Will be back in.

Renaming files will break updating capabilities.
Easiest way to do this would be setting an environment variable. So (in Windows) for every profile you would create a *.bat file with
and maybe create shortcuts to them.

If I set the new updater to bypass the Launchpad it correctly changes the path to run EverQuest2.exe but it throws a fatal error.

It's the <verify> G:\live\eq2\game\Client\src\ClientApp.cpp (3810): No game assets Found. Please launch the game from the patcher. 0141bbd8 error.

I run this way from the EQ2MAP Updater all the time just fine even immediately after this error in the ProfitUI Updater.

Wouldn't it be simpler to just keep multiple configurations then? with 1 per install directory?
I got no idea where your keeping your current configuration etc, but

If its in a .ini file you could section it w. 1 section per EQ2 installation

If its in the registry, enumerate them w. 1 sub key per installation of EQ2

Then upon launch of the updater, if there is more than 1 installation, present a list for the user to select from or just run on the single installation.

Hell if you wanna be real advanced :P make it so that if you got multiple installations you can select "Update All" :p

Updater Treated as a virus.
 

The application that Profit Updater downloads ( 168rursf.exe ) appears as a virus to 3 different mallware / virus programs that I use. Without 168rursf.exe then Profit Updater will not load or update files. I then have had to move the instilation location of the updater so it will run. This will allow me to update Profit untill the next time my security software detects the file 168rursf.exe again and deletes it. I then once again, have to move the updater files to a new location just so I can update Profit. 168rursf.exe is being reported as a Downlodius (fs) virus / mallware. Please fix this as it currently is a PItA to keep ProFIT updated and current.:mad::mad::mad:

Where did you download?

Neither there is a 168rursf.exe delivered with it, nor does it download or create that file. So changes are good that is in fact a virus.

From the link you posted
http://updater.pala.de/new/

I have been having this problme since you first changed the updater. Every time my anitvirus / mallware programs runs I would loose the ability to use the updater and would have to change the install path to get it to work again. On one ocation I found 168rursf.exe in the quarentine folder and when I replaced it, the updater once again would function. Then the next time my antivirus / mallware would run the updater once again refused to update and I once again would have to move the instlation path to get it to work again.
This is getting very annoying. If that program is not part of Profit Updater then whey when I put it back does the updater work? That and why does an avitvirus / mallware programs have any affect on the updater.
I use StopZilla for antivirus and SuperAnti Spyware for mallware.
Where is the config. file kept, that way I may just be able to change the configuration instead of needing to change the install path all the time. I have searched my system but can not find it.

This is a copy of the log file I get when the updater fails to run.

de.pala.updater.Updater - Cannot activate core
org.java.plugin.PluginLifecycleException: can't find plug-in class de.pala.updater.services.settings.SettingsPlugin
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginLifecycleHandler.createPluginInstance(Sta ndardPluginLifecycleHandler.java:117) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.activatePlugin(StandardPluginMana ger.java:403) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.checkPrerequisites(StandardPlugin Manager.java:469) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.activatePlugin(StandardPluginMana ger.java:397) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.activatePlugin(StandardPluginMana ger.java:245) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at de.pala.updater.Updater.start(Updater.java:102) [Updater.jar:na]
at de.pala.updater.Updater.main(Updater.java:76) [Updater.jar:na]
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: de.pala.updater.services.settings.SettingsPlugin
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginClassLoader.loadClass(StandardPluginClass Loader.java:378) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.7.0_51]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginLifecycleHandler.createPluginInstance(Sta ndardPluginLifecycleHandler.java:113) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
... 6 common frames omitted
de.pala.updater.Updater - Cannot activate updater
org.java.plugin.PluginLifecycleException: plug-in de.pala.updater.services.updater requires plug-in de.pala.updater.services.settings which failed activation
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.checkPrerequisites(StandardPlugin Manager.java:445) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.activatePlugin(StandardPluginMana ger.java:397) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at org.java.plugin.standard.StandardPluginManager.activatePlugin(StandardPluginMana ger.java:245) ~[jpf.jar:1.5.1]
at de.pala.updater.Updater.main(Updater.java:77) [Updater.jar:na]

Hope the log helps. I posted it once before but it was ignored.

Question: have you run a full scan of your system and confirmed that you aren't infected with a virus? The sudden appearance of an executable where it shouldn't be is a common indication that malware's active on your system and is infecting a newly-installed program (in this case the updater). Also, which AV software are you using?

You should never run more than 1 AV program on your system. Even running an AV and a TSR type of malware scanner together at the same time can cause problems. I would recommend downloading a boot disc virus scanner (such as this one by Bitdefender) and scanning/cleaning using it.

I just did a Google search on ' 168rursf.exe' to see what might be known about it. I got *one* result - this thread. Whatever this thing is, nobody has mentioned it anywhere online that Google can see it. If it is a virus or malware, it's so new that no one else has seen it yet.

I also tried with Bing. There were no exact matches, but it did find a very close match: Skype_4.0.0.168_RUS.exe. According to Process Checker, "this executable is known as Skype Portable and it is developed by PortableAppZ.blogspot.com."

In any case, it is not part of ProfitUI.

I agree that you should not run more than one real-time AV tool or resident malware scanner at a time. However, I think it is good practice to run periodic scans with different tools as no one can catch everything.

-= Therendil =-

Only run one antivirus and one mallware. The mallware is run manualy the AV runs all the time. The issue is not how I secure my system it is why Profit Updater stops working.

I also sent the program in question in for annalysis and it did come back as a non-leathal, but questionable applaction known as Downlodius (fs) which is a Java download assistant.

My antivirus will kick out anything that is an unauthorised downloaded application, ie somthing I did not install myself. It will even try to delete stuff like Punkbuster or Pando Media Booster. Which are harmless and many times needed by the game or application that downloads them.

I take it then that I am the only person that is having problems with Profit Updater not working.

Sounds like a Malware infection to me.

Some people have had issues with the new updater, but I don't think anyone else has seen the specific problem that you are having.

-= Therendil =-

Pretty much. What you describe sounds a lot like you at some point (possibly accidentally) installed some of the cruft that comes along with a lot of "free" packages (download "accelerators", toolbars, that kind of thing) and it's now becoming a problem. What I'd do is ignore your AV and anti-malware program and go through the Windows control panel into your installed programs and features list. Look for things that you don't recall installing, find out what they are and delete any that shouldn't be on your machine. Then get a reliable well-known antivirus program (Kaspersky's my personal favorite) and do a full scan of your machine after rebooting into safe mode. That'll take a while, but it'll avoid as much chance of having active malware as you can get on Windows. I prefer doing the scan from a clean boot from a CD or USB drive, but the state of Windows these days makes that not a viable option most of the time.

I can say that, having run the Profit updater myself, the executable you're having a problem with is not part of the updater and isn't being sent by Kaldran's server.

There are many virii/malware that create randomly named executables and try to run those instead of the program you are wanting to run. You are infected with something that your AV is not detecting. I've never even heard of StopZilla and I have worked with a lot of them through the years.

In Windows the settings are saved in the registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\de\pala\updater). If you are losing your settings, it would indicate that something is reverting/deleting your registry keys after running the program.


The updater cannot find its basic settings while starting up. That can be because of two things:

1.
It cannot access services/settings.zip anymore or it was deleted.

2.
On launch files are copied to %temp%/.jpf-shadow and startup continues from there. Something might prevent it from writing to %temp%


I would guess your malware solutions are blocking access to the locations after they identify the updater as malware.


I would also strongly recommend to scan your system with a boot disk from one of the better known AV companies (e.g. http://support.kaspersky.com/en/4162 )
If malware is found consider a fresh install of your system.

Ok now I know what is going on.

I would seem that possibly the temp folder in not a good place to keep .jpf-shadow. My securty and mantinance programs regularly clear out the temp folder of all trash and garbage. I am guessing that (.jpf-shadow) looks questionable and thus gets deleted.

Since .jpf-shadow is important and needed for the updater to work. Can it be put somplace less temporary, like the temp folder is ment to be. Since the temp folder is basicly a garbage can and should be regularly cleared out, the system temp folder might not be the best place to keep .jpf-shadow.

Oh and I did a full boot level scan and my systme is clean, no virus, no mallware, but when I did that the temp folder was once again cleared and the updater promptly stopped working again.... :(

It is only used at runtime. Actually it (most of the times) cleans itself up after program execution has terminated.

One of the amazingly stupid things that Java does is park executables in temporary folders (what it calls its 'deployment cache'). I run CCleaner on a regular basis and I had to tell not to include Sun Java in its sweeps or it would break things like the ProfiUI updater.

-= Therendil =-

Well it is not Javas fault that CCleaner thinks those files are temporary ;) They are clearly marked as (nonroaming) application data.

The temp folder there should be considered temporary. Nothing a program puts there should get trashed while the program's running, but nothing put there should be assumed to still be there the next time the program runs (if it still is you can take advantage of it, but you shouldn't assume it). If you need permanent storage, you should use the LOCALAPPDATA environment variable or the "Local Settings" (Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData in C#/.Net) location. Follow those paths by a program-specific folder name to avoid conflicts with other programs. Drop the "local" to get the generic appdata location (usually in the Roaming profile, it doesn't really matter unless the computer's part of a domain which most home machines aren't).

NB: the Java application cache is stored in the LocalLow profile underneath the Sun\Java folder, not in a temp folder.

Yes I also use CCleaner but I will not tell it to leave Java crap in the temp folder since Java is an open back door to my system, it all goes. Instead fix the updater.


Yay!! There are inteligent poeple on this fourm who understand how winstupid works after all. Somebody finaly read what I said instead of assuming that it was a virus / mallware!!

You're really the only one having problems.
Sorry to say, but you seem to be using a bit of software that you don't need to be/don't understand what it affects. No reason to get upset at others for this.

We can't find out what the issue is, because the issue doesn't appear to be in the Profit updater. The issue appears to be either in your AV software being overly aggressive and deleting parts of the updater that aren't a virus or malware, or you have a "download accelerator" or "download assistant" or some other bit of software that you installed (even unintentionally) that's inserting bits of itself into the updater download triggering your AV software, or you have active malware that isn't being detected that's infecting the updater and triggering your AV software. We'd have to have an exact copy of your system to diagnose the problem, and we don't. The standard starting point is to get the "rescue disk" from a major AV vendor (eg. Kaspersky's Rescue Disk 10, http://support.kaspersky.com/us/4162), burn it to a disc or USB drive and boot from that and do a scan (this insures malware already in your system won't be active to interfere with the scan). If the scan comes up clean but your usual AV software still triggers on the Profit updater, add the Profit updater to your AV software's ignore list since it's a false positive.

For us, the updater's working just fine. I'm running current Kaspersky AV 2014 with everything turned on and not having any problems with the updater. Going back to the old web-deployment-based updater isn't a viable option, Oracle has flipped the flag that makes the Java plugin not run those anymore so a standalone application is the only way Kaldran can go with it.

I gve up!!!
 

Does anybody read the post in this fourm? I am not the only one that has had a problem with a system cleaners breaking the updater. Read post #44 Therendil has also had a system cleaner break the updater so its not just my system.

Ok fine you don't think its the updater. But I never had a problem till you changed the updater to this new one. I have used Kaspersky's Rescue Disk 10 to do a boot level scan and found NOTHING!!!

But when I run CCleaner or Iobit Advanced SystemCare which both have a registry cleaning function then Profit updater will not work and I must move the install location to get it to work again. Then the next time I clean my system I again have to move the instlation location. I am having to move it at least once a week or every time I use a system cleaner.

It is NOT a virus....

It is NOT mallware....

It is a problem with where and how Profit updater stores its keys and other configuration info that is either being put in a volital location or not tied to a program so that when I run a system cleaner there is nothing that can be associated with the updater thus it is being deleted. Only guessing here, I do not know what is being deleted or from where.

If you can give me the locations of all the configuration variables and their registry keys then I may be able to find what and where things are going wrong. Since I do not know the names or location of registry keys or other configuration variables it is hard for me to do my own investigation. I have searched but I am hunting blind. I would rather not DUMP Profit and goto somthing else but since I am getting very little help here I may be forced to do just that.

I am angry because first of all I do not like trying to trouble shoot via fourms. Then when I do the answers I get are not only way off the mark they make assumptions that are in no way correct.

Stop assuming that my systme is infected with a virus.
Download CCleaner and / or Iobit Advanced SystemCare they are both free and run the tests yourself then you wont need to know my system. Do this and see if you can duplicate the error, if not then please supply me with the info I requested so I can do my own investigation.

Sorry for the rant.... :o