Here's a new work around for getting Ruby.exe to run from a fixed location with Personal Firewalls, main reason is to stop all those pop ups from your firewall every time you start PIA. The path to the run file had to be changed, this is what I found works ... The path for v74 v75 was ..\src\bin\pia_manager.rb --run for v77 the path that works now is ..\src\build\windows\pia_manager\bin\run.rb --run
For anyone wanting to do this who doesn't know how to get to that stage here's what to do. Start PIA as normal, when running you need to go to your Temp folder and find the temporary folder created by PIA. C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\AppData\Local\Temp\ocrXXXX.tmp\ The PIA folder, or folders as there may be a few of them, is the ocrXXXX.tmp folder, the XXXX here stands for a group of 4 random numbers and letters which each folder will have. Open one of the ocrXXX.tmp folders, it doesn't matter which one, inside you will find three folders bin, lib and src, leave that folder open, Now open you PIA folder which will be found in
"C:\Program Files\pia_manager" unless you've installed to a different directory. Now copy the "bin,lib and src" folders from the temp directory and paste into the "pia_manager" folder. You can now shut all folders and and disconnect and exit the PIA application. Right click your desktop and select New > Shortcut. In the Create Shortcut window browse to and select the rubyw.exe file in your "pia_manager" folder inside the "bin" folder. You should then have "C:\Program Files\pia_manager\bin\rubyw.exe" in the location on your Shortcut window, then leave a space and paste ..\src\build\windows\pia_manager\bin\run.rb --run Click next and you can give a name to your shortcut, I simply used PIA, click finished and your done. You can change the shortcut icon if you want by right clicking on the icon and choosing properties > change icon.
That's it, to run it you have to right click the shortcut and "Run as Administrator", no more firewall popups every time you start PIA.
Most of the steps here are from an older post from a couple of years ago so thanks to the original author, all I did was work out the new path for the run file.
These firewall popups... Would that be (ZoneAlarm) saying "New Network Found" and asking what zone to put it in? I still get those no matter what every time PIA reconnects...
Just tried v78 and this no longer works, however, things seem to work OK as installed. At least my ZA doesn't squawk anymore. I noticed the directory structure is different, is there a new "shortcut" or do I even need one now?
Yes, you would need to update your shortcut to reflex the new directory structure. @crustyoldthing already did a great job at explaining the changes needed. However if your firewall stopped complaining, you may not need to do this anymore at all. The main executable is signed, so antivirus software shouldn't complain as much anymore since it can track which program owns the executable.
Comments
The path to the run file had to be changed, this is what I found works ...
The path for v74 v75 was ..\src\bin\pia_manager.rb --run for v77 the path that works now is ..\src\build\windows\pia_manager\bin\run.rb --run
For anyone wanting to do this who doesn't know how to get to that stage here's what to do.
Start PIA as normal, when running you need to go to your Temp folder and find the temporary folder created by PIA.
C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\AppData\Local\Temp\ocrXXXX.tmp\
The PIA folder, or folders as there may be a few of them, is the ocrXXXX.tmp folder, the XXXX here stands for a group of 4 random numbers and letters which each folder will have.
Open one of the ocrXXX.tmp folders, it doesn't matter which one, inside you will find three folders bin, lib and src, leave that folder open,
Now open you PIA folder which will be found in "C:\Program Files\pia_manager" unless you've installed to a different directory.
Now copy the "bin,lib and src" folders from the temp directory and paste into the "pia_manager" folder.
You can now shut all folders and and disconnect and exit the PIA application.
Right click your desktop and select New > Shortcut.
In the Create Shortcut window browse to and select the rubyw.exe file in your "pia_manager" folder inside the "bin" folder.
You should then have "C:\Program Files\pia_manager\bin\rubyw.exe" in the location on your Shortcut window, then leave a space and paste ..\src\build\windows\pia_manager\bin\run.rb --run
Click next and you can give a name to your shortcut, I simply used PIA, click finished and your done.
You can change the shortcut icon if you want by right clicking on the icon and choosing properties > change icon.
That's it, to run it you have to right click the shortcut and "Run as Administrator", no more firewall popups every time you start PIA.
Most of the steps here are from an older post from a couple of years ago so thanks to the original author, all I did was work out the new path for the run file.
Russ
Russ