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Q: How do programs know they have already been installed? -=TOaO=-
Gumbo (Gumbo@Idontthinkso.com) 2004/07/25 19:48

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Subject: Q: How do programs know they have already been installed?
Date: 26 Jul 2004 01:48:06 GMT
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Q: How do programs know they have already been installed?

A: Many programs set "turds" when first installed or run. Use PCMagazine's
free InCtrl utility to track the install and run the program once before
completing the tracking period. Other install monitors or ConfigSafe may
be used instead or in conjunction with InCtrl.

InCtrl5 is compatible with Windows 2000 and earlier, find it at
http://www.filesearching.com/cgi-bin/s?q=inctrl+.zip&l=en&t=f&m=2000&o=d&s1=&s2=&d=&p=&p2=&x=18&y=12

The turds are registry entries or files. Many times they are not obvious.

For example, one popular program uses these registry entires as turds:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLAR_5Z9042706011
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MS_AM1B39FF9611
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filemon and Regmon from http://www.systeminternals.com/ can be used for turd
hunting on programs that you did not track. The last file or registry entry
checked before the MessageBox pops up is a good candidate for the turd.

The only foolproof way to defeat "turds" is to use Norton's Ghost or a
similiar
drive image tool to save a copy of the drive before installing the program.




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