd.DigiShoeTool.plist but to no avail. I'm using a MacBook Pro 16 with Monterey 12.6.1. Is anyone aware of a fix for this. Just asking...

Thanks

Gary

[bradch00]

Now I can’t get the song out of my head!🤣
Try going into Library/PriviledgedHelperTools and remove the Avid files.
The one I have is com.avid.bsd.shoetoolv120

Restart your Mac and try again.

[thumos]

Narr, it's not having it.., it's just going round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel... doom.

[Darryl Ramm]

No hard idea what would be causing this.

Does your account have admin privileges?

Is Privacy & Security settings set to allow non-app store apps? And it was not changed after initial install?

Are you booted off the internal SSD or an external drive?

Is anything interesting showing up in the system log when this happens? Look with Console.app. There may be a log for this as well in ~/Library/Logs/Avid, possibly something logged in the Pro Tools log for that run, or maybe a separate log, look at what log files get created as you run Pro Tools and this happens.

Is there a Pro Tools uninstaller in /Applications you can run and try installing again, maybe try installing from a newly created admin account.

[thumos]

Thanks you very much for your reply, but...

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

No hard idea what would be causing this.

Does your account have admin privileges? YES

Is Privacy & Security settings set to allow non-app store apps? And it was not changed after initial install? YES

Are you booted off the internal SSD or an external drive? INTERNAL

Is anything interesting showing up in the system log when this happens? Look with Console.app. There may be a log for this as well in ~/Library/Logs/Avid, possibly something logged in the Pro Tools log for that run, or maybe a separate log, look at what log files get created as you run Pro Tools and this happens. This is a bit deep for me; all I can find in Console/diagnostics is this:

com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.usage.app_activetime
com.apple.message.__source__: SPI
com.apple.message.signature: Pro Tools
com.apple.message.signature2: com.avid.ProTools ||| 23.3.0.89 (23.3.0d89)
com.apple.message.value: 18
com.apple.message.value2: 18
com.apple.message.value3: 2
com.apple.message.value4: 0
com.apple.message.value5: 2
com.apple.message.value6: 1
com.apple.message.value7: 18
com.apple.message.result: YES
com.apple.message.summarize: YES
SenderMachUUID: D4BDFE08-7FC1-3254-A749-AE00BC125F59


Is there a Pro Tools uninstaller in /Applications you can run and try installing again, maybe try installing from a newly created admin account.

I've done a complete reinstall of newer and older versions, no joy. Dunno, thanks anyway.

[Darryl Ramm]

Sorry should have provided more of a clue in Console. Select your computer listed top under Devices, click "Start Streaming". You will see a pile of junk streaming into the window. Run the Pro Tools thing that is not working... then pause the console and scroll back and look and see if you see anything curious that happens at the time you get this endless loop behavior. You can also filter messages using the box at the top right, but I would not even sure what to filter on until you see something curious. I have no idea what exactly to look for but just see...

---

Did you try running the uninstaller (/Applications/Avid Uninstallers/Uninstall Pro Tools...) before reinstalling Pro Tools?

Try all this from a new admin account. That is a test of a cleaner environment that hopefully gets you away from previously installed bloatware, corrupt preferences, weird environment variables, etc.

Any logs showing anything in your Library/Logs file?

If none of that helps/shows up anything I expect your fastest solution would be to do a new clean macOS install. If you have drive space you can test that out on a new container/volume on the internal drive. Run a macOS installer but make sure you select to do a new install not update your current install. This seems a pretty unique problem, so more likely to be something unique about your install/system.

[thumos]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Sorry should have provided more of a clue in Console. Select your computer listed top under Devices, click "Start Streaming". You will see a pile of junk streaming into the window. Run the Pro Tools thing that is not working... then pause the console and scroll back and look and see if you see anything curious that happens at the time you get this endless loop behavior. You can also filter messages using the box at the top right, but I would not even sure what to filter on until you see something curious. I have no idea what exactly to look for but just see...

---

Did you try running the uninstaller (/Applications/Avid Uninstallers/Uninstall Pro Tools...) before reinstalling Pro Tools?

Try all this from a new admin account. That is a test of a cleaner environment that hopefully gets you away from previously installed bloatware, corrupt preferences, weird environment variables, etc.

Any logs showing anything in your Library/Logs file?

If none of that helps/shows up anything I expect your fastest solution would be to do a new clean macOS install. If you have drive space you can test that out on a new container/volume on the internal drive. Run a macOS installer but make sure you select to do a new install not update your current install. This seems a pretty unique problem, so more likely to be something unique about your install/system.

Hi, the only statement I can find in the Log is this: could not boot strap privileged helper job: 122: path had bad ownership/permissions. Also, done a clean install from a new user account, and with different versions, but to no avail. Bummer, since it all worked perfectly fine. I guess this will be one for AVID to sort out before I consider a mew OS install.

Thanks for you input....

Gary

[Darryl Ramm]

That error is likely a clue. Was there Anything else giving details around that text?

Avid is not going to do anything about this unless you have filed a support case, and even the I expect the fastest resolution may be to just reinstall macOS.

[thumos]

Hi,

I logged a support case with AVID who responded with a solution that can be found on their web site, link below. This got me to the splash screen but the programme kept hanging when going through the plugins, even when I removed the offenders, it just hung on the next one; XForm, then XPand, Moogerfooger, eyc... I tried earlier versions of PT, but for the same result. Grew weary in the end and decided to go back to an earlier Time Machine backup. However, now nothing will load. It's s disaster. So, complete rebuild for me I guess, though I'm at a loss as to what caused the issue in the first place.

Thank you all for your input..

Gary







https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/ar...alled-properly

[rinky]

I'm also in the midst of figuring out why I'm getting the "helper tool' prompt as well. I logged a support as well but Avid's first to-do list did not fix this anomaly. Waiting for their 2nd instructions.
Updating to Mac OS Ventura most likely is the culprit but who knows...