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NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:21 AM
One of my project installs included KERNEL32.DLL. (Yes, I know now that it
shouldn't have, but it did!) Now that this app has been uninstalled, the
user no longer has access to Windows at all.
Apparently there was a warning during the uninstall that KERNEL32.DLL could
not be uninstalled, but there was no option available NOT to remove it
later. After reboot it is gone and the user is stuck.
How can avoid this in the future?

Sim Sherer

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:21 AM
Sim,

> One of my project installs included KERNEL32.DLL. (Yes, I know now that
> it shouldn't have, but it did!) Now that this app has been uninstalled,
> the user no longer has access to Windows at all.
> Apparently there was a warning during the uninstall that KERNEL32.DLL
> could not be uninstalled, but there was no option available NOT to remove
> it later. After reboot it is gone and the user is stuck.
> How can avoid this in the future?

Do you really think the user has any idea what kernel32.dll is <g>.

To avoid it in the future, don't do anything that might destroy the target
system. Your kernel32.dll install alone was already enough to bring his
system in an unusable state!

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

SetupBuilder "point. click. ship"
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:22 AM
d'ya think?

I wonder how Windows 2000 would like having its KERNEL32.DLL overwritten by
one from an XP or Vista machine... or from a different service pack <EEEEEK>

Jane Fleming

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:22 AM
Hey, I never said what I had done was clever.
What I asked was for was a warning message!

Sim

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:23 AM
Hi Friedrich,

Thanks but my question is more, how can I make the uninstall to be
conditional? Most all other installers ask something like "Are you sure you
want to remove XXYY.DLL? Other applications may no longer work yadda yadda"
whenever a shared DLL is involved.

Sim

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:23 AM
Hi Sim,

> Thanks but my question is more, how can I make the uninstall to be
> conditional? Most all other installers ask something like "Are you sure you
> want to remove XXYY.DLL? Other applications may no longer work yadda yadda"
> whenever a shared DLL is involved.

Quite frankly I _hate_ those installs/uninstallers. Reason being is that
they start asking me about all sorts of dlls that I have no idea where came
from. Usually they prompt with Yes, No, Yes to all and No to all. I've had
an install that popped this up over one hundred times - none of the DLLs
were familiar to me.

Be VERY careful about distributing any kind of shared files. You can end up
with a situation like this, or you can enter the DLL hell of MS and it's
registered dlls.

Best regards,

--
Arnór Baldvinsson - Icetips Creative, Inc.
Port Angeles, Washington
www.icetips.com - www.buildautomator.com

Icetips product subscriptions at http://www.icetips.com/subscribe.php

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 02:25 AM
Hi Sim,

> Thanks but my question is more, how can I make the uninstall to be
> conditional? Most all other installers ask something like "Are you sure
> you want to remove XXYY.DLL? Other applications may no longer work yadda
> yadda" whenever a shared DLL is involved.

Yes, absolutely. SetupBuilder does exactly this for "shared DLLs".

The uninstall displays the following:

---

"The system indicates that the following shared file is no longer used by
any programs and may be deleted.

%s

If any programs are still using this file and it is removed those programs
may not function.

Leaving this file will not harm your system. If you are not sure what to
do, you should select the No button. Do you want to remove the shared file?"

---

-BUT- !!!!!!

Kernel.dll is *NOT* a shared dll ;-) It's a core system file and so the
above never kicks in!

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

SetupBuilder "point. click. ship"
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

NewsArchive
12-08-2008, 03:51 AM
Understood.
Thanks.

Sim