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Unable to Install via PortableApps Installer

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January 7, 2015 - 5:18am
#1
wquatan
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Unable to Install via PortableApps Installer

Since weeks I'm trying to install LibreOffice, for the first time on my 12.0.5. via the Installer
Now this is LibreOffice 4.3.5, but before that might have been another version.

I always get the following error :

Unable to download the file. This could be due to a proxy or network issue or the hosting server not permitting downloads from your location. File: https://portableapps.com/redirect/?a=LibreOfficePortable&t=http%3A%2F%2F...

Info:
- I tried it with Antivirus disabled
- I have ALL apps installed, and had never any other problems with their installation ad/or update

The weird thing is, that there is no problem downloading the file directly with the URL above. Somehow the PortableApps Installer fails

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January 7, 2015 - 12:06pm
John T. Haller
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Windows API

The PA.c Installer just calls the Windows APIs to download the file. So, Internet Explorer needs to be able to download the file and be fully configured with a proxy if you use one. It doesn't matter if Firefox or Chrome can use it. The URL is correct and thousands of folks have already updated to the latest version via the platform.

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

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January 7, 2015 - 1:35pm
(Reply to #2)
wquatan
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So if I understand it

So if I understand it correctly, LibreOffice is the only app using this way of working ? As I said in my post, ALL other apps can be downloaded / installed / updated WITHOUT any problem via the PA.c Installer.

There must be a difference and FYI I'm using Firefox as browser (but again : this is applicable to all apps)

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January 9, 2015 - 3:55am
(Reply to #3)
wquatan
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Just Updated without any

Just Updated without any problem :

AkelPad 4.9.2 2 MB Development - Lightweight plaintext editor
LibreCAD 2.0.7 26 MB Graphics and Pictures - 2D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) Tool

LibreOffice Installation Failed again

What's the difference between the LibreOffice installation and the 99,9999% other PA Apps ? I have all apps installed, LibreOffice is the only one that doesn't work.

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January 9, 2015 - 11:20am
(Reply to #4)
John T. Haller
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Probably your antivirus

Some poor functioning antivirus software will slow down scans of larger files and break the windows api download component. It only happens with larger files and is outside our control. The only apps affected are libre office and sometimes gimp, gnucash, and the largest game that I can't recall the name of at the moment.

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

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January 9, 2015 - 5:58pm
(Reply to #5)
wquatan
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Negative

As I mentionned earlier, I tried it also with the Antivirus disabled, which doesn't work either. I didn't expect anything else, as the error is presented almost immediatly, time too short for a complete download, meaning Antivirus couldn't be involved, nevertheless I tried it.

If I copy/paste the URL https://portableapps.com/redirect/?a=LibreOfficePortable&t=http%3A%2F%2F... (mentionned in the error) into Firefox, the downloads starts and completes correctly (with/without antivirus)

If I copy/paste the URL https://portableapps.com/redirect/?a=LibreOfficePortable&t=http%3A%2F%2F... (mentionned in the error) into IE : ------> error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"

I extracted http://download.documentfoundation.org out of the URL

If I copy/paste that in Firefox, then I can drill down till the file and download it correctly

If I copy/paste that in IE, then I can drill down till I click on the file-name : ------> error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"

------------------------------

So, the problem is the combination of IE with the site-structure of LibreOffice, because when I go to " http://www.libreoffice.org/download/portable-versions/ " and click on any of the 4 files, it results in the same error.

This happens also with the regular Windows versions : http://donate.libreoffice.org/home/dl/win-x86/4.3.5/nl/LibreOffice_4.3.5... resulting finally into http://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/4.3.5/win/x86/...

------------------------------

As PA is using the IE API, I really wonder how "thousands of folks have already updated to the latest version via the platform" could do it, unless they all downloaded manually with the URL in Firefox (or alike)

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January 9, 2015 - 6:12pm
(Reply to #6)
John T. Haller
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Your Specific IE

The issue is specifically with your computer or connection to LibreOffice's mirrors. I can download it via IE11 on my Windows 8.1 box here without issue. I get served the proper .paf.exe from the Clarkson mirror. It also works with IE11 on my Windows 7 virtual machine, also serving me the proper .paf.exe from the Clarkson mirror. That's why I said thousands of folks have already done it. They have because LibreOffice.org servers up the file via the Windows API components just fine.

So, it's something either specifically on your machine, on your local network, or on LibreOffice's server, all of which are outside of our control.

There is a chance it could be your antivirus or firewall interfering still. They often hook into IE and the Windows components specifically. And those components are still active within Windows/IE even when you disable the antivirus. The antivirus is just supposed to skip scanning, but the presence of the broken components still causes issues.

You'll need to troubleshoot the issue with being unable to download from LibreOffice.org within IE on your machine to be able to update LibreOffice Portable via the PortableApps.com Platform. As mentioned, antivirus and firewall are one area to check. Ensuring that there aren't any bad browser add-ons in IE is another. Ensuring you have applied all patches within Windows Update including updating to the latest version of IE can sometimes help as well.

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

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May 15, 2015 - 2:12pm
bobsjt
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LibreOffice

I have never been able to download Libre office from here using every browser I use - Windows, Chrome, Firefox - multiple versions from when the file was first available. Not with my desktop, my netbook running XP, my laptop running Win 7, my laptop running 8.0, my laptop running 8.1, or my new ASUS Tablet/Keyboard running 8.1 Pro. With/without Norton on or off - both firewall and antivirus. Have always had to go to other locations to get the file. Have downloaded other files that were much larger with any of my machines. Just a very minor blip for me.

Not complaining - Love your site and the services that you provide. Just wanted to let the individual having the problems know that he is not alone.

Keep up the good work Mr. Haller!

-- Bob @ Texas

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May 15, 2015 - 2:16pm
(Reply to #8)
John T. Haller
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Publisher Hosted

You'd need to talk to the LibreOffice folks as they host the portable version as well as the local version. We build it and send it to them, but they host it. All we do is link to their download from our site. Likely, it's messed up on your local download mirror. Their hosting is a bit unreliable compared to SourceForge, unfortunately.

If you can tell us what mirror it's downloading from in your browser (copy and paste the link from your download history). NOT the link we direct to from our site, but whatever link they then redirect you to.

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

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May 15, 2015 - 4:55pm
wquatan
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Windows API

It's a known problem (related to HTTP redirect) with the Windows API (and also IE), reason why the downloads work perfectly (for me) in Firefox, but not in IE and not in PortableApps (because AFIK PortableApps updater uses the Windows API)

Actually it also happens with :
DB Browser for SQLite 3.6.0 27 MB Development - Database manager

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May 15, 2015 - 6:54pm
(Reply to #10)
John T. Haller
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Windows XP Issue

The issue you're referencing is a Windows XP issue specific to DB Browser because it's hosted on Github and github ditched support for old-style HTTPS, which is all Windows XP supports. This is the only known issue for downloading via the PA.c Platform Updater/App Store and it only affects downloads of DB Browser and only when run on Windows XP. The only other cause is if your networking components in Windows are messed up, and then you have bigger things to worry about.

LibreOffice downloads just fine in IE and in the PA.c Platform/Updater, even under Windows XP. I just downloaded the current release of LibreOffice using the PA.c Platform's App Store on a Windows XP IE6 machine to verify. It works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 Technical Preview as well as the associated server versions of Windows.

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

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May 16, 2015 - 4:23am
(Reply to #11)
wquatan
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Situation 7 Jan 2015 != Situation 16 May 2015

When I started the topic I wrote in reply #5 :
-----------------------------
If I copy/paste the URL https://portableapps.com/redirect/?a=LibreOfficePortable&t=http%3A%2F%2Fd... (mentionned in the error) into Firefox, the downloads starts and completes correctly (with/without antivirus)

If I copy/paste the URL https://portableapps.com/redirect/?a=LibreOfficePortable&t=http%3A%2F%2Fd... (mentionned in the error) into IE : ------> error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"

I extracted http://download.documentfoundation.org out of the URL

If I copy/paste that in Firefox, then I can drill down till the file and download it correctly

If I copy/paste that in IE, then I can drill down till I click on the file-name : ------> error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"
-----------------------------

Per 16 May 2015, drilling down the same way and downloading in IE works
So obviously, per 16 May 2015, installing via the PA-installer works too. (Tested it by removing/adding again LibreOffice)

Meaning : between 7 Jan 2015 and 16 May 2015 something changed to the (Mirror-) site structure of http://download.documentfoundation.org. Per 16 May 2015, clicking the file-name no longer invokes a redirect as it did in the past.

So not something PA has under control.
Sure is, Firefox never had any problems, so just wondering if PA Updater should use the Windows API

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May 16, 2015 - 11:48am
(Reply to #12)
John T. Haller
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Worked Here In January

It worked from here in January, when you posted, too. I tested it in the platform and in IE, worked just fine. So, it could be something with a mirror near you, or your setup. If it was everyone, we'd have heard *a lot* about it. There are redirects for every single file hosted by someone else as well as all freeware we host. There are still two redirects for LibreOffice when downloaded via the site or platform. It's not an issue with redirects. If your browser has an issue with redirects, your browser and/or Windows internet components are seriously screwed up.

Again, the DB Browser issue is completely unrelated as that's due to github dropping old-style SSL, so Windows XP can't connect to it anymore.

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

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May 19, 2015 - 4:38am
jayand
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Unable to Install via PortableApps Installer

This has nothing to do with AV or browsers, it appears to be an issue with the way the PA installer works. I just updated several apps via the PA update function and only LO 4.3.7 "Still" failed. When I download the app directly from PA and install manually it works perfectly. If I then run the PA updater again it says that LO 4.3.7 "Still" is available for update and again the update fails. I notice that the updater seems to download the installation file twice, but the two downloads appear to be slightly different sizes,

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May 19, 2015 - 6:01am
(Reply to #14)
jayand
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Correction

I did not put the manual installation in the correct directory. When reinstalled in the right directory the PA updater accurately reports all applications are up to date.

However, the issue of the PA updater download failing remains as stated previously.

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May 19, 2015 - 10:20am
(Reply to #15)
John T. Haller
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MD5 Fixed

Ah, that's a separate issue. Turns out the hash was incorrect in the updater database for the standard language pack. So few people use the "still" branch it wasn't noticed. I've fixed it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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

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May 20, 2015 - 8:32am
(Reply to #16)
jayand
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No apology necessary. Thanks

No apology necessary. Thanks for the fix.
It's true that "Still" is not as popular as "Fresh", but a number of us do LO QA testing with PA.

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