fix(scan): force-kill stale AE processes before each launch (fresh start)

PrepareFreshAE = taskkill AfterFX/aerender/AfterFXLib/dynamiclinkmanager/QT32
+ 2s settle + clear crash markers, then launch. A hung/zombie AE from a prior
job would otherwise block or corrupt the new run. RunScan now calls it.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

services/node-agent/internal/runner/aecrash.go

@@ -4,27 +4,50 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"time"
 )
 
+// aeProcesses are the AE-related executables to force-kill before a fresh launch.
+var aeProcesses = []string{
+	"AfterFX.exe",            // the AE app
+	"aerender.exe",           // the headless renderer
+	"AfterFXLib.exe",         // AE render engine
+	"dynamiclinkmanager.exe", // Dynamic Link
+	"Adobe QT32 Server.exe",  // QuickTime/media server
+}
+
+// PrepareFreshAE guarantees a clean AE start before a scan/render: it force-kills
+// any leftover AE process (a hung/zombie instance from a prior job would otherwise
+// block or corrupt the new launch), waits for them to release file locks, then
+// clears the crash/Safe-Mode markers. Call this right before launching afterfx/aerender.
+func PrepareFreshAE() {
+	if os.Getenv("APPDATA") == "" {
+		return // non-Windows / dev
+	}
+	KillAEProcesses()
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second) // let the OS reap processes + release locks
+	ClearAECrashState()
+}
+
+// KillAEProcesses force-terminates every AE-related process tree (taskkill is a
+// Windows built-in — no external dep). Errors (e.g. "process not found") are ignored.
+func KillAEProcesses() {
+	for _, name := range aeProcesses {
+		_ = exec.Command("taskkill", "/F", "/T", "/IM", name).Run()
+	}
+}
+
 // ClearAECrashState removes the markers After Effects uses to decide it crashed,
-// so the blocking "Crash Repair Options" (Safe Mode) dialog never appears on a
-// headless launch. Two parts:
-//
+// so the blocking "Crash Repair Options" (Safe Mode) dialog never appears:
 //  1. SCRPriorState.json in each AE prefs version dir (session crash-recovery state).
-//  2. HKCU\Software\Adobe\After Effects\AppStates — AE writes a per-session GUID
-//     subkey on startup and removes it on a clean exit; a leftover one (after a
-//     kill/crash) triggers Safe Mode. reg.exe is a Windows built-in (no external
-//     dep / cgo), so we shell out to it.
-//
-// Targeted (vs. wiping all prefs) so the node keeps its AE preferences. Safe no-op
-// on non-Windows (APPDATA unset).
+//  2. HKCU\Software\Adobe\After Effects\AppStates — a leftover per-session GUID
+//     (after a kill/crash) trips Safe Mode. reg.exe is a Windows built-in.
+// Targeted (vs. wiping all prefs) so the node keeps its AE preferences.
 func ClearAECrashState() {
 	appData := os.Getenv("APPDATA")
 	if appData == "" {
-		return // non-Windows / dev
+		return
 	}
-
-	// 1. session crash-recovery files
 	base := filepath.Join(appData, "Adobe", "After Effects")
 	if entries, err := os.ReadDir(base); err == nil {
 		for _, e := range entries {
@@ -33,7 +56,5 @@ func ClearAECrashState() {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	// 2. registry session/crash state
 	_ = exec.Command("reg", "delete", `HKCU\Software\Adobe\After Effects\AppStates`, "/f").Run()
 }

services/node-agent/internal/runner/scan.go

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func WriteScanScript(workDir string) (string, error) {
 // afterfx -r runs the script and the script calls app.quit(); we still poll for the
 // output file because afterfx can return before the file is flushed.
 func RunScan(ctx context.Context, afterfxPath, aepPath, workDir, outPath, mode string) ([]byte, error) {
-	ClearAECrashState() // avoid the "Crash Repair Options" dialog hanging a headless launch
+	PrepareFreshAE() // kill any stale AE + clear crash/Safe-Mode markers → guaranteed fresh launch
 	scriptPath, err := WriteScanScript(workDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("write scan script: %w", err)