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JenKat Installer

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Started 9 years ago by TopazMystique
Latest reply from Dragonlair

TopazMystique
Member

I have tried to download from JenKat and this is what happens:

The install stub is 164 KB. After selecting YES to allowing File Monarch System Applet to make changes to my PC, a JenKat mini-screen pops up and I get the following message from MS Security Essentials: "Detected threats are being cleaned. No action needed." but it lets the install proceed. Then there is a JenKat screen for "ACCEPT to continue" (no other option available). I click 4-5 DECLINES after that and it throws me into my web browser saying my software is ready and I can download. This is on a downloadactivation.com web page. If I click the download on that page, it sends me to startfreedownload.com web page at which point I quit. The game never gets downloaded or installed that I can see. Any ideas?

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

What game are you trying to install? The install stubs that I've seen for Jenkat are about 2 MB (similar to MyPlayCity's stubs). I've never had to agree to let any applet make changes to my system.

There are sometimes one or 2 cases where you have to click "advanced" to uncheck additional software with a game and then a lot of "declines". Lately, there have been fewer declines.

As far as I know, all Jenkat software is installed into Program Files (or Program File (x86) if using a 64 bit machine) AND the Common Files sub folder found there. It's always both and makes a royal mess of your Program Files folder!

I don't get your setup at all! I do get that "software installed" site appear after an install but I can always find (and then MOVE) the software it has installed.

Posted 9 years ago #
TopazMystique
Member

The game I'm trying to install is "The World's Legends: Kashchey the Immortal". I redownloaded the JenKat stub and it's still 164 KB. I downloaded "The Island Castaway" on 4/22/14 and it's stub is 2,003 KB but when I redownloaded today, it's also 164 KB (the 2,003 KB file installed okay). I also tried "Toy Defense 2" today but it also is 164 KB.

The downloadactivation.com URL is:
http://downloadactivation.com/oops?source=jenkatgames_encore_worldlegendskashchey&adprovider=jenkatgamestyp&et=0&adm=1&cb=1773429142
which leads me to believe there is a problem (.../oops?...)

I have my User Account Control options set (default I think) so that most anything that tries to make changes to my system has to get an OK from me. Don't know that it will stop malware installs but thought it was worth a shot.

The first Message I get after the ACCEPT only option is for Search Protect. Didn't realize that was JenKat's Installer. I was declining that screen but this time I clicked the ADVANCED radio button, unchecked SEARCH PROTECT and accepted. All others I declined and that works. No longer sends me to the downloadactivation until the install is done. WHEW!

Does the uninstall process not clean up the Common Files folder? If not and JenKat makes a mess, I will make a note to uninstall using Revo Uninstaller.

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

Jenkat has been redoing it's installer. The one they had before was causing Malwarebytes and others to claim it was malware (PUPS mainly). There are still a few games missing from their list because there are problems getting them to install right with the new installer. As they fix them, they put them back in the list.

I didn't get that game from them. I got it back in 2012 from Freegamepick.com. it's also available from MyPlayCity.com and MyRealGames.com. MyPlayCity has the same kind of decline/accept installer now and is really weird. All BUT Jenkat have the browser opening stunt at the end of the game.

I don't know if the uninstall will clean up BOTH places in Program Files. I combine the two folders and MOVE the combination to outside Program Files. I then (using CCleaner to access the registry) fix the uninstall pointer so that it now uses the correct location.

Note - I have complained to Jenkat about this type of double-folder install. I suggested that they AT LEAST have a "Jenkat Games" folder in Program Folders and put everything there. Less of a mess! I have also told them what I do with their games for my purposes.

Posted 9 years ago #
TopazMystique
Member

Darn. I just went through my spreadsheet and removed JenKat from some games that were not in their list. Now I'll have to restore a backup and check them to put them back. :(

I checked and uninstall (pretty sure I used the one from the JenKat folder) does clean up both folders.

Yes, it would be nice to have all JenKat games in one folder. I hate having a bunch of folders in PF (x86) all mixed together with "legit" software.

I don't install from JenKat often enough but this time I wrote myself instructions so maybe I'll remember for next time. :)

Thanks for all the help, Dragonlair! MUCH appreciated!

Posted 9 years ago #
QunMang
Member

I can't speak for the Jenkat installer, but MPC has been getting more and more annoying. First they changed the downloads to download just a stub. This would download the setup_full installers to the same location as the stub when installing the game (with no install options I should add- what if I want to install to my game drive??). Fine. install, then uninstall and the full setup file would remain, and future installations were under full user control. But this wasn't annoying enough- then they started downloading the full setup to the temp folder, deleting it after installation. Okay, a quick copy during the installation (have to be fast on the smaller games!) and I have the full setup files again. Now they have added OpenCandy bundleware. Sigh.

What's next- using GOTD's Themista installer so there is no full setup file to reuse? I really shouldn't give them any ideas...

Posted 9 years ago #
QunMang
Member

[double post, sorry]

Posted 9 years ago #
TopazMystique
Member

Isn't MPC one of the game sites that tries to hijack browsers / search engines / etc.?

I used to download from GameTop until they started doing stuff like that. But I didn't really like that site because they renamed a lot of the games so never really sure what I was playing.

I noticed Shockwave is starting to use a stub also just like Big Fish. I always prefer sites that download the whole install file so it can be saved and reused. Sites that do stubs are a pain in the rear. :(

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

Most of them want to hijack your home page and search engine and sometimes install toolbars. They often want to install other software. In that sense, none of these sites is any different than any other site that downloads software for the PC. Even utilities want other applications downloaded so ALL must be viewed with caution.

The key is to pay attention and READ each page to be sure what you're authorizing or not authorizing. Jenkat is probably the most confusing since you have to accept to even get TO the game, much less the garbage that is offered as well (included or separate).

I follow the "Freebie Circuit", as I call it, of 5 sites - Jenkat, MyPlayCity, FreeGamePick, MyRealGames and GameTop.

There are some name differences among all of them but, it is true that GameTop is the most common. Some differences are among all of them but separate from the "original" developer. For example, all of the circuit refer to "Snowy Bear" from Alawar as "Milky Bear". I'm guessing that is at Alawar's insistence. Also, Alawar's change of "Magic Ball" to "Smash Frenzy" is another confusion factor.

I have a spreadsheet that has all the games and in cases where different names are involved, both names are given and a note of "different names" is included.

In one way, MyPlayCity (usually referred to as MPC) is the most messy install and has been for years. There are normally anywhere from 12 to 15 files and 1 folder that are total garbage and can be removed without affecting your game in any way. Some are new such as icons for other games! Most of the sites have 2 or 3 garbage files included but none like MPC.

As with anything else, watch what you do and be willing to change because the install can and will change over time. I almost dropped FreeGamePick because it appeared to try to force you to install other software. A contact with them resulted in instructions on how to avoid the problem so they stayed on my list of freebie sites. They have recently added 29 games to their list.

Just for info -- based on my current count (not guaranteed to be accurate), the 5 sites each have the following number of free games:

Jenkat - 478 (only showing 475 with 3 obviously having issues with the new installer)
MyPlayCity - 1084
FreeGamePick - 238
MyRealGames - 271
GameTop - 318

No - I don't have all by any means. The total number of unique games among them is 1569.

Posted 9 years ago #
TopazMystique
Member

I think I tried MPC and was just not comfortable with the installation process so gave up on that one. Maybe I’ll give it one more try. Haven’t heard of FreeGamePick or MyRealGames so may take a look at them also. GameTop names were just too confusing for me and having to keep track of the different names was a pain.

I started my GAMES spreadsheet when I first started with BigFish in 2009 so most everything in it is based on its info. It’s a pain to keep up with BFG because they release at least 1 game per day. Had a falling out with them so quit buying their games over a year ago. Mostly I buy from Legacy and Shockwave now when games are on sale.

Would be nice to share spreadsheets but mine is geared toward keeping track of games owned and played (have approximately 4500 games in it so far). After just getting JenKat caught up (well, almost), I hate the thought of updating it for any more freebie sites right now. But first I need to be sure I want to download from them. No sense in doing all that work and then not using it.

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

I have one spreadsheet for the games I have (free or purchased) and it's at 982 right now (not counting the few on my new tablet). A second one ONLY tracks the "Freebie Circuit" and I try to keep it up to date. I have it color coded for the ones I have from the circuit, the ones I have from elsewhere (usually purchased) and the ones I don't want. I've had to put several checks in to make sure there are no errors. When the count goes wrong, it drives me NUTS!

Posted 9 years ago #
TopazMystique
Member

LOL

Sounds like me. I have Word docs by year for the games I try and another for the ones I have bought or "own". Keeping them in sync is a pain in the rear. ;)

Posted 9 years ago #
Diane16
Member

I am trying to download Jewel Quest Mysteries - The Seventh Gate from Jenkat, but since they changed their installer, I cannot work out how to download their games anymore.
Using Firefox, I click on download,save file, click tools, then download, double click the download, express installer box appears, and says done, a welcome to premium installer box then appears, I click Accept to continue. I then decline all the pop up offers, an activate now download complete box appears, stating start download, which takes me to a web internet security download.

Ignoring that and looking at the bottom it says, after installation, click start, all programmes, find your software and run it. I cannot find the software and am totally stumped.

Sorry for the long post, and hope it makes sense, but tried to post all the information in the hope someone can help me, thank you

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

Diane,

You need to do 2 Accepts but be careful about the second one. The first accept is just to get into the installer itself! Then you get the offer of the game in quick or custom mode (something like that). Take the 2nd option ALWAYS!. Then make sure you uncheck the option to install the extra software. I think it's Search Protect. Then "Accept" that.

From that point do all declines and the game itself will install with nothing else.

Remember that it will install the game in 2 places under Program Files (with "(x86)" for 64 bit systems).

Posted 9 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

If it helps or interests at all...

Found 5 Jewel Quest titles at JenKat. I couldn't download any in win7 64 running Bitdefender -- click the link & nothing happens. Noted the urls for the games & tried again in the XP Mode virtual machine. There ie8 initially blocked the downloads, & when I clicked the option up top to allow it, the free version of AVG blocked it -- I had to disable AVG's real time scanning, & then I could download their downloaders. Before I could run them however I had to go to the properties for each one & un-block it.

The downloaders download the setup files & run them. Jewel Quest Mysteries 2 Trail of the Midnight Heart setup.exe = 286 MB, Jewel Quest Mysteries Curse of the Emerald Tear setup.exe = 98MB, Jewel Quest Mysteries The Seventh Gate setup.exe = 165MB, Jewel Quest Solitaire III setup.exe = 79MB, & Jewel Quest_Heritage setup.exe = 124MB.

As Dragonlair [who knows loads more about JenKat than I] says, the 1st OK is to use the install or setup app, the 2nd is to run it. Some of the Jewell Quest games had that separate installer & some didn't -- the downloader just downloaded the installation file & ran it without any dialogs or questions. None of them had any extras, nor any options to accept or decline any extras. After copying the game folders to win7, I used Universal Extractor to expand the setup file to see if there were any optional apps etc. included - while I didn't see any setup files [e.g. for adware etc.], there were some .bin files -- no idea what they do, but it is feasible they might download & run whatever, maybe only in some circumstances(?).

I also did an AV scan with Bitdefender, finding each game was clean, though Jewel Quest Mysteries 2 Trail of the Midnight Heart contains a 218MB data.zip file that is password protected, so you can't scan it's contents. If you use Windows Explorer it will show you the file names inside that zip file, and everything seems innocent enough, but there's no way to tell for sure if/when you can't expand that zip file.

The only other oddity I saw was that some of the game folders couldn't be moved or deleted, even if/when they were empty -- Lockhunter reported that they were locked by Windows Explorer, & did delete them for me, but it was unusual.

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

Jenkat has been converting to a newer installer the past few months. They hoped to have it finished by June, I believe but obviously didn't make it. A few of the games are missing because they have "issues" with the new installer. Quilt Time was one. It seems like some of the games that are ONLY available from Jenkat have the most issues with the installer.

The earlier installer and to some extent, the current one, causes fits from MalwareBytes free (latest version).

I don't have the utilities (or the desire to dig that deeply) to get to what the installer downloads. I don't even know where it puts it while it's working. It's one of my pet peeves with Jenkat (and MyPlayCity) in that there is no setup file that I can zip and save to re-install if needed without taking up the bandwidth to download again!

I just checked Jewel Quest on my Freebie Circuit Spreadsheet. Jenkat is the only site that has all 11 of the series available on the Freebie Circuit. There are 2 newest ones that are not free yet (I got them on one disk from Walmart for $9.96).

Posted 9 years ago #
Diane16
Member

Thank you all for replying, thank you so much Dragonlair, followed your instructions and success, easy when you know how, lol. Wish they would leave things alone.

Posted 9 years ago #
Diane16
Member

Well after all that, the game is unplayable, can complete the first hog scene then the screen goes black, a very common problem found by reading other games forums.

Posted 9 years ago #
Dragonlair
Member

You might try the game in compatibility mode. That sometimes helps. Worst case - you know how to use Jenkat's installer (at least until they change it again. :D

Posted 9 years ago #

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