Manually triggering update of an app when running windows in assigned access (Kiosk mode) doesn´t work.
I have read others facing the same issue and it feels like there is a bug in windows Kiosk mode. But maybe there is some reason for this behaviour?
I have an app that I sideload using an appinstaller file (my app consist of both a uwp part and a consol part linked with a bridge connection). The app works well in Kiosk mode besides the update part. If I enable automatic updates and link to a specific folder on my computer the automatic updates will work and update my app from the specific folder. However this way to update requires two restarts before it is automatically updated. I want to be able to manually trigger the update from within the app itself somehow and have it updated instantly.
I have tried to update using packagemanager using the function below. This works well in desktop but will always freeze in bluscreen with progressring if I run it in an account in Kiosk mode (assigned access).
PackageManager pm = new PackageManager();
pm.AddPackageByAppInstallerFileAsync(new Uri("C:\\myLocalPath"), AddPackageByAppInstallerOptions.ForceTargetAppShutdown, pm.FindPackageVolume("C:\\"));
I have also tried to restart the app using the command below in order to trigger the automatic update without the need to restart the entire computer. This also works well in desktop but will freeze in bluscreen if I am in a Kiosk account.
AppRestartFailureReason result = await CoreApplication.RequestRestartAsync("Restart");
Restarting the entire computer two times and enabling automatic updates will update the app without problems. Why is it not possible to use one of the methods above? Is this a bug in windows kiosk mode or is this really intended??
The same issue is also reported here:
problem-when-restart-app-on-kiosk-mode-windows-10
and here:
intune-kiosk-blue-screen-spinner-after-uwp-app-res
See my answer to how I made this work here:
The same problem described on microsoft docs
I don´t feel very confident with the whole assigned access and package installation concept. It works at the moment for me but my feeling is that it is not very stable. Many different ways of creating almost the same thing. The problem is that there are differences between the results depending on how you get there. For instance two assigne access accounts don´t behave the same if you created them differently. Also adding and removing both apps and accounts leaves trash that you don´t see but can cause problems.At least this is my feeling.
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I have a problem that i have a difficult time explaining, which makes any online search very hard. Here is my dilema.
I'm migrating a VM. The purpose of this machine is to compile send out daily/weekly/monthly reports. I know there are other ways (like Power BI) but this is the situation we are in right now. The older machine has win10 pro and office 365 installed while the new has win10 enterprise version and office 2016 installed. This machine runs 24/7 in the background running specific tasks (via system scheduler app) at given times, that is it's a Virtual machine and has done so without issues since it was created. The reason for the migration is because we need to domain change and bring the machine under a new corporate policy and we don't want to do this on a live server.
We've set it the VM's the same way, same programs and same settings. Everything seams to be running smooth expect for this one thing, and here is the problem i have a hard time to explain or figure out:
MS Access will update the tables and the computer will run the tasks as set but it will not export the data to pdf unless i have a remote desktop connection open. Will not export the pdf's otherwise. MS Access uses a autoexec macro where the pdf export is set with ExportWithFormatting. This works without issues on the old server.
We thought this to be a permission or user specific issue at first but even re-creating the tasks did not work and changing paths. Otherwise also i expect we would have problems with tables updating, specially since it works when you have an active remote desktop conn running.
I'm lost and therefore hoping this community will be able to help or guide me to a solution.
I believe that we found the reason for this. It was caused by windows easy print and the printer drivers of the machine. It worked for some reason differently between the servers. after reinstalling the printer drivers and a few restarts it started working. It exports now from access again.
This is at least solved.
I have a Clickonce app from Visual Studio 2015 SP3 that is published to the network server and used in-house only. The program works just fine when launched from Visual Studio. It runs just fine on a Windows machine that does not have the 1803 update. But once a machine updates to 1803, the application no longer starts. I get the "Checking for updates..." window then nothing. On a fresh install, I usually get the Smartscreen telling me the program may be dangerous. It doesn't get that far.
I've created the Clickonce from a computer with the 1803 update and the problem still exists.
I've disconnected the machine from the network. The application starts but then has no database access and it needs the database. It's also written to hide buttons that would use the database to prevent users from trying to do things that require it.
I found a workaround (third paragraph) at https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/7cbd16f5-526e-4b0b-a186-3ebf41b7b349/smartscreen-prompt-does-not-show-for-clickonce-app-since-windows-10-update-1803?forum=win10itprogeneral. When I start the application from the directory mentioned, I get the Smartscreen and can tell it to run anyway. Every time I click the desktop icon, it works just fine.
If a new release is published, the new release is downloaded and the program updated, but the Smartscreen no longer appears and the application never starts.
So somewhere between installing the latest update and the Smartscreen, this is failing. Anyone else experiencing this and have an idea as to why?
Yes, frustratingly I also experienced this today. Presumably a security update that they'll release another patch for given this is quite a pain for developers and users of small business apps.
Rather than disable Defender or SmartScreen I chose to add my deployment website to the Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer and that then re-instated the warning dialog and my app updated and ran as before.
Really annoying given the nature of the issue and how long it took to figure out, but at the same time I had to use IE today, which is a rare event nowadays.
This works for me...Warn doesnt warn anymore...
After running in the same problem, I just found that my application was going to halt after a stupid uncaught exception.
Despite the fact that the image below is in Portuguese, Event Viewer shows the right error cause.
In my case, was a corrupted settings file!
It appears as though some subsequent Windows Updates have fixed the issue on several of our PC's that were previously experiencing the issue.
Check for the updates listed here.
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4338548
Running winver.exe will show you which build you have.
I wanted to setup a computer with a variety of settings which I basicly have to do over and over and over again everytime a new user joins our company or changes the computer and I wanted to know if there was a possible way to configure those with a script like I already did with an information colletor script (batch file) and which now works perfectly fine thanks to this webside.
So since I know that here are some really awesome IT Guys with way more experience then me I would love to so something automatic as the next step to save loads of time by simply running a script to configure things like setting up the screensaver, InternetOptions, removing Apps/Softwarelinks in the Start Menu or perhaps even adding links to the bookmark list in firefox or chrome so the user can just start to work and I got loads of time for other important things.
For now it would already be a help to setup a script for Windows 7 but I think we will move more and more to windows 10 so would it be possible to write something to use on both systems without any big changes?
... configure things like setting up the screensaver, InternetOptions,
removing Apps/Softwarelinks in the Start Menu or perhaps even adding
links to the bookmark list in firefox or chrome so the user can just
start to work and I got loads of time for other important things.
Everything you ask about can be configured in a centralized fashion via Active Directory Group Policy. Check the Group Policy Survival Guide page to get started designing the policy for your organization and users.
Group Policy can be defined using PowerShell and via Group Policy Management Console which is GUI-based.
Note that the above will only work if you are in Active Directory domain. If you are not, you still can use Local Group Policy, but you will have to run a script on every user's computer. I am not sure whether there are native PowerShell cmdlets to manage Local Group Policy, but AFAIK you can do that via Windows Registry or using special tools.
With the forthcoming demise of Chrome Web Store Apps, I have successfully transitioned my app to nw.js I was amazed at how easy it was and how it ran first time. About the only tricky thing I encountered was how to get my app icon showing on mac.
However I am somewhat worried about app updates. Does anyone know what happens to persistent data (indexed-DB etc) when a user updates a nw.js app with a new version that I publish to my web site for download?
Also if anyone can help me with how to achieve automatic updates. I mean the full works here. What code is needed to check for an update, what code do I need to write to deliver the update, what code is needed to install the update. Chrome did all of this for me and I know absolutely nothing about server side coding.
For mac there is a mac store support:
http://docs.nwjs.io/en/latest/For%20Users/Advanced/Support%20for%20Mac%20App%20Store/
IndexedDb, localstorage, etc. will persists until the app name will not change.
For automatic updates:
There is an ongoing pull request going on for auto updater.
https://github.com/nwjs/nw.js/pull/5722
Till then, the easiest way for auto update Your application code is to host your app code on the web and open the web page with nw.js.
If You want to autoupdate the nw.js itself then you will have to provide an installer for that and tell the user to download and run the installer if there is a new update.
The documentation (http://docs.nwjs.io/en/latest/For%20Users/Advanced/Autoupdates/#autoupdates) recommends node-webkit-updater and nwjs-autoupdater. Wherein node-webkit-updater the oldest solution, which is not maintained anymore. It's also has flaws (e.g. unpack via unsigned unzip and system specific apps)
As for the second one (nwjs-autoupdater), I personally do not like the idea to install golang just to have my NWJS app autoupdate...
As an alternative one can consider https://github.com/dsheiko/nw-autoupdater
It provides an API (like node-webkit-updater, but cleaner with use of async/await) to customize auto-update flow in one's app including download/install progress
Before I start, another post for something similar to this request for help is located at Running a process at the Windows 7 Welcome Screen, but the responses were not quite what I believe I am looking for, and the post is over a year old so I thought it best to start a new thread for my needs.
In Windows 7 Ultimate, I am trying to create a script or task scheduler event that will run a Windows "rundll32.exe" process with arguments at the logon, lock, and switch user screens (basically any screen that is waiting for user to log into the machine).
I have tried using the startup script controls in group policy editor as well as creating a task scheduler event, but so far I am unable to get the process to display on the logon screens.
The command line I am using does work while logged into any account at any user level via the "Run.." dialog as well as via CMD prompt, and is only creating a popup that already exists in the Windows OEM Environment.
The hardest part is this: My friend just bought a new laptop. The new laptop came with this specific feature already enabled, but I have no idea what is making it happen and do not have access to the computer to check out gpedit.msc and task scheduler for possible solutions.
There are two reasons why I need this info: 1) I want the feature to work on my own laptop, and 2) my friend would like help disabling it on his as he doesn't like it.
I have been all over Google, posted at Microsoft Answers, and also posted on the laptop manufacturer's user forums. I have found very few pages that refer to the same question as I have, but none have answers that work, and since I have seen and know that this is possible, I am compelled to continue looking.
The laptop that this is currently working on was purchased with a fresh install of Win 7 Ultimate and no manufacturer bloatware/additional software added, so we know that the feature was made to happen by whomever it was that installed the OS and configured it for sale. Therefore I am certain it is just a matter of the right task or script in Windows itself before I see the results I need and then know how to direct my friend to disable his via phone.
The specific call is "rundll32.exe van.dll,RunVAN". In task scheduler I have set this to run as "SYSTEM" and set the triggers for startup, workstation lock, and local disconnect. I have tried using full path to rundll32.exe as well as the bare command. In gpedit startup scripts I have tried full path and bare command. Neither of which for either case is making this popup show on the logon screens.
Any and all help and/or advice on this would be greatly appreciated by both myself and my friend.
dynamic display of images for the credential provider