File sharing newcomer

:wave I have not dabbled in any file sharing since "LimeWire" crumbled what seems a lifetime ago (in computer-speak) and lately I've been so afraid of the internet that I've limited my internet use to eMail, Craigs List, Amazon, eBay and Netflix. But yesterday I came across an older File Share that claims total anonymity so I gave it a shot and downloaded a concert (made into movie) I regret missing in the late 60's and it took all night but it worked.

Later I turned the machine and tried another search and the program was broken and every uninstall, reinstall, registry sweep, malware sweep and virus sweep yielded no results. I hope I'm not breaking any rules asking for help as this program "is an open source program" (StealthNet Anonymous-Filesharing v0.8.7.9) @ http://www.stealthnet.de/en_download.php


the error is as follows and word for word-

Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit, the application will close immediately.

Unhandled exception Input string was not in a correct format.

I am really interested in using this software for some time to come and hope I can find a fix for this error.

Hey there Data Doctors; please diagnose and send me the cure!

Thanks Ever So Much Joe (aka) warezaholic (aka) Papoo

 

That software is over 5 years old. I'd uninstall it and install something listed at MajorGeeks, preferably with a release date of 2015 - http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/file_sharing.html

 

I have seen all these file share and all are just "run of the mill" bit-torrent and as I mentioned I (as do MANY other oldschool, old timers) prefer total anonymity because I don't like the idea of big brother sticking there noses in my searches and doing to us what they did to LimeWire and others. So even if its an older software (as I did mention in my query) it worked, I liked it and would like to fix it.

So someone please help me try to work toward this end.

 

WOW

I sent that reply late last night and I was half past bedtime looking at it now it seems really rude and even paranoid but I have my reasons! Sorry about that! I know this particular website isn't for "personal rants" but I feel it necessary to defend my strong desire to keep using the older (not really old) software that guarantees my privacy online searches.

The recommended bit-torrent have nothing to offer by way of keeping my connections, searches and downloads secret. I am just set in my ways and there are WAY too many ways for hackers, commercial entities and yes- big brother to creep into our lives via our computers. I heard on FBI Files that criminal hackers were using unsuspecting folks like mine webcams to spy in our homes I immediately put tape over mine!

So since that bit-share I have is open source, please tell me how to repair that error and I'll be a happy old hermit.

With humility; Please and thank you

 

What OS are you using? and what OS is recommended?
If your that tin foil hat cautious, what other programs you run? any VPN?
If that program is that old and people are still using it, maybe get VMware Player or Vbox and make an old XP system.

 

My Bad, I should have thought to put in the specs of my laptop.

I have a 3/4yo Dell, 3Gig ram 1TB-hard drive and windows 7 ultimate with an OS that seems up to date. I use standard IE 10 and oldschool Google almost exclusively. I hope to avoid Win 10 or Google Chrome as long as I can as I am like 60+ and am getting tired of learning new systems (I just bought my granddaughter an HP 2 days ago with win 10 and I was totally lost with it). GUI is looking just plain Gooey to me lately I'm not total PC illiterate put I'm by no means a programmer and troubleshooting software issues is limited to Windows updating and version compatibility and such...

I really hope to find a solution because I have uninstalled and cleaned the registry several times but it gives the same results. It worked well all night but the following evening, the error came up.

I appreciate your interest and any offerings to solve my errors; I Salute You

 

Did it create a restore point? Can you roll back?

 

No, there was actually no install at first; just downloaded the Zip file and I unzipped it and ran the program.exe so it opened then I just affixed the upload & download directories and it was up and running. Then after the multiple failures I downloaded the setup.exe file that took only a total of 5 or 6seconds but that yielded no better results.

In fact, I am having trouble accessing restore points and only about 2 are available at any given time but none were made at the install since there was no setup.exe in the first install. So I have nothing in that area to fall back on.

 

Perhaps a word of warning to the wise.

The use of warez and file-sharing can leave one open to viruses, malware and other problems. File-sharing can also leave many of your ports open to snooping. Even with good A/V and malware protection.

Be sure to scan all files downloaded.

 

I was really hoping that somebody (like a programmer) would download stealthnet v0.8.7.9 and figure out what is causing the "Unhandled exception" error I quoted in my first post above and tell m how to fix it. So sorry Booboo but you're not helping the matter with the obvious. There is nothing being affected except the stealthnet v0.8.7.9 program so virus or spyware or anything else of that nature is unlikely but not impossible.

 

Seeing as you have Windows 7 Ultimate, if you haven't already done so I'd install XPMode.
I tested running that torrent client in VirtualPC XPMode and am unable to reproduce the errors you're getting.

 

Now This Is The Kind Of Help I Would Expect To Find Here! My applause to you.

While I am downloading the XP Mode From Microsoft I will also install an "uninstaller utility that makes and keeps restore points and full logs of installations so if any issues arise from any install it can be undone...

 

I installed XPMode and it opened but I'm unfamiliar with using it and could not access the problem program while XPMode was open so I shut down for the night. Then this morning, I could not find any icon, link, directory or folder to access it and when I tried to reinstall it says it's already installed.

Do I need VirtualPC in order to properly access XPMode and use it to open programs? I read that it was designed primarily for business users so maybe since then there has been a more user friendly tutorial I can find/download.

 

You must install the program in XP and run it when in XP. Your Win 7 programs are inaccessible when you are in XP Mode. XP Mode is no longer maintained by MS and you might be better trying an alternative virtual machine such as VMware Player or VirtualBox.

 

You can probably classify this as one of those "bizarre coincidence's".

In my earlier posts I mentioned one reason for my online paranoia was a story I heard quite a while back involving criminals using webcams to spy into homes! Well look what I got as email junkmail today from Nova Development, "Zemana AntiLogger" Banner reading===

Are You Being Watched Through Your Webcam?

Maybe I'm sot so paranoid after all...

 

Open Start Menu -> All Programs -> Windows Virtual PC
Click on Windows Virtual PC contained in that folder and a folder will open that contains Windows XP Mode.vmcx.

Windows XP Mode.vmcx is the virtual machine. If you right click on it, you'll see 'Settings' in the context menu.
In Settings, make sure 'Undo disks' is enabled. Once you've run and shutdown the virtual machine, you'll have the option to 'Discard Changes' or 'Apply changes'.

 

And someone hinted/mentioned that I may be involved in use of Warez but please don't let my screen name mislead anybody!

In the early 90's I was in love with Warez (and writing poetry) and I was quick to adopt the screen name "warezaholic" and have been using it ever since; but as soon as malicious software became too prevalent and was causing too many virus's I TURNED AWAY FROM WAREZ and sparsely began using Bit-Torrent for those programs either too hard to find or too expensive for my disability income but my needs are few and mostly music songs, albums and occasional videos.

 

If only I'd came up with the virtual idea..... hold on.. I did.

Not even a golf clap.. I love helping.

 

there has come a time in the process of this old program where I just need to throw my hands up and say it's just not worth all the effort everyone is putting into it and toss the whole project in the recycle bin...

I love all the help from you all here but I'm not software savvy enough for the 2015+ computer and software glitches and issues. The next time I take my machine in for repairs or upgrades I'll try to remember this problem to the technician.

Thanks Again:clap:clap

 

I'm Baack!

I hate to open old wounds but this BOIL just keeps festering in my dreams. And I hate loosing sleep.

I installed windows xpmode and did a clean install of that problem program (stealthnet_0.8.7.9_win32) from within there and a whole new problem hits me.

I get the error "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135). Click on OK to terminate the application."

Windows XP help files are rather light on these matters..

Maybe this issue will be better solved than the last one.

 

Fire up XPMode and go into Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs.
What if any .NET frameworks are installed including service pack?
e.g NET Framework 2, Service Pack 2 etc

 

I finally figured it all out and did a system restore. I was locked out of restore because I was somehow not logging in as administrator so I fixed that and uninstalled every trace then did the restore and I'm all good (at least for the time being)...

Muchus Gratus to all, and to all a good night:drool