Update to 18.60 from 18.50.0300 didn't work for me

[RichardP]

For some reason, my update to 18.60 didn't work. I was on 18.50.0300. It told me an update was available. I clicked OK, XYplorer closed, and then nothing. I tried it again, same result. I had to go to the website and download xyplorer_full.zip and install the download manually, which worked fine. Auto-update is great, when it works. Any ideas? (I have a Lifetime License Pro, so licensing isn't an issue.)

[RichardP]

I did some more digging and answered my own question. The XYplorer self-update file gets placed in %LocalAppData%/Temp and then attempts to execute from there. It failed on my PC because I have a Local Security Policy rule that prohibits .exe files from running from %LocalAppData% and subfolders thereof. MOST other software apps I have will throw an error when they try to do an update and run into this restriction. That error is what reminds me to go temporarily allow an executable to run from those folders. The XYplorer installer doesn't do that. It just silently aborts. May I suggest, as an enhancement to the installer, that it put up an error that says it can't run due to a Local or Group Security Policy? The installer shouldn't assume it has rights to execute from the %LocalAppData%/Temp folder and not be able to handle the situation where it doesn't.

If anyone is wondering why I have that rule in place, it's a protection against malware and ransomware. I don't want any exe running on my PC without my OK, especially an installer. I am willing to live with manually and temporarily turning the rule off and on when trusted apps need to update themselves. But the installer could at least give the user a clue as to where it is trying to run itself from. %LocalAppData%/Temp isn't the only folder that exe's try to run from, even legit ones.

[preisl]

Actually for me the update always fails for a different reason: the installer doesn "ask" for elevated privileges. My regular user doesn't have admin rights, so I always have to download and run it as admin manually ...

BR,

Martin

[admin]

... May I suggest, as an enhancement to the installer, that it put up an error that says it can't run due to a Local or Group Security Policy? The installer shouldn't assume it has rights to execute from the %LocalAppData%/Temp folder and not be able to handle the situation where it doesn't.

Agreed, thanks, I'll see if I can add something like that.

[admin]

Actually for me the update always fails for a different reason: the installer doesn "ask" for elevated privileges. My regular user doesn't have admin rights, so I always have to download and run it as admin manually ...

Updating from 18.50.0300 to 18.60? Works fine here, asks for elevated privileges just as it should. Are you maybe using Win10 Creators Update? I'm getting used to seeing that new "Vista" fail...

[preisl]

Sorry to highjack that thread, but upgrading for me never asked for elevated privileges. For me xyplorer is installed via "run as admin", but on day to day operation, I run it as regular user without admin rights. Now xyplorer offers a new version, it gets downloaded, asks to press "OK" to update and then this happens:

2018-01-24 20_29_56-XYplorer Beta Club - Post a reply.png (20.85 KiB) Viewed 1571 times

So it doesn't ask for elevated privileges.

Btw. it's the same issue when I just double click the installer (instead of using "run as admin").

It seems that you're using NSIS to package xyplorer, maybe

Code: Select all

RequestExecutionLevel admin ;Require admin rights on NT6+ (When UAC is turned on)

would do the trick ( http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Reference/R ... utionLevel )

BR,

Martin

[admin]

This error usually happens when an XYplorer.exe instance is still running.

[preisl]

Nope, it's not running.

Actually it is even visibile on the installer itself, that it's not asking for elevated privileges as the little "admin shield" in the lower right corner of the application icon is missing. XYplorer setup:

2018-01-25 20_16_09-xyplorer_full.png (2.31 KiB) Viewed 1542 times

Installers, which do ask for elevated privileges:

2018-01-25 20_19_55-Downloads.png (1.15 KiB) Viewed 1542 times

2018-01-25 20_20_50-Notepad++ 7.5.4.png (1.37 KiB) Viewed 1542 times

But then, it's not a big deal ... XYplorer is worth to use the run as admin function when updating :-)

cheers,

Martin

[admin]

Cannot explain what you see, but it works perfectly here without "run as admin".

[RichardP]

... May I suggest, as an enhancement to the installer, that it put up an error that says it can't run due to a Local or Group Security Policy? The installer shouldn't assume it has rights to execute from the %LocalAppData%/Temp folder and not be able to handle the situation where it doesn't.

Agreed, thanks, I'll see if I can add something like that.

Going back to the original thread, I ran into this problem again as I tried to let XY self-update. The update couldn't run (for the reason I described in my original post) but this time gave an error dialog box telling me that the update was blocked by Local or Group Security Policy. Thank you for adding this enhancement! I went to the Local Policy Editor, added an exception, and then was able to install the update.

[admin]

Great! Thanks for the report!