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I have been having a problem with the PortableApps Start.exe located in the root of my drive. When I double click to start the launcher, it gives me "The PortableAppsPlatform.exe file is not a valid PortableApps..com release and cannot be launched." However, if I run the program as an Administrator, it will launch with no problems. I have done a virus scan of Start.exe on Virustotal and it shows a 0/46 detection ratio.
I am running Windows 7 Home Premium x64.
It's not Start.exe. The most likely culprit is that you have messed up permissions on the drive (formatted as NTFS but without 'Everyone' set to 'Full Control' for the whole drive for a removable drive). Other possibilities include malware and driver issues as well as Start Menu replacements that break some aspects of Windows.
I will try a boot-time virus scan of my system, but in the mean time, I will also try reformatting the drive (Right now its formatted with FAT32). How will I be able to set the permissions for the drive? Also, I have no Start menu replacements or anything that modifies that base system of Windows.
I know it's not a hardware issue because I have installed PortableApps on another drive and it still gives me the same error.
The only way that error can appear is if Start.exe can't run the Windows API to get the properties from the PortableAppsPlatform.exe file. I suppose a broken antivirus or software firewall could interfere with it as well. You'll likely find that this drive works fine on other PCs with different setups (different A/V software, etc).
I tried the USB drive on my laptop with no antivirus and Windows 7 x64 Home Premium. Everything seems to work correctly. Do you think you know what the problem is with my desktop? My only firewall is the built-in Windows one, and my anti-virus works correctly (Avast Free Antivirus).
I really don't want to do a clean install of Windows 7, because that would mean reinstalling about 150 GB worth of software. 
Another problem that I'm having is that on my desktop is when I start an app, it says something close to "Another instance of {Program} is running.". When I run as Administrator, it works fine.
On my laptop, everything works as it should.
That confirms that there is something interfering with the Windows API. The launchers use basic Windows APIs to detect other copies running and to create a mutex to prevent a second copy of the launcher running. Have you tried disabling your antivirus temporarily (*after* manually scanning the apps you will be running, of course).
I scanned the whole drive for viruses, and it's clean. The next thing I tried to do was temporarily disable my antivirus, but that didn't solve the problem. 
I'm not sure what can cause it, honestly. The only person who has encountered this previously where it wasn't due to an alternative Start Menu re-installed Windows, which fixed it.
Have you tried installing it to your Desktop directly to see if it works there (then we can rule our whether it is an external storage only issue).
I will try installing PortableApps to my Desktop. Once I finish that I will get back to you.
Just the base platform should be enough to see if it's a PC issue or an external drive issue.
Also, on the permissions issue we talked about earlier, a FAT32 drive doesn't have permissions like NTFS does, so that wouldn't be it.
I have installed PortableApps to my desktop and I still get the error message "The PortableAppsPlatform.exe file is not a valid PortableApps.com release and can not be launched.
Ok, what else is running on your PC at the time. You said you disabled your antivirus and the problem still occurs, what else is running? Also, are you double-clicking Start.exe right from Windows Explorer? Could you try running it from the command prompt as well? (Start - CMD - Type in C:\Users\Username\Desktop\FolderIfYouMadeOne\Start.exe)
Ok, so with my antivirus disabled and running nothing else but background processes, 4x IE tabs, and an explorer window, it still doesn't want to load.
I think my computer's permissions are messed up, and I'm close to reinstalling the OS.
A complete list of running processes:
atieclxx.exe
atiesrxx.exe
audiodg.exe
AvastSrc.exe
AvastUI.exe
CCC.exe
csrss.exe
csrss.exe
dwm.exe
explorer.exe
FDispPos.exe
GManager.exe
HeciServer.exe
IAStorDataMgrSvc.exe
iexplore.exe
iexplore.exe
iexplore.exe
iexplore.exe
iusb3mon.exe
LCore.exe
LMS.exe *32
lsass.exe
lsm.exe
MCTDesktopSvr.exe
MCTDUtil.exe
MOM.exe
MSSpellChecking.exe
RAVCpl64.exe
SearchIndexer.exe
services.exe
smss.exe
spoolsv.exe
sqlwriter.exe
svchost.exe (About 15 of these)
System
System Idle Processes
taskhost.exe
taskmgr.exe
TiltWheelMouse.exe
UNS.exe *32
UTSCSI.EXE *32
wininit.exe
winlogon.exe
WmiPrvSE.exe
wmpnetwk.exe
WUDFHost.exe
check under; settings, active protection, file system shield (gear), exclusions. Add/browse to your portable apps top directory as an exclusion.
Worked for me.
Solution for:
" The PortableAppsPlatform.exe file is not a valid PortableApps.com release and can not be launched. "
For Advanced users:
Just give "Allow" to "All Access" to Everyone, Users, System, Administrators and (your account name) to your account's temp/tmp folder.
For Normal Users:
(Windows Vista/7/8/8.1)
Open a Explorer (any folder) in the left bar will be "my pc" "this computer" o something like that.
Right click on this pc, properties
go to Advanced system configuration.
you must be on "Advanced" tab now, go to "Environment Variables
check valor for "TEMP" and "TMP"
ex: TEMP: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
ex: TMP: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
now click "Edit" and Copy the direction.
Close all opened menus.
Go to Run (Win key + R) or Explorer (any folder)
and peaste the direction copied ex: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
Now you are in your temp folder, you must go to properties of that folder, you can go back and right click on "Temp" or Right click on a empty space without selecting any file and select properties.
Now you are on properties of your temp folder (ex %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp)
Go to Security Tab.
Click on "Edit"
Now click on add and write "Everyone", click accept, and select allow for all access. check for "SYSTEM", "Administrators", , "Users", "Everyone", if all of that users have full access you will get no error.
Now say good bye to "is not a valid release" error.
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