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I cannot install any portable apps that have been updated within the last two months.
I download the file, double click it to install, but nothing happens. I do not get the usual installation dialog box.
Are the installation files being packaged in a different way?
I do not have this problem with portable apps that have not been updated recently.
I'm running WinXP, with no .NET.
Thanks,.
All apps will install under Windows XP SP3. Nearly all will run under Windows XP SP3 except a handful that require Vista or later.
Is it Windows XP SP3 fully patched? What antivirus is running?
That may be it. I have XP SP2, running NOD32 anitivirus.
I have a Windows 7 PC that I can use to install the apps on thumbdrive and run them that way on the XP machine.
I just thought it odd that the recent EXE files wouldn't run at all when I'd never had problem before.
Thanks.for help.
I'm curious why you're using SP2 when SP3 is a free/easy upgrade and much more secure than SP2.
It might be because our installers and launchers are now signed with an SHA2 certificate. We use an SHA1 digest still (due to bugs in Vista and IE). SHA2 certificates with SHA1 digests are supported in Windows XP SP3 but I'm unsure about SP2. Would you might testing to confirm as I don't have access to SP2. Just try the installers, not running the apps.
Balabolka was recently updated but the installer is unsigned as it's freeware: https://portableapps.com/apps/accessibility/balabolka-portable
Virtual Magnifying Glass is using our old SHA1 cert that is now expired: https://portableapps.com/apps/accessibility/virtual_magnifying_glass_por...
Notepad++ is using our SHA2 cert with an SHA1 digest: https://portableapps.com/apps/development/notepadpp_portable
I'd also try it with NOD32 disabled to check.
It should be noted that *all* certificates must be upgraded to SHA2 before January 1, 2016. Microsoft will be setting Windows to distrust all newly-signed EXEs signed with an SHA1 on that date and later. So, you won't be able to run any new software in several months if SP2 is indeed incompatible with SHA2 certs.
UPDATE: From looking around a bit, it seems Windows XP's limited SHA2 support was added in SP3. According to other reports, IE and the underlying Windows components can't handle SSL connections with SHA2 on SP2. There wasn't any mention of code signing.
Fun fact, Windows 2000 runs an EXE signed with an SHA1 digest and SHA2 cert without issue, so there's just likely a major bug in Windows XP's handling of it prior to SP3, similar to Vista's major bug in handling SHA1 digests prior to its patch.
Just stubborn, I guess. But, this issue will probably force me to SP3.
You guessed correctly, though. The SHA2 signed installers is the problem.
I was able to run the installers for Balabolka and Virtual Magnifying Glass, but not Notepad ++
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