Solved Some programs start then immediately close

[Joeinsf]

I have found that some programs have begin to exhibit this behavior when I try to open them: The program appears to open momentarily and then closes immediately. In some cases, there is a variant behavior, the program opens and immediately displays an introductory dialog box asking me to make a choice. Once I make that choice, both the dialog box and the program itself terminate. Many other programs on the same computer do not exhibit this behavior, but run properly.

So far, I have identified this behavior in 4 separate programs:
Microsoft Publisher (from Microsoft Office 2000) (the variant behavior- opens a dialog then closes when a choice has been made)
Version 6 of the Delphi programming language (closes immediately after opening)
Screenhunter -- a screen capture utility (closes immediately after opening)
Open office (displays a dialog asking which office product is desired but closes as soon as one is chosen).

Until recently, I have used all of these products for years on this same system without difficulty.

After experiencing this problem and not finding a solution, I re-imaged my main hard drive with an image that was created over a month ago -- before the problem surfaced. After re-imaging, I tested each of these programs and the problem was no longer there. This was a few days ago. But the problem has now occurred again.

My system uses the Norton security suite for virus/spyware protection and firewall. (Temporarily disabling the protection did not allow the affected programs to open.)

I would appreciate any suggestions as to how best to resolve or troubleshoot this problem. (I have tried deleting and then reinstalling some of the problem programs but this does not help.)

 

[TwoCables]

This happened to me with Firefox on my Mom's laptop. The story goes that she was using McAfee that was free from Comcast, and then she upgraded to Norton because that was being offered for free by Comcast to replace McAfee. So, I helped her install it and then Firefox would do exactly like you're describing: it would open and then close.

After fighting with it for a while, I finally figured out how to make an exception or something like that for Firefox in Norton and then it finally worked. I don't remember the steps I took so I can't describe how to do what I did - nor do I clearly remember it, but I do know that I had to tell Norton to allow Firefox or something like that. So, I believe that you have to do the same with these programs.

I apologize that I can't remember the specifics.

 

[Joeinsf]

Problem solved

Thank you, TwoCables, for the response. It was not precisely on target but it did lead me to the solution. Like you, I recently switched from McAfee to the Norton Security Suite which is provided by Comcast. The problem turned out not to be in Norton itself but in the "Constant Guard" protection suite which is a kind of wrapper that Comcast puts around Norton. The Constant Guard is set up to check for certain program behaviors (picking up the contents of the clipboard, logging keystrokes, etc). If it finds those behaviors in a program that it does not recognize as safe, it either puts that program on a blocked list and shuts it down or asks you whether you want to allow or block it. Somehow (perhaps the default) my "Constant Guard" setting was to block such programs without asking.

 

[TwoCables]

Thank you, TwoCables, for the response. It was not precisely on target but it did lead me to the solution. Like you, I recently switched from McAfee to the Norton Security Suite which is provided by Comcast. The problem turned out not to be in Norton itself but in the "Constant Guard" protection suite which is a kind of wrapper that Comcast puts around Norton. The Constant Guard is set up to check for certain program behaviors (picking up the contents of the clipboard, logging keystrokes, etc). If it finds those behaviors in a program that it does not recognize as safe, it either puts that program on a blocked list and shuts it down or asks you whether you want to allow or block it. Somehow (perhaps the default) my "Constant Guard" setting was to block such programs without asking.

Oh wow. Nice work. Thank you for explaining the solution in such detail too!