[osgeo4w-dev] [osgeo4w] #804: Could not load qgis_app.dll - QGIS LTR 3.28.11 OSGeo4W Installer

[OSGeo4W]

#804: Could not load qgis_app.dll - QGIS LTR 3.28.11 OSGeo4W Installer
----------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Reporter:  ascottwwf  |      Owner:  osgeo4w-dev@…
    Type:  defect     |     Status:  new
Priority:  normal     |  Component:  Installer
 Version:  1.0        |   Keywords:  QGIS LTR OSGeo4W scripted installer
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 I tried raising this issue with QGIS but I was pointed in your direction
 **What is the bug or the crash?**

 After either a fresh install (or an upgrade install) of QGIS LTR using the
 OSGeo4W installer, the QGIS application will not start as it errors with:
 [[Image(ticket:1:picture.gif)]]

 **Steps to reproduce the issue**

 We deploy QGIS LTR to a small number of users using Intune as our
 Application deployment method, this is deployed using a PowerShell script
 (originally sourced from:
 https://gist.github.com/Guts/6303dc5eb941eb24be3e27609cd46985), my
 slightly modified script is as follows:

 {{{
 "Begin: $ENV:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE" >> "C:\Windows\Temp\Test.txt"
 If ($ENV:PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432 -eq "AMD64") {
      Try {
          &"$ENV:WINDIR\SysNative\WindowsPowershell\v1.0\PowerShell.exe"
 -File $PSCOMMANDPATH
      }
      Catch {
          Throw "Failed to start $PSCOMMANDPATH"
      }
      Exit
 }

 "End: $ENV:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE" >> "C:\Windows\Temp\Test.txt"
 #Requires -RunAsAdministrator

 <#
 =========================================================================================
 Install-OSGeo4W_QGIS-LTR.ps1
 -----------------------------
 .Synopsis
    Download the OSGeo4W installer then download and install QGIS LTR
 (through the 'full' meta-package).
 .DESCRIPTION
    This script will:
       1. change the current directory to the user downloads folder
       2. download the OSGeo4W installer
       3. launch it passing command-line parameters to INSTALL QGIS LTR
     Documentation reference:
 https://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/wiki/CommandLine
 #>

 <#
 =========================================================================================
 Adrian Scott
 7th December 2022

 Original file sourced from:
 https://gist.github.com/Guts/6303dc5eb941eb24be3e27609cd46985

 =========================================================================================
 #>

 Write-Host "=== Start installing / upgrading QGIS LTR..." -ForegroundColor
 Green

 # Save current working directory
 $starter_path = Get-Location

 # Move into the user download directory
 Set-Location -Path "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Downloads"

 # Set saved name of File to be downloaded
 $OutFile = "osgeo4w-setup.exe"

 # Download installer
 Write-Host " = Start downloading the OSGeo4W installer..."
 -ForegroundColor Yellow
 Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://download.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/v2/osgeo4w-
 setup.exe" -OutFile $OutFile

 # Download and install (same command to upgrade with clean up)
 Write-Host " = Start installing / upgrading QGIS LTR..." -ForegroundColor
 Yellow
 & .\$($OutFile) `
     --quiet-mode `
     --advanced `
     --arch x86_64 `
     --autoaccept `
     --delete-orphans `
     --local-package-dir "$($env:APPDATA)\OSGeo4W_v2-Packages" `
     --menu-name "QGIS LTR" `
     --no-desktop `
     --packages qgis-ltr-full `
     --root "$($env:ProgramFiles)\OSGeo4W_v2" `
     --site "https://www.norbit.de/osgeo4w/v2" `
     --site "https://download.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/v2" `
     --site "https://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/osgeo/download/osgeo4w/v2" `
     --upgrade-also `
  | out-null

 # Return to the initial directory
 Set-Location -Path $starter_path
 Write-Host "==== Work is done!" -ForegroundColor Green
 }}}

 So, up until the release of QGIS LTR version 3.28.9 (or 3.28.8), this
 script had worked fine, but since then we have been seeing this issue

 This issue occurs on both fresh installs and upgrade installs (this is
 similar to the earlier reported QGIS issue #49148
 (https://github.com/qgis/QGIS/issues/49148).
 We use the OSGeo4W installer to install (and/or upgrade) QGIS LTR

 From my basic understanding it appears that during the install, the path
 environment does not get updated (as it had previously), so when running
 the QGIS application the qgis_app.dll can not be found, hence the error
 message.
 I also note that on a new and upgraded install that the qgis-ltr-bin.env
 file does not exist so it is not possible to Check this file for correct
 environment paths.
 I have re-visited the command line syntax for the OSGeo4W installer
 (https://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/wiki/CommandLine), to double check there
 is no changes to the syntax (or mistakes in my command), but all seems as
 it always has.
 FYI: All our devices run Windows 10 Enterprise (x64) version 22H2 with
 latest September (or August) 2023 Windows updates installed i.e. Build
 10.0.19045.3348

 I suspect the installer is failing to complete at some point and not
 running the procedure that amends the environment path
-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/ticket/804>
OSGeo4W <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w>
OSGeo4W is the Windows installer and package environment for the OSGeo stack.