AutoPatcher Vista detection problem

[gandolas]

It was detected by several users a problem with the detection of installed hotfixes in Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit.

It seems that the problem is caused by a different MD5 hash in the file placed by the hotfix in \catroot. Using the .cat file (instead of the registry), we can see if the hotfixes were installed via slipstream. But in Vista, Microsoft only releases one hotfix for all the languages, but it seems that the MD5 hash on the file is different for several languages.

That's why I'm writing this post. I need your help.

How can you help me? Simple.

You download this attachment and delete/copy to other place the apm files present in \modules\Critical and \modules\NonCritical. Then you'll decompress the files and put them in \AutoPatcher (overwrite the files and folders). Run AutoPatcher and see if the modules were correctly detected.

Please report your detection:

- which Vista version and language do you have;

- which modules were correctly detected and which weren't;

- anything you find important.

Edit: New files. Now the detection should work, even if the files were installed via Windows Update.

AutoPatcher_Vista_ENU_v3.zip

Thanks for your help. :)

Edited May 3, 2007 by gandolas

[aNILEator]

Vista Ultimate x64 English

Previously forgot to delete files >.<

ONly one missing now :)

Edited May 1, 2007 by aNILEator

[gandolas]

I'm using your .cat files detection, so it better work! :p

I would like to have some more feedback from others...

[gdw]

When I tried it

It did not show a single update under critical or non critical absolutely nothing

Don't think I did anything wrong

It was like that when i removed all apm files from said folders

and still the same when overwritten said folders from archive

am I doing something wrong?

Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit English

PS - was just wondering seems to be a lot less apm files than before Is that meant to be the case?

Edited May 1, 2007 by gdw

[gbread49]

My System:

Vista Ultimate 32Bit (x86) English

User Account: Full Administrative privileges

UAC Disabled

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Results After Installing Fixes:

=================================================

* "Microsoft Windows-Critical Updates" window, only the following modules were reflected:

Malicious Software Removal Tool v1.28 (KB890830)

Update for Windows Media Format 11 SDK for Windows Vista (KB929399)

The following modules are NOT REFLECTED after fixed modules were copied to the modules/Critical folder:

NOTE: The modules listed are the "fixed" versions installed)

KB930857: Update for Windows Vista

KB925902: Security Update for Windows Vista

KB930178: Update for Windows Vista

NOTE: The "old" module files (*.apm) were deleted.

====================================================

* "Microsoft Windows-Recommended Updates" window, the following modules were reflected:

KB928089: Update for Windows Vista

KB931573: Update for Windows Vista

KB932590: Update for Windows Vista

KB929615: Update for Windows Vista

KB929685: Update for Windows Vista

KB929735: Update for Windows Vista

KB929762: Update for Windows Vista

KB929451: Update for Windows Vista

KB917607: Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) for Windows Vista

KB932246: Update for Windows Vista

KB932988: Update for Windows Vista

KB933824: Update for Windows Vista

KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [April 2007]

NOTE: The "old" module files (*.apm) were deleted.

====================================================

There was no fix in the compressed fixes file for the following modules:

Critical Modules (No Fix):

KB890830_vista.apm

KB929399_vista_x86.apm

Non-Critical Modules (No Fix):

KB917607_vista_x64.apm

KB917607_vista_x86.apm

KB929451_vista_x86.apm

KB929615_vista_x86.apm

KB929685_vista_x86.apm

KB929735_vista_x86.apm

KB929762_vista_x86.apm

KB932590_vista_x86.apm

KB932988_vista_x86.apm

KB933824_vista_x86.apm

===================================================

NOTE: As stated in a previous reply, the only MS Update I had installed (manual install) is "KB917607" (WinHlp32.exe).

As shown in the attached pic, it was NOT detected as being installed by AP. (Before & After Fixes). Windows Event Viewer and Windows Uninstall reflect that the update is properly installed.

NOTE: I installed one of the Critical Updates and IT WAS NOT detected as being installed by AP. Windows Event Viewer and Windows Uninstall reflect that the update WAS NOT successfully installed. There was NO fix for the "x86" version of this update. (See attached pic, AFTER FIXES)

KB929399: Update for Windows Media Format 11 SDK

NOTE: I installed three of the "fixed" Recommended Updates and NONE were detected as being installed by AP. Windows Event Viewer and Windows Uninstall reflect that the updates were successfully installed. Fixed updates that were installed: (See attached pic, AFTER FIXES)

KB928089: Update for Windows Vista

KB932246: Update for Windows Vista

KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [April 2007]

=====================================================

NOTE: The "Hotfix Cleaner" does not work. Receive the following error:

Run-time error '35006':

The name is not in use for a subkey or named value

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this info helps.... :)

[gdw]

Looking at those pictures the before fixes is what I have but the after fixes shows nothing in the critical or recommended colums

I have uac turned on and have done everything right but have no options appear and I am sure not every update is installed

So what am I doing wrong

[gandolas]

@ gdw: Go to C:\Windows, copy autopatcher.log and post it here.

@ gbread49: Yes, I forgot to remove Hotfix Cleaner. It won't be there in the next version. Please download and use the new files, maybe there was something fixed over there...

Please download from here, there seems to be a problem with the attachments.

http://gandolas.planetaclix.pt/autopatcher...ista_ENU_v2.rar

[gdw]

here it is

AutoPatcher 5.6 loaded the filesystem.

Detected English (1033) Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

System Components:

Internet Explorer: 7.0.6000.16397

Windows Media Player: 11.0.6000.6324

.NET Framework: 2.0.50727.312|2.0SP0|3.0.04506.26|3.0SP0

Windows Installer: 4.0.6000.16386

DirectX: 4.09.00.0904

MSN/Live Messenger:

Office Components:

Microsoft Word:

Microsoft Excel:

Microsoft PowerPoint:

Microsoft Outlook:

Microsoft Access:

Microsoft Project:

Microsoft Publisher:

Microsoft OneNote:

Microsoft FrontPage:

Microsoft InfoPath:

Microsoft Visio:

Microsoft SharePoint Designer:

Microsoft Groove:

seems a little short to me

[gandolas]

No, it's good that way. It means that i hadn't made any error pointing to files, there aren't duplicated modules, etc.

Can you please send me a link with the folder C:\windows\system32\catroot folder in a zip file, after installing all the hotfixes?

[gandolas]

I've tested in a English version of Windows Vista Home Premium, and the detection that worked was the one I have in the Portuguese version. Now i think that the .cat's MD5 hash is different according to the regional settings. That means, if I say to use the Portuguese regional settings, I have a different .cat MD5 hash that if I've used English regional settings... I have to test it more deeply.

[gandolas]

After a lot of tests, here are my conclusions:

• the hotfixes are the same for all the languages;
  
• the language/regional setting is not the cause for the detection problem;
  
• the .cat files installed by the hotfixes are different if the installation is done via AutoPatcher/manually or via Windows Update.
  

So, we have a problem.

[+theblazingangel MVC]

^ that is a big problem, and a weird one too :s i don't know how your going to solve this :( you could just use file existence (FileVersion=ANY,FileMD5=ANY) as long as the file name is the same, the only problem with that is if microsoft re-release a patch you won't be able to detect the difference between the original patch and the newer one...

[gandolas]

Well, I'm back to registry detection... :( It's not perfect either.

But I'll try to think in other solutions...

[amrinders87]

Well, I'm back to registry detection... :( It's not perfect either.

But I'll try to think in other solutions...

Just ouf of curiosity, what is wrong with registry detection?

[gandolas]

Well, personally I never liked registry detection. I really prefer file detection.

New file for testing. Please check the 1st post.

[+theblazingangel MVC]

@amrinders87, the reason why we moved away from registry detection was a) no way to tell the difference between different versions of the same patch (i.e. v1 / v2 / etc) and b) the ability to detect slipstreamed patches (for some reason they don't always add registry entries, perhaps the fault of packages like RyanVM's)

[gandolas]

Man, I can't believe i forgot those! But you explained it well Blaze. :D

[amrinders87]

@amrinders87, the reason why we moved away from registry detection was a) no way to tell the difference between different versions of the same patch (i.e. v1 / v2 / etc) and b) the ability to detect slipstreamed patches (for some reason they don't always add registry entries, perhaps the fault of packages like RyanVM's)

Thanks. (Y)

Edit: The new files work. Everything is detected properly now.

Edited May 4, 2007 by amrinders87

[gbread49]

My System:

Vista Ultimate 32Bit (x86) English (UAC Disabled)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Results After Installing Fixes: (v2 and v3)

============================================

NOTE: After applying the fixes in "AutoPatcher_Vista_ENU_v2" there were basically no changes to AP.

Some modules were still not being reflected. (Old modules were deleted after applying the new fixes). No installed updates were detected. See attached pic "After V2 Fixes".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: After applying the new fixes in "AutoPatcher_Vista_ENU_v3" ALL modules that were first included in the "original" AP Vista April 2007 release are again reflected. (Old modules were deleted after applying the new fixes).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE:There was no fix in the " v2 or v3" fixes file for the following modules:

**Critical Modules (No Fix):

KB890830_vista.apm

**Non-Critical Modules (No Fix):

KB929451_vista_x86.apm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The three updates that I installed previously (from within AP are NOW being DETECTED properly.

See attached pic "After V3 Fixes". Sorry about the quality of the pic, installed/detected updates are BLUE, just hard to see.

KB928089: Update for Windows Vista

KB932246: Update for Windows Vista

KB905866: Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [April 2007]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The one update I had previously d/l'ed from MS and installed (manual install) "KB917607" (WinHlp32.exe) is still NOT DETECTED by AP as being installed. See attached pic "After V3 Fixes".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: I installed update "KB929685" that I d/l'ed from MS and installed (manual install) to see if AP would detect the manual install. AP properly DETECTED the manual install. :)

See attached pic "After V3 Fixes".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: A "new" module "KB932818" was reflected in "Recommended Updates", however, the folder(s) for the "*.apm_files was not made available as part of the "V3" fix package. This was also noted in the "AutoPatcher.log" file.

Copied From "AutoPatcher.log" file:

Module 'C:\Program Files\AutoPatcher\modules\NonCritical\KB932818_vista_x64.apm' implicitly refers to its module folder as 'C:\Program Files\AutoPatcher\modules\NonCritical\KB932818_vista_x64.apm_files'. However, such folder does not exist!

Module 'C:\Program Files\AutoPatcher\modules\NonCritical\KB932818_vista_x86.apm' implicitly refers to its module folder as 'C:\Program Files\AutoPatcher\modules\NonCritical\KB932818_vista_x86.apm_files'. However, such folder does not exist!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUESTIONS:

1. I noticed several entries in the "System32/catroot" folder (a sub-folder) referring to updates that I have installed from within AP (updates were not successfully installed the first time, but were successfully installed after applying the "first" (v1) fix. The entries appear to be duplicates (See attached "catroot" pic).

NOTE: There are no duplicate entries for the updates that I have manually installed.

I was wondering if you know if this is normal or were the duplicate entries created due to the several attempts to install the same update(s)? And, if they are duplicates which if any can be safely deleted?

2. Will there be a later fix added for the "Hotfix Cleaner"? (This is a great little utility that helps in removing clutter and reclaims HD space).

Hope that all this makes since and helps...... :)

Edited May 4, 2007 by gbread49

[gandolas]

Vista is killing me. :s

@ amrinders87: So you say that with v3 now the hotfixes are correctly detected?

@ gbread49: I tried file detection: didn't work, I tried registry detection, still no detection?

KB917607: That hotfix is not needed in all systems, and it refuses to install in some (in my system, for example).

About KB932818, it's a new module, as you can see in the file: ReleaseDate=20070424.

About the "duplicated", don't ask me, I don't know why Microsoft creates the "Package_1_for_..." and "Package_2_for_...". It doesn't happens to all hotfixes, and doesn't matter how you install them.

Microsoft doesn't recommend that the users uninstall the hotfixes, saying that it can make the systems more unstable.

Edit: From what I've seen, you only installed:

• KB905866
  
• KB929685
  
• KB928089
  
• KB932246
  

and they seem to be correctly detected, right?

Thanks for the feedback. :)

Edited May 4, 2007 by gandolas

[gbread49]

Yes those are the updates I have installed that are detected by AP.

KB905866

KB929685

KB928089

KB932246

KB917607 is installed but is not detected by AP.

I decided to do updates slowly to keep from getting confused myself *L* while installing the fixes you posted.

Is it possible that some updates may not be detected by AP, if they were installed manually before AP was updated with your fix files?

Please don't die yet... *L* I think Vista is killing all of us a little at a time, or at least making us bald...*L*

[gandolas]

KB917607 hasn't a detection string, remember, this is a test. ;)

Yes, it's possible (if you're using the original *.apm files) because i was using the .cat detection and the .cat MD5 hash is different if you install the hotfix via AutoPatcher/manually or via Windows Update. Why? I don't know.

I was going crazy because I couldn't figure out what was happening... And I don't even use Vista!

[amrinders87]

Vista is killing me. :s

@ amrinders87: So you say that with v3 now the hotfixes are correctly detected?

Yes!

[amrinders87]

And almost all of the updates were initially installed using Windows Update application.

[gandolas]

Nice! So it means that the old registry detection works. :)