AutoPatcher December Update Wishlist

[Toxikk Veteran]

i wish it worked with hyperthreading... my d drive is fuxored.

[FlishFun Veteran]

i wish it worked with hyperthreading... my d drive is fuxored.

Well luckily you figured out a way around it... and we'll include it in the readme (or maybe another file in the new Documentation folder) that will explain why it happens and how to prevent it (disable HT during updating) and how to fix it (if it already happened). :) Good job on fixing it! (Y)

[jpr5]

why would hyperthreading have any effect

every 875 chipset has ht enabled

and there are thousands

no reports of problems

its enabled during ms updates

toxikk

do you normally disable ht during ms updates

very strange

maybe a raid problem

[FlishFun Veteran]

why would hyperthreading have any effect

every 875 chipset has ht enabled

and there are thousands

no reports of problems

its enabled during ms updates

toxikk

do you normally disable ht during ms updates

very strange

maybe a raid problem

I don't know why (it doesn't happen to everyone), but Microsoft seems to:

SYMPTOMS

When you install certain Windows 2000 Server or Windows XP hotfixes on a computer with a high-speed hyper-threaded processor or multiple high-speed processors, a temporary folder may remain in the root folder of one of the computer's hard disks after the hotfix is installed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs as a result of a race condition (timing issue) in certain versions of the hotfix installer components. The affected hotfix packages contain installer components that have the following attributes (or earlier) that are listed in the following table:

Date         Time   Version    Size    File name
---------------------------------------------------
21-Sep-2002  20:44  5.2.32.0   24,576  Xpsp1hfm.exe     
21-Sep-2002  20:44  5.2.42.0   46,080  Spuninst.exe     
21-Sep-2002  20:44  5.2.42.0  273,408   Update.exe

RESOLUTION

This problem is resolved in hotfix packages that contain hotfix installer components with the following attributes or later that are listed in the following table:

Date         Time   Version    Size    File name
---------------------------------------------------
14-Nov-2002  18:01  5.3.10.0  409,088  Update.exe       
17-Dec-2002  21:32  5.3.10.0   87,040  Spuninst.exe     
17-Dec-2002  21:32  5.3.5.0    24,576  Xpsp1hfm.exe

   

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem delete the temporary folder after you install the hotfix, and then restart the computer.

[jpr5]

thanks much

that's an installer problem that's 11/12 months old

(and the only problem is leaving a temp folder)

(how would a temp folder fux a drive or cause any

problem at all)

have you had reported problems with your method/bat files

if so

how many

thanks again

you're doing a hell of job here

much appreciated

[FlishFun Veteran]

thanks much

that's an installer problem that's 11/12 months old

(and the only problem is leaving a temp folder)

(how would a temp folder fux a drive or cause any

problem at all)

have you had reported problems with your method/bat files

if so

how many

thanks again

you're doing a hell of job here

much appreciated

Well, cause that's what it did. It didn't "fux his drive". It just left temp folders that he had a hard time removing. He figured it out though. And everything matches what MS said. It technically would have happend if he tried to manually install them himself. All the Batch files do is tell it to be silent and not reboot. We've had no recorded problems for this before him... and hopefully he'll be the last. It doesn't seem to be a very common prob (or Microsoft would have updated their older files already).

[lardiop Veteran]

Hey Flish / Raptor

I was using AutoPatcher a few minutes ago... it came to the Windows Media Player 9 install point... WMP9 was already installed on that system. It kicked me out of AutoPatcher and rebooted my system automatically. Is this a known problem, or do I have to make sure that WMP9 is not installed before I run AutoPatcher with the WMP 9 install option selected? Now I don't know how far it got in the install of everything else that I checked to be installed...

[FlishFun Veteran]

Hey Flish / Raptor

I was using AutoPatcher a few minutes ago... it came to the Windows Media Player 9 install point... WMP9 was already installed on that system. It kicked me out of AutoPatcher and rebooted my system automatically. Is this a known problem, or do I have to make sure that WMP9 is not installed before I run AutoPatcher with the WMP 9 install option selected? Now I don't know how far it got in the install of everything else that I checked to be installed...

Interesting. I don't know of the issue, but I'll test it out on myself right now, hang on. :)

[FlishFun Veteran]

Interesting.? I don't know of the issue, but I'll test it out on myself right now, hang on.?:):)

Well I just ran it (my system is fully updated), and it re-installed WMP9 and all 4 updates with no issue. Hmmm... did you maybe have WMP open or was maybe the process running?

[lardiop Veteran]

Yup...

Just checked the running processes in task manager... If I open and close WMP 9.. it stays as a process regardless

If AutoPatcher freezes, or the computer gets shutdown by accident (IE: power loss etc), can there be a way to restart all the updates without having to select them all again?

[FlishFun Veteran]

Yup...

Just checked the running processes in task manager... If I open and close WMP 9.. it stays as a process regardless

If AutoPatcher freezes, or the computer gets shutdown by accident (IE: power loss etc), can there be a way to restart all the updates without having to select them all again?

Yes, though not right now. In the December Update, it will read from the registry to detect what's installed, so if the PC dies for any reason, next time starting the AP will read your registry and desect the ones you already installed.

[lardiop Veteran]

Nice :woot:

Thanks Flish... even if MS tries to copy AutoPatcher, they'll never beat the support!!! :D

[FlishFun Veteran]

Nice :woot:

Thanks Flish... even if MS tries to copy AutoPatcher, they'll never beat the support!!! :D

hahaha Yep... that's for sure! I personally just like to help, and I want this program to be as good as it can possibily be, so I try to answer all questions as soon as possible. :D

[underthebridge]

FlishFun you should try compressing the package with UHARC 0.4 . With the right settings, it is able to attain better ratios and at similar decompression speeds. It's a lossless compression, and designed specifically for binaries. Get all the info from the download section at http://www.winuha.com/ .

I think it would be better if you arranged the file mess that extracts to the hard drive. You could make CAB files to store a collection of patches (one for critical updates, another for recomended, misc, etc..). When you select patches to be installed, the installer could decompress the necessary patches and batch files, and apply them. Just a thought.

[FlishFun Veteran]

FlishFun you should try compressing the package with UHARC 0.4 . With the right settings, it is able to attain better ratios and at similar decompression speeds. It's a lossless compression, and designed specifically for binaries. Get all the info from the download section at http://www.winuha.com/ .

I think it would be better if you arranged the file mess that extracts to the hard drive. You could make CAB files to store a collection of patches (one for critical updates, another for recomended, misc, etc..). When you select patches to be installed, the installer could decompress the necessary patches and batch files, and apply them. Just a thought.

Well let me look into that, I've never heard of it. :)

As for aranging the mess. Already taken care of in the Dec Update. :) Not as detailed as your idea, but everything is nice neat and seperated. ;)

[Tech_8356]

@Flish - Just a small heads-up.....I just used APXP v4.1 on another machine and was asked to reboot during the windows messenger uninstall...right before the planned OCX error.

@APXP webdesigner (Flish too?) - is it possible to get a download page where we can download all of the components in their original pre-autopatcher form???

[FlishFun Veteran]

@Flish - Just a small heads-up.....I just used APXP v4.1 on another machine and was asked to reboot during the windows messenger uninstall...right before the planned OCX error.

@APXP webdesigner (Flish too?) - is it possible to get a download page where we can download all of the components in their original pre-autopatcher form???

Hmmm... do you know what was asking you to reboot (what program)?

About the site, yes, that's me. And do you mean a page that has links to all the KB download sites?

[akaladis Veteran]

@lardiop: thats right, cant beat our support :D

@Tech_8356: you mean like direct links to the hotfixes, and regtweaks and stuff?

[Tech_8356]

This is a rather frivilous request that aides my laziness, but you know how it it ;) :p :whistle:

Yeah, links to everything would be awesome.....hopefully you can host whatever you can't link to like the reg tweaks. Maybe you could host .zip files of the reg tweaks or something like that. Basically, something that allows a user to obtain the individual components

The reboot messege came IMMEDIATELY after windows messenger 4.7's progress bar had zeroed our and I don't remeber what ws next....I hit, "No" to reboot later, and then the planned OCX error came right up like it was in line to display it self....windows messenger is gone though....no hitches since.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Tech_8356

[FlishFun Veteran]

well, the original ISO burner installation files....zip files with the reg tweaks.....yes, links to the hot fixes.....links to the java download(s) etc. etc.

The reboot came IMMEDIATELY after windows messenger 4.7's progress bar had zeroed our and I don't remeber what ws next....I hit, "No" to reboot later, and then the planned OCX error came right up like it was in line to display it self....windows messenger is gone though....no hitches since.

Hmmm... well that's a first (the messenger reboot thing). If it happens again, let me know.

As far as a page for all those downloads... hmmm... yeah, I can probably do somethin' like that up. :D

[IanD]

well, the original ISO burner installation files....zip files with the reg tweaks.....yes, links to the hot fixes.....links to the java download(s) etc. etc.

The reboot came IMMEDIATELY after windows messenger 4.7's progress bar had zeroed our and I don't remeber what ws next....I hit, "No" to reboot later, and then the planned OCX error came right up like it was in line to display it self....windows messenger is gone though....no hitches since.

Hmmm... well that's a first (the messenger reboot thing). If it happens again, let me know.

As far as a page for all those downloads... hmmm... yeah, I can probably do somethin' like that up. :D

hehe thats what [my] job is :p

[FlishFun Veteran]

Okay guys... I have a question. Was talkin' to Raptor about it and not sure which way we'll do this, so I want your opinions.

We're going to add a new switch to the Dec Update. It will access new batch files and run all the updates (that can be run with it) with the "/o" switch. According to Microsoft:

/o : Overwrite OEM files without prompting.

From what I've gathered via Google, this pretty much disables the whole "Creating 3rd-party driver list" thing. Because of that, it chops install time to about a quarter of what it was before (so like instead of over a minute to install the update, it would now be closer to 30 seconds). Now then, the problem is this. Even though I've yet to see any cases reported online of this causing problems (and I've not experienced it, nor a couple people I've had try it out), there's always a chance someone would have some odd OEM driver that one of these updates would overwrite. If that happened, there's no tellin' what could happen (device may not work, requiring you to reload the driver... or maybe a BSOD, who knows. If it ever happened, no one has posted it anywhere).

So now back to the point. We're going to add this as a switch, and add documentation about it. But my question is this. Would you guys like it made as a checkbox on the GUI like the "Keep Backups" checkbox is? Or would you rather us just keep it as a switch only? Personally, I'd like it as a checkbox (could be called "Disable OEM Backup - Advanced Users Only" or something) so people could use it easier (should be fine on fresh installs, since OEM drivers normally wouldn't be loaded yet).

Let me know what you think... just curious and want your input. :)

[FlishFun Veteran]

Hmmm... well that's a first (the messenger reboot thing).  If it happens again, let me know.

As far as a page for all those downloads... hmmm... yeah, I can probably do somethin' like that up.&nbsp:D:D

hehe thats what [my] job i:p:p

Huh? :blink:k::wacko:o: lol

[Kelsenellenelvian]

TRhats has my vote I would rather see a checkbox

[IanD]

Hmmm... well that's a first (the messenger reboot thing).? If it happens again, let me know.

As far as a page for all those downloads... hmmm... yeah, I can probably do somethin' like that up:D? :D

hehe thats what [my] job is :p

Huh? :blin:wacko:cko: lol

makin the site.. ya know when we talked :whistle:tle: