After updating my application Windows XP is running the old version for one user

[Anders Eriksson]

Hello!

I have a strange problem (tm)!

I have an application(MyApp.exe), it's a standard windows application. No
COM or .NET

The computer has two users, Admin and Operator. Admin is a member of the
Administrators group. Operator is a limited(Standard) user.

For the Operator MyApp is the main application and is the only program that
this user runs. Admin almost never runs MyApp but runs many other programs.
The system has been working for two weeks.

Now I have made a change to MyApp on my developing computer and then copied
the MyApp.exe file to a diskette and then copied from the diskette to the
actual directory on the user computer (C:\Program Files\My
Company\MyApp.exe)

I then rebooted the computer.

Here is the problem!

User Operator is still running the old version of the program!
If I login as Admin then the new version of the program will run!

I have checked and there is only one MyApp.exe on the computer.

What is wrong?
And how do I fix so that Operator runs the new version of the program??

// Anders

 

[WinGuy]

Hi, Anders
Be sure to check file permissions and user link locations (maybe was
installed while user had admin priveleges?)
From cmd box:
sfc /purgecache (maybe the old file is being pulled by user from cache)

 

[Anders Eriksson]

Hello WinGuy!

Be sure to check file permissions and user link locations (maybe was
installed while user had admin priveleges?)

Nope, the application was installed from the Admin account for all users. I
then copied the new version also from the Admin account. Rebooted and
logged on as Operator and it's still using the old version of the program.

From cmd box:
sfc /purgecache (maybe the old file is being pulled by user from cache)

I'm guessing that it is some caching that causing the problem but does SFC
really cache normal Windows applications?

As I understand SFC is only affecting Windows System Files. It's is called
System File Checker, but I may be wrong (.I often am.)

Would someone please confirm that using SFC /purgecache I will remove an
cached application!

(I don't want to do this command unless it does what I need. According to
the doc it needs the Windows installation source files, and those are in
this case hard to get (.No, not pirated.)since we(Sweden) are closed for
vacation...)

// Anders

 

[WinGuy]

Hello WinGuy!



Nope, the application was installed from the Admin account for all users. I
then copied the new version also from the Admin account. Rebooted and
logged on as Operator and it's still using the old version of the program.

Ok, so you actually checked anyway and didn't assume that for some reason
the permissions got/get changed when using the user's account.
You checked to assure that the user's shortcut ultimately points at the
proper copy location? It kinds of sounds like a multiple installation is
involved, perhaps one when the user was temporarily given admin privileges
for the purpose of a separate installation.

I'm guessing that it is some caching that causing the problem but does SFC
really cache normal Windows applications?

As I understand SFC is only affecting Windows System Files. It's is called
System File Checker, but I may be wrong (.I often am.)

FAIK, it might cache actual file security related data for system purposes -
I really don't know but it seems plausible.<g> I made the suggestion just
to rule out a possible cause, as it is a harmless and perhaps a beneficial
thing to do.

Would someone please confirm that using SFC /purgecache I will remove an
cached application!

(I don't want to do this command unless it does what I need. According to
the doc it needs the Windows installation source files, and those are in
this case hard to get (.No, not pirated.)since we(Sweden) are closed for
vacation...)

Yes, unless Windows was installed from a CD copy that exists on the HDD then
it will want the installation CD but only if it finds any problems, and you
could cancel SFC at the point when it asks for the CD (but at least you'd
know there's an existing problem). You can actually use any installation CD
for SFC or for booting into Recovery Console purposes as long as it's one
for Home if Home is installed, or Pro if Pro is installed (and it probably
would need to be a SP1 CD version, too). You only need the original CD used
for the original installation if you do a repair or clean install of XP
(i.e., in cases where registration would be required). I don't yet know if
this will remain true after SP2 gets installed (I hope it remains true else
it will cause a worldwide and very severe and possibly anti-competative
service center nightmare, especially when dealing with an out of warranty
OEM installation).