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Open office portable doesn't start on Vista

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April 30, 2010 - 3:12am
#1
blt
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Open office portable doesn't start on Vista

Hi,

i have installed my OOPortable 3.1.1 on custom path under the program files folder on windows, and the path length is 52 characters. But the open office doesn't start, because the user directory couldn't be accessed.
When i installed it on other location (shorter such 20 characters, works fine).
On the same path under Windows XP, works without problems.
I know that the max path length on windows XP is 261 characters, but what is with windows Vista, windows 7, windows server 2008, is they other lesser max path length as XP?

I have read some threads, but have nothing found about the max path length.
What is the max path that open office use internally?

Thank you in advance!

Regards,
Boian

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April 30, 2010 - 3:17am
Chris Morgan
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Program Files

Don't install it to Program Files. It won't work there.

I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1

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April 30, 2010 - 3:31am
(Reply to #2)
blt
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Ok, when i have found this

Ok, when i have found this already. But what is the exact reason?
Is there a security exception for this?

Regards,
Boian

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April 30, 2010 - 3:43am
(Reply to #3)
Chris Morgan
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Increased security

It's due to the increased security in Vista. Administrators could write to PF on XP but if you've got UAC on in Vista you can't write to it even if you're admin without going through the UAC stuff.

I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1

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April 30, 2010 - 5:26am
(Reply to #4)
blt
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Security access for Program files

Ok, this can be a reason, because i start OOportable from other application.
I have tested to install open office in a direct subfolder of program files, and in second folder with the same length, but not under program files. When we are out of the UIC restrictions works fine.
But there is a second problem with the length.I have installed the application in own folder, not the program files and whole length of the installation path to open office base directory was 50 characters, but OOPortable crashes with no error message.
So, i thing Microsoft, have a different Max Path length on windows Vista?

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April 30, 2010 - 4:32am
MarkoMLM
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As Chris has posted before, it is a UAC problem...

on Vista with activ UAC You are able to install as user to Program Files folder if You'll do it over 'run as admin'.

The problem is the user profil folder of OpenOffice.org Portable, cause it is a subfolder of the installation directory. So every write access to this folder (for example if You'll try to start OpenOffice.org Portable) will fail if You don't have admin rights or grant the needed rights to the user befor You start it.

You can try to run OpenOffice.org Portable 'as admin', perhaps it works.

But remember, use it this way is not recommended or supported!

Paid for Software more or less?
What You need is OSS!

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April 30, 2010 - 7:19am
(Reply to #6)
blt
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The UAC was the first problem...

I'm testing on Vista with administrator rights. I have disable the UAC check, and now it was possible ti install OOPortable and start it, under program files with a shorter location.
But when i install it at the default location as in XP, it doesn't work. I have a message, that open office stops to work. In other case, when UAC is the problem i have a message, that OOPortable couldn't access the data directory.

I remember, with the same installation Path, works on XP without any problems.

I'm know, that working as administrator, without UAC, and some restrictions is not supported, but i will find the exact reason for open office crash on Vista.

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April 30, 2010 - 10:30am
(Reply to #7)
John T. Haller
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X:\PortableApps

X:\PortableApps is the supported location for installing all apps. Some apps like OO.o have excessively long paths inside so if you install to anything deeper than X:\PortableApps it will most likely fail.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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July 5, 2010 - 12:25pm
(Reply to #8)
Tim C Williams
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won't work from folder on desktop either

I get that installing this to the program files directory isn't supported but every portable app except open office will run out of a folder on my desktop. My path isn't excessively long. C:\Users\timw\Desktop\pa\PortableApps and the kicker is that open office didn't do this before when I first got vista. I could run it how I wanted. So it used to work and is now broken.

When deciding your supported means of running an app please also consider that you may be many people's gateway to open source software. That your software leaves no trace on ones computer and doesn't need to be conventionally installed not only makes it great to run on a portable device but also great to "test drive" a given piece of software without commitment. Also, its easier to share your software with friends, I would wager that a quarter of my battalion (currently deployed in Iraq) is using VLC portable snatched from me when we were in Kuwait.

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July 5, 2010 - 12:35pm
(Reply to #9)
John T. Haller
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Not Up To Us

It's not up to us, unfortunately. OpenOffice.org itself has *HUG* paths inside the app itself. And where you install it simply adds to that length. So, it can handle being installed locally (%PROGRAMFILES%\OpenOffice.org\HugePathInside\etc\etc) and it can handle being installed portably in our setup (X:\PortableApps\OpenOfficePortable\App\OpenOffice\HugePathInside\etc\etc) but it can't handle being installed to your desktop of documents folder (C:\Users\timw\Desktop\pa\PortableApps\OpenOfficePortable\App\OpenOffice\HugePathInside\etc\etc) because the path is too long for Windows and OO.o to handle properly.

If you look at the total length of your path, your desktop path is 21 characters longer than the standard X:\PortableApps path length. When those extra 21 characters are tacked onto the huge paths within OO.o itself, it exceeds 255 characters and the app can't handle it. We can't alter the paths within OO.o itself (since it'll break OO.o) so there is no workaround.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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May 1, 2010 - 3:15pm
(Reply to #10)
MarkoMLM
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And again ...

To use OpenOffice.org Portable this way is not recommended or supported.

A full install of the regular version of OpenOffice.org is allways the better choise in order to use it localy.

Paid for Software more or less?
What You need is OSS!

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