Picasa Won't Download on My New Computer! HELP

Hi all, I have a brand new HP desktop computer with Windows Vista. I am currently running Webroot Spy Sweeper & Trend Micro Antivirus which Geek Squad installed and configured for me. I have tried – several times – to install the free PICASA photo editing program from their online download site. The newest version claims to be fully compatible with VISTA. However, each time I try to download, the download dialogue box opens and it begins the download only to freeze up just a minute into the download! I have tried this 6 times – with both Firefox and Internet Explorer as my browser. I have tried to find an indication where either my spyware sweeper or my antivirus protection has blocked the download, but can find no proof of either. Anyone have any idea why this is happening and how I can get this awesome program onto my new computer? I appreciate any help I can get! Thanks in advance,

Hello BoSoxLady,

Welcome to the forum.

I am sorry you are having the problem with Picasa

I wondered if you are trying the wrong Picasa software, try this link and see how you go.

Also as you have tried to download so many times, please clear your temporary Internet cache with your cleanup utility, then go to program files in your C:\Drive (if that is where all your applications are stored) find the Picasa Folder and delete it, then reboot before attempting to download and install from the above link.

If no success with the above, I suggest you run a PCPitstop Scan from the following information:

http://www.pcpitstop.com
Note: Vista users with UAC must first Right-click IE - Select "Run as Administrator"
Register and create a password
Accept the ActiveX component to allow your machine to run the Full Tests
Registering and accepting the ActiveX are both SAFE and FREE.
Full Tests is the first item in the left hand column of that page.

The Full Tests take less than 5 minutes for most machines.
Once you have your Results, please post the TechExpress Link back here into this thread for review.
TechExpress is the last item on the list in the yellow box in upper right area of any Results page.
Post the entire URL link information back here into this Forum thread.
Note: Vista users, please close your instance of IE "Rrunning as Administrator" after you are finished reviewing your Results.

Caution: During the testing of Video Adapter, a variety of patterns, shapes, colors and text are "flashed" onto the users monitor screen. In the many thousands of daily uses of the PCPitstop Full Tests over several years, two individuals who suffer epilepsy experienced discomfort and temporary dizziness when viewing the flashing patterns.
If you know that you are susceptible to photo driven seizure, please look away from your screen during the Video Adapter testing sequence.
Note: The PCPitstop Full Tests Results is a free service, but is supported by various paid product advertisements for utilities that "could" remedy the OP's problem.
Since WTT is a "free-help" forum, we do not recommend or endorse purchase of automated utilities, and will assist you in manually correcting any problems and settings necessary to optimize your machine's performance. Ask your questions here. We'll help you walk through any necessary steps.

Kind regards,

Hi again, Thanks so much for your quick response. Couple of things… First of all, I am using the correct link, but I went ahead and tried your suggested Picasa download link last night only to have the same results. What is happening is that the download dialogue box appears and I select "RUN" and the download begins. When it gets to 3 or 4% downloaded, it just doesn't go any further. It "acts like" it is still downloading, but it progresses no further and after about 20 or 30 minutes, I get an error message that the program failed to download, but it doesn't really tell me WHY it failed. I have used PC Pitstop before, but I'm wondering why I need to run it now? I'm having no other issues with my PC. It's not running slow and it's not having any other issues. I'm just curious if you think my firewall or spysweeper are interfering with this download and if so, what I can do to fix it. I will run the PC Pitstop if it is really necessary, but I'm kind of reluctant to do that unless I really need to (yes, I'm paranoid. LOL) What will that tell me that could help with this problem? I'm sorry if I'm being dense; but could you just clarify what it is we are looking for? Thanks so much,

Hello BoSoxLady,

PCPitstop would tell us an overview of your machine and perhaps we could pick up or spot why you are having trouble.

What we are looking for:

How much free space for instance have you got on the drive you are attempting to download Picasa to. I would not run it, I would save it to the Desktop. I myself always download to The Desktop (makes fnding the download so easy to install)

Have you run your Clean Up Utilities lately? What software have you got installed on your computer etc etc - ie, Antispyware? Antivirus? is there more than one Antvirus, I could go on and on.

Alternatively you could do the following first:

Windows Protected System File Checker SFC

Start>Run
type:
sfc /scannow (note the space)
Have your Win XP installation disc handy as if damaged files are found they will need to be copied across from your disc, if SFC can't find correct copies elsewhere.

Also as you have tried to download so many times, please clear your temporary Internet cache with your cleanup utility, then go to program files in your C:\Drive (if that is where all your applications are stored) find the Picasa Folder and delete it, then reboot before attempting to download and install from the above link

Wondered if you attended to the suggestion above in quotes from my last post to you?

I'm just curious if you think my firewall or spysweeper are interfering with this download and if so, what I can do to fix it.

I myself have seen many techies advise to uninstall Spysweeper, however I have had not experience with it at all. What Firewall are you running hense my suggestion for a PCPitstop scan.

Hope I have explained my reasoning clearly for you. Please post back with your comments.

kind regards,

Ok, Ok… you've convinced me.
I'll admit I'm stubborn, but I don't mean to be difficult…

I'm just a bit wary because I recently went through a catastrophic (well, for me) computer crash where I lost EVERYTHING – hence this brand new computer!

In answer to your questions, I DID empty my cache before trying to download, and I did try the SAVE option (rather than RUN) two of the times I attempted download (to no avail).
I am running TREND MICRO Antivirus and Webroot Spy Sweeper – both purchased along with my computer and installed & configured by Geek Squad.

So now I have run PC Pitstop and this is what it said:
"This system performs extremely well on our benchmarks and appears to be among the fastest systems available! See the information below for your system details and advice on how to tweak the hardware and software for best performance."
Yay Me!
Here are my full tests results:
http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress.asp?id=VYTCSWMBRSGS1A8G

One note: I *did* remove my JASC Paint Shop Pro 9 because even though it's "supposed" to be able to work with Vista, I read online that it can cause a LOT of problems with Vista. I removed that today and I have not yet tried to download Picasas since removing PSP.
I may try that in a minute.
In the meantime, what do you think of my results?

BoSoxLady,

Well done

It will take me some time with my other commitments to analyse your pit test. In the meantime please follow the Customized Tune up Tips.

Disregard the Update Device Drivers please and do not click on any advertisements in any section of your pit test.

I will certainly get back to you as soon as I can.

kind regards,

Hello BoSoxLady,

Nice machine you have there and minimum work to do to get it correctly running.

I suggest you go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Automatic Updates and please let me know what it is set on. I would recommend "Notify me but don't automatically download and install"

My first concern is I see very few (3 only) Windows Updates in your software installed. Please go to Windows Update and let it run, download, and install all that are offered, but not Hardware. If you ever are offered Hardware through Windows Update, please go to your Manufacturers Website and find you hardware there.

As you have Realplayer installed you will not need Windows Media Player so be sure to choose Custom install so you can choose what you do not want to download.

I would suggest a CleanUp Utility such as Cleanup 4.5.2 or CCleaner. Take a peek at both and see which of them you would prefer to keep your machine running fast and true. You can download and install both and use them randomly on default settings, but only on manual, do not have them in your startup folder in Programs. The only utility I have in my Start up folder is Winpatrol which is a very good program for monitoring when on the net to keep away the nasties.

Uninstall all Java that is out of date from your Add and Remove here
Your Java Runtime is out of date so please go to the following link and update it to version 6 update3.

Your D:\ Drive is almost full 14% free only) so it would be impossible to defragment satisfactorily. Can you free it up some to keep it running fast and strong?

I would also defrag your C:Drive once again just to make sure is is fine.

Other than the above your system if fine, and I cannot see any reason why after the housekeeping above is completed you would not be able to download and install Picasa.

After you have completed the above feel free to send another pit test for review.

kind regards,

Aaagggghhh!

Couple of things…
1) Before I got your reply yesterday, I tried a couple of experiments on my own:
I disabled BOTH my spysweeper AND my anti-virus and again tried to download PICASA – SAME results. It froze up at 4% and would go no further. Download failed. I immediately turned my virus & spyware protection back on and ran a scan and a sweep just to be safe. I also emptied my cache again.

2)After I got your reply, I went to the Java Link and it indeed told me that I did not have the latest version (I need update 3 just like you said.) However, when I tried to download it, something stopped it and said that
THIS INSTILLATION PACKAGE COULD NOT BE OPENED. VERIFY THAT THE PACKAGE EXISTS AND THAT YOU CAN ACCESS IT, OR CONTACT THE APPLICATION VENDOR TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS A VALID WINDOWS INSTALLER PACKAGE.
So, apparently, I can't even download a Java update.
I went in to my Control Panel and went into SECURITY and clicked on: Allow a program through Windows Firewall, but neither JAVA nor PICASA were in the list to allow and I wasn't sure how to add them to the list so I did nothing.

Finally, When I click on My Computer and then click on my D: drive (called FACTORY_IMAGE (D:) [ what does that mean???])
these are the only files that come up:
$RECYCLE.BIN
boot
hp
PC DOCTOR 5 for WIN PE
Preload
Recovery
Sources
System Volume Information
Windows
Boo.mgr
boot.mgr
Desktop
MASTER
pcdr
Protect.ed
RESTORE
System Rec
All of these look important and like they came with my computer so I'm not inclined to mess with any of them… not really sure why my D drive is showing as full? This computer is only 1 month old! I have not used it very much at all and it was purchased new – no previous owner.
I'm reluctant to delete the older version of Java until I know that I can install a newer version successfully because I don't want to be caught without ANY form of Java on my computer (I use several sites/programs that require Java).

I REALLY appreciate all the time you have put in to help me; I know you must be incredibly busy. I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't all VISTA non-compatible nonsense? I know these programs SAY they are compatible, but why am I having so much trouble with them? I am not a total computer-idiot; I have downloaded programs without incident online for years. I have never had trouble doing these simple tasks until I got Vista.
This is so frustrating!
Any new suggestions given the above information?

Hi BoSoxLady,

I am really sorry you are having so much stress with your new computer.

As your computer is so new it would be under a Warranty Agreement I assume.

I would immediately take it back to where you purchased it and request a complete inspection from the vendor.

My very first concern is your Windows Updates.

Please keep us imformed of your progress.

kind regards,

Aaagggghhh!

Couple of things…
1) Before I got your reply yesterday, I tried a couple of experiments on my own:
I disabled BOTH my spysweeper AND my anti-virus and again tried to download PICASA – SAME results. It froze up at 4% and would go no further. Download failed. I immediately turned my virus & spyware protection back on and ran a scan and a sweep just to be safe. I also emptied my cache again.

2)After I got your reply, I went to the Java Link and it indeed told me that I did not have the latest version (I need update 3 just like you said.) However, when I tried to download it, something stopped it and said that
THIS INSTILLATION PACKAGE COULD NOT BE OPENED. VERIFY THAT THE PACKAGE EXISTS AND THAT YOU CAN ACCESS IT, OR CONTACT THE APPLICATION VENDOR TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS A VALID WINDOWS INSTALLER PACKAGE.
So, apparently, I can't even download a Java update.
I went in to my Control Panel and went into SECURITY and clicked on: Allow a program through Windows Firewall, but neither JAVA nor PICASA were in the list to allow and I wasn't sure how to add them to the list so I did nothing.

Have you validated your Windows Vista? If you haven't, read this, and validate it. After validation, turn on automatic updates in your Vista control panel.

Finally, When I click on My Computer and then click on my D: drive (called FACTORY_IMAGE (D:) [ what does that mean???])
these are the only files that come up:
$RECYCLE.BIN
boot
hp
PC DOCTOR 5 for WIN PE
Preload
Recovery
Sources
System Volume Information
Windows
Boo.mgr
boot.mgr
Desktop
MASTER
pcdr
Protect.ed
RESTORE
System Rec
All of these look important and like they came with my computer so I'm not inclined to mess with any of them… not really sure why my D drive is showing as full? This computer is only 1 month old! I have not used it very much at all and it was purchased new – no previous owner.

For more info on this, read here

Any new suggestions given the above information?

Windows Vista's backup and system recovery tool can be very greedy. I have seen sizes of recory storage at around the 20gb.
To solve this, do the following:

Go to start menu, and find cmd prompt.
In the box, write the following: vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=C: /for=C: /maxsize=XGB (Xgb being a number you chooses, i would recommend around 2-4GB)

Hope this will be of some use for you.

Kind regards Abydos