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Launching Validrive

#1

H

Hero8414

I downloaded ValiDrive onto my home desktop PC (Win 10 22H2, Firefox) by clicking "Download Now" here. It appears as validrive.exe (95 KB) in the target folder on my PC.

When I double-click that file, a box pops up saying the usual Microsoft nonsense about it not being from their store. I click "Install Anyway", but nothing happens. I don't see a UI or anything to show that it's installing or running. It never appears in Task Manager.

And yes, I'm logged into an account with full administrator privileges.

What am I missing here?


#2

P

PHolder

Hero8414 said:
Install Anyway
Click to expand...
It's not something you need to install. It's a stand-alone application. Did you try running it a second time?

Mine is: 94.3 KB (96,640 bytes)

For me, when I try to launch it, it prompts for elevation, which if provided, allows it to show you the main UI. I got a Smart Screen warning the first run because Windows saw that it "came from the outside of my PC."

Do you have a 3rd party anti-virus tool or something?


#3

H

Hero8414

Thanks for quick response...

Downloaded validrive multiple separate times (replacing the existing file each time) and tried to launch it after each separate download.

Always get that same stupid Microsoft box. And there's no "Run" option in that box. Only options are either to check the Microsoft Store or Install Anyway.


#4

H

Hero8414

Only running Windows Defender. UAC is set to "never" so it shouldn't prompt for elevated permission.

It's size is 94.3 KB and size on disk is 96.0 KB. So it appears to be downloading correctly.

Very strange...


#5

P

PHolder

There used to be a feature in Windows where you could restrict apps to only come from the store, but when I look on my PC I can no longer find this, so I suspect they removed it somewhere along the way. ( https://www.pcworld.com/article/406...n-of-apps-from-outside-the-windows-store.html )


#6

P

PHolder

Since it checks for elevation, it may break with your UAC never option. For kicks, try changing that to another setting and see.


#7

P

PHolder

magnificent_starfish said:
still present on my PC
Click to expand...
Weird, mine looks very different: Although I guess maybe that's because I'm not running settings from an elevated user. Never thought of them disappearing a section instead of showing it disabled.

Attachments


  • PHolder_2023Nov04_WindowsSettingsAppsAndFeatures.png
    PHolder_2023Nov04_WindowsSettingsAppsAndFeatures.png
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#8

H

Hero8414

Choose where to get apps is set to "Anywhere but warn me before..." in Win 10 here.

Elevating UAC didn't help. Right-clicking validrive.exe and "Run as admin" didn't help.

Thanks for trying. I'll post back if I can ever get it to run...


#9

Steve

Steve

magnificent_starfish said:
Anyways, (recommended) setting would make Windows totally unusable for me, I literally NEVER get anything from the MS store.
Click to expand...
Agreed! The entire idea of a "Windows Store" seems so anti-Windows to me. An Apple Store, sure. But Windows? No thanks!


#10

ColbyBouma

ColbyBouma

Is there anything in the Event Log? I'm curious if it's crashing.

Do you have Controlled Folder Access enabled?


#11

P

PHolder

ColbyBouma said:
Event Log
Click to expand...
Or look at the Reliability History. Press Start (on keyboard) and start typing the word reliability and it should pop up. In its own URL it puts itself here "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Security and Maintenance\Reliability Monitor"


#12

H

Hero8414

No indication Validrive is crashing. Controlled Folder Access is not enabled.

Reliability Monitor is essentially at 10, with only one single warning in last 30 days because Windows Update tried to install a definitions file that was older than the one already installed.

Only the "usual" Distributed Com warnings in Event Viewer before/after I tried to run Validrive.

I'm stumped, too...


#13

P

PHolder

Okay, well is there anything you could screen capture and post here to give us a view of whatever you DO see? Or even a screen recording video if that suits the need, though you'll won't be able to post that here, you'd need to use a file host website. (YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, or the like, or something a little less common like catbox.moe or gofile.io)


#14

H

Hero8414

Not sure the screenshot will tell us anything. I double-click validrive.exe which is saved on my D: HDD (not the bootable C: SSD) and immediately get this Windows Store box with the warning. Have to say this box looks larger uglier/different from previous times I've gotten the warning, but don't know if MS changed the box's format during a recent Windows update.

Clicking Install anyway does nothing.
install.jpg


#15

P

PHolder

Hero8414 said:
Install anyway
Click to expand...
I think you're going to need to change your settings. Maybe you have Windows S or something?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...icrosoft/8cbd124c-2132-4a26-b44a-53323a5a5326

www.emsisoft.com

Windows showing "The app you’re trying to install isn’t a Microsoft-verified app" message during installation

If you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your PC, you might get a message that says “app you’re trying to install isn’t a Microsoft-verified app”. This means that […]
www.emsisoft.com www.emsisoft.com


#16

H

Hero8414

Using Win 10 Pro (22H2). Personal PC, not on a LAN. House came pre-wired for FiOS so PC is hardwired to an Ethernet port on the wall. Don't even need a router or modem.

Apps & Features has always been set to Anywhere but warn...

Have launched and/or installed quite a few non-verified apps in the past but never had this problem before. Is MS playing Super-Nanny these days...?


#17

P

PHolder

I don't know as I've never seen what you are seeing except in that picture you posted. It's possible your Windows install has somehow become corrupted (maybe some Patch Tuesday didn't get properly applied at some point...?) Since you think you have the feature disabled, try actually enabling it and then disabling it again, in case something got out of sync?

I guess you could try the Windows file protection restore health operation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb...em-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e But I don't hold much hope for this if it's a setting and not a bad system file.

The most drastic solution would be a backup, followed by "Reset my PC" to see if that gets you in a new place.


#18

Roncerr

Roncerr

Hero8414 said:
I downloaded ValiDrive onto my home desktop PC (Win 10 22H2, Firefox) by clicking "Download Now" here. It appears as validrive.exe (95 KB) in the target folder on my PC.

When I double-click that file, a box pops up saying the usual Microsoft nonsense about it not being from their store. I click "Install Anyway", but nothing happens. I don't see a UI or anything to show that it's installing or running. It never appears in Task Manager.

And yes, I'm logged into an account with full administrator privileges.

What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Download the .exe file to a location where you can find it, then double click on it. I have a question for anyone who sees this: How do I post a new thread on this forum? I have a question about reading the results of a Validrive run.


#19

ColbyBouma

ColbyBouma

Roncerr said:
I have a question for anyone who sees this: How do I post a new thread on this forum? I have a question about reading the results of a Validrive run.
Click to expand...
There's a "Post thread" button on the right side of the ValiDrive forum. https://forums.grc.com/forums/validrive/


#20

H

Hero8414

PHolder said:
I don't know as I've never seen what you are seeing except in that picture you posted. It's possible your Windows install has somehow become corrupted (maybe some Patch Tuesday didn't get properly applied at some point...?) Since you think you have the feature disabled, try actually enabling it and then disabling it again, in case something got out of sync?

I guess you could try the Windows file protection restore health operation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb...em-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e But I don't hold much hope for this if it's a setting and not a bad system file.

The most drastic solution would be a backup, followed by "Reset my PC" to see if that gets you in a new place.
Click to expand...

Before posting here, I ran chkdsk c: /f, dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and sfc /scannow. No errors were reported and each command completed successfully. Also ran an on-demand malwarebytes scan and nothing was found.

@Roncerr - That's exactly what I've done. Downloaded validrive.exe multiple separate times (replacing the prior download each time) and still hit the same roadblock.

Not worth doing a system Reset just to get ValiDrive to run, but thanks to everyone for trying to help...


#21

P

PHolder

@Hero8414 You're clearly well experienced with Windows... you probably know as much or more as most people here, so I doubt there's much more we can suggest that you wouldn't have already thought of. It's a curious mystery to be sure, do let us know if you ever figure out.


#22

A

AlanD

Have you tried running it from a Command Window? e.g. D:/Validrive.exe


#23

H

Hero8414

AlanD said:
Have you tried running it from a Command Window? e.g. D:/Validrive.exe
Click to expand...
You win the prize! (y)(y) Why didn't I think of that? 🙄

Launching ValiDrive in a CMD window works. Didn't even have to open CMD, run as administrator.

But, I still get that Microsoft Store box when I try to launch the exact same .exe file by double-clicking it in the folder where it's stored. And -obviously- it doesn't launch that way.

Another in the never-ending series of Mysteries from Redmond...

Thanks!


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