BTC Electrum script error Windows 7

[Sidney986]

I cant get BTC Electrum to run on windows 7 Sp1.  I had it running at one point after installing Windows 6.1-KB2999226-x64.msu

Now I get the message "Failed to execute script run_electrum"

I deleted the electrum folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Electrum
When I run Electrum it re-creates the Electrum folder and 1 file called "daemon" which is zero kb.

Trying to install Windows6.1-KB2999226-x64.msu again informs me it is already installed.

Neither electrum-3.3.8.exe  or  portable version will run. both give the same script error.

It's an offline computer just for signing transactions.  

[hugeblack]

Install the latest updates, restart the devices and the problem will be solved.
If that doesn't work, try this suggested solution from one of the members who have had the same problem.

I uninstalled the Electrum program via %programfiles% . When I tried to delete an electrum folder that was
located within %appdata% I received an error that stated that that file could not be deleted because there is a program open that
is using it. So rebooted the system, then I reopened %appdata% and deleted the last file that was associated with Electrum.

Personally, I prefer to set up your Airgap PC using Ubuntu so you do not need to install updates and other things.
If you are interested, check this topic ---> Electrum Ubuntu totally noob.

[pooya87]

Personally, I prefer to set up your Airgap PC using Ubuntu so you do not need to install updates and other things.

you still need to install updates on an old version of Ubuntu to be able to run Electrum (eg. install python 3) just like you need to install updates on an old version of Windows. and in the future when Electrum updates its dependencies (eg. using python 4!) you will need to update again.

[joniboini]

I see a member have similar problems with yours but they use Windows 8. Updating the latest Windows update seems to work for them but it's unclear which update actually did the trick. You might want to either run a live OS to open Electrum or upgrade your Windows if updating and doing everything posted on the internet didn't help you. Most users seem to be fine with Windows 10.

[NeuroticFish]

It's an offline computer just for signing transactions.  

If it's an offline computer you can install on it windows 10 and it will work without key virtually forever. (Yes, the official Win10)

I use Tails OS stick instead of an "offline computer". They also have DVD/ISO if you want it on something faster than an usb stick. And it already have Electrum on it! (But on default settings the wallet is never saved; this can be a feature in my case or a problem for others; the default setting can be change though).

Or, almost any Linux should do if you use the AppImage for Electrum.

[bob123]

Please. For the sake of your security. Stop using Windows 7.

There are multiple security mechanisms not present in windows 7, which are used in windows 10.
Windows 7 is extremely insecure. And it even was insecure before it reached its end of life in January.

There is literally not a single reason to still use this outdated and insecure OS.

[NeuroticFish]

There is literally not a single reason to still use this outdated and insecure OS.

If the user keeps it always (but always!!) offline, this is not a big concern. And on an old computer with small RAM and no SSD, Windows 10 is not fast. Win7 could be faster (but then why not XP?  ).
The real problem is that newer software asks for newer dependencies so OP has to leave Win7 if he wants to use the latest Electrum. And for slower PCs Linux could be the good option. Depends what else OP is using that PC for...

[Lucius]

Sidney986, What I can tell you is that your problem is not only because you use Windows 7, but the same problem can occur on Windows 10. Considering that this is a computer that does not have access to the Internet, you are very likely missing some of the updates. If you remember the last time you updated the OS, maybe this page can help you Microsoft Update Catalog.

Check this thread for more info and possible solutions.

[Sidney986]

Thank you for all the replies.  Unexpected.  

I was thinking of updating to windows 10 and keeping offline forever but as some of you state this may eventually require updates leaving me back to square one.

I have a little knowledge of creating a bootable offline Ubuntu so I think it would probably be best to download those regular images to flash drive and run Electrum offline via that method.  I will check out the other option you gave when I have time to see if they may be better.

Much appreciated.

P.S

Which would be the best version of Linux to install to flash drive, I want something that boots fast just for the purpose of Electrum signing.

[bob123]

Which would be the best version of Linux to install to flash drive, I want something that boots fast just for the purpose of Electrum signing.

It doesn't really matter.
All of them take relatively the same time to boot (faster than windows).

Feel free to go with Debian, Mint or even Ubuntu. You can find quite a lot tutorials on the internet on how to install them onto  a flash drive.

[Sidney986]

Thank you.

[Sidney986]

I put Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 LTS on a 16gb sandisk extreme flash drive using YUMI but it takes 2.5 minutes to load.

Is this how long it should take to boot?

So I did the image again via YUMI and did option to set a persistent file size thinking Ubuntu needed space to write but it made no difference to the boot time.

Is there a better way to make Ubuntu boot via flash drive? 

[pooya87]

There is literally not a single reason to still use this outdated and insecure OS.

here is a reason: being stuck with windows for certain applications and not wanting to install the official Microsoft spyware known as Windows 10

Is this how long it should take to boot?

you are booting an entire operating system from your USB disk so naturally the speed is limited by your USB disk speed in first place (eg. USB 3.1 is faster than a USB 2) and of course your computer hardware. generally it takes between 1 to 10 minutes to boot Ubuntu this way.

So I did the image again via YUMI and did option to set a persistent file size thinking Ubuntu needed space to write but it made no difference to the boot time.

persistence is for when you want your changes in the Live Linux to "persist" after shutting down. for example when you install and run Electrum on a live Linux from your USB with persistence and create a new wallet, it is stored and next time you boot the same way you will see your wallet again.
be careful though, make sure to encrypt everything and also make physical backup of your seed so that if the USB disk was damaged you won't lose your money.

[Sidney986]

[/quote]
persistence is for when you want your changes in the Live Linux to "persist" after shutting down.
[/quote]

Yes, I had 800mb set but for some reason Ubuntu rememered nothing.

I used Ubuntu several years ago and it booted in less than a minute.  I havent gone to older technology.

[bob123]

here is a reason: being stuck with windows for certain applications [...]

That's what VM's are for.

[...] and not wanting to install the official Microsoft spyware known as Windows 10

With the security of an unlocked door, anyone can install spyware on a windows 7 machine.
So its a decision between microsoft and everyone who wants to spy.

I put Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 LTS on a 16gb sandisk extreme flash drive using YUMI but it takes 2.5 minutes to load.

Is this how long it should take to boot?

Usually not.
Ubuntu is one of the slower distributions, but 2.5 minutes seem too high.
But different flash drives do also achieve different read/write speed.

[NotATether]

Please. For the sake of your security. Stop using Windows 7.

There are multiple security mechanisms not present in windows 7, which are used in windows 10.
Windows 7 is extremely insecure. And it even was insecure before it reached its end of life in January.

There is literally not a single reason to still use this outdated and insecure OS.

I suppose if you disconnect a Windows 7 machine from the internet and remove the network interface cards/drivers then you could at least use it safely as cold storage, but only for cold storage.

Anyway:

KB2999226 is Universal C Runtime update, which is needed to run some programs that were developed with this toolkit. But this is not the reason why your Electrum installation failed to start, otherwise it would've produced a dialog saying The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem., whereas the error you are getting is Failed to execute script run_electrum.

If you still have access to the Windows 7 machine can you paste the entire error message and put it here? Specifically the stack trace that Python makes.

[DireWolfM14]

There is literally not a single reason to still use this outdated and insecure OS.

here is a reason: being stuck with windows for certain applications and not wanting to install the official Microsoft spyware known as Windows 10

Haha, yeah the OS is constantly tracking you, but unlike Google, Microsoft mostly adheres the old-school business model; i.e. the end user is the customer, not the product.  Nevertheless, all that razzle-dazzle can be disabled by creating a local account.

I must admit, since I've been working from home two to three days a week, onedrive has been a lifesaver.

Is this how long it should take to boot?

Like pooya87 said, you're limited by the USB speeds of your PC.  If you're using a desktop machine with room for another internal HD, I suggest you buy a separate SSD for your secondary OS.  A 64GB SSD can be found for not much more than comparable USB stick.  If you don't have room for another physical drive you can create a separate partition on your existing drive.  Either way you choose to go, I recommend you encrypt the drive with a strong passphrase.

The advantage of separate physical drive is that you can set one as your primary boot drive in the bios, and even hide that secondary drive in Windows.  Unless someone knows you have a separate drive they won't immediately be able to tell that another boot drive exists.  That would only be a concern if you share your computer.

[pooya87]

here is a reason: being stuck with windows for certain applications [...]

That's what VM's are for.

i haven't tested it but i can guess that it would be a lot slower to use a VM for what i am  doing. for example whenever i run all my tests in Visual Studio 2019 it takes up about 4.5 GB memory which would be a lot slower inside a VM. there is also a lot of benchmarking that i am performing these days which could be unrealistic inside a VM.

[Chikito]

Which would be the best version of Linux to install to flash drive, I want something that boots fast just for the purpose of Electrum signing.

It's not good to create ubuntu as live because has the minimum required to running as your system or live. I suggest you make lightweight Linux on your flash drive, i.e. puppy [1]. Download file 300 MB only and required 256 MB minimum Ram, if you have 1 Gb, puppy will be going fast. then download electrum as Appimage.

[1]. http://puppylinux.com/

or trying Tails Os < required 64 bit Computer

[Husna QA]

I cant get BTC Electrum to run on windows 7 Sp1.  I had it running at one point after installing Windows 6.1-KB2999226-x64.msu

Now I get the message "Failed to execute script run_electrum"
-snip-

Before installing Electrum on Windows 7 SP1, try installing the following patch upgrades first:

System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 (KB947821):
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3132

Update for Windows 7 (KB2999226):
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49077

Windows Update Agent:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/949104/how-to-update-the-windows-update-agent-to-the-latest-version

- All supported x86-based versions of Windows 7 SP1:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.6.7600.320/windowsupdateagent-7.6-x86.exe
- All supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 SP1:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.6.7600.320/windowsupdateagent-7.6-x64.exe
I just tried installing Electrum on Windows 7 SP1_64-bit: