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Using either my new PortableApps.com flash drive, or another flash drive on which I've loaded the PortableApps Platform, I get the following message when I try to update apps or add new apps:
"Unable to connect to PortableApps.com to retrieve portable apps. Please try again later. [File Write Error]"
This happens on both a 64-bit Win7 machine and a 32-bit XP machine.
I originally was able to confirm this on both XP SP3 and Win 7 home premium. Upon re running the update and get new apps both functions were working? Wonder if it was a server hiccup?
Still no go here. All the apps on the flash drives appear to work, and I can (obviously) connect to this forum, so getting to PortableApps.com is not an issue, but update and get new apps functions still fail.
The issue is that the updater/installer downloads to a temp directory, and you, like me, are unable to execute from that temp directory.
There needs to be a way to change the directory that the updater/installer saves the app file to (it should really have been set to itself in the first place..)
I downloaded one app (IrfanViewPortable) manually, and put it in my downloads folder. When I tried to install it on my flash drive, I got the following message: Error opening file for writing. All this stuff was working fine a week or two ago.
It's not a server issue. That's a PC issue. The updater needs to download a simple text file and save it locally to read it in to determine what apps need updating. If you get that error, the updater can't write to your TEMP directory. We're not talking about executing something from TEMP or even downloading an EXE. We're talking about a simple text file. That's a permissions issue. Or a severely locked down PC.
that's what i said for the most part..
this is why Portable apps are self contained and why i don't understand why the installer/updater isn't
Nearly all portable apps write to the TEMP directory, both the launchers and the apps themselves. The TEMP directory is supposed to be available to all apps to temporarily store data. If it isnt , you're going to have all kinds of issues with all kinds of apps. Any PC where TEMP isn't writeable is misconfigured and should be fixed.
It's not a write issue, its an execution issue, the problem isn't writing to the temp directory, the problem is executing from the temp directory.
please read fully next time...
As stated more than once, your issue is different and you are incorrect in your analysis of this issue. The error "Unable to connect to PortableApps.com to retrieve portable apps. Please try again later. [File Write Error]" means that a simple text file could not be written. This is before any apps or installers are downloaded or executed.
Doesn't seem to be the issue here. I've tried three different flash drives on two different computers running two different versions of Windows. Neither computer can update PortableApps, and neither computer is anymore locked down than it's ever been. A quick check using a command prompt (DOS) shows that C:\Windows\TEMP is writable.
It's not a write issue, its an execution issue, the problem isn't writing to the temp directory, the problem is executing from the temp directory.
please read fully next time...
Please read his original issue. That write error in the beginning has nothing to do with executing anything at all.
I just erased a flash drive, and installed a newly downloaded version of Platform 10.0 on it: get the same error when I try to update or install new apps. ARRGGHH!
Is your flash drive formatted as NTFS and was that done on an XP machine? If so, it could be a permissions issue (XP doesn't properly format removable media as NTFS).
FAT32 done on a XP machine.
Just tried a fourth flash drive (FAT32). Update goes a little farther to PortableApps.com Updater window but each available update shows similar message: for example,
(ERROR: ClamWinPortable\Name)(ERROR: ClamWinPortable\DisplayVersion) and 0 MB download
Doesn't matter how many drives you try or if you install locally. It's a PC misconfiguration issue.
Just tried to update using a new HP Pavillion fresh out of the box from Staples, and am getting the same error. USB drive is PortableApps version from CustomUSB.
Trying to access C:\Windows\Temp on Windows 8 and granting it access when double clicking on the folder solved my issue. Thanks.
I was having the same problem and may have a possible workaround. Since this seems reasonably widespread and John insists this is a PC issue (and I'm nowhere near as smart as he) I figured it has to be something that is rather common to Windows, but that not everyone would be using but that would still stand between PA.com and the local version. That made me think firewall.
Enter Microsoft's Security Essentials, which is the only virus/firewall I run at the moment.
I killed msseces.exe via Task Manager and re-ran the updater which came up, no errors.
Interestingly, after restarting Essentials, the updater ran fine, however, a quick eject and reinsert with Essentials running caused the error again.
Killed Essentials again and this time let the updater fully run and update an app. No problems.
Can someone else please check? I'm betting it's Essentials causing the problem.
I'm running MSSE on my Win7 x64 dev box and never encountered this issue. But then I always run from a fixed drive. I ran from one of my USB drives and on first run, I was able to get the updater to show the File Write error. However, simply re-running it caused it to work successfully, no reason to kill MSSE. I ejected the drive, reinsterted and went through the process again and the same result, the first run caused the File Write error but 2nd and later runs worked just fine. additionally, all file downloads work fine.
I then tried disabling and even killing the MSSE process, but the problem persists. So it could be a recent security patch in Windows messing with it. Or does everyone that has experienced this have MSSE installed (even if disabled)?
Either way, I have something to go on and should be able to push out a fix this week. I'll either get it working directly or have it make a second attempt on a File Write Error.
Just remembered in all of this that I also got the error last night trying to access the Get New Apps link as well. So there may be a couple of spots to check.
That's the same code in the same EXE.
Everything is now OK on my XP machine. Turns out that there's a major issue with some Intel motherboards (mine is D865GBF) working properly with some Antec cases front panel USB ports (my case is an Antec Sonata). I switched to a rear USB port via a USB hub, had one initial hiccup, but everything worked on retry, and has been working fine since. Will next try the same flash drive on a Win7 machine.
... because I just tried it in a Windows 7 Ultimate VM (fresh install) with *all* security-related services disabled.
Also confirmed that all temp directories (and folders on the drive in question) have write permissions; thus it would seem that the code (or a component utilized therin) is either not able to implement the necessary API calls to download the file from your servers, or likewise cannot use the API calls to write the file. Please fix this ASAP!
A fix is implemented in the updater so MSSE won't interfere with first run anymore.
Temporarily turning off anti-virus software to allow the update to work solved the problem for me. Thanks.
Got the "file open error" after automatic updater has downloaded an app update. Moved the Windows %TEMP% environment variable to a read/write folder, as already mentioned (because of eventual permissions issue) and no go. After that message, I've located the downloaded app file, double clicked on it, and it has run and updated the app as expected.
Only when I've disabled the anti-virus software ("Avast" here), things has come to expected behavior - except there's no anti-virus running during that period, which really bothers me.
Thanks!
In PA, goto Options - Connection, and click on: "Direct Connection (No Proxy) to choose it instead of default. Now you should be able to connect to server, update and download new apps.
Hope this is helpful
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