The end of DLL hell... Long live WFP hell!
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There was one thing that concerned me when I read about Windows File Protection for the first time: the fact that Windows now forces certain files versions. If the file is marked as guarded by WFP, you simply can't delete or replace it manually. You have to run a dedicated program (typically, Windows service pack). It's the second day in a row I'm struggling with my notebook. I can no longer run HTML Help - and this is MSDN! I can't work without it! What happenned is that recently I installed several new programs, including beta of MSXML 4 and Internet Explorer 6. Alas! Every time I try to start MSDN (or in fact any HTML Help-base reference), I get "hh.exe caused access violation". The offending DLL is itss.dll. Both of them are guarded by WFP, so I can't get rid of them. I ran Visual Studio SP5, W2K SP2 - no luck! It seems that the crappy files are considered to have the latest versions, so they always win! I searched MSDN on the Web, but found no hint about how to force the deletion of the unwanted file (I suspected that, WFP is well implemented). While searching on the Web, I found one alternative that might work: reformat the hard disk. It this the only one? :(( What do I feel now? Perhaps, hell was not THAT bad? :mad: Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
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There was one thing that concerned me when I read about Windows File Protection for the first time: the fact that Windows now forces certain files versions. If the file is marked as guarded by WFP, you simply can't delete or replace it manually. You have to run a dedicated program (typically, Windows service pack). It's the second day in a row I'm struggling with my notebook. I can no longer run HTML Help - and this is MSDN! I can't work without it! What happenned is that recently I installed several new programs, including beta of MSXML 4 and Internet Explorer 6. Alas! Every time I try to start MSDN (or in fact any HTML Help-base reference), I get "hh.exe caused access violation". The offending DLL is itss.dll. Both of them are guarded by WFP, so I can't get rid of them. I ran Visual Studio SP5, W2K SP2 - no luck! It seems that the crappy files are considered to have the latest versions, so they always win! I searched MSDN on the Web, but found no hint about how to force the deletion of the unwanted file (I suspected that, WFP is well implemented). While searching on the Web, I found one alternative that might work: reformat the hard disk. It this the only one? :(( What do I feel now? Perhaps, hell was not THAT bad? :mad: Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
Just a recommendation to myself. I just discovered a registry setting: SFCDisable = 0 Setting it to 1 apparently disables Windows File Protection. Kind of a tiny bridge to hell that might save me ;P Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
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There was one thing that concerned me when I read about Windows File Protection for the first time: the fact that Windows now forces certain files versions. If the file is marked as guarded by WFP, you simply can't delete or replace it manually. You have to run a dedicated program (typically, Windows service pack). It's the second day in a row I'm struggling with my notebook. I can no longer run HTML Help - and this is MSDN! I can't work without it! What happenned is that recently I installed several new programs, including beta of MSXML 4 and Internet Explorer 6. Alas! Every time I try to start MSDN (or in fact any HTML Help-base reference), I get "hh.exe caused access violation". The offending DLL is itss.dll. Both of them are guarded by WFP, so I can't get rid of them. I ran Visual Studio SP5, W2K SP2 - no luck! It seems that the crappy files are considered to have the latest versions, so they always win! I searched MSDN on the Web, but found no hint about how to force the deletion of the unwanted file (I suspected that, WFP is well implemented). While searching on the Web, I found one alternative that might work: reformat the hard disk. It this the only one? :(( What do I feel now? Perhaps, hell was not THAT bad? :mad: Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
Don't take this the wrong way, but... You installed beta versions of software on your production machine, and then complain that this beta software does not work as expected? The only person you have to be mad at is yourself, for not reading the disclaimers about MSXML4 and IE6 being beta versions. -- Paul "I drank... WHAT?"
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Just a recommendation to myself. I just discovered a registry setting: SFCDisable = 0 Setting it to 1 apparently disables Windows File Protection. Kind of a tiny bridge to hell that might save me ;P Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
Could you provide us with some more details on this registry setting? Like what key it belongs to? TIA -
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Don't take this the wrong way, but... You installed beta versions of software on your production machine, and then complain that this beta software does not work as expected? The only person you have to be mad at is yourself, for not reading the disclaimers about MSXML4 and IE6 being beta versions. -- Paul "I drank... WHAT?"
Paul, did I complain about MSXML or IE? Never! I am pretty happy with them ;) Basically I am concerned about WFP that silently restores the files I am trying to wipe out from my disk. I know WFP is a good thing, so I don't blame it either :rose: Until two hours ago I simply did not know how to find WFP, and this is what concerned me. But now I see the light in the wonderful world of registry, I just have to wait and see where it will lead me ;) Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
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Could you provide us with some more details on this registry setting? Like what key it belongs to? TIA -
What I found was http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q222/4/73.ASP. What confuses me a little is the following: SFCDisable (REG_DWORD) 0 = enabled (default) 1 = disabled, prompt at boot to re-enable 2 = disabled at next boot only, no prompt to re-enable 4 = enabled, with popups disabled NOTE: For options 1 and 2: Both of these options require a kernel debugger to be hooked up for those options to become useable. If a kernel debugger is not hooked up, Windows File Protection is not disabled. This I don't get. Why a kernel debugger? I simply want to get rid of f..ing file! I'll see how far I'll get and let you know. Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
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What I found was http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q222/4/73.ASP. What confuses me a little is the following: SFCDisable (REG_DWORD) 0 = enabled (default) 1 = disabled, prompt at boot to re-enable 2 = disabled at next boot only, no prompt to re-enable 4 = enabled, with popups disabled NOTE: For options 1 and 2: Both of these options require a kernel debugger to be hooked up for those options to become useable. If a kernel debugger is not hooked up, Windows File Protection is not disabled. This I don't get. Why a kernel debugger? I simply want to get rid of f..ing file! I'll see how far I'll get and let you know. Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
try to search on http://www.ntfaq.com - it can be something useful there
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try to search on http://www.ntfaq.com - it can be something useful there
great link...it will be handy someday thank you :) kannan
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There was one thing that concerned me when I read about Windows File Protection for the first time: the fact that Windows now forces certain files versions. If the file is marked as guarded by WFP, you simply can't delete or replace it manually. You have to run a dedicated program (typically, Windows service pack). It's the second day in a row I'm struggling with my notebook. I can no longer run HTML Help - and this is MSDN! I can't work without it! What happenned is that recently I installed several new programs, including beta of MSXML 4 and Internet Explorer 6. Alas! Every time I try to start MSDN (or in fact any HTML Help-base reference), I get "hh.exe caused access violation". The offending DLL is itss.dll. Both of them are guarded by WFP, so I can't get rid of them. I ran Visual Studio SP5, W2K SP2 - no luck! It seems that the crappy files are considered to have the latest versions, so they always win! I searched MSDN on the Web, but found no hint about how to force the deletion of the unwanted file (I suspected that, WFP is well implemented). While searching on the Web, I found one alternative that might work: reformat the hard disk. It this the only one? :(( What do I feel now? Perhaps, hell was not THAT bad? :mad: Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
What you can do instead of the registry hack is replace the backed up copy and the "live" copy at the same time. In win2k these files are in winnt\system32\dllcache. You can even do it by hand if you want, but you have to be quick at dragging the files around. If you can get both copies replaced before it can update either one of them you win. On my system when I do that it brings up a box asking for the cd, but if you hit cancel enough it will let you continue without updating. Any further changes you make to these files will get you the "insert cd" dialog again. But at least you've got the older working versions back. Let this be a lesson to everyone: NEVER NEVER NEVER install betas of internet explorer. (I fought with ie4 beta for a week trying to get my computer back without formatting it. No, I'm not still bitter.)
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Paul, did I complain about MSXML or IE? Never! I am pretty happy with them ;) Basically I am concerned about WFP that silently restores the files I am trying to wipe out from my disk. I know WFP is a good thing, so I don't blame it either :rose: Until two hours ago I simply did not know how to find WFP, and this is what concerned me. But now I see the light in the wonderful world of registry, I just have to wait and see where it will lead me ;) Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
>Did I complain about MSXML or IE? I don't think that's the point. Far be it for me to presume upon what someone else is trying to say, but the issue seems to be that the MSXML 4 and IE 6 betas did a number on HTML Help on your machine -- it is these very programs after all that make HTML Help tick. If there is something weird going on with these beta versions, then maybe this is the reason you are having trouble. I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? Sincerely Yours, Brian Hart "And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average." - Garrison Keillor
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What you can do instead of the registry hack is replace the backed up copy and the "live" copy at the same time. In win2k these files are in winnt\system32\dllcache. You can even do it by hand if you want, but you have to be quick at dragging the files around. If you can get both copies replaced before it can update either one of them you win. On my system when I do that it brings up a box asking for the cd, but if you hit cancel enough it will let you continue without updating. Any further changes you make to these files will get you the "insert cd" dialog again. But at least you've got the older working versions back. Let this be a lesson to everyone: NEVER NEVER NEVER install betas of internet explorer. (I fought with ie4 beta for a week trying to get my computer back without formatting it. No, I'm not still bitter.)
Thanks, that was an interesting angle. I never thought about competing with Windows about who can copy the files quicker. Looks like we don't always lose :) Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
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>Did I complain about MSXML or IE? I don't think that's the point. Far be it for me to presume upon what someone else is trying to say, but the issue seems to be that the MSXML 4 and IE 6 betas did a number on HTML Help on your machine -- it is these very programs after all that make HTML Help tick. If there is something weird going on with these beta versions, then maybe this is the reason you are having trouble. I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? Sincerely Yours, Brian Hart "And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average." - Garrison Keillor
I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? One possibility is to create an image with Drive Image or some other similiar product, before installing the beta software. Kind regards, Tim
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>Did I complain about MSXML or IE? I don't think that's the point. Far be it for me to presume upon what someone else is trying to say, but the issue seems to be that the MSXML 4 and IE 6 betas did a number on HTML Help on your machine -- it is these very programs after all that make HTML Help tick. If there is something weird going on with these beta versions, then maybe this is the reason you are having trouble. I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? Sincerely Yours, Brian Hart "And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average." - Garrison Keillor
> I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? Don't install betas! Let MS test their own code.
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> I totally agree that you should never use betas on production machines, but then if you only have one machine, what choice do you have :) ? Don't install betas! Let MS test their own code.
> Don't install betas! Let MS test their own code Well, I am a beta tester. And I am not from MS. I guess I have no other choice. Vagif Abilov COM+/ATL/MFC Developer Oslo, Norway
