Glenn9999

Thanks. I wasn't used to seeing the number in hex. Usually, Microsoft uses decimal notation (US English = 1033). I got that one figured out, and should be able to automate this part. Probably just a special version to fix the specific problem? Although, the file I got from 982010 is the one I have installed. Looks like, though, that I could check for WU_E_SELFUPDATE_REQUIRED and fire up the link I have on hand (x86 one at least) if it happens. But then again, I have it as a manual process anyway (the user has to click on it), so that might not matter. I need to figure out how to uninstall WUA in order to test this (or get a very old version and use /WUFORCE? ), though. Edit: For those that want to know, the links I have for WUA are: x86 - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=43264 Thanks for the help! Any other constructive thoughts are always welcome!

(Changed title, thread has gone beyond my questions to sharing this app I've been working on) I've been working on downloading offline updates and have just about gotten where I want to go with the project. The only other thing that confuses me a little is locating some updated things that seem to be laying outside of what Windows/Microsoft Update presents which gets updated. I'm looking to automate that. For example: 1) Microsoft Security Essentials definition updates show up in Microsoft Update, *but* they are delta/difference files which don't do too well if you want to offline update a fresh copy of MSE. That's fine to a point, but if you wanted the full offline update you would have to download it. I do have two links (32-bit - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87342&clcid=0x409 64-bit - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87341&clcid=0x409 ), but does the latest version always show up there? What does the 0x409 mean? Does that change, and for what reason? 2) Windows Update Agent doesn't ever show up in the site results, but gets updated. I know what they say about downloading the CAB to get the URL, but I have a link like the ones above for this. Same question: Would I always find the most updated version there? Probably the only way to check for a new version I guess is to get the CAB file and process it? Also, are there any other files like this that I'm not thinking of? Outside of that, what are PSF files and why would I want them? BatDownloaderv100.zip

Not quite, actually. the JRE's have a major revision number and then an update number. JRE5 is a prior version than JRE6. Then you have to consider update numbers from there. JRE6u22 is an earlier version than JRE6u23. As I understand it, the major revision number involves how the Runtime handles Java code. If that gets changed, the Java applets become incompatible. As for updates that goes for adding new features, bug fixes, and changes - all that don't break backwards compatibility. You may be able to get higher versions to work properly with KernelEx, but I will say the last version I have here on my Windows ME disk that I know that works with 98/ME is JRE6U6. You can download prior versions of Java software here: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/archive-139210.html

To run all .NET stuff, you need 1.1, 3.5, and 4.0

This got me to thinking on something: An old problem that I really haven't found a solution to. Is there a good way to do resource leak detection in Windows? I really haven't encountered anything to that effect in any of the languages I've worked with, and I'd have to think it would be a Windows API/System solution. Even with simple memory usage, the way Windows is makes it so the old trick I used to use in DOS of checking memory before and after doesn't work. So, is there a way to do this with any and all resources a program might use so you can put a debugging check at the end of a program regarding this issue?

Don't they usually focus on commercial stuff? I think most of the indie stuff (of any kind, games, utilities) just gets forgotten and goes extinct after a while.

What language? There's Microsoft's example. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee175819%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

I like Delphi (pre .NET). Still do and really haven't run into many difficulties trying to do anything I've wanted. And the best part: No run-time crap. OP: Try looking into some of the Windows offshoots of the Linux GPL compilers - probably your best bet if you want C or C++ stuff.

It's not easy to find old games, that's for sure. For DOS, I'd love to find "Beer The Game", and this side scroller (I forget the name). All I remember was it was fun and that it had these sound effects that played when you died ("The earth is...dead."), and when you lost it played "Game over man, game over!". I guess just hard period to find indie stuff (i.e. not Apogee, Epic MegaGames, or ID Software) 15 years or so removed. Just loved those games when I first got into computers but my copies of those games got corrupted. I did find Scorched Earth though. That one's still fun to pull out on DOS VM or DOSBox every once in a while.

I'd like to know the answer to this part, actually (how to create a theme). Looked a lot (off and on) and only found mention of Windowblinds.

It depends. For most stuff (99% or so) it doesn't matter, but if you run into something that changes the system substantially and then try to patch it in the next step, it's best to reboot and let the first thing do its business.

If it helps, the .NET 2.0 SP2 updates I show as installed on my Windows Update listing are (x86): kb2418241, kb958481, kb976569, kb976576, kb979909, kb982167, kb983583 That should be a good start, IMO.

While the OP said this wouldn't matter, if one was concerned would it be possible to query those features off machines on the network using WMI (Win32_DesktopMonitor and Win32_VideoController)? I'm not fully sure, but just a thought.

No offense taken. Definitely understood. The poster before this one that I referred to wanted to ensure a bitmap with the company logo showed up upon login of everyone and wanted to do it on the standard user login script. As I remember, the question of locking down the settings to change it came up then. As I recall, there are some group policy things that can be set to eliminate the user changing it, like through Desktop Settings. But the problem as was expressed with that was that other programs can effectively "get around" any of these restrictions, if present (basically anything with a "Set as Background" option, even MS Paint). Evidently, the API call is not checked for security settings, and the registry can't be locked down because there are usually legitimate programs that need access to it. No one really presented a good solution then where the desktop wallpaper stayed permanently in all cases. (this was back when most companies had XP/2000 deployed and Vista was kind of new, so I don't know if you could actually lock down the desktop background tight on those)

I did some web searching and looks like probably the best way (unless there's a way to do it with Remote Desktop Services) to do it is to push a utility to each of the machines to change the resolution (QRes works), then use PSEXEC to run it. I'm not seeing anything that directly addresses resolution of remote display devices and WMI doesn't seem to support changing that at all. http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Other-VIDEO-Tools/QRes.shtml http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897553 Hope this helps... Edit: Looked at PSEXEC closer and it looks like it'll copy the exec to the machine for you and run it there. For example: Looks like this ought to work.

As per the documentation and files included, it's a program. For what you indicate, you just put in your batch, cmd, or vbs (whatever works to run something) the following command line. wpchange none 0 If you run that, it should eliminate the background bitmap

Actually it worked for the previous person, who wanted to set a specific bitmap upon login and have it show immediately. But why not support what you can when you do it, especially since the source for the program isn't that long? The same mechanics for that will work here if all the OP wants is the bitmap to be gone immediately. You suggested the program, I already had it on hand, so I posted it. That said... It's hard to tell exactly what someone is looking to accomplish - it seems we are assuming what the OP wants by filling in the blanks on what is otherwise unsaid. Disabling the changing of the background wallpaper is another thing entirely, but as I understood it, the program previously generated will work here if the desire is to have the change reflected immediately. Otherwise, I'd just suggest the registry changes via script.

You mean like this one? (I had it sitting around from when another person asked this question) Please let me know if there are any issues or if it helps out with your problem, OP.

That's good to know. Thanks.

As a "curiosity thing", thought it might be interesting to someone to see the portion of my Window Update log (out of an API prog I've been working on) which involves a MSE database update (as well as the latest program update). The virus/malware database updates show up about once a day, usually. Update ID: 36fc788c-3bcf-49f0-809e-a7bb4a480aaf Title: Definition Update for Microsoft Security Essentials - KB2310138 (Definition 1.97.22.0) Description: Install this update to revise the definition files that are used to detect viruses, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software. Once you have installed this item, it cannot be removed. Min Download Size: 0 Download Size: 11582000 SupersededIDs: 1783dd5c-8ec7-48f2-94db-a74e30b07525 : 18fc5be0-6ae9-45e1-a53c-de8fda328cf6 : 7802b05b-6bab-44bf-a759-67093eae704e : aaa383bd-1ac0-46a8-9820-1612751218b7 : b55afc35-5be1-4a40-8dea-4c674296d4bf : c85d5f63-9255-4926-9218-48deb33049c5 : e95ad39d-0202-447c-9c09-8530a29a0f16 : b4266e38-e28c-4118-bc3e-fa870914ddc9 : Categories: Definition Updates : MS Security Essentials : Eula Accepted: TRUE Eula Text: Installed: FALSE Hidden: FALSE MSRC Severity: KB Article Ids: 2310138 File Titles: 0: Delta File URLs: 0: http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/software/defu/2011/01/am_delta_e98f412e595be97b64678b931744dfa6afc64d97.exe File Sizes: 0: 521104 Update ID: 9c2b20db-ddfa-4e6b-a616-38c84b34a2af Title: Microsoft Security Essentials Client Update Package - KB2285652 (2.0.657.0) Description: This package will update Microsoft Security Essentials client on the user's machine. Min Download Size: 0 Download Size: 7866472 SupersededIDs: Categories: Critical Updates : MS Security Essentials : Eula Accepted: FALSE Eula Text: MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS These license terms are an agreement between Microsoft Corporation (or based on where you live, one of its affiliates) and you. Please read them. They apply to the software named above, which includes the media on which you received it, if any. The terms also apply to any Microsoft ...clipped... Installed: TRUE Hidden: FALSE MSRC Severity: KB Article Ids: 2285652 File Titles: 0: MSEInstall-x86-EN-US File URLs: 0: http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/software/crup/2011/01/mseinstall_6ff28e3d426439c31caa5e4957c5bea08c78e0a1.exe File Sizes: 0: 7866472

Since MSE is tied to Windows Update, any updates to it will be tied to your Windows Update settings. So what happens to MSE is directly reflected in your "Automatic Updates" settings. So if you don't have the Windows updates set to "download and install for me automatically", then you won't get automatic updates in MSE. Clearer?

Because it usually updates at a set time or sometimes before a scan. MSE uses Windows Update for its update facility (you will see that if you look at the Windows Update log), so as a registered app in Windows Update, updates for it will show up there.

what Google Translate says: TOS Item 2D would be very applicable here.

Because they want you to use Windows Update to find your patches. So they don't update other sources very well (if at all). That said, the patches I have referenced as current for IE8 at the moment are: Update for Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility View List for Windows XP (KB2447568) Update for Internet Explorer for Windows XP (KB2467659) Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 8 for Windows XP (KB2416400) Don't see any others on the list, but hopefully that's the complete list.

Tried your program a while ago and didn't get a chance to think of this until now. Anyway, your code works on the XP SP3 systems I tried, but one of them comes back as "No DirectX Installed". Considering your responses on the system restore question you posted, you might consider double-checking the methods you are using to come up with each of these things.