After finding out that the remove applications routine didn't work to remove the remains of my attempts to install Foxit Reader - error message of "in use by another user or application - try again later" I ended up reformatting my portable hard drive to start over from scratch - it is set up in FAT32 Format - and re-installing the Lite Suite - and niether Gaim nor Clamwin will start or run after this was done. Gaim is no loss as far as I'm concerned - but the Clamwin would be nice to have working - I'm curious as to what is going on here - is this a known bug or something new? I'm just about ready to go back to using the U3 and giving up on the portable suite- at least the U3 stuff works more or less reliably.
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Generally, we need to know what the error you saw was before assisting.
With Foxit, it's not really portable. And the launcher posted was unofficial. I'm trying to get them to work on a real portable version.
On deleting, in the initial release, you have to close the menu and the app to delete an app (otherwise it will say it's in use). This will be fixed in an upcoming version with a built-in deletion utility.
On ClamWin, any chance it's the can't find VC++ runtimes issue? If so, this is fixed in the new release coming on Tuesday.
On Gaim, what was the error you saw?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
What has me stumped is that there aren't any error messages - you click on the application in the menu and absolutely nothing happens - I'd almost suspect a broken shortcut/link in the menu. Have tried it now with a different hard drive and a USB key - same result - even tried deleting the file from my downloads file and using a fresh download from your site. I'll try the new version when it comes out and let you know what happens.
Thanks,
Alice
That's odd... as those links in the menu aren't shortcuts, they're actually direct links to the EXEs that are the portable pieces of those apps. If they weren't there, they wouldn't show up. The only thing I can think of is if your antivirus is falsely detecting a trojan or virus and silently blocking them. (This has happened to the apps published by PortableApps.com like Firefox Portable and Firefox for U3 before)
You could also try directly running ClamWinPortable.exe within your PortableApps\ClamWinPortable directory (or similar for GaimPortable) and see if that yields a different result.
BTW - What operating system are you running these on?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Only Gaim and Clamwin are giving problems - all other apps in the lite suite appear to work fine from the Portable Apps start menu. Went into the directory and tried clicking on the Clamwin program icon to start it - no go - same for Gaim. Tried it with AVG 7.5 control center shut down and Zone alarm shut down - same result. Checked program control in Zone Alarm - both Clamwin and Gaim are listed and show check marks for permitted. Hovering the cursor on the menu entry produces a box with the instruction "click to start application" - clicking the app produces no result though. Sort of like rubbing the magic lamp only to find that the Genie is on strike! Since I can easily live without either application I'm not too put out. But I am curious. Just to check if it is something in my system I'll take the portable drive to work and try it on a computer there to see if they work - the work computers are set up with Windows XP Professional SP2 - I'll let you know what happens.
BTW - operating system here at home is Windows XP SP2 Home with all updates and patches current.
Alice
Let me know if anything else is noticeable at work.
You may want to try a standalone install of either app on the drive as well. Sometimes AV software can remove an important part of an app and not tell you. I don't recall if AVG was one of the culprits in the past (I know it was one of the free close-source AVs that did it), but I do know that AVG was detecting a false positive in ClamWin, Gaim and GIMP this week... so it could have removed a piece that they need to run... or "disinfected" the launcher (like GaimPortable.exe) so that it doesn't correctly run anymore.
Actually, if the launchers were intact, you'd at least get either an error of the app not being found (message box stating that it couldn't find gaim.exe) or a splash screen at the very least. If you're getting neither, I'd tend to think the apps might have been broken. Update to the latest AVG definitions and then get the PAF installer for Gaim and/or ClamWin and install right over the old ones (the menu can do this for you in Options - Add a New App).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Tried the portable hard drive briefly at work today. Both Clamwin and Gaim worked! Without any changes or reinstall. When Clamwin started it downloaded all updates and behaved apparently normally - since I don't use IM programs at all I'll just say that Gaim appeared to start OK(?). Now for the fun part - when tried at home this afternoon neither Clamwin or Gaim would start! I suspect that either the AVG 7.5 or the Zone Alarm is blocking these from working at home - but which one I have no idea. Think that I'll start looking for a large rabbit with a big watch - following him should prove interesting! Any ideas short of buying a new firewall or anti-virus would be welcome.
I suspect that either the AVG 7.5 or the Zone Alarm is blocking these from working at home - but which one I have no idea.
ZoneAlarm should tell you if it's blocking something, but I've only used it with admin privileges, so I don't know what it does with limited or guest permissions.
Vintage!
I have AVG 7.5 and it doesn't block any thing, and I have had no false positives.
----
Ryan McCue
Cube Games
Life is like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
(Tom Lehrer)
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
After some more checking and testing have finally figured out why some applications will start and not others. It appeaers that the problem is in the Zone Alarm firewall software that I'm using - go to the allowed programs list and scroll down looking at all of the entries and make sure that there is a green check mark in the first two columns under Access for both trusted programs and internet for all portable apps for all drive letters assigned to your devices - Some applications are apparently blocked from starting without a message being generated asking if access should be granted. Not sure just what the cause is - Firefox, Thunderbird, Abiword, and Sunbird work and you get a prompt to allow access - but not with Clamwin or Gaim. I'm using the free version of Zone Alarm and I can't say that the paid versions or other firewalls will act the same way. But it might be worth checking into. Thanks to Ryan McCue for the info on AVG - it eliminated one place to look.
will not run from portable app menu or from .exe files. all others work fine. no error...just will not initialize and run.