I have been using Firefox Portable for a while now and have not experienced any problems until recently. As of today, when I start FxP I get this error message:
"Could not initialize the application's security component. The most likely cause is problems with files in your application's profile directory. Please check that this directory has no read/write restrictions and your hard disk is not full or close to full. It is recommended that you exit the application and fix the problem. If you continue to use this session, you might see incorrect application behavior when accessing security features."
Now when the window opens, most of my add-ons are missing or functioning strangely (only on some computers), I am unable to manage my add-ons (the add-ons window appears empty), and there are glitches in both the GUI and web pages (I was not even able to register for this forum in Fx because the CAPTCHA image would not appear).
My USB drive is not even close to full, but I noticed that the folders containing FxP were set to read-only. When I tried to clear it, it appeared as though the settings changed, but the error persisted and I discovered that the directories had reverted back to read-only by themselves (if they had ever truly changed to begin with). This is not a problem with my drive, because no other folders have this problem.
EDIT:
Upon further inspection, the files within the folders were cleared of the read-only attribute, but the folders still have the box marked (filled, not checked, which simply allows you to select one option or the other for all files in the directory). This confuses me even more, because this eliminates the one culprit that I thought was causing the problem. Any ideas?
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I never had this myself but I would suggest that you go and reinstall FirefoxPortable. That may help.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
I did just now uninstall FxP (and my other individual PortableApps) and installed the entire suite of apps to start from scratch and I am experiencing the same problem, as well as periodic crashes of all the apps in the suite. I am also unable to access any site with a secure connection, because it says SSL is disabled, even though it is clearly enabled in the Firefox options.
I know that you will probably blame my USB drive for the problems, but I find that hard to believe, as it was working just fine and gave me no problems before I installed anything from Portableapps.com (and I do have applications from other sources running on the drive - such as iBin - that work perfectly, so I know the drive is able to run applications). If my drive is now malfunctioning, I don't see how it could be caused by anything other than the PortableApps suite itself, so I would really appreciate any help that could be provided.
It's actually impossible for any app or file to cause drive issues itself. Windows simply won't allow it. But installing a lot of stuff on a drive at once is more likely to show issues that are already on the drive (not to mention heating up the components by doing large installs at once.
I'd suggest checking your drive for errors and reformatting (after backing up, etc).
Also try running FFP from your local machine and you'll find it works fine. Meaning it's your drive or USB port.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I had checked the drive for errors multiple times before and since installing the apps (it's just good practice, problems or no), and the drive was formatted only a couple of days before I installed them (it's fairly new), but I will try it again later anyway.
As to your statements about installing lots of stuff, I repeat that my drive is not even close to full, containing only a few documents as I type this (iBin was working perfectly as I said, but I went ahead and removed it from the drive before installation in case it was somehow conflicting with the the suite and causing the problems, but no luck).
I also find it comical to the point of absurdity for you to blame large installs when it was YOUR large installation that I ran! If the ridiculously large installation of your suite heated up my drive components, causing failure (which I don't buy), then explain to me again how this is my fault. Is it my fault that I downloaded your apps? Would you rather I didn't?
I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just frustrated, which I hope you can understand instead of getting defensive. I love your suite so much that I am willing to struggle through this process, and I thank you for your prompt responses. It shows that you actually care a bit.
Have you updated your virus/security software lately? Perhaps it's causing a conflict. Even if you haven't updated it recently, changes in version to portable apps may be triggering your security software where they didn't in the past.
Or maybe the problem is even simpler than that... you have a virus. Not trying to pass the buck here but lots of us are using FirefoxPortable without issue, so there something in particular with your system setup/configuration that is causing a problem.
Oh and as John suggested, trying to run FirefoxPortable from your local hard drive will confirm or deny problems with either your flash drive or your PC depending on what happens.
You may consider it comical, but I've seen it dozens of times. Even the name brand drives are often using lower-quality components these days. They're optimized for individual large files, NOT lots of small files. OpenOffice.org Portable alone, for example, has about 4,300 individual files within it. It doesn't matter how full your drive is, it matters how much of a workout you give it.
A simple check is always to install an app on your hard drive, say C:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable and run it. Make sure it works properly and is happy. Then copy it to your device at X:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable. If it then starts having issues, it is 99.9% sure it is a hardware problem: either the device itself or issues with the PCs USB ports.
I say again that the errors you see simply can not be caused by the simple act of installing software or copying files. We work with several large flashdrive makers and know the ins and outs of the hardware and firmware. And we've got 5+ million users worldwide and growing every week. I'm not pulling these ideas out of thin air. I'm basing it on what we know, what we've seen before and what we've learned as the longest-running and largest portable software organization.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I didn't mean to offend anybody. I was simply commenting on the fact that your post made it sound like you were blaming your own suite, as it is a "large installation", which you said could cause drive damage.
Regarding my problem, I have since found postings on the Firefox support website that shows many people experiencing the exact same issues with NONportable versions of Firefox, so I don't think it could be Portableapps' fault. I will continue searching for a fix on my own, and will no longer continue pestering you guys.
Thank you for all the suggestions and support.
What I meant was that installing large amounts of software works a drive more. And it is more likely to trigger flaws in the hardware of the drive which are already present. It doesn't cause them.
I hope you can get the issue sorted. Please keep us in the loop.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I decided to scan and reformat the drive one more time per your instructions, and it seems to have solved the problem. Maybe you were right about the large installation working the drive too hard, because this time I tried the light suite and everything started up just fine with no error messages, and I can access secure sites just fine.
I am just worried because things seemed to working okay in my previous installations as well, and only recently gave me problems. But so far things are going pretty smoothly, so thanks for the great service, and sorry if I've been any trouble.
Not a problem, glad it is working for you.
Just an extra reminder to backup. It could be that your drive just has issues with being overworked all at once like that and always will without getting worse. Or it could be a sign of an upcoming breakdown. So, I'd suggest backing up just to be safe. Wouldn't want you to lose anything important.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
It happened again!
But thankfully, fixing the problem once may have exposed the problem: this error only begins appearing after I use PortableApps on a specific computer. Could it be possible that the computer could be causing these issues? Does it matter if the different computers I use this on have a different OS? (as a computer support tech in training, I routinely swith between XP, Vista, and 7 in my studies and lab work)
I admit that it could still be my drive, but it seems like too much of a coincedence that the error only begins occuring on the same computer after working perfectly on all the others. Maybe it's a security issue with the PC in question?
Any thoughts?
And sorry to bother you once again. You must have thought you had gotten rid of me!
We've seen time where a specific PC has a faulty USB port that shorts just enough to cause corruption on a drive (files go missing, etc).
It could also be an infection or other issue only on that specific PC.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I think you're right about the PC causing corruption of the files, because I followed the instructions on the Firefox support site for deleting the cert8.db file and restarting the browser (which automatically recreates the file), and the problem went away. Rest assured, I will not be plugging my drive back into that computer.
I am a little hesitant to try after what you said about overworking the drive, but would you recommend reinstalling the suite to eliminate any other possible corruptions of the files?
First, check the drive for errors on a known-good PC. Then, if you ever have issues with a given app, you can reinstall a new copy right over the old one. It'll fix any issues with the app itself (like if some DLLs or EXEs got corrupted) without impacting your data (bookmarks, email, settings, etc).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I have this problem too when I do not run FirefoxPortable v12 not as administrator on Win 7 64 bit. If I run it as administrator I do not see this error. How can I avoid this error? Is it advisable to run it always in admin mode?
Extra info: Thunderbird acts strangely in normal mode. Running it as administrator solves that too.
Giving full control to "Users" in user permissions of PortableApps directory solved this issue. However I wonder if this causes a security flaw.