march 2007 progress report

By +theblazingangel
in Software created by our members

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supermouse

Posted
Posted

i'm finally finishing my tests with AP 5.6. i did today almost all uninstall stuff, re-checked a few detections that i take md5 with an obsolete version, but now seems that is fully operational. but a warning: in order to work without causing any problems on re-install, a few files should be deleted too, if you add an uninstall for MS Powertoys, you need do that and change some detections too. by eg:

cmdhere_powertoy_xp_ptb.apm

[DetectionRegistry]
RegistryPath=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{6855CCDD-BDF9-48E4-B80A-80DFB96FE36C}
KeyName=DisplayVersion
KeyValue=1.00.0001

[Removal]
"windows:\system32\MsiExec.exe" /quiet /X{6855CCDD-BDF9-48E4-B80A-80DFB96FE36C}
del "C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations\CmdHere Powertoy For Windows XP.msi"

if you forget of delete that file and someday you choose install it again, you will have a message about overwrite that file that you forget to delete

by the way: some md5 detections can be kite tricky in a old windows instalation. at my machine, by eg, i've found a few updates that was obsolete. so, can be an good idea check if everything is ok in a fresh instalation.

by the way: AP 5.6 seems very nice so far. thanks

Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

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Posted (edited)

it's been 11 days now since i last crossed something off the list in the first post, i still can't cross anything else off yet but i'll let you all know exactly what i have left to do before i can do so...

1) DirectX

I'm going to create an addon pack for the DirectX redistributable microsoft updates every two months. The problem is that detection is complicated. I want to use .cat file detection like i'm using for all the windows updates now however the latest installer doesn't install the latest .cat files for some reason, and looking closely at the contents of the updates this problem has occurred before but previously only on win9x systems, not on all systems prior to vista as it is with this latest copy...

i can see why it's not installing the .cat files, i just don't have a clue of the reason behind it, nor a way to contact microsoft to enquire about it without having to pay money... so i'm unsure how to proceed. i've sent a pm to @the_guy about it because he knows a lot about microsoft updates but no reply yet, perhaps he's on an easter break or just doesn't know himself...

2) MDAC on windows 2000 done!

3) MSXML on windows 2000

4) .Net framework

5) MSJVM MS03-011 update - decided not to bother, 99% of users don't need it and it'll confuse them. the extreme few who still use MSJVM i'm sure can cope without the update being in autopatcher as they have for past few years.

6) Things still to be added

7) Update re-inclusion

My module inclusion policy has changed. Since we're only checking critical updates by default now, theres an even greater chance people won't install all of the non-critical updates. in the past some critical updates have been removed from ap because they have been replaced by non-critical updates. i've already been through all my change logs and ended up with a small list of some critical updates that may need to be re-included because there not replaced by other criticals. i need to verify the updates n this list including against the april 2007 updates and re-include any that need it.

the policy is now to only remove critical updates if they are replaced by one or more other critical updates. being replaced by non-criticals is no longer good enough.

8) add the april 2007 updates

so if i can get through that little lot (which is proving difficult), all modules will be complete (except perhaps a few other addon packs to create) and i can move on to the other things on the list - the installer and documentation.

note that i've already completed modules for the xp mce2005 and wmp10 addon packs!

Edited by theblazingangel
Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

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Posted (edited)

@MazX_Napalm, don't worry it's the other things that are the real problem, your suggestions should be fairly easy to do (although i will need a little info from you when i do them, i'll post in your thread when i'm at that stage)

s***, patch tuesday is only two days away and i'm not even ready to do the script or documentation yet, damn it :(

Edited by theblazingangel
Neowinian

CLHatch

Posted
Posted
it's been 11 days now since i last crossed something off the list in the first post, i still can't cross anything else off yet but i'll let you all know exactly what i have left to do before i can do so...

...

5) MSJVM

PsiMoon314 told me a while ago that some clients of his still use msjvm. Should i chuck the MS03-011 security update for it into autopatcher? If i do, what happens on systems without msjvm installed...

...

Would it be possible to check to see if msjvm is installed, and only allow it to install MS03-011 if it is?

Neowinian

CLHatch

Posted
Posted
Just read an article in Micro Mart (British weekly mag) that makes the point that it is difficult to secure a computer before going on the Internet. Due to having to download patches whilst "live" on the Internet!

We know that Autopatcher solves this problem and as a system builder my life would be worse without it.

Good luck with the 5.6 conversion.

A few ideas;

I wonder if any other developers out there want to contribute?

Perphaps other security apps can be optionally downloaded

Further Reg tweaks to improve security/speed

Perhaps after the install has finished a IE link to take you to Windows update / MS Update page (with tick box?)

Maybe MS update can be installed under optional components so people can also get Office etc updates

Maybe new version of Autopatcher for MS Office(s) (Office 2k3SP2 is over 100MB)

Autopatcher to restart automatically on reboot to install patches on patches (for example the IE7 patches on reboot after IE7 installed)

maybe a basic malware scanner to prevent misinstallation of patches?

Maybe option to install updates before dekstop appears (like what Spybot Search and destroy does when it cant clear an item immediatly)

Maybe E-Mail reminders when new version of autopatcher is availble.

perhaps intergration with nlite to prepare XP media with updates pre-installed?

Just ideas bet you have thought of them anyway!

Will donate when my Busniess takes off!

About your first point... problem is, Microsoft's activation process is online, unless you want to call them to activate (assuming a copy you have to activate, or course). Actually, I've changed hardware so many times now with mine, I have to call them every time I reinstall anyways... a major pain, and they almost always act like I must have pirated their operating system if I had to call them to activate. I'm wondering what they'll tell me when I call to activate after support for Windows XP is discontinued (sorry for the rant there).

I seem to remember reading that an AutoPatcher for Office would be possible with 5.6. I was wondering how it would be set up... possibly recognize if one of the OS AutoPatchers (2000, XP 2003, Vista) are installed, and install itself as an update to that, instead of installing a second "AutoPatcher OfficeXP" or whatever (do all of your Microsoft updates in one step instead of two... sort of the difference between the Windows Update/Office Update combo and the All-In-One Microsoft Update).

I would very much like to slipstream all of the updates that Autopatcher does... What I did on my last install was make a slipstream DVD wih AutoImage, which calls Ryan VM, nLite, XPize and DriverPacks (I included IE7 and WMP11 in the slipstream, and preinstalled my serial numbers, time zone, user names, etc), then ran the latest AutoPatcher when it was done. I didn't really HAVE to make it a DVD, but I wanted to test out the DriverPacks slipstreaming, which if you install all of them takes up a lot of space. If I'd had the time, I would have tried to figure out how to pre-install Firefox (IE for me is a last resort). BTW, slipstreaming IE7 and WMP11 fixed the nagging "need to activate windows to install" you get if you can't activate windows online for some reason before installing these normally. Also, a definite advantage to slipstreaming is that it SHOULD restore the correct files if you ever have to do a "sfc /scannow", since several updates, IE7 and WMP11 are already on the source, so less re-updating is necessary afterwards.

Contributor

glutton4sw

Posted
Posted
5) MSJVM

PsiMoon314 told me a while ago that some clients of his still use msjvm. Should i chuck the MS03-011 security update for it into autopatcher? If i do, what happens on systems without msjvm installed...

I use the MS JVM under W2K on a web site i visit so have experience installing updates for it. the MS Java VM 3810 Update fails if it doesn't find an existing version of the VM already installed. after doing a clean install and then installing updates to AP Feb i install MS Java VM 3805 (msjavx86.exe) and then MS Java VM 3810 Update (MSJavWU.exe). i don't think MS JVM is included with IE 6 SP1 which is why i needed to install the 3805 version.

any1 wanting to know if they have MS JVM installed...just run JVIEW from a command prompt and it will show the version.

Contributor

glutton4sw

Posted
Posted

its a minor point, just that the progress bar is still showing March..

is there an order of release for the different AP releases? i see a AP 5.6 release for Vista is already available.

also is there a topic / url page detailing the new features in version 5.6 of AP?

Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

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@glutton4sw, gandolas already had most of his releases done already from two months ago and besides, they have far less in them, so thats why there already done, i'm not too far behind though.

the text by the progress bar here in the forum, as raptor said recently, is controlled by neowin and is updated manually, it's up to them to do it and i think there busy creating the new forum skin.

there is a thread here with a list of a lot of the things v5.6 offers, i'll do something to list all the new advantages too soon, once i get around to editing the documentation and website.

Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

Posted
  • Author
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Posted (edited)

okay what i've got left to do module wise

1) fix detection for new directx modules

2) add any updates that need re-inclusion (as explained in previous post)

3) decide whether to put IE6 updates in addon packs or main releases

4) update flash player modules with new setup file

5) decide whether to replace directx 9.0c installer in 2k release with directx april 2007 edition. unsure about this because april 2007 edition is actually slightly smaller even though its meant to be dx 9.0c + updates :s need to look into this further

6) gandolas' xp/2k3 x64 & vista releases are currently incompatible with each other (i think), and are certainly incompatible with mine. i need to help him get all of our releases compatible with each other, that can wait for now, however i seriously need to consider how my modules will interact with his vista ones and whether i need to make changes to some of my modules.

then i need to make some improvements to the install script, then update the documentation and website, and then i'm set to pack, upload, and release :)

Edited by theblazingangel
Contributor

glutton4sw

Posted
Posted

@theblazingangel

5) decide whether to replace directx 9.0c installer in 2k release with directx april 2007 edition. unsure about this because april 2007 edition is actually slightly smaller even though its meant to be dx 9.0c + updates need to look into this further

DirectX April 2007 : it appears that MS have stopped support for Windows 9x in this release.. the files you have probably don't include DirectX.cab (15MB) thats in the DirectX 9.0c installer in 2k release. DirectX.cab appears to be for Windows 9x and dxnt.cab for other window releases. files in dxnt.cab of april 07 are unchanged. ive looked at the redistributable version of the april 07, not any others like webinstall. given that DirectX.cab is for Windows 9x it would be good thing to loose this for the 2k release, it'll keep bandwidth usage lower.

Community Regular

Angelico_Payne

Posted
Posted

OK first an observation : Use the latest directX april edition.

Second: I have been experiancing problem with installation of IE7 again... now i think i have found what the problem might be, but i need confirmation from you. During the installation of addons (shockwave i think), one of adons after comletion of its installation opens a internet explorer in order to do to "finished installation page". This opens still IE6 atm, and stays opens if i dont close it mannually during rest of AP installation. So could that be the problem that even though i installed IE7 and it said so in about vesrion, it was still looking like IE6 , and having problems opening pages (when typing in address bar -scripting open new process error, as i found out). and after i reinstalled only IE7 module it works as it should have from the start.

Addditional question : Its related to IE7 installation : Do i need to install both IE6 update packs + hotfixes and IE7 + updates &hotfixes, or just IE7 related stuff? If IE7 is going to be used ..... I ask because some of clients prefer to use Outlook Exspress over Microsoft Outlook, and IE6 updates are also updates for Outlook Exspress too , right?

Also is there a way to slipstream these patches and hotfixes into system files so they are installed during windows install, like normal windows files.... (AP installation is atm taking longer then windows instalation itself)?

Community Regular

supermouse

Posted
Posted

> one of adons after comletion of its installation opens a internet explorer in order to do to "finished installation page"

shockwave does that. just leave it unchecked if you are having issues with that. but i leave it checked in here all times in here and i never had this issue. anyway, it's a try

> or just IE7 related stuff?

if you will upgrade to ie7, you don't need update ie6. but if you don't update outlook express, when you go to windows update or even automatic updates you will download OE updates

> Also is there a way to slipstream these patches

yes, there's one. you may do that with nlite

> AP installation is atm taking longer then windows instalation itself

that issue isn't related with AP. that issue is related with a missing SP3 to Windows XP. if you update your system by windows update, it may takes even longer. of course, you may disable system restore before update that it may speed up a little bit

Neowinian

smilinjim

Posted
Posted

Thank you for your great work and enormous contribution to the computing community. I'm sure this upgrade will be a great step forward, and appreciate the effort.

I note that I was recently prompted to install the update to the Java SE VM RE 6u1 1.6.0_01-b6. (Runtime Environment version 6.1, build 6) This may have been first released 3/28.

I do not know if you will have the opportunity to include this element in your present build effort, but FYI. I will look forward to the release whenever you can make it ready.

Thanks again.

Rising Star

PsiMoon314

Posted
Posted

Hi,

At the risk of being shot down in flames, rather than asking the obvious question I will ask how AP XP April is progressing?

Are things going as expected or have there been issues (unexpected or not) to resolve along the way?

Has any documentation been produced or published for those wanting to write their own modules in AP 5.6?

Of course assuming that it's I am sure it will be a symphony of elegant design which is self-documenting :)

Kind Regards

Simon

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