12 replies to this topic

[Kilyle]

I recently got a new laptop and installed e-sword 10.2.1, but can't get any of the downloads to work.  After trying a few things I saw online for people with similar problems, I contacted the guy in charge of e-sword and he said this:

 

Something in Windows 7 is blocking e-Sword's access to the Internet.  Sometimes it is simply Windows permissions, other times it may be needing to add an exception for e-Sword in the firewall's options.

 

Maybe I'm being incredibly dense, but I don't understand how this could be the case when I don't even have Windows Firewall active.  So I am hoping someone here can walk me through the steps to solve this problem.  The following is any information I think might relate to this issue, any factors that popped up in various discussions of problems with the downloader:

 

The Downloader Itself: It shows lists of modules both free and premium just fine.  I added a lot to the list and then opened the Download menu and hit Start.  It greyed out the "Start" option as well as the one to clear the list, but everything stayed at 0% and this has not changed over the many times I tried various methods to get it started.

 

Security Measures: On the advice of Kim Komando, I have 1 antivirus, 1 firewall, and multiple (3) antimalware programs, specifically Avast, ZoneAlarm, then Malwarebytes, Spybot, and Spywareblaster.  Some of them have immunization techniques which I have used to prevent malware from getting a foothold on my new system.  I have used all these programs previously on other systems (wait, I think ZoneAlarm is new to me), and haven't had many problems.  In part I choose them because of information on the BleepingComputer website, and when I chose Avast it was after looking up which free antivirus programs came in high on ranked lists coupled with which ones didn't use too many resources or bog down the computer.

 

When I heard that the firewall might be the problem, I deactived ZoneAlarm and Avast entirely (man was that annoyingly difficult with Avast - I had to uncheck some internal protection and then Task Manager zap it) and tried the internal downloader again - no dice.  However, I did not think at the time to try to disable any of the immunizations.  It looks like Spybot is actually running (shows up as an icon) and I didn't stop it at the time; I might try the disable thing again and see if Spybot's deactivation makes a difference.  The other two programs do not show up as icons so I would tend to think they aren't running although it's possible they're just hidden.

 

Permissions: I tried running the program in Administrator mode.  That did not change anything.  (I kind of think administrator mode is stupid, but eh, if I felt that strongly about not being countermanded by my own computer I'd probably be running Linux.)

 

Location: I do not ever install a program in its default location because its default location is stupid.  Having a ton of programs all crammed into Program Files just leaves me unsure where to find anything and I hate searching for things in a giant list.  Therefore it is installed under C:\Apps\E-Sword and I seriously hope this isn't the problem because I loathe the thought of changing my basic setup here.

 

Um... can't think of anything else to add right now.  Hope you can solve my problem because I really want to have Bible access (to more than just the King James!) even when the internet is down.  Thanks!

Edited by Kilyle, 13 September 2013 - 08:09 PM.

[journey]

First, I think that you should uninstall e-Sword and install it again in the default location. Otherwise, I think that you're in for all kinds of interesting problems - just like you are now. This might not be it, but it's a good start. If you don't, I think that you'll have trouble and extra steps with every download you do.

[Kilyle]

I'm willing to do that because it's just one program, but that's really shoddy program design.  It may be silly to complain about a program that's provided free, but in other respects it's such a good program that I'm sad to see it fail at such a basic level.

 

ETA: Reinstalling it to default directory, starting it in Administrator mode and temporarily disabling both ZoneAlarm and Avast protections has done nothing to get the downloads to start.  Additional advice please.

Edited by Kilyle, 14 September 2013 - 02:53 PM.

[Josh Bond]

Hello,

 

Having run this website for a while, I can confirm there is a steady stream (small number, but a consistent flow) of people who can't get this functionality to work.

 

I suspect it's either a firewall issue (the one you don't know you have, like the Windows Firewall or something else installed) or maybe the firewall built into the router or cable/dsl modem (when it has the router built in).

 

I've noticed newer, big name brand computers (like HP) loaded with extra security software and "Service/Support" applications which may contain security features (haven't seen many new PC's lately, just a neighbor's). I've wondered if something like that isn't blocking e-Sword. The big PC makers tend to lock down their PCs to lower support instances and costs (i.e. when a novice user gets a virus on their new computer, support gets a call even when it's not their fault). There could be a setting in any number of apps that would prevent unrecognized applications from contacting the Internet. e-Sword isn't as well known as Chrome, or Firefox, or MS-Word, etc.

 

It wouldn't be a big deal if you could download those modules elsewhere. It apparently is a big enough problem that I noticed a competing Bible software site now mentions this problem that some people have in e-Sword. I think the complaints on this issue have made their way around.

 

I wish I could help you more. I've told you all I know on this issue.

[journey]

The only other things I can think of:  did you install e-Sword as the Administrator? I run Windows 7 and have experienced permissions problems, so I always install as the Administrator and change the permissions of the folder the program is in for full access to my current user. You might also try white-listing e-Sword.exe in Zone-Alarm, Avast, etc. You do have a ton of security, and some of it stays active on some programs even when you try to disable it. One last thing:  check the read status of the e-Sword folder and make sure it isn't set to read only. I hope that something here helps.

[Kilyle]

I've noticed newer, big name brand computers (like HP) loaded with extra security software and "Service/Support" applications which may contain security features (haven't seen many new PC's lately, just a neighbor's). I've wondered if something like that isn't blocking e-Sword. The big PC makers tend to lock down their PCs to lower support instances and costs (i.e. when a novice user gets a virus on their new computer, support gets a call even when it's not their fault). There could be a setting in any number of apps that would prevent unrecognized applications from contacting the Internet. e-Sword isn't as well known as Chrome, or Firefox, or MS-Word, etc.

That is disturbing, edging on distressing.

 

We didn't do a wipe-the-drive-clean-and-install on this laptop, but we did install Windows 7 (right over the other stuff... I'm not sure of the term but my brother said it'd stick the old files into an old.Windows sort of folder so I wouldn't lose anything I might not want to lose), "fresh" as it were, and I personally installed all additional software.  If there's a program on here that stops things from running that is not one of the things I installed, I might be either worried or irate, depending on the nature of it.  I can deal with viruses; I have cleansed systems before.  Dealing with programs that don't operate visibly is a skill I don't yet have.

 

I will attempt to reinstall e-Sword specifically using Run as Administrator to do so, then check for read status on the folder.  Then I'll whitelist it in avast and ZoneAlarm and see if I end up back here yet again.  Thank you both for your help thus far.

[journey]

Here's a little bit more information:

 

This could be a permissions problem that Windows is famous for. Try:

1 - Install e-Sword as the Administrator. You do this by right clicking the e-Sword install file and selecting "run as administrator".

2 - Right click the e-Sword folder - should be:

C:\Program Files (x86)\e-Sword



On many Windows machines. Click properties - click security - check your current user's permissions - click edit if you don't have full access - check all the boxes for access - click "OK" to save.

3 - Read only can also be a problem on the folder properties. Right click the e-Sword folder again - look at "General" - look at attributes - if it's marked as read only, unmark it and click OK.

[Kilyle]

Thanks for the info about permissions.  But, assuming I just did that correctly (I will look into it more later), I set all permissions to Full and it doesn't seem to have changed anything.

 

The read/write thing is weird.  I've run into this before and at some point I got an explanation for the behavior but I forget what it was.  The thing is, when I check the attributes for the e-sword folder, it has read-only with a little blue box in it, and you can uncheck it and tell it to unset read-only for all files and folders, and it looks like it worked, but when you close it and go back to properties there it is again.  And setting the properties for all interior files (from inside the folder itself, instead of the properties of the folder) doesn't seem to change this.

 

It feels like my computer is playing "Yes Man": Yes, I'll do that right away, ma'am (doesn't do it).  Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted me to do it?  I'll do it right away (doesn't do it).  Heh, our master thinks she knows what we're supposed to do, isn't that funny?  Keep humoring her.  It is very irritating.

 

ETA: Just tried to go to Microsoft for answers/support (since everyone seems to be pointing that way), but it appears that doing so requires paying them.  Not gonna pay them for a problem they set up on a product I legitimately own >

Edited by Kilyle, 19 September 2013 - 01:06 PM.

[journey]

I'm sorry that you're having so much trouble getting things going. I can only think of one other thing for right now:  start e-Sword as the Administrator - right click the e-Sword icon or program file (e-sword.exe) and click "run as administrator". If this works, it probably means that you didn't have permissions to do what I suggested. If you have multiple accounts, including an administrator account, log on as the administrator and try things again. I wish I could have helped you more.

[Kilyle]

I do thank you for trying.  I've done the run-as-administrator thing but I shall try it again now that variables have changed (reinstall, folder permissions, etc.) and see if it works.  I don't really expect it to, but it's easy enough to check.