I am brand new to autopatcher but it sure seems like a wonderful timesaving program and I look forward to using it. Just have some questions and will be most grateful for any member's time taken to answer.
I downloaded without any errors (this from the log):
The Following Releases have been Picked:
apup.script
apengine.script
english/win_xp/autopatcher_xp_sp3_enu_20100803.script
extras/autopatcher_extras_20100704.script
dotnet/autopatcher_dotnet_20100704.script
In looking at the log it seems that AP deletes from the downloaded modules updates that are already installed/not applicable (as in I have WMP10 so it deleted the WMP11 updates). Using "del" and "rmdir" commands, the log indicates many, many of these items/directories deleted.
I have read in many places how handy it is to have autopatcher to update multiple computers without having to access the internet once the initial download is completed, this via copying the program folder(s) to a flashdrive, DVD, or other removable media, and that is my goal. However, not all my computers have the exact same components and/or update status. So if AP deletes an update because the computer I downloaded it on already has that update, how then does one accomplish updating a 2nd computer that does not have that update, without having to access the internet from the 2nd computer to restore the deleted update?
I'd also like to know what the procedure would be to move Autopatcher from my D: drive to my C: drive or to my external hard drive. Seem to remember seeing somewhere in this forum that moving it can cause problems. If it's any help, I haven't actually used it to install anything, just did the download part and trying to get to know the program.
Many thanks for replies.
1
Already-installed updates deleted from modules?
Started by searcher54, Aug 08 2010 09:07 AM
2 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 08 August 2010 - 03:05 PM
Hi searcher54, and welcome...
Q. it seems that AP deletes from the downloaded modules updates that are already installed/not applicable
A. No, not exactly. The commands you see in the log are for removing outdated, or superceded patches from the '\apup\modules' directory. Let's say kbxxxxx v.2.2 has been updated to v2.3, you have to remove v2.2 somehow (again, from the '\apup\modules' directory) - thus the delete commands. There are also times when the layout of the folders needs adjusting - you may see a 'move' or 'rename' command, that's all. It's a way of cleaning house (within the '\apup\modules' directory) otherwise the scripts would be huge, troublesome, outdated, and unreliable, and so would your AutoPatcher / APUP release.
BTW, you can download any release from any PC with any installed OS (if APUP can run on that system) - it doesn't scan your system for installed updates like Microsoft would, and unless you ask AutoPatcher (not APUP) to uninstall something, these removal commands are ran within the release folder - NOT on your system.
Q. So if AP deletes an update because the computer I downloaded it on already has that update
A. Again, It Wont - the scripts are static and don't conform (or change) to the system downloading them. APUP doesn't operate like Microsoft / Windows Update does - it doesn't scan your system and make suggestions. APUP is essentially a download manager. On the other hand, AutoPatcher does pay attention to the OS and update level and will only load updates / patches that apply to that system. If an update expects to see IE7 or WMP10 (update prerequisites) it wont load if they are not found. Open a .apm (module) file using notepad and you can see the 'details' of the update requirements - if they are not met hopefully the update wont be listed when AutoPatcher loads the release.
Bottom line here - APUP wont remove an update from the release (or not download it) just because you do or don't have it installed on the system downloading the release or the system being updated. You can download an XP SP3 English release using Windows 7 Italian, or the XP SP3 Italian release from Windows Vista Spanish, the release will be complete in all cases - based on the script contents. Now, you obviously wont try to update say, Spanish XP with an English XP release now will you
- but you can download any release from any system (as long as APUP can run) - the release if complete and Official will be the same contents in the '\apup' directory on any system downloaded to.
See the next A. below - when an update is selected for installation - and how it is determined.
Q. how then does one accomplish updating a 2nd computer that does not have that update
A. I see a pattern here Once you've 'copied' a release to the next computer and run AutoPatcher to load the release (the applicable updates), based on the 'update requirements' - detailed in the associated .apm file (each update has a .apm file), only those updates that can be installed on that particular system should load and be ready to install. The updates deemed 'Critical' should be 'checked' automatically, those only 'Recommended' will not be checked. If you have an update installed (via MU/WU, or by hand) it should appear in 'Blue' (and hopefully always unchecked) - all others should be 'Black' and may or may not be checked - if 'Critical' yes, 'Recommended' then no.
As I mentioned earlier - use AutoPatcher for XP English to update XP English, if the release 'Language' (see APUP 'Available Releases' and 'Language') states 'All' then it should update said OS regardless of language. There is one caveat here, the .apm file must have that particular LCID listed (SystemLanguage=), if we don't have a French release maintainer, even though the update should install, if not listed it wont load or install in the French OS using AutoPatcher. I suppose you could install an "All Languages" update by using 'Run'.
Q. I'd also like to know what the procedure would be to move Autopatcher from my D: drive to my C:
A. This is the easy part - simply make sure to 'move' or 'copy' the complete (entire) directory structure - D:\apup - you want everything from the root folder on. This includes both programs, apup.exe and autopatcher.exe, all the .rti files etc - everything. It is a good idea to have the latest release Updated and Official before 'moving' or 'copying'. If your releases are located in D:\apup - simply highlight D:\apup from within Windows Explorer and 'copy' or 'move' to the destination. I personally like to create a .md5 of the entire folder first that can verify the structure once moved - this is done by highlighting the same -> D:\apup, and using whatever tool of choice, create a 'digest' (md5sum) file - the latest XP SP3 English release has I believe 570 files total - this will fluctuate.
FYI:
...AutoPatcher (autopatcher.exe) is not APUP (apup.exe) - APUP will create and maintain the release, AutoPatcher will install the updates to the system.
...Please read Log Files to better understand how to create and properly post a log for help. We use Spoiler code now not codebox.
...You will want to run APUP (apup.exe) at least 2 or 3 times every month to keep your releases updated and Official. Patch Tuesday (second Tuesday of every month) is a must, give the guys a few days to update the scripts. Also, once or twice to get any needed fixes to the scripts. No one is perfect and the scripts will get fixes as the user base reports errors.
...Unofficial / Unsupported Release means there is an error within a release, a 'failed' or 'missing' file, this is common. View the log file and follow the guidelines mentioned in the pinned 'Log Files' topic (link above), post the log of the offending release in the appropriate forum -> XP in the XP forum, Vista in the Vista forum, 'Extras' in the 'Extras' forum, and so on. If you can't nail down the problem release, start AutoPatcher - click 'About' - click 'Release Info', the 'Title' in Red and False under 'Official' is the problem release.
...One more caveat, you can also have an 'extra' or 'stray' file that will cause a release to become Unofficial. The release will show as 'Unofficial / Unsupported' in AutoPatcher but the "Release Info' will show all the releases as 'True'. These strays can get left behind when APUP isn't run for a long time and the 'removal' commands have been edited out of the script. These strays can be difficult to find, but not impossible. Another good reason to update the releases regularly.
This should be a good start, sorry for any typos. If any corrections or additional info should be made / added, hopefully it will
Q. it seems that AP deletes from the downloaded modules updates that are already installed/not applicable
A. No, not exactly. The commands you see in the log are for removing outdated, or superceded patches from the '\apup\modules' directory. Let's say kbxxxxx v.2.2 has been updated to v2.3, you have to remove v2.2 somehow (again, from the '\apup\modules' directory) - thus the delete commands. There are also times when the layout of the folders needs adjusting - you may see a 'move' or 'rename' command, that's all. It's a way of cleaning house (within the '\apup\modules' directory) otherwise the scripts would be huge, troublesome, outdated, and unreliable, and so would your AutoPatcher / APUP release.
BTW, you can download any release from any PC with any installed OS (if APUP can run on that system) - it doesn't scan your system for installed updates like Microsoft would, and unless you ask AutoPatcher (not APUP) to uninstall something, these removal commands are ran within the release folder - NOT on your system.
Q. So if AP deletes an update because the computer I downloaded it on already has that update
A. Again, It Wont - the scripts are static and don't conform (or change) to the system downloading them. APUP doesn't operate like Microsoft / Windows Update does - it doesn't scan your system and make suggestions. APUP is essentially a download manager. On the other hand, AutoPatcher does pay attention to the OS and update level and will only load updates / patches that apply to that system. If an update expects to see IE7 or WMP10 (update prerequisites) it wont load if they are not found. Open a .apm (module) file using notepad and you can see the 'details' of the update requirements - if they are not met hopefully the update wont be listed when AutoPatcher loads the release.
Bottom line here - APUP wont remove an update from the release (or not download it) just because you do or don't have it installed on the system downloading the release or the system being updated. You can download an XP SP3 English release using Windows 7 Italian, or the XP SP3 Italian release from Windows Vista Spanish, the release will be complete in all cases - based on the script contents. Now, you obviously wont try to update say, Spanish XP with an English XP release now will you
- but you can download any release from any system (as long as APUP can run) - the release if complete and Official will be the same contents in the '\apup' directory on any system downloaded to. See the next A. below - when an update is selected for installation - and how it is determined.
Q. how then does one accomplish updating a 2nd computer that does not have that update
A. I see a pattern here
Once you've 'copied' a release to the next computer and run AutoPatcher to load the release (the applicable updates), based on the 'update requirements' - detailed in the associated .apm file (each update has a .apm file), only those updates that can be installed on that particular system should load and be ready to install. The updates deemed 'Critical' should be 'checked' automatically, those only 'Recommended' will not be checked. If you have an update installed (via MU/WU, or by hand) it should appear in 'Blue' (and hopefully always unchecked) - all others should be 'Black' and may or may not be checked - if 'Critical' yes, 'Recommended' then no.As I mentioned earlier - use AutoPatcher for XP English to update XP English, if the release 'Language' (see APUP 'Available Releases' and 'Language') states 'All' then it should update said OS regardless of language. There is one caveat here, the .apm file must have that particular LCID listed (SystemLanguage=), if we don't have a French release maintainer, even though the update should install, if not listed it wont load or install in the French OS using AutoPatcher. I suppose you could install an "All Languages" update by using 'Run'.
Q. I'd also like to know what the procedure would be to move Autopatcher from my D: drive to my C:
A. This is the easy part - simply make sure to 'move' or 'copy' the complete (entire) directory structure - D:\apup - you want everything from the root folder on. This includes both programs, apup.exe and autopatcher.exe, all the .rti files etc - everything. It is a good idea to have the latest release Updated and Official before 'moving' or 'copying'. If your releases are located in D:\apup - simply highlight D:\apup from within Windows Explorer and 'copy' or 'move' to the destination. I personally like to create a .md5 of the entire folder first that can verify the structure once moved - this is done by highlighting the same -> D:\apup, and using whatever tool of choice, create a 'digest' (md5sum) file - the latest XP SP3 English release has I believe 570 files total - this will fluctuate.
FYI:
...AutoPatcher (autopatcher.exe) is not APUP (apup.exe) - APUP will create and maintain the release, AutoPatcher will install the updates to the system.
...Please read Log Files to better understand how to create and properly post a log for help. We use Spoiler code now not codebox.
...You will want to run APUP (apup.exe) at least 2 or 3 times every month to keep your releases updated and Official. Patch Tuesday (second Tuesday of every month) is a must, give the guys a few days to update the scripts. Also, once or twice to get any needed fixes to the scripts. No one is perfect and the scripts will get fixes as the user base reports errors.
...Unofficial / Unsupported Release means there is an error within a release, a 'failed' or 'missing' file, this is common. View the log file and follow the guidelines mentioned in the pinned 'Log Files' topic (link above), post the log of the offending release in the appropriate forum -> XP in the XP forum, Vista in the Vista forum, 'Extras' in the 'Extras' forum, and so on. If you can't nail down the problem release, start AutoPatcher - click 'About' - click 'Release Info', the 'Title' in Red and False under 'Official' is the problem release.
...One more caveat, you can also have an 'extra' or 'stray' file that will cause a release to become Unofficial. The release will show as 'Unofficial / Unsupported' in AutoPatcher but the "Release Info' will show all the releases as 'True'. These strays can get left behind when APUP isn't run for a long time and the 'removal' commands have been edited out of the script. These strays can be difficult to find, but not impossible. Another good reason to update the releases regularly.
This should be a good start, sorry for any typos. If any corrections or additional info should be made / added, hopefully it will
Edited by gUiTaR_mIkE, 08 August 2010 - 03:20 PM.
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Posted 08 August 2010 - 04:56 PM
Wow, thanks Mike, what a thorough and detailed explanation! Just exactly what I was hoping for 
Thank you SO much! Also glad to find out I was wrong about the basic program working, i.e., it deleting updates I already had - that brightens up the whole picture considerably.
Thanks again, you da man!
Thank you SO much! Also glad to find out I was wrong about the basic program working, i.e., it deleting updates I already had - that brightens up the whole picture considerably.Thanks again, you da man!
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