What I'd like in TDS4...

What did the MS help and XP newsgroups say about it?
As it's a general XP problem installing new programs i understood from all the help, and workarounds are given.

 

This is from a newsgroup, one of our users posted it on the TDS forums. Hope it helps


Helpctr.exe not responding - Go to Start/Run and type in: Helpctr.exe. For some users this has restored the functionality in the Start Menu.

If the above didn't help:

Check your settings here: Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

In the right pane if windir is listed under type as REG_SZ, it needs to be changed to REG_EXPAND_SZ, Value Data: C\Windows.

If this is the case:

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

Right click on Environment, then choose Export, name it and save it. Then go to the right pane, right click in an empty area and choose New/Expandable String Value. Name it windir. Then double click it and under Value data, type in: C:\WINDOWS

From there, right click and delete the windir which type was listed as REG_SZ then hit refresh (F5).

To reinstall Help and Support: Go to C:\Windows\inf\pchealth.inf
Right click and choose install. Have your CD handy.

Note: The folder is hidden by default. Go to Start/Run and type in: control folders. View: Show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types

 

I had the same problem with Help&Support and NAV Live Update not working.
My solution was the file tool of jv16. I had it search the entire partition for *.exe and checked the file size box.
Then I removed 33 0B files and everything worked fine. I wish I knew where they come from, but I fear the worst, since 7 of them where in my TDS-3 folder and 16 in the _RESTORE.

Any clues are welcome,

Pieter

 

OB 0B euhhmmm you mean size 0 bytes?
That's windows, you are starting a program while some is active and for some reason it can't be started, so windows creates a file with that name somewhere, like i found notepad and wordpad and such files frequently in TDS, but also in several other places; when starting the program again windows goes via the path from the active directory to windows and finds the 0 size file and says happily the program can't be started.
I told in another thread i copied the original notepad and wordpad for that reason to TDS and the icons are in the taskbar so i can always start them at wish. Even though windows created another size 0 of both in several places again. So this is a windows matter, TDS can't do a thing about it.
For the restore i don't know, as long as a normal real program is not overwritten with a size 0 file..........
In fact either TDS-4 or a program like internet sweeper should be able to remove at our wish all those size 0 files.
As long they don't make problems i leave them there as windows puts them back anyway, only occasionally or with too many problems i search and delete them so windows can be happy to start again.

 

Hi Jooske,

I can´t be sure which program is causing it. Too many new ones on my computer (some even in beta), but I do know I didn´t have these problems the first year I used XP.
But it seems logical to me to look for the catalyst ( as we seem to agree M$ is to blame ) in the category of programs that check every program that fires up.
In my case that narrows it down to about 7
The zero exes seem to show a pattern a well:
notepad.exe
luall.exe
iexplore.exe
helpctr.exe
rundll32.exe
are the ones that show up very frequently.
It would make me very happy to see TDS-4 be able to clean those 0 kb files out.

Kind regards,

Pieter

 

I have tried removing the 0 files, changing the registry the way the post describes, EVERYTHING.. Can't get the Help and Support to work..

Please DiamondCS, do some research and fix the problem..

 

What does MS support and the MS XP newsgroup say more?

 

Hi Straight Shooter,

Please have a look at this thread as well: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=5374;start=0

Regards,

Pieter

 

Hi, Pieter...

Thank you, but I've already tried that too... Believe me, I've tried everything I can think. I just uninstalled TDS and Wormguard.. I am going to reinstall them again.. I am just suggesting that with the new release of TDS 4 that problem should be addressed and fixed. When I uninstall TDS and delete the zero helpcte file, the problem goes away...

It also happens when I only install Wormguard..

It really is a pain in the neck...

Thanks

 

As i explained somewhere above with the notepad, for instance, it helped to copy the notepad.exe in the TDS directory or in another one where i found frequent 0 files, and problem solved for that one; don't know how big/small your helpcte file is and if it helps to copy it to these places as well? I have seen many systems without TDS or WG but with 0 size files all over where i tried the same trick in case of problems to make sure for myself what is known already, it is no TDS or WG specific matter.
The other threads about the workaround are about other software installed causing the same problem you have, it is a known windows matter and extra in XP, as has been told before and in the other threads, forums, several places.
MS is the culpit, all we users can do is trying some workabout tricks and DCS is trying some extra additions in their software to correctthe MS products misbehavior.
So don't blame DCS for MS failure.
WG4 is even completely rebuilt for this matter with own dlls and system files to end all these windows problems as much as possible, the tests done by a selected team are promissing and without the matters mentioned, so it will be ok, soon, with the new version and in TDS we will expect the same satisfaction.

 

Quote from Crazy M

I do get a complete message like that when I use the right click option on a folder select "Scan path with TDS-3." Under those circumstances it works fine. But when I right click on an individual file and select "Scan file with TDS-3" I get the scanning line but no scanned line, no feedback, etc.

I am running Wk2 Sp3 and this happened prior and after my recent fresh install (new drive).

No, that's not what I meant, although I wouldn't be opposed to that. At least a sound for a successful file scan would enough. Even when TDS-3 works (for me only on folders) it needs a little more feedback, not necessarly a pop window but at least a sound or different colored text, something.

 

Oh, I see what you mean now Luthor, sorry.

Yes, I have 2 scan options in my right click and BOTH of them work on individual files.

I also get a FEEDBACK on BOTH in the TDS GUI like CrazyM posted.

Then when right clicking on a FOLDER I also get another option 'Scan Directory with TDS' which works, plus the plain 'Scan with TDS'. Alerted each time in the TDS window by the usual line alert, etc.

The reason I have two options [I think] was before TDS3.0 did not have an option for a Right click Scan, so one of the guys at TDS forum made a "rightclickALL.SS3" script which I put in TDS Script folder, then I got the first one.

Along came TDS3.2.1 version with the inbuilt right click option, hence I now have two.

That "notification" when a file is scanned and it's ok could be in the form of just a pop-up window saying "File Clean", whatever then just close. But either way, I will go with the flow.

Cheers, TAS.

 

Time to give this one a bump.

I would like an option to add additional info, when submitting a file through TDS-4.

And so would Gavin, I think, since I had him analyze two files of which I already knew what they were.
I wasn't testing you, but it is reassuring to know you were right every time.

Regards,

Pieter

 

Pieter, we plan to add a fully-automated file submission utility to TDS4 and possibly Wormguard4. It will automatically scan the file to ensure it's not already detected, before compressing and submitting to us
Best regards,
Wayne

 

Hi Wayne,

As long as it has an option to include some text from the "submitter," I´m happy.
Could save you guys some work as well.

Regards,

Pieter