Thanks, the last thing I installed was FarmFrenzy3 from GOTD on 03/29. No problem and the game still plays fine. Then I tried to install FallOfTheNewAge game on 04/05 which failed to connect. I didn't install anything else between those two. The only update I saw was to the Shockwave Flash Player and that process is always a little weird. It often starts with Windows Explorer stalling, closing, and re-launching. To clear everything up, I'll reboot. On reboot, I'm greeted with Flash Player requesting to update. I complete the update and all seems fine again, until the next time Flash wants an update. But this has been going on for years. I'm still looking for signs of other activity during the given time frame.
Thanks for the info about the C++ libraries, I'll check on that. It's hard to find the cause of one problem, when everything else is working fine. If I couldn't install any programs or updates or was still having browser issues, the problem might be easier to find, but it's only the GOTD install process that fails or stopped working.
"Failed to connect. Please try again later." Error message.
(82 posts) (10 voices)-
semo
MemberPosted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorThe only update I saw was to the Shockwave Flash Player and that process is always a little weird. It often starts with Windows Explorer stalling, closing, and re-launching. To clear everything up, I'll reboot. On reboot, I'm greeted with Flash Player requesting to update.
That is not right At All. My perspective, FWIW as always, is that trying to fix it might tell how serious the problems are. If it could be fixed, it's likely a Shockwave problem -- if it couldn't be fixed, then maybe worse problems are lurking in that Windows install, e.g. mal-ware.
Problem is, the latest Shockwave Player [From 2/2015] Does Not list XP SP2 in its minimum requirements.
If it was XP SP3...
Generally Adobe says to uninstall the player, then re-install in case of problems. With the regular Flash Player I once ran across a problem in XP Pro SP3 where the Flash Player files were protected, & I had to use XCacls to delete them to complete the uninstall. That's the only problem I'm aware of. To try & make sure the old files are or were gone, you could use 7-zip on the full installations setup file, & then search your Windows partition for the file names for *Adobe* files in the Director & Shockwave 12 sub-folders [inside the Shockwave_Installer_Full\$_OUTDIR folder you got from 7-zip expanding the install file].But it's not SP3, so while you could certainly still try that to see if it could be fixed, if you were unsuccessful that doesn't necessarily mean something else more serious is wrong. Might be that adding the latest v.12 Shockwave Player is what broke your system re: GOTD?
You could try disabling any & all add-ons etc. in Internet Explorer. You could try removing the Shockwave Player [Google/Bing - Adobe does have a stand-alone uninstaller], & you could double check searching for & removing the files if needed. You also might need to revert to older versions for non-Adobe files that were included in the Shockwave Player installation -- you might find that some of those files are used when Windows is running, which *might* explain the problems you had updating the player.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ds5929
MemberSame problem. GOTD has'nt worked since the container change. I've tried all the fixes,even re-installing IE9 (I'm on an old fully patched vista pc) Site worked fine for years- now it's totally non-usable for me. Given the number of un-crippled giveaway sites out there, I"m not inclined to waste any more time just to get one site to work. The comments will still be useful for tips on alternate programs, but the giveaways themselves are dead to me.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratords5929, if you're saying you haven't been able to install since the wrapper changed in 2012 then it's almost certainly a problem with your security software.
The normal workarounds are:
- granting an exclusion to allow setup.exe to run
- temporarily disabling the security software, install the program, re-enable the security
- booting in "safe mode with networking", install the program, and then rebooting normally after installation.But, if the only thing that works is the "safe boot with networking" then I'd consider using another security suite if possible.
Posted 9 years ago # -
semo
MemberIt's the Flash Player, not the other Shockwave Player. Mine is up to v.17, I think. All I know it takes me to their website after updating and shows it works. I just found it set in Windows Tasks to check for updates hourly and has been for nearly 15 years.. until I just changed it to monthly. The weird part I guess is that it only pops up to be updated after I reboot or sometimes with a cold start. Not sure it has anything to do with why I rebooted, nor why it never asks to update until I reboot. Been doing it so long I doubt that's why I can't install GOTD progs now and that's what I'd like to fix.
Posted 9 years ago # -
semo
MemberAbout the C++ runtimes, I show 4 listings for C++ in Add/Remove progs, two for C++ 2005 (different sizes), one for C++ 2008, and one for C++ 2010. Is there any way to test them for corruption without having to reinstall them first? Again, I'm not showing any errors in the Event Viewer between the last successful install 03/29 and the first failure to connect 04/05. I do show the errors with IE-8 on that day, but later.. after the failed to connect started, until I deleted the cache and cookies and reset IE to defaults. IE is still working fine.. better than ever, btw. I'm still looking for something else that has or had the failed to connect error, but see nothing so far. I had MSIinstaller warnings with AVG-Free 2015 trying to update, but they always ended with the MSIinstaller succeeding and AVG completing the update. I've since updated the MSIinstaller to vers. 4 and no longer get the warnings.
I wondered if the failed to connect error could be a bad command left somewhere and coming up when GOTD tries to call home. IE is still opening GOTD home when launched, even though I've set Google as my homepage. Wonder where it's getting that command and if the cause for the error might be there, too? What if IE is trying to open the wrong GOTD page for install/activation or connecting with the wrong GOTD page, first? Would that do it?Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorThe only update I saw was to the Shockwave Flash Player... It often starts with Windows Explorer stalling, closing, and re-launching.
My concern was/is as you point out the only update you did before things broke was that player. The 1st rule of troubleshooting AFAIK is looking for cause & effect, i.e. what was the last thing you did before it broke?
Another potential concern is demonstrated by searching for fake flash download using Google = "About 92,300,000 results".
The behavior you describe with Windows Explorer is abnormal, so regardless anything having to do with GOTD, Windows &/or your one or more of the apps you've installed is broken.
In summary then, you've got an obsolete version of Windows that is broken, & you updated Flash before the problem with GOTD appeared, and mal-ware laden fake Flash updates are common. OTOH XP Pro SP3 works with GOTD just fine. Odds are overwhelming IMHO that the problem you're having has to do solely with your PC. If you don't want to update as Chris kindly suggested, I'm afraid I can't offer any further suggestions.
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorSame problem. GOTD has'nt worked since the container change. I've tried all the fixes,even re-installing IE9 (I'm on an old fully patched vista pc)
You've actually got more of a problem, in practical terms your PC is actually more obsolete than a system running XP. XP was hugely popular, so developers wrote software for it, & often responded with fixes long after XP should have been more-or-less abandoned for day to day normal use. Vista was never popular, & for the last several years so few have used it that bug reports etc. were much more uncommon. No feedback = no fixes. Low number of users = low demand for developers' time & effort.
Vista was once fully useable -- it's got the same basic underpinnings as win7 -- but the one copy of Vista I keep running has become the worst nightmare I've ever run. McAfee is the only security software I've found so far that seems OK with it, *as long as you're running Intel* [won't run for me at all with Vista on AMD]. Windows updates are a nightmare -- I've given up adding software to it -- and driver support ended years ago, so there are problems with stuff like updated Flash versions.
Now the reason I wrote all that is NOT to make you feel bad, ds5929, nor did I want to just mouth off about Vista. The point I want to make is that getting ANY security software working *properly* with Vista is a pretty big challenge -- I've been there. Chris is IMHO most certainly correct when he suggests you try a different brand, even if you don't see reports of whatever you use having problems with GOTD.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratorsemo, two things:
first,
About the C++ runtimes, I show one for C++ 2010.
which, according to Microsoft, is not compatible with your system and should not have been installed:Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)
Supported Operating System: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86), Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2, Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3I'd uninstall it and see what happens. There might have been a version of the redistributable compatible with SP2 but you'd need to Google the specific version number. However, as SP2 died in 2008 MS had no reason to make C++ 2010 compatible since they offered a free upgrade to SP3.
Second, the IE engine is separate from the IE browser. You don't need to have the browser installed at all (remove it via Windows Components) and the GOTD installation will progress just fine. The Engine is a critical system component, the Browser is not.
Posted 9 years ago # -
semo
MemberI uninstalled the C++ 2010. I don't remember installing it, but it had the same last used date as the C++ 2008 (11/05/2008). I rebooted and tried an old GOTD installer thinking it should at least say the time had run out, but I still got the Failed To Connect - Please try again later. I'll try it with a new installer later, but that doesn't appear to have fixed it. I'll probably try removing and replacing the C++ 2008, next. At least it says it's compatible with SP2.
I'd still like to know why IE loads GOTD Home when launched and whether that's a clue or merely a coincidence. Before I reinstalled IE-8, I navigated to Google, clicked a link on the page to make it my homepage and that's where it opened, but after reinstalling it reverted to loading GOTD again.. with a microsoft homepage preset. I changed it to Google, but now there's no link on the page to set Google as my homepage. I seem to remember there are two places in the System Registry that store the homepage address and they can be different, but I don't remember where. Probably looking in the wrong direction, but it's something I can actually see, not guess at.Posted 9 years ago # -
dave6d6ky
MemberI started having the problem two weeks ago as well. It worked on Saturday - but then failed on Sunday and since.
But I fixed it yesterday. The problem? My system date was wrong. It was set to some date in 2002. I went in thru clock options, chose net time (again), and clicked 'Set time now' - and it switched to the correct date/time, and my GOTD program installed fine.
I'm guessing something went wrong when the system wanted to do the daylight savings time adjustment.
TL;DR - check your system date - make sure it's right.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ds5929
MemberProblem can't be a security/AV program, as I'm not using one. Yep, running 'bareback'. Probably need to do the OS re-install windows machines seem to need from time to time, BUT- my problem with GOTD is recent. Never had problems before the recent format change. Ever since the download folders went to the alpha-numeric code after the program name, I've been unable to use them. (Today's program,for example, is: Scan2Encrypt221-pt63n1)
While I agree Vista is no prize, it isn't the problem, as the only change was GOTD's part, not on mine. EVERY OTHER download site I visit works just as before (Well, Chrome is getting increasingly hinky,but FF and IE work just fine. Sorry, but fixing this just isn't worth more of my time than I've already wasted on it.Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorI'd still like to know why IE loads GOTD Home when launched and whether that's a clue or merely a coincidence. Before I reinstalled IE-8, I navigated to Google, clicked a link on the page to make it my homepage and that's where it opened, but after reinstalling it reverted to loading GOTD again.. with a microsoft homepage preset. I changed it to Google, but now there's no link on the page to set Google as my homepage. I seem to remember there are two places in the System Registry that store the homepage address and they can be different, but I don't remember where.
In Windows up to & including Vista you can right click the Internet Explorer shortcut at the top of the Start Menu's 1st view & select properties or options [assuming default settings]. You can get to the same dialog with ie open via ie's menus, & all versions of Windows [including 10] have Internet Options listed in Control Panel. Once open the 1st [General] tab in that dialog shows Home page, with a box to enter the url, + there are 3 buttons, Use Current, Use default, & Use blank [for xp] or tab [7].
IOW there's no need for a link on any page to make it your home page in ie.
If/when that doesn't work properly you might want to try one of the many tools available for removing tool bars, add-ons, & fixing a hijacked home page. I'm not saying GOTD hijacked anybody's home page, but that those tools should hopefully be able to restore Windows *factory* settings. If you want to see what's changing in the registry, run Regshot, take a complete snapshot of the registry, change your homepage in ie, then take the 2nd full snapshot & look at the comparison Regshot gives you. http://regshot.sourceforge.net/ http://www.howtogeek.com/198679/how-to-use-regshot-to-monitor-your-registry/
Something for everyone to bear in mind... Spoofed web sites hosting bad stuff are unfortunately not uncommon. Earlier this month with the focus in the US on filing taxes, sites spoofing the IRS were among the top results for Google searches. If your Windows &/or browser behavior doesn't seem right, there's a good chance it's not -- if you have trouble with something like your browser's home page, maybe make sure that page is legit, and if it is a fake or spoofed site, your system may be infected.
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorMy system date was wrong. It was set to some date in 2002. I went in thru clock options, chose net time (again), and clicked 'Set time now' - and it switched to the correct date/time, and my GOTD program installed fine.
I'm guessing something went wrong when the system wanted to do the daylight savings time adjustment.Usually when the date goes off by a lot [years], the bios lost it's settings & reverted to the original default, i.e. when the bios was 1st programmed. Usually that happens because the battery [usually a CR 2032 in my experience] died or is weak. Luckily your system still booted if that was/is the problem. If the motherboard [including the bios] dates to 2002, a battery failure is long overdue, assuming that's the original. Replacing it isn't usually too bad on a desktop PC, but the bios settings will most often need to be tweaked for max performance & reliability.
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorProblem can't be a security/AV program, as I'm not using one. Yep, running 'bareback'. Probably need to do the OS re-install windows machines seem to need from time to time, BUT- my problem with GOTD is recent. Never had problems before the recent format change.
Hmmmm.... I've had tremendous problems getting AV software to work in Vista -- the problem is that with the AV stuff on, Windows takes forever to start, & in many cases would not start -- so while I certainly can't recommend running nekid, I can certainly understand it.
The reason it's automatically assumed to be an AV software problem is that to prevent tampering, in this case extracting the GOTD's setup file, the GOTD setup.exe file [or Activate.exe], is packed & encrypted. Packing/encrypting a file is dual use tech -- it can be used by good & bad guys -- so it can be flagged by security software as potentially harmful, & thus quarantined or deleted. The reason for the Safe Mode work-a-round is that that's the only reliable way to disable a lot of security software -- the very 1st thing a lot of mal-ware does is turn off security apps, so they're designed to make turning them off impossible. In your case it should be irrelevant.
Basically what happens is after contacting the GOTD servers to verify the date/time, setup.exe unencrypts & unpacks the actual install file to RAM, where it's then run, with control passed back to setup.exe when the installation exits, and you get the pop-up + the GOTD site opens in your browser. I wanted to post that in case it sparks any ideas on your part, ds5929.
You are right in that something did change for it to stop working for you -- the problem is: "What"?
If the developers for the security software GOTD pays for updated their code, they wouldn't broadcast those changes because it might help the bad guys figure out how to get around it. As I posted earlier a lot of server code has been & is being updated to block vulnerabilities. Security related updates may be bundled with other updates & so may not even be mentioned. At the same time Microsoft is tightening up all versions of Internet Explorer & related Windows code.
It might be that with one or more of those sorts of changes GOTD no longer works with Vista [or XP SP2] -- both are certainly rare enough nowadays that no one would expect a flood of complaints or bug reports *if* that was the case. Or it could be unrelated, e.g. mal-ware. Or it could be that something in your Windows install broke, e.g. there was a disk error. Or it could be the result of a software update -- many are silent, especially if it has to do with the DRM of software installed in Windows.
[This coming Sunday, assuming the game as usual is something my wife would like, I'll try it in Vista & see if it does work or not. If I get a chance before that, I'll back up Vista & try a regular GOTD, but I can't promise I'll have the opportunity. The chances are almost zero that there will be a GOTD offer I'd want to add, not because I don't like the apps, but because I really don't want to add anything to that Windows install, so I'd want a backup to put things back.]
Of course it's totally up to you whether you pursue it or not. My concern is that not knowing, there's no way to tell if it's impacting anything else. Depending on what you have & how you use it, that might not even be a concern. Personally I worry about mal-ware &/or problems that might lead to a compromise with anything connected to our network. That's because it could lead to sensitive data like credit card numbers being compromised, or identity theft, or fraudulent charges etc.
As far as the OS re-install goes, for the most part can't hurt, the problem being if you lose software in the process. Windows accumulates garbage -- how much depends on what you install -- & if you read stuff on the Microsoft site &/or in their forums you'll often see a complete reinstall recommended. OTOH I don't think anyone can say with any sort of certainty that reinstalling Vista will fix anything. Old software, e.g. Ofc 2007, still works fine for us. Anything updated to work with 7, & especially 8-10, is prone to be slow & buggy. I once had a Lot of trouble getting my wife to use 7 more than Vista because she felt her games performed better on Vista -- they still do all right there, but getting to them nowadays [after a couple few years of Windows updates etc.] is a royal PITA. The difference between Vista & 7/8.1 on the same PC is really that dramatic.
If I was going to do a complete reinstall, & again this is just me, I'd skip Vista & go for 7 or 10. Requirements are about the same, & if you wanted to be sure re: 10, install it to a USB drive if you have one & see. As far as license & activation goes, Google on the win7 trial, &/or research Microsoft's policy re: 10 -- it's a free upgrade from 7 but I'm unsure about Vista. The 10 preview is allegedly upgradable to the full version when it's released, which according to the CEO of AMD will be July, so if you went for 10 today you'll not have to completely reinstall it & your software.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratorsemo, you can check what you've selected as your homepage via "Tools | Internet Options | General Tab". There are options somewhere in IE to "reopen last page" and "recover last page on crash". I can't say whether GOTD is now your homepage or if one of the other options is at work.
The "last used date" is unreliable. It's based on Windows "best guess" of the last time an EXE ran and all redistributable installation files are named vcredist.exe. The C++ routines are dlls. The C++ 2010 redistributable was issued on 4/12/2010 so a last used date of 11/05/2008 isn't possible. If you want to check the last use you can search for msvcm??.dll, msvcp??.dll, and mscr??.dll (and add a column for "date accessed" in Explorer).
You should check the version of the C++ 2008 redistributable to see if it's actually compatible. There are many, many different versions. For example, C++ 2008 9.0.30729.17 is actually the service pack of the redistributable and was released 9/16/2008, 5 months after SP3 was made available. That redistributable, and all later ones, will assume SP3 is installed but may not actually require SP3. However, programs that use later version redistributables may require SP3 but won't bother to check if your system has the latest Service Pack.
I don't really understand what you're trying to do. You want to keep SP2 alive and continue daily use of the PC. Those goals are mutually exclusive. The benefit of an obsolete operating system is that it doesn't change. What runs today will run tomorrow. It's reliable and dependable, at least until the hardware fails. You don't have to worry that an application will suddenly stop working and hold your data hostage. But that requires you to freeze the operating system. You seem to want to fix your system so that you may install other programs or updates that will, once again, break your system. It's activity for the sake of activity.
Posted 9 years ago # -
semo
MemberNot sure who I'm replying to, as I'm new to this, so please bear with me.
I can set or change my homepage a variety of ways, including Internet Options, even set multiple homepages. My point was.. before reinstalling IE-8, I found a link on Google to set it as my homepage. I had already set Google as my homepage in Internet Options, but I clicked the link to set it again, then IE no longer opened GOTD on launch. It opened my Google homepage. After I reinstalled IE-8, it reverted to opening GOTD on launch again with a microsoft homepage preset. I changed the homepage from Microsoft to Google again manually, but the link to make Google my homepage was no longer on the page. I even clicked the dropdown menu option to remove ALL homepages making mine a blank page, but it still opens GOTD on launch. IE is set for automatic crash recovery to reopen the last page, but it's not crashing and GOTD is not the last page opened. I'm not seeing the option to open the last page on launch, but GOTD is and is not the last page opened, anyway.
Curious about the time/date problem. I had some warnings in Event Viewer about the daily time calibration failing 'none of the time sites returned a reliable response' or something like that, but after 2 or 3 failures, it showed success. And my time and date are correct right now. Just curious because these warnings were around and during my first encounter with the Failed to Connect error.
I' m not expecting or trying to make this old system last forever, just trying to keep it working a little longer. I had a bad experience installing SP3 on an old computer. I'll try to make it short. Installed SP3, computer wouldn't reboot, had to do a recovery from the OEM partition, that reverted to SP2, but left SP2 and SP3 files all mixed and muddled together, tried again to install SP3, but the installer found the old files and refused to install. Left me with no way to remove the old SP3 files and no way to reinstall SP3. That, combined with my Image Backup program that doesn't recognize a wireless mouse or USB mouse makes me loathe to open that can of worms.
I haven't uninstalled C++ 2008, yet, so I'll try and see if those files have been accessed recently, thanks.Posted 8 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratormy Image Backup program that doesn't recognize a wireless mouse or USB mouse makes me loathe to open that can of worms
That's because your hardware doesn't natively support a USB mouse. I get it, you had a bad experience, but by not installing SP3 all you're doing is guaranteeing more bad experiences.There are two easy solutions to your mouse problem:
- connect a PS/2 mouse to the mouse port. If the port is hard to reach then install an extension cable and connect the mouse when needed.
- add your backup program to a Bart PE, add the necessary mouse driver, and you're good to click. If you use Acronis then there's already a plug-in.XP was around for a long time and there are scads of solutions to problems.
Posted 8 years ago # -
semo
MemberChrisS, I searched those files you listed and 3 of them were accessed at the exact moment I tried an old GOTD Setup exe, here they are:
msvcp60.dll Size 404KB mod 2004-08-10 2:00 PM created 2006-06-17 4:23 AM
msvcp80.dll Size 542KB mod 2009-07-12 2:09 AM created 2009-07-12 2:09 AM
msvcp90.dll Size 557KB mod 2009-07-12 1:03 AM created 2009-07-12 1:02 AM
The first two were accessed during the same second, the third was accessed 4 seconds later. Does that tell us anything? Of course, I still got the Failed to Connect error.Posted 8 years ago # -
ChrisS
AdministratorAbove, when you said you'd tried booting in "Safe Mode" you meant "Safe Mode with Networking" right? Because without "Networking" it won't connect to the internet.
A quick comparison to an XP SP3 VM says: msvcp60.dll is vrs 6.2.3104.0; msvcp80.dll is vrs 8.0.50727.4053; msvcp90.dll is vrs 9.0.30729.4148
All-in-all, I'd say they're not the source of the problem. I'm much more concerned about what you wrote regarding Adobe Flash and AVG.
I understand your issue with updating to SP3 but the problem you cite following the failed update of another PC is exactly the problem you face with this PC. You've got a mishmash of SP2 compliant programs and ones looking for SP3. Your system mostly works now but you're really trying to troubleshoot how to make SP3 programs compliant with SP2 and it's going to be the "death of a 1000 reboots".
The simplest step is backup your system and try the SP3 upgrade. The worst that will happen is you'll have to restore your current system and then decide if fixing SP2 is a good use of time. I'd say "no" because for the past several years "XP Compatible" has meant "XP SP3 Compatible" and you're not doing yourself any favors by installing stuff that's not intended to run on your system.
Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorFWIW, in case any of this helps...
On old hardware I've run across problems where current bootable solutions would not work. With that warning, reboot.pro has several tools to build for example a LiveXP disc or USB stick that works like a mini version of Windows. There's not much knowledge or skill required, and there are options to add several different backup apps.
I can't say whether it would be better/worse that BartPE in this case -- just another option to look at, check the tutorials etc.
----
As far as mouse & keyboard goes, I've had best luck with very cheap devices I bought on-line just for this sort of thing, using a common USB to PS2 adapter for the mouse. On old hardware outside of Windows I've had zero luck with wireless keyboard or mouse.
----
***IF*** reinstalling Windows is an option, & **IF** you don't have access to a XP SP3 setup disc/ISO, it's not hard to slipstream SP3 into a SP2 ISO. What that means is the SP3 updates are incorporated into the setup disc image -- that way it cannot fail the way the SP3 update did.
----
In XP Pro SP3 [my XP Mode VM], I'm running AVG AntiVirus Free 2014.0.4800 . It did use the .msi [Windows Installer] setup initially, but using Process Monitor I did not detect it running during an update this evening. Later there was a more major [version] update & the msi installer was used.The reason I looked... it's possible for a developer to write an .msi file incorrectly, with the result that other software that was installed via .msi may be broken. What usually happens is error messages mentioning the msi or Windows Installer when you try to open an effected app. When that happens there is no real 100% cure [that's why I loath .msi files]. It happened to me in my regular copy of XP Pro, where it also effected the C/C++ runtime files Chris talks about. Microsoft developed a tool called Windows Install Clean Up which can delete msi records of individual apps, that's what they recommended for these problems, & it could help -- however they pulled it when it had problems with win7, so you'd have to hunt for a copy on-line.
I don't know if you had a problem & AVG never fully installed or updated or is working properly or not -- the same with those C/C++ runtimes. If it helps or matters, my records show AVG installing msvcp110.dll etc., v. 11.00.51106.1 dated 11/6/2012. [No changes re: version with AVG 2015]
---Posted 8 years ago # -
semo
MemberOf course I meant Safe Mode with Networking. And said that in an earlier post, but shortened it later on.
Pardon me, but you guys with your advice to try radical solutions in hopes of fixing this one problem sound like the doctor saying 'You're dying, anyway. You might as well try a high risk treatment for a relatively minor problem. One that may cure you or might kill you right now'. If my PC was truly crippled, I wouldn't be here looking for clues. I'm justd trying to find out why I can no longer install these free progs from GOTD and fix it if I can. I'm not quite ready for the 'kill or cure' treatment just yet.
That said, I'm wondering if a prog that auto-updates like my AVG Free 2015 could have installed a file or version of a file that's not compatible with SP2.. one that was being used by the GOTD installers. I lost a good tool for tracking changes, because I had turned off Windows recording the Last Access times for files some time ago and forgot to turn it back on. I had turned it off, because it changes by merely looking at the Properties for a file. I didn't realize I could simply add Last Access to the Folder View. I wouldn't have thought AVG or any other auto-updating program could easily change a file that is used by other progs to connect to the net. Nor would I expect AVG or anything else to have no problems using the connection with something that prevents the GOTD installers from connecting. I'm looking for something that's preventing only the GOTD Setup from making a connection. I'm stuck on the fact that it worked and then it didn't. That the wrapper supposedly hadn't changed. And that nothing else is telling me it can't connect. I was hoping it was an error that got stuck someplace and is simply repeating rather than a new error each time.. something that just needs to be cleared or reset. Anyway, that's what I keep looking for.Posted 8 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratoryou guys with your advice to try radical solutions
That's because we consider not installing SP3 radical and that your problem could be the equivalent of an unforced error.I'm wondering if a prog that auto-updates like my AVG Free 2015 could have installed a file or version of a file that's not compatible with SP2
Which is why not installing SP3, the latest version of your OS, is radical. Your OS is 7 years out of date, XP SP3 is 1 year out of date (or up to date with the registry hack).I'm looking for something that's preventing only the GOTD Setup from making a connection.
When you run setup it unpacks the files, verifies that the giveaway period is active, confirms that your system meets the minimum requirements, and then installs the file. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and the wrapper is designed to prevent the user from seeing what happens during the installation process and then circumventing the copy protection.But, it's a Personal Computer so it's your choice. That being typed, I'm pretty sure the version of Adobe Flash you installed isn't compatible and your version of AVG itself is likely not compatible. AFAIK, Avira and Avast are the only common free antiviruses that claim SP2 as a minimum requirement. Also, you mention Windows Installer version 4, you might want to confirm that it's actually version 4.5 (enter "msiexec" in a run box to find the version).
Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
Moderator"That said, I'm wondering if a prog that auto-updates like my AVG Free 2015 could have installed a file or version of a file that's not compatible with SP2"
I just recorded the update from AVG 2014 Free to AVG 2015 Free in my XP Mode VM running XP Pro SP3. As noted it added C/C++ runtime files from Microsoft dated 11/6/12. At the least those are almost certainly incompatible in some ways with XP SP2, but you'd have to write & ask the developers at AVG for details on how those files, & AVG software itself might be incompatible & what problems it might cause.
Windows Installer error messages were reported -- [as noted] problems with Windows Installer are extremely well documented on-line, & it's quite possible AVG Free &/or any needed C/C++ runtimes were not installed properly & are not working properly. That would likely compound any compatibility problems I think. It's easy to tell if something like Notepad is working or not, but users do not see anything from those runtime files when they're working, & users have no indication of whether software like AVG is working properly or not. For troubleshooting purposes someone might download the latest runtimes available for their Windows version from Microsoft & see if they installed, checking the logs they leave in the temp folder(s). If/when there's a question regarding software, companies normally advise remove & reinstall as a 1st step.
Find & download the tool on-line that completely removes AVG software, use it on your XP SP2 install, & see if GOTD works. If it does, then AVG is obviously not working properly. ;)
"I'm looking for something that's preventing only the GOTD Setup from making a connection."
That's making an assumption that may or may not be valid. When something doesn't work, that's really the only fact that's known,i.e. that whatever doesn't work. When/if there's an error message, the only fact is that that message was displayed. Is it accurate? Who Knows? When it comes to software, always remember that it's dumb -- it has no intelligence what-so-ever. When a message is displayed, it's because certain conditions were met by that running software that triggered pre-written, hard coded text to appear in a window. There are a great many things that can go wrong, but only a limited number of error messages.
"I'm stuck on the fact that it worked and then it didn't. "
That's generally how anything & everything breaks. Really. Stuff doesn't slowly break -- it may show slighter symptoms that grow worse, sometimes if or as more damage is done, but whatever broke, broke, as in stopped performing to original specs, & that moment happens as if you flipped a switch.
"nothing else is telling me it can't connect. I was hoping it was an error that got stuck someplace and is simply repeating rather than a new error each time.. something that just needs to be cleared or reset. Anyway, that's what I keep looking for. "
You're looking for the wrong things & making assumptions -- I think you're using the wrong approach for logical troubleshooting. That's not good or bad -- just is. Some people are better at it than others because of the ways their mind works -- Chris is better at troubleshooting than I.
Every bit of written programming code has it's own error messages, IF there are any error messages in that code. Each bit of code has it's own error conditions &/or triggers. Sometimes you'll get similar error messages, sometimes not.
Smacking an old TV could sometimes jiggle a poor connection(s) so it'd work -- software not so much. Software works, or it doesn't. There may be some combination of software that when everything's running, something breaks -- if you don't look to see what's running you won't know that's happening, & it may *Seem* like something sometimes works, sometimes not, but that is not what's actually going on.
"your advice to try radical solutions in hopes of fixing this one problem sound like the doctor saying 'You're dying, anyway. You might as well try a high risk treatment for a relatively minor problem."
:) Actually the patient "Is Dead", & you're trying to play Dr. Frankenstein. :)
If everyone will please forgive me for using a stereotype for a moment, Engineers are famous among technicians for being poor at troubleshooting &/or fixing problems. IMHO that's because they get far too deep into theories & such, trying to figure out exactly what might have gone wrong on a micro scale -- a tech OTOH looks at it on a more macro scale, & often being lower paid [vs. an engineer], with an eye on the clock.
I can't [& wouldn't] speak for Chris, but myself it keeps brain cells working thinking, typing up my posts. If I was charged with fixing your PC, or if this was another, more typical forum, the solution would be 1) collect system specs, to see the latest Windows version it could run, 2) record any keys possible, 3) collect software & driver setup files, 4) create a partition image backup, & export sections of the registry, 5) wipe disk, 6) install Windows per step 1.
Why all that? Because there are potential problems with bad [out of date or buggy] software, old Windows files & garbage, mal-ware, & stuff the user has done wrong. Chop one tree down, then you have to get rid of it, dig up the stump, & then there's another right behind it, & another, & another. When my one son put together a PC for his brother I used a USB 3.0 drive dock, copied win7 HP 64 from an up to date VM, booted the system to a Paragon DVD to remove existing drivers in the registry, & fired up, then activated Windows.
That was not typical because I had the VM -- total time <45 minutes. If I had done a fresh win7 install, I'd have restored a backup of the expanded win7 setup files [10-15 minutes], let it setup on 1st boot, & run Windows Update. Or you can set up a win7 .wim file with all updates & use that. At any rate I can't see how it would take more than an afternoon, plus 2-4 hours if there was a lot of software to install. I've a hunch you've already spent longer than that. ;)
There is a separate issue, the one of trust, which the relative efficiency of a reinstall completely disregards I think, which is good. We're all human, & humans make mistakes, forget, make assumptions [including about what's important to mention], & frankly not all people are always honest. Doesn't matter if someone neglected to mention anything, doesn't matter if they know what they're talking about, none of that stuff matters because you've got a solution in a set amount of time. Sometimes there is a solution to whatever problem that, if it were known, would take less than 5 minutes, but it's kind of crazy to spend days looking for it if/when you could replace everything in an afternoon.
Yes, adding SP3 could fail, but restoring a backup & trying again should fix that. Better, odds are extremely high installing XP with SP3 already added would work, as attested to by the millions who have done just that. Yes, with the huge number of updates for XP, one or more might fail. Trying an update again might work, restoring a backup & trying again might work more often, but if the hardware will support it, moving to a newer version of Windows means fewer updates, & again the odds of success increase.
Posted 8 years ago # -
ds5929
MemberY'know, from my standpoint here, it's kinda simple.
1. Site worked (for years on multiple pc's)
2. Site made change in it's packaging.
3. Site no longer works.
Do you see anything here about my pc? No, my computer has'nt changed.
What's changed is the sites download format, so all of these increasingly
elaborate fixes are pretty much going to be futile. My computer isn't
broken-downloads from over 20 other sites continue to work just fine. The
ONLY problem is here. I did'nt break things at my end, you broke them at yours.Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorActually Chris & I are in the same boat FWIW -- just a couple of users trying to help out. :) WE didn't change anything, nor do we have any info on changes.
So what it boils down to in my perspective anyway is there are two possibilities, 1) GOTD changed something, or the devs who write the server software they use, or the devs who write the wrapper, or 2) none of those 3 changed anything.
If 1), the 2 possible solutions are A) try to come up with something that works, or B) not.
If 2), the choice is to fix the systems that don't work, or not.
No, my computer has'nt changed.
This if you don't mind my saying so is at the root of the issue. Personally I don't have any info or data actually in front of me saying that your PC is or isn't the same as it was 1 year ago. I don't have any data saying anything changed at GOTD's end either. So all I ever could do is say what I thought *might* help.
That the stuff proposed was all stuff that the individuals having problems might try is unavoidable -- my stuff works so I don't have anything to try & change, nor any way to measure if a change helped or not -- AFAIK GOTD's servers etc. work, & they have their own tech people if they didn't. Personally I just felt better posting suggestions that might help, rather than ignoring any complaints or telling anyone in the politest way possible the Politically Correct equivalent of "You're outa' luck buddy." :)
... my computer has'nt changed... so all of these increasingly
elaborate fixes are pretty much going to be futile.Actually I can pretty much guarantee that your computer has changed, not only from Microsoft updates but from the apparently frequent downloads, & I assume installation of at least some of those downloads. Odds are you've also got an exploit or three in place because of no security software -- I have no way of knowing because I don't have hands-on obviously, but looking at infection rates from people running security software, odds are definitely in favor of your Windows install being compromised.
You're also running Vista... Don't take my word for it -- millions of people have posted on-line that it's a POS. ;) Most of those posts also say you'd be loads better off running 7/8.1/10. For the clear majority, upgrading would be anything but futile. Whether it's necessary or not is of course obviously subjective -- If you're happy with your system running Vista, You're happy with it running Vista. Myself, I'm with millions of other Windows users.
The ONLY problem is here. I did'nt break things at my end, you broke them at yours.
Please think about that statement for a moment... Millions of Windows users elect to stay far, far away from Vista. Millions of Windows users also elect to run security software. Many, many thousands of those same users download & install offers from GOTD. Are you suggesting that you're correct & that they're not? It's possible I suppose -- people do win big time with the lottery, but odds are more than overwhelming against it. :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
ds5929
MemberYeah, Vista isn't a great system, tho arguable not the worst one MS sold ( That's a 2-way tie between ME & Win8) Why do you think there's not going to be a Win9. MS wants to put some distance between the next OS and the smoking POS that is 8.
Anyhow. Here's the thing. GOTD worked fine for me for years. Then recently, they changed their container to the alphanumeric folder name. From that day forward I've had the error message to which this forum thread is dedicated.
Yes I download a lot,but hardly ever add new installed software. Again, the only problem I've had is here. The other software sites,as well as all the video and audio ones, all still work as before, so I'm pretty confident that my problem isn't at my end-at least in the sense I did'nt alter my pc in such a way as to make it unable to used gotd's programs.
Most likely, something in my pc just does'nt work and play well with the new container. I have no way of knowing how many older pc's may share this problem, and don't expect GODT will change anything to accomodate a likely small number of incompatible pc's. I'm obviously not the only one affected,otherwise this thread would'nt be here.
At some point I'll likely get a new pc, or at least install the Win7 update disks I got when MS was offering them. Maybe 10. Who knows? But,for now,this site is gone for me.Posted 8 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratorthey changed their container to the alphanumeric folder name
Do you actually download and install every program? How do you know that the last GOTD program before the change didn't "break" your system? It worked before you installed it, it didn't work afterwards. Seems a likely candidate to me.I didn't alter my pc in such a way as to make it unable to used gotd's programs.
Your PC could be the "Canary in a Coal Mine". If you review the site you'll find that about this time last year a few posters had a "corrupt file" issue. Their complaint was the same as yours - nothing changed on my PC so it must be something that GOTD did. As time passed, more complaints rolled in. Ultimately, the issue appears to be with Kaspersky (and probably something Microsoft did with the release Windows 8.1) and it has not yet been resolved.If you truly do run an unprotected PC then I can envision a case where malware is preventing the installation of GOTD programs. The malware could interpret the wrapper as an antivirus program and shuts the process down.
Or, it's a Windows Update.
It could be a number of things. But, as you correctly point out, GOTD isn't going to change the wrapper. So, if your PC is the "Canary" then it would be helpful if you would report back if you ever find a resolution.
Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorI said I'd try the GOTD game in Vista on Sunday -- I did & it worked, though with an anomaly -- the browser did not open to GOTD on exit, & in fact setup.exe never did fully exit. That's with an Intel rig running Vista 32 with all updates, UAC off, & McAfee running normally.
"Anyhow. Here's the thing. GOTD worked fine for me for years. Then recently, they changed their container to the alphanumeric folder name. From that day forward I've had the error message to which this forum thread is dedicated."
OK, that part is fact. It's the **Why** that isn't. From what's been posted so far, you cannot say with 100% certainty that on the night before, or earlier on the day that GOTD stopped working, you didn't pick up another infection. Again going by what's been posted, I don't think a silent software update is out of the question -- neither is mal-ware receiving new commands or instructions. And that's assuming or conceding that whatever broke, did so overnight.
It's common for people to imagine that they see cause & effect relationships -- it's actually how our brains are hard wired, how ancient man figured out how to start & use fire. It's often terribly useful. For us to understand cause & effect with any accuracy however, we need to make sure we know & understand the underlying factors that are the cause(s). Before we knew there were such things as bacteria & viruses, illness was often thought caused by stuff like magic & witchcraft -- something they're dealing with re: Ebola.
Though it's not perfect, there is Scientific Method. Techs of any & every sort start the process of fixing whatever it is they fix, by verifying the problem, & verifying the base condition, i.e. the state of operational condition, of whatever it is they're working on. Without that you get stuff like the people who call in to complain that their cable's out, in the middle of a widespread power outage.
In context, millions of events happened on the day GOTD changed the way they name their .zip file downloads, & we could very well point to any of them as the cause of problems getting those downloads to work. Some are more likely than others, granted -- I wouldn't expect a gnat in South America biting someone caused Any PC problems -- but what exactly was/is at fault remains unknown.
Running Vista itself doesn't mean GOTD won't work -- I found that out yesterday -- but it didn't work perfectly, so Vista *might* be prone to problems with GOTD, &/or it *might* be that particular Vista install *might* be more prone to GOTD-related problems. There are all sorts of Next Steps that could be taken, *if* anyone wanted to take them, that could narrow it down further.
[I Do Not want anyone to feel bad about false cause/effect relationships they've thought they've seen in the past -- it's just the way we're designed to think. If it helps anyone in that respect, there's always someone who has done worse... Some of my personal favorites are customers complaining that auto tech's broke their A/C -- they'd switched it off & the customer forgot there was a on/off switch. The same sort of thing happens with radios losing channel presets when disconnected -- a problem common enough that at least some manufacturers started designing in backup systems/methods. And then there was the car that had been in salt water, which since it's both corrosive & electrically conductive, causes electronics to go haywire -- the guard quit the night he saw the *haunted car*. That's just a smattering, a VERY small sample of stuff I've seen -- there are forums & blogs & such that report what techs & tech support regularly deal with.]
"The other software sites,as well as all the video and audio ones, all still work as before..."
There ya go... I'd suspect it anyway. On-line & downloadable video are pretty big mal-ware conduits. Regardless anything GOTD, I'd suggest you try some of the free scanning tools at sites like Kaspersky.
"... something in my pc just does'nt work and play well with the new container. I have no way of knowing how many older pc's may share this problem..."
Common sense would suggest that many [maybe even most?] people taking advantage of GOTD offers don't have tons of money to spend -- that's partly because of comments on the download page emphasizing free-ware, partly because there are usually more expensive alternatives with hundreds of reports saying that they work, partly because if you've got money to burn, it's faster & easier to buy whatever you want, & if it doesn't work, forget about it. If you don't have the money to blow on software, it's more likely you also don't have the money for the latest/greatest PC/laptop.
AFAIK GOTD isn't a totally altruistic venture. Common sense would strongly suggest that it's in their best interest to have as many visitors as possible, as many downloads as possible etc. Put both together & it suggests the percentage of people having problems is pretty low. That logic is confirmed if you Google -- there are hits, so problems are not unknown, but few compared to most searches regarding popular sites.
"At some point I'll likely get a new pc, or at least install the Win7 update disks I got when MS was offering them. Maybe 10. Who knows? But,for now,this site is gone for me. "
All that of course is up to you. Most people don't do everything that they should, people often make fun of, maybe resent those that try hard to do everything they should, & often people like to sort of preach, even force others to do stuff that they don't bother with themselves. That's life. From the mindset of a technician, FWIW, replacing anything from PCs to cars is usually not at the top of their lists -- their concern is usually more focused on what problems there are & what those problems are costing you.
It's so very unlikely that it's near impossible IMHO that your PC is infected with mal-ware designed *Only* to prevent you from using GOTD. If such a thing existed, & was the source of your problems, then it would be fair to say nothing else is probably effected. In the absence of that GOTD-specific mal-ware, something's most likely broken, & having other effects besides GOTD not working. Those effects might be [or seem] minor &/or may be unknown to you. That obviously doesn't mean they do not exist.
I don't want to try & change anyone's mind -- I don't want to play Chicken Little saying the sky is going to fall. As long as you realize the pros & cons, the potential risks & rewards, cool. :)
"If you truly do run an unprotected PC then I can envision a case where malware is preventing the installation of GOTD programs. The malware could interpret the wrapper as an antivirus program and shuts the process down. "
Mal-ware also often includes its own anti-virus routines. If you *own* a PC/laptop, the last thing you want is someone else coming in & taking advantage of your work compromising that system in the 1st place. If you have a botnet, you want/need to depend on those systems being available -- a wholesale takeover is the last thing you want. If you put quite a bit of time, effort, maybe $ into a more sophisticated bit of mal-ware, one that [you hope] evades security software, you don't want some schmuck's POS *Noticeably* infecting the system, so that the owner tries to repair it. They have documented mal-ware that not just prevents new infections, but goes after stuff that's already present.
Posted 8 years ago # -
semo
Membermikiem2, I don't doubt what you say about compatibility issues. I'm at least slightly surprised each time I turn my PC on and it works. This was never a "normal" PC, it's "special" Win-XP Media Center Edition 2002 purchased in 2003. I was informed by MS that many of the offered updates for XP-Pro were not compatible with this version. When SP3 came out, I was on dialup and many of us had big problems trying to install it in bits and pieces. I only recently got satellite where I could dl large files, but my first try to install on another old XP machine totally screwed it up forever. Not much incentive to try it on what I'm using now.
It may sound like I'm shooting in the dark and hoping to hit this setup problem, but I've kept it working all these years by following my instinct. And something is telling me it's not part of a widespread issue. I can only go by what I see. Whatever compatibility issues AVG or Flash have, they're apparently working and show no errors. I can't find anything else that won't work as it did before.. just the GOTD setup files. It's hard for me to accept that other software installed a file that keeps only GOTD setup from working. I don't say it's impossible, just not the first thing I'd look for.
Rather than looking for anything that changed, I'm focussed on looking for something that worked, but now it's broken.. a corrupted dll or other file, or an error that never got cleared once it was corrected. I'm looking for something I can see, rather than assuming it's something I can't see. You say I assume this or that, but I'm trying to recognize my assumptions and get past them. That's why I'm here.Posted 8 years ago #
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