I have a huge .bat file build script that calls into compilers and what not.
I have until recently been able to run this without any problems (and as I have not made any changes, I suspect there's a Windows update and/or setting at play?)
Using Windows 7
I am logged in as Administrator
I run the command line with "Run as administrator"
My build script then compiles and run my application (shuts down itself which I have confirmed in "Task manager") the first time.
This goes well.
But when it tries to delete the file (the application)
I get "access denied"
This basicly stops me completely because it is a large build system which non-automated takes a very long time and is very error prone to do manually.
The kicker is that if I try delete the file in Windows explorer I get "need admin rights" which is kinda peculiar since... I am already an administrator... and I have also run Windows explorer with "Run as administrator". However, after some time and attempting a rename it seeems to budge and allow the file to be deleted. (I have checked, and there is no process listed in task manager which should be "holding" the file in any way, so I tend to think this is an access rights issue... somehow)
I am... Open to ideas? :)
I have decided to move this question to:
https://superuser.com/questions/493249/windows-file-access-denied
as I think it is my Windows that is messed up somehow :(
I will still monitor this question at SO, but I think this a peculiar Windows issue I am experiencing
Related
I am currently trying to install my vb6 app on a Windows 8.1 computer via TeamViewer (it's kind of like remote desktop). However, the installation always hangs up after all the files are copied and this message is displayed:
Setup is updating your system
We've tried it on our own Win8.1Pro desktop (via Remote Desktop this time) and Win2008Server(both via Remote Desktop), and it installed just fine.
Right now, we've narrowed it down to one culprit - MyProjectInfo.exe the actual ActiveX .exe. Whether it is me trying to run the .exe for the first time to register it to DCOMCNFG or whether it is the setup.exe running the script $(EXESelfRegister) it just freezes up.
What differences should i look for between 1) our win8.1Pro and win2008server and 2) their win8.1? If it some coding/reference/dependency issue, what could be the cause for why it doesn't error in our desktops?
Thank you for all the help.
Uhmm... this is getting embarrassing.
Avast (present in the other person's Win8.1) was blocking MyProjectInfo.exe from running (which is basically what is does with $(EXESelfRegister).
To properly proceed with registering my ActiveEXE program, I had to turn Avast off for a while. And that was that.
This problem may also occur with other anti-virus scanners as well.
I have a very old application which I've moved from computer to computer over the years. I was probably running NT or maybe even Windows 95 when I got it. It still runs fine, but I recently tried to back up some of the files I created using it and I find that they are hidden. When I run the app I can read them or write them, but when I try to access them either via the command line or Windows Explorer they are not found. I can see them from the cygwin command line, but I would really prefer explorer.
My theory is that this is because my app is so old that it is putting user data in c:\ProgramFiles(x86)\MyApp\data rather than in some User\AppData directory which is what more recent versions of Windows are happier with.
What I've tried:
Using attrib to remove hidden attributes (failed with permission issue)
Same, but running attrib in cmd window with admin privileges (no permission error message, but the files do not subsequently show up)
Copying using cygwin command line (got unhelpful message "omitting directory `data'")
Any suggestions what I could try next? I am running Windows 7.
I would happy with a fix that I could do once and would fix it for good (setting permissions somehow?); I would be satisfied with a workaround like "run the following command every time you want to back files up").
Edit: I noticed something strange which may be a clue for someone more knowledgeable than I am: for files which have been modified recently, as opposed to created, doing a dir shows the file information for the old version, even though cygwin shows the new information and that's what I see when I read the file using the app.
I'm working on a project where the goal is to be able to update a windows computer 100%. That means a program or a script that updates windows automatically with no user interaction at all. Ideally a standalone script that can be run from another script.
The reason: I need to update a lot of computers in my line of work. They can be at any patch level and everything from Windows XP to Windows 8. My goal is to start a script, wait/do something else and then find a fully patched computer.
I've solved a lot by finding ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf in the MDT Task Sequence.
This can be used like this from an admin cmd:
cssript.exe ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf
My problem so far is that the computer requires a reboot between some of the updates. Probably because of dependencies. ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf needs to be run as administrator and i can't seem to find a solution to start it as administrator at reboot. Additionally if I get the script to run on startup, how do I stop it, and how do I know when its time to stop it?
Can someone help med with a foolproof solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Don't need to FULL update a Windows OS, most of the updates are not needed, most updates are not relationated with security and we can survive without they, you need to read the description of each update to understand what changes made. FULLY updating a Windows can be negative point of performance in several scenarios.
All that you need is to download your desired updates, then store it in a folder with this batch script:
#Echo off
For %%# in (*.msu) Do (
Echo: Installing update: %%#
Wusa "%%#" /quiet /norestart
)
Echo Windows Update finished.
Pause&Exit
Also you can compress the folder (the updates + the script) into a Self executable with winrar to distribute it as a standalone file.
Info:
Wusa.exe is the Windows Update commandline application.
The files are processed one by one, not all at once.
The quiet switch makes the installation silent.
The norestart switch don't restart after installing the update even if needed.
If a update is installed in the OS then is not installed again, without getting an error window or stopping the execution of the script.
PS: See Wusa /? for more switches.
I hope this helps.
UPDATE:
Another alternative is to download and install ALL the updates with WSUS utility.
http://download.wsusoffline.net/
The updates for Win7 x64 (for example) are stored here: "...\wsusoffline\client\w61-x64\glb"
PS: The "DoUpdate.cmd" batch file in the "CMD" dir of the application is what you need if need to automate the task in "background".
The simplest solution to the problem you're describing is to get your script to configure automatic logon for the built-in Administrator account, then add itself to the Startup folder. You do need to know (or reset) the Administrator account password to use this option.
There are many other possibilities, some examples are: use a startup script and psexec; use srvany to create a service that runs your script; use task scheduler to schedule your script to run automatically, either interactively or non-interactively; disable WUA, configure automatic logon for the account you're using, and add your script to the Startup folder.
Note that you'll save time and bandwidth if you can set up a WSUS server or (even simpler, and cheaper if you don't already have a Windows server) a transparent caching proxy. However this won't avoid the need to reboot during the update sequence.
You may find my script useful as an alternative starting point to ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf, if only because it is smaller and simpler to understand.
The moast time consuming thing of a WindowsUpadate procedere is the download of the Setupfiles for the Updates. You should look into a lokaly in the network installed WUS (Window Update Server) and make sure the PC updates from the WUS. If the PCs are all in a ActiveDirectory Domain then the needed settings are very easy to manage. But if not this setting could make a simple batch-script which uses the normal windows update routine.
Another solution would be to make batch-scripts where you install the predownloaded updateFiles with the silent-switch. Allmoast every setup.exe has such a silent switch. If a update isn't needed the update stops for this upload automatically. I'm using such a batch-script wizzardy now for quiet a time now.
PS: If the Computer were from one/your compagny you should "thank" your predecessor for many hours of work to the far future.
PPS: By the way XP and Vista should be phased out. They are now realy old and for XP the already extended supporttime is axed by Microsoft next year and should only used if it is realy realy needed for one small situation where a Windows 7 isn't a solution in any way possible.
To run
cssript.exe ZTIWindowsUpdate.wsf
as Administrator after reboots, you can create a Task in the Task Scheduler with the proper permissions and to run on boot. =]
An automated way is, WuInstall. I'm using it for 1 year now and it's perfect, it actually does what it should. It's a command line tool which automatically searches, downloads and installs the updates. There are several "switches" that let you allow to customize the process. Thanks to the rebootcycle-switch for instance, updating a newly setup PC is done with ease - in one go.
Here's another way ------
Perform instructions below at your own risk:
To automate windows update these instructions may or may not work for your system however it appears to work to an extent for Windows 7 as these instructions were tested on Windows 7.
MUST READ: 1. If the step below does not work verify then you are most likely part of a domain and your security policy may not allow you to perform steps below! 2. UAC prompts were also disabled for the duration of the windows updates so the batch files can run without interruption; be careful to restore this to default when done
Caution this step will make your computer less secure, immediately remove this after your computer is completely up to date. Set a reminder for 24 hours later if need be:
1.
First you will have to make sure your computer automatically logs into a user. You can do this by clicking start menu, type "netplwiz", press enter or open the wizard, under the users tab, select your username, and un-check "require password", type your password, close this window.
2.
Create 3 batch files to start the automated process. (Open notepad paste each code into a separate notepad and perform a save as corresponding_file_name.bat)
One. Save as: any_name.bat then copy this batch file to your startup folder for the user you made auto login. (Click start > All Programs > Startup)
start "" c:\autoupdate1.bat
exit
Two. Save as: autoupdate1.bat then copy this to C:\ drive
wuauclt /detectnow
wuauclt /updatenow
reg query "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RebootRequired" > nul && shutdown -r -t 0
start "" c:\autoupdate2.bat
exit
Three. Save as: autoupdate2.bat then copy this to C:\ drive
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 61 > nul
start "" c:\autoupdate1.bat
exit
Restart or open the batch file in the startup folder and watch the magic begin!
3.
When it is completely done updating just delete the batch files from the startup folder & c:\ drive
Once again follow these instructions at your own risk as it can create an endless loop if you do not know how to stop this process by removing it from the startup folder or going into windows under safe-mode to remove the batch files
Final notes: If you run into issues running the batch files chances are you may have to look up how to disable UAC prompts for your Windows version
I have a VB6 app that formerly worked perfectly on a Vista machine as a scheduled task, but it will no longer open on the same machine. The app generates export files in a specified folder with no direct output on the screen. I get no errors, no missing references, just absolutely nothing.
The machine is running Vista Business 32-bit, UAC is disabled with a single administrator account, and automatic updates are turned off. The app resides in a non-protected folder, and the export files are put in a folder on the desktop. The client swears that the only change they made to that computer since I installed this app was installing Norton Antivirus, which has never caused problems before with our software.
In addition to the normal VB6 references, the app references Microsoft Scripting Runtime (scrrun.dll), and Microsoft DAO 3.6 (dao360.dll). Both of these files are present and registered on the target machine, along with all the other VB6 dependencies. I added MsgBox statements at the beginning of Sub Main() just to see if anything is being executed, and its not. Disabling Norton yielded no results, nor did reinstalling VB6 runtime to rule out any corrupted libraries. Not once did I get any messages, error or otherwise from my app.
I've never had an issue like this before and I'm completely stumped. Is there anything else that could be causing this?
Edit - The app does not run even when I run it manually, so the part about it being a scheduled task is irrelevant to my problem, sorry for including it.
The user has full administrator credentials, no compatibility mode was needed on the initial test which at the time, was done on this very machine I am having the problem on. For grins I tried compatibility mode for XP and 2000, still nothing.
Try to inspect - if you can access them - the Event Viewer messages. Maybe you will find some tell-tell signs in there...
You could try running the program in Windbg, a free standalone debugger from Microsoft. Compile your VB6 EXE into native code with symbols (create PDB files) and you will be able to debug your application in Windbg.
I would guess one of two things will happen.
Windbg will fail to load the EXE. Presumably with an error message that will identify your problem.
Windbg will load the EXE, and you can single-step through to see what happens.
Here's a 2006 blog post by a Microsoft guy about using Windbg with VB6, and 2004 blog post by another Microsoft VB guy with a brief introduction to Windbg.
Has the user changed their password? That will cause the scheduled task to fail until they re-enter the password on the task.
Have you tried running the process directly, instead of as a scheduled task? I'm far from an expert, but it may be that any errors being generated are not showing up because the program is running as a task.
I have a setup project created by Visual Studio 2005, and consists of both a C# .NET 2.0 project and C++ MFC project, and the C++ run time. It works properly when run from the main console, but when run over a Terminal Server session on a Windows XP target, the install fails in the following way -
When the Setup.exe is invoked, it immediately crashes before the first welcome screen is displayed. When invoked over a physical console, the setup runs normally.
I figured I could go back to a lab machine to debug, but it runs fine on a lab machine over Terminal Server.
I see other descriptions of setup problems over Terminal Server sessions, but I don't see a definite solution. Both machines have a nearly identical configuration except that the one that is failing also has the GoToMyPC Host installed.
Has anyone else seen these problems, and how can I troubleshoot this?
Thanks,
I had LOTS of issues with developing installers (and software in general) for terminal server. I hate that damn thing.
Anyway, VS Setup Projects are just .msi files, and run using the Windows installer framework.
This will drop a log file when it errors out, they're called MSIc183.LOG (swap the c183 for some random numbers and letters), and they go in your logged-in-user account's temp directory.
The easiest way to find that is to type %TEMP% into the windows explorer address bar - once you're there have a look for these log files, they might give you a clue.
Note - Under terminal server, sometimes the logs don't go directly into %TEMP%, but under numbered subdirectories. If you can't find any MSIXYZ.LOG files in there, look for directories called 1, 2, and so on, and look in those.
If you find a log file, but can't get any clues from it, post it here. I've looked at more than I care to thing about, so I may be able to help
Before installing, drop to a command prompt and type
CHANGE USER /INSTALL
Then install your software. Once the install has completed, drop back to the command prompt and type:
CHANGE USER /EXECUTE
Alternatively, don't start the installation by a double click but instead go to Add/Remove Programs and select "install software" from there.
Good luck!