[Virtualacorn-list] VRPC on a USB drive

[Dave Symes]

In article <2DCCB78B117B4229AB860D2C1831D7DC at philipsdesktop>,
   T.O.M.S. <toms at ndirect.co.uk> wrote:

> At 18:56 on 27 Aug, Dave Symes dave at triffid.co.uk said:

> >> We're still pondering the error message you reported in the
> >> original post, it's got us flummoxed.

> > This is the thing I'm really interested in myself,

> If you paste the error message into Google, it gives oodles of leads - 
> none of which appear to apply directly to your sitch, but you may find 
> something lurking.

> (NB there's a simple fix described - but it's for SP2 and not SP3...) 
> :-(


> Thinks #1: The error message doesn't seem to apply directly, but if 
> you select Start -> Control Panel -> Security Centre -> Windows 
> Firewall and the Exceptions tab, there should be one or probably more 
> instances of 'Acorn RiscPC Emulator with RISC OS Adjust'. Make sure 
> all the box(es) are ticked, click on OK and try again.

All instances of that are ticked already.

> Thinks #2: what happens if you re-start the computer in Safe mode?

> (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode)

> Can you then plug in the USB drive and get VirtualRPC to run?

> If yes, then it might be a conflict with A N Other programme.

Re started in Safe mode with full Admin rights.
No change, same error message.

> Some of the other threads suggest temporarily disabling your 
> anti-malware software, then trying to run the application.

Rebooted and switched off AVG, attempted to run VRPC on the USB HD, no
change, same error message.

> Sorry this is so vague, there doesn't appear to be a definitive cause.

No worries, it's good to be exercising the brain.

I'm now going to remove the USB HD with the VRPC on it and connect it to
my Win 7 Laptop and see...
No change, error message the same.

Back on the XP Beast.

It has to be something to do with that particular HD as I've just put a
different small Win application on it, (It's an app that doesn't need
installing or registering with the Registry) attempting to run said app
produces the same error message, so it's not a VRPC thing...

Now we can all go home and have a good kip.

In Computer management, drive reports as, formatted NTFS Healthy and
active... But it appears though I can Read and Write it, I cannot run 
anything from it... Strange business.

I have a second USB Hardrive connected to the Beast for other backup
purposes, I've just copied the small app to it and it runs from there
perfectly okay, as do various other apps on that drive.
If I copy another small app that runs okay from this additional drive to
the problem one it will no longer run, producing the familiar message.

Right, I think I know what the problem is.
In a previous life it was formatted and attached to the Win 7 Laptop as a
portable backup device.

Later it was attached to the XP Beast and used wholly as a Read/Write
backup device, it's only recently that I re-worked my backing strategy and
started using it for the VRPC purpose.

I'm now going to reformat it on the XP Beast...

<Pause while I do that>

Now reformatted, again NTFS, and I've put back the small test app, and
rude words in abundance, it runs correctly from the reformatted drive.

I've copied another app to the drive and that also runs okay, whereas it
didn't before.

I shall now copy the VRPC install from the Beast Hardrive, that will take
a while, so I'll report again later after it's done.

(Might not report until tomorrow, depending upon how long the copy takes)

Thanks for the thoughts.
Dave

> Mike Nicholl
> pp T.O.M.S.
> toms at ndirect.co.uk

-- 

Dave Triffid