I can run my instance of ClamWinPortable from my USB key just fine at my workplace where I use a Dell machine with WinXP Pro in an ActiveDirectory domain on which I have local administrator privileges.
However, recently my home machine (WinXPsp2 Home, ASUS M/B, AMD 3500+) has refused to run ClamWinPortable complaining about the configuration. When I either try to download new virus signatures or simply do a scan I get the same dialog which displays the command that was to be executed and states that it can't do it because of system configuration.
I have tried running it with Administrator privileges (as I usually use an unprivileged userid) but no joy. I have completely wiped the ClamWinPortable directory on my USB drive, downloaded the latest version and reinstalled it, wiped out all clamav related registry settings left over from a HD install and still it won't run.
When I tried running freshclam from the command line I got an error message "The system cannot execute the specified program." Reading various fora indicated that this is due to the program not finding the DLLs and manifest file on start up but they are all there in the "bin" directory. Several fora indicated different places for these files and I tried them: in the "db" directory, in a "bin\Microsoft.VC80.CRT" directory, in the "lib" directory but all to no avail.
Does anyone have any ideas? It must be something related to my machine config as it works fine on my work machine. I did the dreaded Windows Update recently to roll in the latest bug fixes. Is there possibly anything in that which might have upset an XP Home machine or changed privileges applicable to removable media?
Thanks in anticipation.
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The usual reason one program can't find it's components is that they aren't registered properly (usually in the Registry). Another is that they are not in the current directory or in the "Path".
I assume we're not talking about the Registry here. That could of course be completely wrong...
So you could try adding the bin or whatever directory to your path (even temporarily) to see if that makes a difference.
You might (if you are a geek) try running FileMon or ProcMon from Sysinternals. They can show you what files the program is trying to access, including those not found. They take some getting used to, but can be very helpful. ProcMon can also tell you what registry entries the program is trying to access.
The other question is whether the messages are coming from Windows, or from Clamwin. That could make a difference in where you look for clues.
You might also check Windows' Event Log, which sometimes has more information.
Good luck.
MC