I’m using GitHub desktop version 3.3.6.1 (the older WPF-based one).
It works fine but it annoys me by offering to update to a new electron based version.
I don’t want Electron. How do I disable automatic updates of github?
The app calls CheckForUpdateAsync method of ApplicationDeployment class but it’s unclear how to disable that.
Wireshark shows it connects to github-windows.s3.amazonaws.com, tried blocking that address with my hosts file but that didn’t help.
Related
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.
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
This question may be relevant to any version of Windows where Windows Update is present, as I imagine the answers might be different between versions.
(Also, my apologies if this question should have been placed somewhere else, I looked for a Windows forum on SE and couldn't find one.)
I'm writing system requirements for a web application that requires at least IE8, and would like to communicate in the documentation how the user can make sure they have the latest browser version (on Windows) without having to download it manually, if possible. However being on OS X I'm having a hard time managing to find out if Windows Update will actually update IE (from say, 7 to 8) on Windows XP? What about later versions like Windows 7 or 8?
As a side note, Microsoft won't (by default anyway) even let my OS access any areas of their website where I might find a download link to Internet Explorer 8 or any other version since I'm not on Windows. Just sayin', if I wanted to supply a link to our users, that is. Yes, I will fire up my VM or PC to get the link but it seems... unnecessary?
Anyway, can I tell our users they just need to fire up Windows Update to make sure they're running IE8, or do I need to ask them to check version manually and download a new version manually (if necessary)?
While Windows Update generally does update critical IE components, major updates are generally considered optional updates that are not installed unless the user chooses to install them manually.
Consequently, you'll likely need to include a download link. Try http://microsoft.com/ie/download, which should redirect to the language appropriate page for the given user.
(Also, some users choose to not run Windows Update, so the download link may be needed anyway.)
Hope this helps...
-- Lance
To answer your query "Anyway, can I tell our users they just need to fire up Windows Update to make sure they're running IE8, or do I need to ask them to check version manually and download a new version manually (if necessary)?"
Yes, windows update also update Internet explorer.
To change setting for windows update where you can choose which updates is related to your OS and components and you can download and install to avoid unnecessary downloads.
Please find below steps to change the settings
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Windows Update\Change settings
Under Important updates option you will find
Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.
I believe it will be an 'optional' windows update. In this case the user will still have to select and accept it, but windows update will do the rest. I would advise your users to check Windows Update for the latest browser version.
IE is part of Windows OS so I guess Windows update take care of IE like any other Windows components
I'm working for a client that is getting an OSX app ready for release. They have a stand-alone app that installs browser extensions for the major browsers.
Their new version will be an app store app.
Is it possible to drive the process of installing a browser extension from an OSX app store app? From what I've seen, you have to lead the user to download the extension and then open it from the finder or from the browser's list of downloaded files.
This makes for a rather disjointed, error-prone installation process. The user can fail to download the file, can fail to open the file, or can fail to return to the app to complete the installation process. All of those things are bad, especially since this app is going to be free, with optional paid upgrades. If the user doesn't complete the installation process, my client loses them as a potential upgrade (paid) client.
As of v25 Google Chrome implemented security features which would prevent any extensions installed offline by a 3rd party application from being activated without first being approved by the user via a dialog prompt in the browser.
Mozilla had implemented similar security measures over a year prior with Firefox 8
It's likely been patched by now, but it was reported that you could bypass Firefox security measures and accomplish a silent extension installation by copying the extension directly into the Firefox extension directory and add a record of it to the browsers Sqlite3 database. The database record involves adding a boolean true value to a property which specifies if the add-on has been approved or not.
Later versions of Firefox switched to using JSON rather than the Sqlite database and a similar process was still possible.
If I understand your question correctly.. This is potentially feasible regardless of vendor security but impossible for any public production level application due to such security because it will never be stable.
Vendors have a high priority in locking processes like this done to prevent potentially malicious 3rd party code. Interested in the subject I came across a few possibilities. I can't guarantee whether or not any of these will work but perhaps it will lead you in the right direction..
I would try to do this will Applescript to automate the user actions or potentially guide the user through the process.
You can open the extension with
[[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] openFile:#"path/to/myextension.safariextz" withApplication:#"Safari"];
but that only gets you started.
An alternative possibility was mentioned here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/4393062/1922144
And then there was a discussion here that seems worth noting.. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3067552?tstart=0
safari.msi /i /qn BypassDefaultBrowserCheck=true
Situation: In my working network, there are some configurations that do not allow, a browser to connect to any sites, which are not in local net. Firefox always asks to update the java plugin, and always try to connect to java.com. If it cannot connect to java.com, it will not let the applet run. I don't want to update manual any plugin but with a clone, because I must administrate about 150 PCs. Since the computers are only in local net, no internet access, there are not any security problem. So I think I can turn the update feature off, absolutely!
The question is: how can I turn it off. I've tried in Tool -> Add-on -> Setting -> unmark the option: "Update add-on automatically". But the FF even try to connect to java.com.
Background Infos: Firefox 23, Java 7.25
It wouldnt be a security bug if you wouldnt allow the download and running of external code. Please turn off auto updates. its a pain in the butt. Then fix it so it cant download and run code. or allow that stupid program flash player to open a site in the background and run java code.