Can't run Electrum (different versions)

[aarge]

Hello,
need help.
Windows 7 home basic 32-bit, all updates are installed

I tried to install Electrum 4.0.7, installations was successful. But wen I try to run it it crashes wis BEX error. Then I tried portable version, it crashes too with the same error. I tried some older builds but they crashes. Only version 3.0.2 works but it not synchronizing. What can I do?

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[jackg]

What version of Windows 7 are you running? I had an original version on my old laptop and it wouldn't work. But another machine with windows 7 service pack 1 does. Can you try installing the service pack from the official Microsoft website?

Alternatively there's a suggestion of an update you have to run at the bottom of the electrum downloads section which you can searchffor on Microsoft downloads and attempt to place.

[pooya87]

That sounds like you are facing the Buffer Overflow Exception which only happens when the program can not put its data in your memory (you run out of memory). Check how much free memory you have and see if Electrum is getting enough when you try to run it.

[NeuroticFish]

Is your Windows set for English or a different language (Is Electrum trying to start in another language than English)?
Certain much older version has thrown BEX because of badly translated strings.
I'd try to go if possible for English Windows and/or try other 4.0.x version of Electrum.

[bob123]

Windows 7 home basic 32-bit, all updates are installed

To be honestly.. it doesn't matter with windows 7 if you have any updates installed at all.

You are already asking to lose your data including all of your private keys.

Windows 7 already had tons of vulnerabilities when the support has ended roughly a year ago.
Even before that date, windows 7 was already missing tons of security features which are present in win10. So if you really want to use windows, at least use windows 10 which isn't an invitation to get compromised by a 12y old script kiddie with 10 minutes of spare time.

[NotATether]

Are you running any anti-virus on that system? If so, this error is not from Electrum itself, but your anti-virus program is causing Electrum to crash. Especially if other programs in your system are crashing with BEX error. Uninstall your anti-virus or replace it with another one and the problem should go away.

Anti-viruses inject their own DLLs in all running programs, and your antivirus' libraries seem to be interfering with the Data Execution Prevention security feature that prevents illegal/out of range memory accesses. That's why the program was killed with a BEX (Buffer overflow EXception) error.

An error in someone's injected DLL causes your program to terminate even if it is completely unrelated to your program.

[HCP]

I'm with bob123 on this one... Windows 7 just should not be used today. Attempting all sorts of "hacks" and "workarounds" to try and make Electrum run on Windows 7 is just a "Bad Idea"™, in my opinion.

You'd be much better off either upgrading to Windows 10 where Electrum will just work without any issues... or installing a current version of Linux (or even using a Linux Live OS on a USB stick).

I suppose, you could even just install a VM like "Virtual Box" (https://www.virtualbox.org/) and install Linux on that if you get really desperate... but that is basically a "workaround" for running Electrum on Windows 7 and, again, isn't a good idea for long term use.

[BitMaxz]

I don't know this will work on Windows 7 Home Basic but to me, it works on my Windows 7 Ultimate service pack 1.

What I installed is the whole Microsoft VC++ package includes all visual C++ retribution that available for Windows 7 and Microsoft.net framework 4.8.

Electrum on Windows 7 PC working fine without any error but the problem is the source where I downloaded this from Microsoft is gone but there is a 3rd party source which is the same copy. If you want I will add the link below but make sure to scan the file first before you install it (I already tested it from another PC without any problem since 2019).

Source: Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

For DotNet framework 4.8 go directly to Microsoft or use this link https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-framework/net48

[pooya87]

Electrum on Windows 7 PC working fine without any error but the problem is the source where I downloaded this from Microsoft is gone

Have you tried the links provided here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads
it also says the Visual C++ 2019 redistributable will affect the program written in previous versions. It sounds like installing that one is enough.

[aarge]

Thanks to all. Alas, nothing had helped. Does Electrum ever work in 32-bit systems?

[NotATether]

Thanks to all. Alas, nothing had helped. Does Electrum ever work in 32-bit systems?

Since it's written in Python it should work on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

Can you post a screenshot of the error so we have a better idea of the problem you are experiencing?

[Chikito]

Does Electrum ever work in 32-bit systems?

Yes, download the Standalone Executable, it works for a 32-bit system.

[aarge]

Since it's written in Python it should work on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

Can you post a screenshot of the error so we have a better idea of the problem you are experiencing?

Yes, here is it:

https://i.postimg.cc/NMvDh5SC/el-er1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Y976nTLJ/el-er2.jpg

(The same type of error for any other versions -- portable, standalone and installed -- higher than 3.0.3.)

[NotATether]

Since it's written in Python it should work on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

Can you post a screenshot of the error so we have a better idea of the problem you are experiencing?

Yes, here is it:





(The same type of error for any other versions -- portable, standalone and installed -- higher than 3.0.3.)

So you're getting errror c0000005 when you open Electrum. Can you try turning off Data Execution Prevention for electrum and try running it again?

There's a tutorial on a website on how to do it. Don't attempt any of the other solutions, just the one that turns off DEP.

Windows offers an integrated feature for protecting working memory – called Data Execution Prevention (DEP) – which may accidentally cause access problems like 0xc0000005. This is because some programs are incompatible with this security feature, meaning certain actions will always result in the error. The simplest solution in this case is to deactivate the protection mechanism for the respective application. To do so, make sure you have administrator rights and follow these steps:

    Start the “Run” dialog via the Start menu or using the key combination [Windows] + [R].
    Enter “sysdm.cpl” and press the [Enter] key to open the System Settings.
    Switch to the “Advanced” tab and click on the “Settings” button in the “Performance” section.
    Go to the “Data Execution Prevention” tab and select the point “Activate Data Execution Prevention for all programs and services except for those selected”.
    Click on “Add” and search for the .exe file of the problematic program.
    Save the change by clicking “Apply” and then “OK”.

I will ask again, do you have any antivirus running? They are known to interfere with a lot of programs.

If this doesn't work then maybe there's a bug with the way Electrum generates the binaries. They use PyInstaller to make the installer and portable program and that doesn't officially support Windows 7 although it runs fine on it.

[aarge]

Windows have not let me to turn DEP off for Electrum arguing that Electrum must be run with DEP being on.

I have uninstalled antivirus for experiments but it hadn't helped, the same error as on printscreen.

Electrum 3.0.3 runs fine with DEP and protection system (except that it not synchronizing with network, seems the protocol is changed).

[NotATether]

Windows have not let me to turn DEP off for Electrum arguing that Electrum must be run with DEP being on.

I have uninstalled antivirus for experiments but it hadn't helped, the same error as on printscreen.

Electrum 3.0.3 runs fine with DEP and protection system (except that it not synchronizing with network, seems the protocol is changed).

Can you try booting Windows 7 into Safe Mode (press F8 once you see the BIOS hardware/manufacturer screen while booting and you should see the option), and checking if newer versions of Electrum run in there?

If they can run in Safe Mode but not in normal mode, one of your services or start-up programs are causing Electrum to fail with a BEX error.

[aarge]

Can you try booting Windows 7 into Safe Mode (press F8 once you see the BIOS hardware/manufacturer screen while booting and you should see the option), and checking if newer versions of Electrum run in there?

Ih safe mode I got a popup window with an error "failed to execute script run_electrum". I think the crash point is somewhere further because in normal mode I noticed a cmd's window (terminal-like) flashes for a glance before BEX error.

[NotATether]

Can you try booting Windows 7 into Safe Mode (press F8 once you see the BIOS hardware/manufacturer screen while booting and you should see the option), and checking if newer versions of Electrum run in there?

Ih safe mode I got a popup window with an error "failed to execute script run_electrum". I think the crash point is somewhere further because in normal mode I noticed a cmd's window (terminal-like) flashes for a glance before BEX error.

"Failed to execute script run_electrum" is a common error and it's resolution is to install KB2999226. Check that you have it installed.

But you don't get a BEX error in Safe Mode so that means one of your drivers or start-up programs is buggy and is messing with other programs' memory (or the specific update that I mentioned is not installed).

You can also download the portable .tar.gz distribution from the Electrum download page, and install a supported version of python and just run "run_electrum" by hand. I'm 99% sure your problem is caused by pyinstaller, used for generating Electrum executables.

[bob123]

You were already given the solution.

Stop using an incredibly insecure outdated operating system which has reached its end of life already and even before that date was the least secure operating system.

The upgrade to windows 10 is still free. There is literally not a single good reason to stay with windows 7 instead of windows 10.

You could have simply used the time you already wasted on trying to get electrum running on your outdated os, to upgrade windows.

[aarge]

"Failed to execute script run_electrum" is a common error and it's resolution is to install KB2999226. Check that you have it installed.

Yes, I have.

But you don't get a BEX error in Safe Mode so that means one of your drivers or start-up programs is buggy and is messing with other programs' memory.

No, it is not. As I mentioned above, in normal mode I see a flashing command line screen and in safe mode there's no that screen. The command line screen means that some scrypt (I think the run_electrum) is started -- and this means that it is started only in normal mode, not in safe mode.

You can also download the portable .tar.gz distribution from the Electrum download page, and install a supported version of python and just run "run_electrum" by hand. I'm 99% sure your problem is caused by pyinstaller, used for generating Electrum executables.

I think that's the clue. As I see there're different sets for 32- and 64-bit systems. And sinse there's only one executable for Windows I'm pretty sure it's 64-bit.

Will try to install 32-bit python...