Auto-Patcher For Windows 98se (English)

[Molecule]

there is a predicate inside MGDx' post that I sort of like …

and that is the idea that windows 98 is definitely not being put to bed just yet … I have no doubt that there will definitely be updates in the future.

so, setting aside the flak I may take for this … because what I'm going to do is suggest that as Autopatcher98se gets finalized, its one-gulp format (which is excellent for consolidating development overview but at 230M gives everyone on dialup heartburn) will cause accessibility problems and a reactionary political pressure.

Might I suggest that AP98se be eventually merged with DefinitiveList98se … in the manner of jcarle's wonderful msfn project called Windows Update Downloader for Unattended CDs see http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=147

For w2k, the WUD Windows Update Downloader reads a text-based updatelist .ul file (contained in a zip .ulz), and maintains a homebase directory of patches and add-ons for 2K-autopatcher. The homebase directory is divided into sensible categories, each category maintained in its own directory, specifically, [.NET Framework 1.1] [.NET Framework 2.0] [Critical Updates] [service Packs] [Windows Media Player] [Other]. "Other" contains things like Windows Rights Management, Windows Installer, etc. etc.

The .ul updatelist file is a text-based xml file, which for 98se is almost already prepared from soporific's update list. An example of the first listing in the current .ul file is

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<updatelist product="Windows 2000 Professional" platform="x86" language="ENU" lastupdate="2007-03-13" xmlns="http://wud.jcarle.com" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://wud.jcarle.com http://wud.jcarle.com/wud.xsd">
  <!--Generated file by Rj's ulTranslate v1.6, translated from w2k-v3.xml (2007-03-13)-->
  <categories>
	<category id="1">Critical Updates</category>
	<category id="2">Service Packs</category>
	<category id="4">.NET Framework 1.1</category>
	<category id="5">.NET Framework 2.0</category>
	<category id="7">Windows Media Player</category>
	<category id="9">Other</category>
  </categories>
  <updates>
	<update id="KB928090" category="1" publishdate="2007-02-13" article="http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=928090">
	<!--http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D9E4181A-05F9-4186-BDCA-C95351983844&displaylang=en-->
	  <title>Cumulative Update for Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (KB928090)</title>
	  <description>This update addresses the vulnerability discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-016. To find out if other security updates are available for you, see the Additional Information section at the bottom of this page.</description>
	  <filename>IE6.0sp1-KB928090-Windows2000-x86-ENU.exe</filename>
	  <url>http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/2/c/12c22818-1b18-4f7b-88b6-e17c97a98bc8/IE6.0sp1-KB928090-Windows2000-x86-ENU.exe</url>
	  </update>

jcarle's WUD, if fed an updatelist for the 98se patches, could be used by any user to automatically maintain his or her homebase of update files in 1-10 Meg chunks. The schema for 98se would obviously differ from that for w2k, so I'll outline the w2k process: the user downloads the latest .ulz (10k), unzips it to a .ul (53k), and opens it in WUD update downloader. WUD reads the home directory of the user, and compares its filelist to the latest update. It graphically gives the user the option to select which files needed, and then downloads them (a nice feature). It can delete the unwanted files from the home directory. For w2k, different .ulz files can be maintained for different languages too, which might be nice for 98se too.

After soporific finalizes Autopatcher98se technology (for which for testing he obviously needs total control of patches available on the computer and their locations), I would love to see his technology compressed to a zip file and then combined with a companion .ulz file. The companion 98se.ulz could then maintain the precise directory structure on the user's computer, exactly to soporific's specifications, through the WUD downloader. That would solve the problem of the big-endian 230M one-gulp, and it would solve MGDx' softly expressed concern that room be left open for future growth -- it might be one way to make soporific's technology a part of the future of 98se.

[Drugwash]

OK, then I guess having both web and full-size installers available for download, would be the best option, as every user would have the choice to grab the version that suits him best.

[billygoat]

I had this happen after the MP9 module today....

The message you are getting happens when AP has lost control of the OS during a patch session [...] at least one update is rebooting after its finished when its not supposed to.

If you can narrow down which ones are doing this and post the result, that would be helpful.

It looks like the WM Encoder is doing it. First time I had choices 1 and 2 set to install. (Legacy and Encoder.) This time I left it at default (Legacy only) and it went as expected.

[Eck]

I had WMEncoder and the legacy stuff checked and didn't get that issue. That was with 1.91 though, and I had it install WMP9 and the codecs as well. I also deactivated 98SE2ME and 98MP10 stuff, installing those afterwards.

Next 98SE install, I'll be using the new version.

Just to comment on what's being discussed about future updates, besides bug fixing current patches and working on fancy GUI stuff I really don't see a lot of updates in the future. Without knowing Microsoft proprietary secret information there's only so much that is possible. I find it amazing how much has been accomplished, witness the ESDI fix for 48 bit LBA, IE6SP1 patches to fix Explorer slowdowns, etc. I think the community is sorely missing the creator of those.

Web updates to fix, update already installed patches would be a cool thing though. That way we wouldn't need to download and run an entire new version of Auto-Patcher just to fix stuff it already installed. A good suggestion there by MDGx. It would be nice if an easy way could be figured out that would accomplish that. Maybe just a dedicated thread only for links to individual update patches to update an Auto-Patched system? I don't think something as complex as WindowsUpdate would be needed. Perhaps just patches we could download that specifically target updates to fixes done by Auto-Patcher?

[Max_04]

I had WMEncoder and the legacy stuff checked and didn't get that issue. That was with 1.91 though, and I had it install WMP9 and the codecs as well. I also deactivated 98SE2ME and 98MP10 stuff, installing those afterwards.

Next 98SE install, I'll be using the new version.

Just to comment on what's being discussed about future updates, besides bug fixing current patches and working on fancy GUI stuff I really don't see a lot of updates in the future. Without knowing Microsoft proprietary secret information there's only so much that is possible. I find it amazing how much has been accomplished, witness the ESDI fix for 48 bit LBA, IE6SP1 patches to fix Explorer slowdowns, etc. I think the community is sorely missing the creator of those.

Web updates to fix, update already installed patches would be a cool thing though. That way we wouldn't need to download and run an entire new version of Auto-Patcher just to fix stuff it already installed. A good suggestion there by MDGx. It would be nice if an easy way could be figured out that would accomplish that. Maybe just a dedicated thread only for links to individual update patches to update an Auto-Patched system? I don't think something as complex as WindowsUpdate would be needed. Perhaps just patches we could download that specifically target updates to fixes done by Auto-Patcher?

Auto-Patcher for win 98 se can run on win me or win 98 fe?

[billygoat]

I had WMEncoder and the legacy stuff checked and didn't get that issue. That was with 1.91 though...

Darn, I've tried it again with WM Encoder choice (for other reasons, having restored again) and *didn't* have it happen. As I said, my original sense was that it may have been random, so hard to test. WM Encoder seems unlikely to be causing it anyway, since WMP 9, codecs, and patches occur afterward.

I've been toying with additionally installing a few apparently remaining codecs from wmp6cdcs.exe. GSpot reports three additional codecs installed after running wmp6cdcs.exe, and also wmp6cdcs.exe reports three to install after the AP module is run. Maybe they only work with MP 6.4 or are obsolete, but I actually use 6.4 rather than MP9 for wmv when possible.

Any thoughts on wmp6cdcs.exe? What is actually in the Legacy pack?

[soporific]

Auto-Patcher for win 98 se can run on win me or win 98 fe?

Nope ...

What is actually in the Legacy pack?

It's actually the Windows Media Player 7.1 installation package. The way the module is setup, the user never sees 7.1 because 9.0 is immediately installed afterwards. But if you compared the installations you'd notice more files are installed when you also install 7.1 --- these are the ones Windows Encoder 7.1 needs or it won't work as intended. So i decided to call it the Legacy files pack as that's what they in fact are. Edited March 24, 2007 by soporific

[Max_04]

Auto-Patcher for win 98 se can run on win me or win 98 fe?

Nope ...

My intention is to realize three packages of italian AP (for win98se, 98, ME).

Is there a hope?

THX and great work, I've tested AP english and is wonderful.

[soporific]

My intention is to realize three packages of italian AP (for win98se, 98, ME).

Is there a hope?

THX and great work, I've tested AP english and is wonderful.

The package as it exists contains all the updates for Win98se --- the only reason it doesn't work for the other versions of Windows is that their hotfixes haven't been included (although there is lots of overlap) and their data hasn't been included in the modules ... there is no reason why the structure of the program can't be used for the other OSes --- just replace the data inside the modules - different file names and check info, that's it! --- THAT is possible ...

[Max_04]

My intention is to realize three packages of italian AP (for win98se, 98, ME).

Is there a hope?

THX and great work, I've tested AP english and is wonderful.

The package as it exists contains all the updates for Win98se --- the only reason it doesn't work for the other versions of Windows is that their hotfixes haven't been included (although there is lots of overlap) and their data hasn't been included in the modules ... there is no reason why the structure of the program can't be used for the other OSes --- just replace the data inside the modules - different file names and check info, that's it! --- THAT is possible ...

Ok. Are you available to send you all italian localization of updates to convert them in unattended?

I need only this.... it can be 20 italian updates about.

Edited March 24, 2007 by Max_04

[soporific]

Ok. Are you available to send you all italian localization of updates to convert them in unattended?

I need only this.... it can be 20 italian updates about.

Yes i am available, but first please be more clear about what you are proposing ... i'm still a bit confused ... oh, you are going to send me the localisation stuff, yes, you need to send me the files as well. I hope that's right!

AND in other news ...

if anyone's interested, i've put together a LITE version of Auto-Patcher for the bandwidth challenged among us ... this version is without any of the bloat: no Net framework baloney, hardly any optional components, only the latest visual basic runtimes, no WMP optional components, etc. All in all, 70 MB was shaved off the original installer size. I could have maybe saved another 20 MB if I got rid of EVERYTHING that wasn't necessary but i was going for efficiency rather than the smallest file size possible. I might do some more pruning, but expect a size close to 150 MB (it's at 170 MB now). Available in a few days ...

[fruityloops]

Thanks SOPHORIFIC,i m very pleased that u have provided the better link to download Auto-Patcher For Windows 98se (English) v1.95 ,which is very stable and resume supporting.THANKS THANKS THANKS TAHANKS THANKS THANKS..............................................................................................

..............

GOD BLESS YOU.

[Project Epsilon]

wow, this is what i've been looking for. absolutely amazing stuff. just one question about it, not sure if this came up before. After i run install and run auto patcher, can i then uninstall it without losing all the updates? i mean, auto patcher is amazing and all, but i like to keep my install nice and lite, so i don't really want 250mb of files hanging around if its just a once every install type of deal for me. but again, amazing work here!

Edited March 27, 2007 by Project Epsilon

[Eck]

Ooh! A Question I can answer!

Yes, you can uninstall it. You already ran it and it installed the updates so removing all the files causes no problems. Just make sure to burn the installer to a cdr first so you can install it again!

You might want to check out that manual installs folder to be sure you've installed the stuff in there before getting rid of it all.

In any case you can always install it again as long as you saved it.

[soporific]

Ooh! A Question I can answer!

<snip>

Yes, you can uninstall it.

Correct! 10 points and a purple flower stamp to you sir.

I got this as a PM:

I downloaded Win98SE AutoPatcher last night, installed it on my machine at home and then selected the "S" option from the the "AutoPatcher98 - CHOICE" dialogue, followed by the "M" option.

On completion of the process, I expected to get a report that listed all the missing updates / patches on my o/s.

Instead the process appeared to terminate abnormally and closed the Console window without displaying any error message (it's possible the Console window closed to quickly for me to read any error message that may have been output).

On checking what folders and files had been created on my hard drive after the process had terminated, I found that two folders had been created, being "Markers" and "Save".

In the Markers folder I found several files had been created, including one named "FoundUpd.txt". The contents of FoundUpd.txt were as follows =>

The following updates were found to be installed:

No files had been created in the Save folder.

In addition, I also found a file named "Report.txt" had been created in one of the other folders (sorry I forgot to note the name of the folder in which this file was stored). The contents of Report.txt were as follows =>

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Report for Auto-Patcher v1.95 Preview Release 2 generated on Tuesday, 27 March 2007

- the time is now: 2:03am

- the most recent report is at the end of this log file.

The following list of updates were not found on this computer:

I then deleted the Markers and Save folders as well the Report.txt file, started AutoPatcher again and then tried to report missing updates / patches from one of the "Group" options. Again AutoPatcher appeared to terminate abnormally with exactly the same results as described earlier.

At this stage I'm not sure if the problem I have is simply the fact that I do not understand how to use AutoPatcher, or worse there's something very weird about my SE configuration?

For information, I currently have very few updates installed on my copy of Win 98SE. As I recall, I have the following updates installed:

Ie6SP1 (no security patches)

DirectX 9.0B (no security patches)

Windows Media Player 9.0 (no security patches)

MMC 1.2

XML 3.0

What you are reporting is a bug. When you choose to make a report, it should finish searching and present a text file for you to read. It should not terminate unexpectedly. Things you can do:

1) Inside the logs folder you should find a REPORT.TXT file that is created every time you make a report --- please find that file and post the EXACT contents to this thread. Also tell us what options you choose to make the report, and any info you can on when it terminates unexpectedly

2) Turn debugging on. In the Start Menu shortcut folder that is created when you install Auto-Patcher (AP) there is an icon that will turn it on for you. This will greatly help tell us WHERE the problem occurred. Start the report process as normal, then when it terminates, look for the DEBUG.TXT file this is created in the logs directory and post that to this thread.

3) try to only search through the first module - the stability hotfixes module - and see what the result is with that

More info: the save folder is where your module choices are stored. The markers folder is where all the files that AP needs to work each session are stored. If you use debugging, this information is stored in the log file. The FoundUpd.txt file is a temporary file that stores the list of updates found and at the very end, the list is copied to the main log file. Since you never make it to the end, this info never makes it to the Report.txt file.