Multiple Instances

[Guest]

I am trying to get multiple instances of a program to run. I thought this would work by starting the first instance sandboxed and then starting another one outside of the sandbox. The program is still able to detect that the program is running even though it is inside the sandbox.
Is there any way to do this?

[SnDPhoenix]

Have you tried multiple sandboxes? Maybe that would work?

[Guest]

Multiple sandboxes seems to do the same thing.

I tried it this way.
Open sandbox 1
Install program to sandbox 1
Open sandbox 2
Install program to sandbox 2
Go back to sandbox 1
launch program in sandbox 1 (shows as running in sandbox 1)
Go to sandbox 2
launch program in sandbox 2 (shows as running in sandbox 2)
Error pops up saying it is already running and closes.

[wraithdu]

If your program does not support multiple instances, I think you're out of luck. If you open Task Manager you'll see your sandboxed program listed there. When you try to open the un-sandboxed instance, it sees that too and will not continue.

[SnDPhoenix]

Actually now that i think about it, i think i remember somebody posting how you can keep 2 sandboxes from being able to read from each other, that way each sandbox could only read the contents inside of itself, or maybe it was somebody makeing a feature request, or maybe that never happened in the first place, omg im going crazy

[wraithdu]

I posted the opposite question acutally, how to get two sandboxes talking to eachother. So far no solution, but I don't need it anymore. Anyway, I'm pretty sure in v3 now two sandboxes cannot talk by default. Either way, it doesn't keep a sandboxed program from seeing what processes are running, and all sandoxed programs show up in task manager.

[tzuk]

The program is still able to detect that the program is running even though it is inside the sandbox.

I'd like to check the program myself and see what it's doing to find copies of itself. Please say which program, and provide a download link, if possible.

[wraithdu]

In my example, if I run Firefox un-sandboxed, then try to run PortableFirefox sandboxed, the PFF launcher checks for a running instance of FF and exits. I assume it just checks for the FF process.

[tzuk]

In my example, if I run Firefox un-sandboxed, then try to run PortableFirefox sandboxed

That's ok, it's working as designed: Program running in a particular sandbox should see all unsandboxed programs and the programs in its own sandbox, but not in any other sandbox.

The original poster said, "Multiple sandboxes seems to do the same thing," implying that there are no un-sandboxed instances, and a program running in sandbox A is able to see programs running in sandbox B. And that's a somewhat difference scenario.

[Guest]

The download for the installer is here:
http://lastmile.gomez.com/PEERInstall.exe

You only need to go as far as launching the program in both sandboxes... No need to actually fill in the initial preference sheet
I installed them separately in their own sandboxes.

The second instance pops up saying that it is already running and closes.

[tzuk]

Alright, I looked into. It doesn't look like one instance sees the other, it looks like the first instance of PEER occupies some non-sandboxable resource (a TCP/IP port, to give it a name). Then the second instance simply cannot occupy the same resource (the particular TCP/IP port is already in use). The second instance complains, and aborts.

[Guest]

Thanks for looking into it.

Guess it seems like it isn't possible unless someone has an idea.

[tzuk]

If you could configure each instance to use a separate port number, then it might work, but I have no idea if the program lets you do that.