[Beta][Windows]: aw-watcher-window crashes constantly with "Module use of python39.dll conflicts with this version of Python"

[PetbkA]

• [x] I am on the latest beta ActivityWatch version.
• [x] I have searched the issues of this repo and believe that this is not a duplicate.

• OS name and version: Windows 10 LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) x64 EN
• ActivityWatch version: 0.12.3b7

Describe the bug

1. aw-watcher-window worked OK with AW 0.12.3b3 and Python 3.8.10 x64;
2. Then I installed 0.12.3b7, and watcher have started to restart cyclically with the folowing error in log:

   2023-08-11 19:18:07 [ERROR]: Exception thrown while trying to get active window  (aw_watcher_window.main:124)
   Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "aw_watcher_window\main.py", line 106, in heartbeat_loop
   File "aw_watcher_window\lib.py", line 65, in get_current_window
   File "aw_watcher_window\lib.py", line 39, in get_current_window_windows
   File "PyInstaller\loader\pyimod02_importers.py", line 385, in exec_module
   File "aw_watcher_window\windows.py", line 6, in <module>
   ImportError: Module use of python39.dll conflicts with this version of Python.

3. Tried to remove Python 3.8.10 x64 and install 3.11.4 x64 with the same result;
4. Uninstalled 3.11.4, but the same was with Python 3.9.13 x64.

To Reproduce

1. Install Python 3.8.10 x64 with adding it to PATH - OK;
2. Install ActivityWatch 0.12.3b7 on 0.12.3b3 - OK;
3. Check aw-watcher-window's logs for conflicts with this version of Python - NOK, constant errors are present, and watcher restarts continuosly.

Expected behavior

1. There will be no conflicts with this version of Python in watcher's logs;
2. Watcher will be working.

Documentation

Additional context

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[ErikBjare]

Thank you for reporting this!

I probably messed up something with the merge of:

• https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/pull/931

I will investigate, thank you for a detailed report :)

[ErikBjare]

@BelKed This is the kind of "real-life testing" I was referring to in #931 :sweat_smile:

Do you have any idea what could be the culprit here? I'm not sure where to begin.

[ErikBjare]

Alright, I've taken a look and found that we were using some ancient version of pywin32, which I fixed.

I don't have a Windows machine handy to validate the fix, so I'm releasing a new v0.12.3b8 which someone can hopefully validate works.

[ErikBjare]

You can now try the new v0.12.3b8: https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/releases/tag/v0.12.3b8

[PetbkA]

0.12.3b6 x64 → 0.12.3b8 x64 + Python 3.8.10 x64 - window watcher doesn't crash but:

1. It still doesn't work;
2. conflicts with this version of Python errors are still cyclical, although in other flavour:

   2023-08-17 18:32:26 [INFO ]: aw-watcher-window started  (aw_watcher_window.main:62)
   2023-08-17 18:32:27 [INFO ]: Connection to aw-server established by aw-watcher-window  (aw_client.client:436)
   2023-08-17 18:32:28 [ERROR]: Exception thrown while trying to get active window  (aw_watcher_window.main:124)
   Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "aw_watcher_window\main.py", line 106, in heartbeat_loop
   File "aw_watcher_window\lib.py", line 65, in get_current_window
   File "aw_watcher_window\lib.py", line 39, in get_current_window_windows
   File "PyInstaller\loader\pyimod02_importers.py", line 385, in exec_module
   File "aw_watcher_window\windows.py", line 6, in <module>
   ImportError: Module use of python39.dll conflicts with this version of Python.

[PetbkA]

0.12.3b6 x64 → 0.12.3b9 x64 + Python 3.8.10 x64 - seems fixed

[ErikBjare]

@PetbkA Thanks for validating!