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Install problem

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gonzo411
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Install problem

My install keeps failing when it tries to extract PNotesPortable.jpg. When it fails, the Install Wizard freezes and all I can do is Cancel. Then, the flash drive is unreadable. I have to eject the drive and then reinsert it for everything to look right again. I've downloaded the exe file twice and both times the same thing happened.

I'm trying to install the Standard Suite, Version 1.6.1 on a 16GB Sandisk Cruzer plugged in to a PC using Windows XP-Pro Version 2002 SP3.

Any suggestions?

John T. Haller
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Fake Drive?

Most commonly, this issue occurs when a drive is fake and is a hacked smaller drive designed to show up as a larger one. Sometimes, it can also happen with a legit drive that actually has hardware issues from manufacturing.

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

gonzo411
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probably not the drive

Thanks John,

I just retried the install on an alternate flash drive and it failed at exactly the same point.

The first drive is a 16GB flash drive, the second is an 8GB. But the fact that they each fail at exactly the same point in exactly the same way (error trying to write to the file), leads me away from suspecting the flash drive.

I was able to load the platform only, hoping I could install just the application I'm really after, the portable Thunderbird app. But it also fails with the same problem but when it's trying to write to (I think) classic.jar, which appears to be some Java file.

I'll retry that approach on this alternate drive, but at this point, I'm expecting the same result.

New thoughts?

John T. Haller
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PC Issue

In that case, it could be a PC issue such as not having enough free space on the drive with TEMP on it. The fact that two different known-good installers used by millions of folks are both failing, and that we can insure they are downloaded properly (they'll refuse to run if they are not) leads me to believe that is the cause. There's a small possibility it is your antivirus as well.

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

gonzo411
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still no joy

Are you talking about C:\WINDOWS\Temp? If so, I don't see how that could be the problem. I just recently had the drive replaced and now have 104GB free on it.

I had the same results on the alternate drive installing the platform only and then trying to install Thunderbird. It fails with a write error while extracting classic.jar.

I suspected the anti-virus, it's ZoneAlarm, so I turned it off. No help.

I also tried two different mirror sites.

John T. Haller
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Download Is Fine

As I said, your installers are just fine. Windows should not run them as they are digitally signed and if altered/corrupted/infected, the digital signature will not match. Even if that is disabled, the installers will self-check and show and error, refusing to run. You don't even get the option to install. So it's something up with either your PC or the drive. Since you tried other drives, please try another computer. Something has to be genuinely wrong for this behavior to occur.

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

gonzo411
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How about a Vista machine?

The only other PC I have is Vista. I assume it's compatible? I'll give that a try.

gonzo411
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Got it!

Can't imagine what the problem with my XP Pro machine was/is, but the Vista machine got it done. Guess I have to quit bad mouthing it now.

Thanks for the sanity checks, John.

Now to try an recover my lost emails...

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