Calibre Portable crashed and wont restart or reinstall

[Vortex]

I went to convert an ebook and the 'OK' button wouldn't work, so I restarted Calibre but it was still the same. I then tried to update to the latest version but after a successful upgrade the program failed to start so I tried a fresh install but that also failed to start with the following error message, any idea what's going on here?

[PeterT]

Why would you install Calibre Portable (assuming this is Kovid's version) in "Program Files"?

Program Files tends to have extra ACLs in place to prevent programs (and users) storing data there. Calibre Portable is designed to run from a non Program Files location, and to be fully self contained within that (non) Program Files location.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Why would you install Calibre Portable (assuming this is Kovid's version) in "Program Files"?

Program Files tends to have extra ACLs in place to prevent programs (and users) storing data there. Calibre Portable is designed to run from a non Program Files location, and to be fully self contained within that (non) Program Files location.

@Vortex - I would try moving C:\Program Files\Program Files Portable to the root of C: so that you would then have

C:\Program Files\
C:\Program Files (86)\
C:\Program Files Portable\

Do you have Anti Virus software running, if so which one?

BR

[Vortex]

I put it there because that's where I thought I'd been told was the best place for it (in the "I thought Portable meant Portable - It Doesn't " thread,) but when I went and checked I realised I must have read it wrong.

I've deleted all the files of the previous portable version downloaded the full x64 version and installed to the default location, it installs fine but when I try and open the program I get the same error message as above... So now I have the full version looking in the location of the old portable version!

[Vortex]

I found that the portable version stores the default location and a load of other info in the registry.... registry cleaners didn't clear it out so I had to do it manually, once that was done the new install started OK.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Vortex

I found that the portable version stores the default location and a load of other info in the registry.... registry cleaners didn't clear it out so I had to do it manually, once that was done the new install started OK.

Default location of what ?

If you found entries at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Installer\Folders, then they're put there by the Microsoft Trusted Installer when the installable versions (32bit and 64bit versions) are installed, its needed to uninstall/reinstall the installed versions. Those entries are NOT used by calibre they are used by the Microsoft Windows Operating System!

BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Vortex

I found that the portable version stores the default location and a load of other info in the registry.... registry cleaners didn't clear it out so I had to do it manually, once that was done the new install started OK.

I am certain that calibre portable doesn't store anything in the registry. If you found something there you must have run calibre.exe and not calibre-portable.exe. Or, as BetterRed suggests, you installed one of the other versions and not calibre portable.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I am certain that calibre portable doesn't store anything in the registry. If you found something there you must have run calibre.exe and not calibre-portable.exe. Or, as BetterRed suggests, you installed one of the other versions and not calibre portable.

And if we are to believe what Vortex posted, we know that he did

Originally Posted by Vortex

I've deleted all the files of the previous portable version downloaded the full x64 version and installed to the default location, it installs fine but when I try and open the program I get the same error message as above... So now I have the full version looking in the location of the old portable version!

@Vortex - do you want a portable edition or an installed edition of calibre. You can have both, but I suggest you start with one or the other.

The error you are getting relates to calibre not being able to access temporary files - one of the possible causes is an over-aggressive Anti Virus. A safe way to overcome that is to give calibre a dedicated temporary storage area via the CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR environment variable see ==>> http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cust...ment-variables

You'll need to create a folder, I suggest at the root of your system drive eg C:\CalibreTemp and then put that path in the CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR environment variable.

If the problem persists put that same path into your Anti Virus exclusion list.

Let us know what happens.

BR

[Vortex]

Nothing to do with the Antivirus. I'd set environment variables when I was trying to solve a previous problem and forgotten about it, they were forcing the new install to look in the wrong place.