Dummyparam.exe error message...

[monami]

I run and test all of Mozilla's Firefox and Thunderbird channels (ex. Firefox Beta, Aurora and Nightly; Thunderbird Beta, Earlybird, and Daily). I install and run them in their own separate sandbox and have for quite awhile. There is a common error/problem among them when applying updates. I check for program updates manually (from within the program itself) and if there is an update I apply it, the program restarts and installs the update but each time I get an error message. I haven't reported this before as I normally just dismiss the error window with no ill effects that I can detect. However, I would like to know if anyone else gets the error and if there is a way of preventing/solving it! I have attached a screenshot of the error I recieve.

Thanks in advance for looking into this problem


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[Guest10]

I've installed Beta, Aurora, and occasionally Nightly in sandboxes in the past.
Right now I only have Beta in a sandbox.
I've never seen that message (on XP).
It might have something to do with java, which I do not install on my computer.

Updating Firefox in a sandbox has become very unreliable, though.
It seems to have something to do with updater.exe, that takes forever to complete.
Often, I have to download the full version and reinstall it in the sandbox because the update doesn't work right: Firefox will not re-start and run after using Check For Updates.
I sometimes wonder if it has something to do with unsandboxed firefox.exe running as a system process for me, and yet sandboxed firefox.exe runs as something else - some (user?) process.

[Edit]Additional: I just tried updating Fx 16 from beta 1 to beta 2 in the sandbox and it failed. The 'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox' folder in the sandbox was empty, and the files were in a 'Mozilla Firefox.bak' folder.
The update process failed to complete, in the sandbox.
So there was no firefox.exe in the 'Program Files\Mozilla Firefox' folder that could be run.
Installing the full beta 2 version in the sandbox was successful.

[monami]

I should have noted that this is a problem with my Windows 7 machine as I do not do much with my XP machine though I still run Firefox Nightly sandboxed on my XP machine and it updates with no problem (no error message). I do have java installed on both of my machines and have never installed Firefox or Thunderbird unsandboxed on either...so no compatibility settings have been applied. I have no problems updating from Check for Updates from within the program except for the error message on my Win 7 machine. I agree with you it probably has something to do with updater.exe as Norton flags it as safe just before the error message appears!

Here is my ini entry for Firefox Beta on my Win 7 machine and Firefox Nightly on my XP machine if that is of any help...

[Firefox_Beta]

Enabled=y
ConfigLevel=7
AutoRecover=y
Template=BlockPorts
Template=LingerPrograms
Template=Firefox_Phishing_DirectAccess
Template=AutoRecoverIgnore
RecoverFolder=%{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}%
RecoverFolder=%Personal%
RecoverFolder=%Favorites%
RecoverFolder=%Desktop%

[Nightly]

Enabled=y
ConfigLevel=7
AutoRecover=y
Template=AutoRecoverIgnore
Template=Firefox_Phishing_DirectAccess
Template=LingerPrograms
Template=BlockPorts
RecoverFolder=%Desktop%
RecoverFolder=%Favorites%
RecoverFolder=%Personal%
RecoverFolder=F:\My~Received Files

Edit: Obviously there is a difference in our XP machines...mine works yours doesn't...computers no two alike!

[Guest10]

Here is my ini entry for Firefox Beta on my Win 7 machine and Firefox Nightly on my XP machine if that is of any help...

Thanks. Seeing your settings made me investigate the sandbox settings that I use for Firefox when I install it inside of a sandbox.
I hide the existing Firefox install that's outside of the sandbox, so that Firefox in the sandbox doesn't think that it has the same settings, extensions, plugins, etc.

I do that by adding several sandbox settings (for XP):
WriteFilePath=C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\
WriteFilePath=%Local Settings%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\
WriteFilePath=%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\
After the initial install, Firefox in the sandbox thinks that it's the only Firefox install.
So, it has it's own profile name and default settings for bookmarks, extensions, etc.

I have found that I must remove one of the above settings before I use the "Check For Updates" feature to update Firefox:
WriteFilePath=C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\
If I leave this setting in place, then the Firefox update process does not complete.
The 'drive\c\program files\mozilla firefox' folder in the sandbox is empty.
If I remove that setting before the update, it completes successfully.

[COHikerGirl]

Yes, I too have this problem. The error message/failure to find dummyparam.exe has been nothing above the level of a minor annoyance, however, so truth be told I just ignore it and re-start Sandboxie running Firefox, and the second time it is invoked, it always succeeds. It WOULD be nice to know the cause. I'd gone at least so far as to (a) perform a system search for dummyparam.exe and (b) tried to find reference to that file anywhere in the text-searchable invocation script files, without success, but that's as far as I was willing to go in trying to resolve it, before just rolling my eyes and living with it. If you or someone else ever come up with the fix, please do post it here; it would be nice to be rid of it.

[Raul]

The give and take here is a tad technical for me.
Answer it this way please:
Is the dummyparam.exe an artifact of what happens when Sandboxie is operating or trying to operate?


I just got that error message and found so few references to it on the web as to cause me to believe it's some how connected to the recent Sandboxie install that I did.
Is it or is it not connected to Sandboxie?

If it's no, then I may have a bigger problem to address.
Or maybe I should be using Waterfox and not Firefox

System: Win-7 64bit home premium retail

[Dun]

This may happen if you update FF outside of sandbox and then choose to restart while the next FF instance starts in sandbox. Just open FF once again outside of sandbox.

[Craig@Invincea]

@Dun.
Exactly. We're aware of it. You can even acknowledge it and move it.

[Raul]

thanks Dun.

[COHikerGirl]

Yes, thanks to Dun from me, as well.

[Simplelife123abc]

Hi,

I have received this error and however with a bit of luck i feel i stumbled upon what caused this error.

On right clicking a created folder and then run any program in this instance i ran Firefox and then received the error. On trying to recreate the error was difficult.

However, Firefox when being run through the 'run any program' did not have the yellow border around the window. I kept trying to recreate and or see what is causing this and could not.

I then thought that it maybe that the created folder may be corrupt and on deleting and removing the folder, it was somewhat stubborn to be removed and thus i went to my c:/ and path to the folder holding the created folders and deleted from there and then when going back to seeing if it was still there in sandbox control it was still there, i then again persisted and pressed remove and then it finally removed.

I then created another folder and problem solved. Would be interesting to see if anyone else has had the same experience.